Kevin Koker, Worship and Arts Pastor

I have been serving as the Worship and Arts Pastor at Central Church since December of 1998, and I am a proud Mid America Nazarene University graduate, where I met my wife, Julie, while she was studying to be an RN.

In addition to music and worship, my passions include following my favorite sports teams. I love rooting for my KC Royals, Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2008 National Champion, Kansas Jayhawks.

 I also enjoy riding motorcycles and hanging out with my beautiful wife and two daughters, Faith and Lauren. I love watching my daughters' soccer games, attending their recitals, and seeing them grow in their faith. God has given me the best family in the world!

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Rob Prince, Senior Pastor

Want to know a bit more about Pastor Rob?

Favorite Kansas City Restaurant: The Dragon Inn (in old Overland Park)

Favorite Book (other than the Bible, of course): The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I like reading John Grisham novels, too.

Favorite Movie: The Mission.

A weird thing about me that nobody knows (until now): I have a misshaped kidney. I am not sure of the shape, but I think it looks a little like Argentina.

First date with Karla: Tennis and ice cream in beautiful Petoskey, Michigan. (I let her win. I thought she'd feel sorry for the lousy tennis playing geek. It worked.)

The perfect day: A sunny autumn afternoon with my family and 110,000 of my closest friends watching the Mighty Wolverines devour a team in the Big House.

What I hope someone can truthfully say at my funeral: "He was a good husband and dad, and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ."

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Cory Stipp, Youth Pastor

I arrived at Central in the fall of 2005 to take on the role of youth pastor. After graduating from Olivet Nazarene University with a business degree, I worked as a marketing director for a few years before embracing God's call on my life to be a pastor. I have been in youth ministry since 1999 and have loved every minute of it.

I met my lovely wife while I was a pastor at her church in Illinois. We have a beautiful daughter, Ava, who was born in 2007. This has helped me to understand the love of our Heavenly Father. His love is even greater than my love for my child. Wow, that is a lot of love!! My wife and I enjoy working on the house together, taking bike rides, and sitting on a sandy beach somewhere under a hot sun.

All in all, I just enjoy being with students. I enjoy the relationships that are formed, and I love watching them grow spiritually and mature into a man/woman of integrity with their faith. Seeing the excitement on a student's face when one of the friends they brought accepts Christ, watching the face of a volunteer light up when they pray the sinner's prayer with a student, or seeing a volunteer's compassion as they put a hand on a shoulder of a student and pray beside them -- that is what gets me excited and gets me out of bed in the morning. Youth ministry is not teaching a list of do’s and don’ts but rather coming in alongside a student and embarking on their spiritual journey with them and their parents.

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Molly Frei, Pastor of Discipleship

I hail from the heart of Cornhusker country, Hastings, Nebraska.  I became a Christian when I was about 16 years old and soon after felt a call to ministry.  Several years ago I came down to this foreign J-Hawk and Wildcat country to attend MNU.  During those 4 years I spent 2 summers in Sydney, Australia with Youth In Mission and discovered a whole new world beyond the USA.  Somewhere along the way I found myself attending Central, working with the Youth Group, and discovering my church home here.  I graduated in 2005 with a degree in Youth and Family Ministry and headed off to NTS.  I completed my first year in the MDiv program before signing my contract with Mission Corps and flying off to spend a year in Poznan, Poland.  I returned to continue my studies at NTS and simultaneously joined the staff here at Central and it has been wonderful to come home to you all!

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Jamie Rubio, Cross Cultural Pastor

Prior to arriving at Central I made a prayer request to the Lord that I would find a church where I could grow spiritually and serve. Fortunately, I found both and I have been part of the Central family since fall of 2005.

I was born and raised in Northwest Ohio (Yes, a Buckeye fan).After I graduated from high school I moved down to Texas where I attended Texas A&M- Corpus Christi and graduated with a degree in Business Administration.

I got my start in ministry at McAllen First Church of the Nazarene where my father-in-law serves as senior pastor. I served as worship/youth leader. It was in McAllen where God crystallized His call into ministry to me.

After being at McAllen for some time, I went to Korea Nazarene University and taught English for a year and a half. I returned to the States in July of 2004. I stayed in McAllen for a year and moved to Kansas City in June of 2005 to begin my studies at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

On July 29th, 2006, I wed my wife Heather. She is a wonderful helpmate and my best friend in the world. It is a great blessing to be able to work, play, and live life with her by my side.

As Cross Cultural Pastor I hope to be a source of encouragement to as many as possible. I have faith that God will continue to tie us together as a church family. Pray for Heather and me as we start the Spanish service as well as other ministries.

In Christ,
Jamie Rubio

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Tim Johnson, Pastor of Congregational Care

We are very excited to be back at Central Church after a brief time away in 2007. We have been attending Central Church since April, 2004. We moved to Kansas City from Nashville, TN to attend Nazarene Theological Seminary. Upon graduation in May 2007, we moved to Honolulu to plant a new church. After just a few months in the islands, it became clear to us that God was leading us to move back to Kansas City and so we packed our things and moved back.

In addition to ministry at Central, I am a Principal Consultant for SunGard Higher Education which has me on the road quite a bit travelling throughout North America. I have worked with over a hundred Colleges and Universities in the past ten years. While I enjoy the travel and getting familiar with new places, I also really miss my family and the folks at Central when I am away.

Some of my hobbies include collecting frequent flyer miles, reading and challenging Alex on the Wii (although she usually wins). In 2007, Debbie and I passed the 20 year milestone in our marriage. Debbie is an active part of my ministry and is also involved in music and children’s ministries at Central. Alex is getting used to being a “pastor’s kid” and enjoys the youth group at Central.

We are grateful to God for our Central family and look forward to loving God and serving others together with you.

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Carol Rittenhouse, Connecting Pastor

I was raised in a Christian home in Indiana. My parents taught me early what it meant to love God. I was very active in children and youth activities, but never would I have imagined that years later God would call me into ministry.

I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with plans to teach French and Spanish. While I loved teaching, God had other plans for me. He gathered up my passion for teaching and redirected me toward teaching spiritual truths rather than academic ones. I moved to Kansas City in 2000 to begin studies at Nazarene Theological Seminary, graduating with an MDiv in 2006.

In that time God has taught me through incredible mentors, teachers, and friends. I have developed such a deep gratitude for God’s grace and have dedicated my life to sharing that gift with others. My passion is teaching through mentoring, Bible studies, Sunday School, and any other venue God brings my way.

In addition to my Central responsibilities, I am blessed to have another opportunity to serve. I am an administrative assistant in the office of Clergy Development at the Global Ministry Center for the Church of the Nazarene. What a privilege to serve the Church in both areas of ministry!

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