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CLICK on each picture to view an enlargement. |
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Minister - Rev. Brett Winters
Brett's roots are in northern Iowa, and his in-laws are in Missouri and so it is great for them to be back in the Midwest. Brett's children are of the four legged variety: 2 dogs and 1 rabbit. |
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Intern Minister - Raymond Hankins
When Raymond is not reading and studying his theological textbooks, he likes to pursue photography with his large format cherry wood camera and tinker with computers. Raymond loves to work with people, preach, teach the scriptures and lead others in gaining a greater understanding of God. |
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Organist - Jan Van Otterloo
Jan was born in Sioux Center, Iowa and has been playing the organ for churches since she was fifteen years old. She lives in Raymore, Missouri with her husband, Ray Humphreys and their three dogs. She loves reading, walking and her all time favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. |
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Bookkeeper - Ken Maxson
He was born in Beatrice, Nebraska and graduated from North High School in Omaha, Nebraska. He is married to wife, Judy and says some of his best moments have not only been with her but also the birth of his 9 grandchildren and great-grandchild. Ken and his wife Judy are members of Crossroads United Methodist Church. He loves football and baseball and some of his hobbies include: fishing, horseback riding, putting together puzzles, taking walks in the woods and communing with nature. He loves watching action, western and science fiction movies. Meat loaf, steak, chocolate cake, and brownies are some of his favorite foods. A helpful hint he would like to pass on is; look to help those who are less fortunate than you, keep a smile on your face, and leave everything up to HIM and it will be done. |
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Custodian - Everett Kilbourne
He is from Itman, West Virginia and has been married to his lovely wife, Sarah for over 50 years. They have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren. Some of his hobbies include yard work, working on cars and traveling. He loves watching old western and action packed movies and loves all kinds of homemade pies, especially cheesecake. |
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Preschool Director - Rhonda Bobbitt
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Music Director - Suzanne Hatcher
Suzanne's church ministry career has spanned over 20 years to date. Starting as a church pianist at the age of 13, she has served churches in the following denominations: American Baptist, Southern Baptist, Episcopal, United Church of Christ, and Presbyterian. She has also done substitute work in ministry in Catholic and Lutheran churches, and now holds a teaching position at a Catholic school where playing twice-weekly Mass is one of her duties. Now with her position at Raymore Christian Church, Suzanne adds Disciples of Christ to her already diverse religious background. She is comfortable with all aspects and styles of worship, and had led everything from Taize, having made a pilgrimage to France, to plain-chant to high liturgy to extremely informal, cutting-edge contemporary worship. Congregations and colleagues have always admired her ability to infuse new ideas into long-standing traditions, and to encourage and build the talents of her musicians. As a choral conductor, Suzanne has worked with all levels and ages of singers. While at UM, Suzanne was one of the founding conductors of the Advanced Women's Choir, a co-conductor of Maelstrom - the University's Men's Choir, and on the conducting rotations for both Chamber Singers and the internationally acclaimed Frost University Chorale. Suzanne can be heard conducting the University Chorale on their album, What Dreams May Come, released in 2004 on the Albany Records label. Suzanne also spent three years as the chorus master for the Frost Opera Program, preparing everything from Gilbert & Sullivan to Wagner. Since her time at UM, Suzanne has been the conductor of the Chapel Choir at William Jewell College and a guest conductor of the Liberty Symphony for a performance of Puccini's Messa di Gloria. She informally functioned as an assistant conductor for the Orlando Gay Chorus during the year she was their accompanist and one of their resident arrangers. As a singer, Suzanne has been hailed for her rich, dramatic spinto voice and her musical and dramatic interpretations. The Stockton Record praised her elegant musicianship and flawless intonation, the Florida Sun-Sentinel said she brought sassy panache to a performance of Yiddish music, and the Miami Herald raved about her deep voice in the music of Debussy. Additional reviews have called her singing lovely and her voice dulcet. South Florida reviewer Lawrence Budman wrote Suzanne displayed fearless coloratura and was luxury casting in a performance of the operatic music of Mozart. Suzanne was singled out in a review of New World Symphony's performance of Schubert's Mass in E Flat as one of the soloists under the famous conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. She has been heard in opera, oratorio, and concert in California, Washington, Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, and across the pond in England. Also an active professional chorister, Suzanne is a member of Seraphic Fire (a chamber choir based in South Florida), the new Kansas City-based choir Voices of Peace, and she is an alumnus of the Kansas City Chorale. With Seraphic Fire, Suzanne can be heard as a soloist on several recordings. Additionally, she has held memberships in numerous professional organizations and in 2005 was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, the Honor Society for Music. Suzanne has been on the faculties of Florida International University, Miami-Dade College, University of South Florida where she was a Visiting Artist in Residence and principle coach for the opera program, and most recently William Jewell College in the Kansas City metro area where she was the Director of Vocal Studies. Content to be away from academia for a while, Suzanne currently serves as the Music Director for Raymore Christian Church, Music Teacher for Our Lady of Unity Catholic School, and Conductor/Artistic Director of the Northland Community Choir. |