Rick Gerhartz () – Pastor-teacher
Rick was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. He was brought up in a Catholic home, that is, until a friend of his mother’s invited he and his sister to an evangelistic outreach at her local Bible Church. In the summer of 1974 Rick was saved by God’s amazing grace. After his parents placed their faith in Christ’s finished work ten months later, they attended several Bible Churches in the Milwaukee area over the years. In 1985 Rick met his wife Katie at his place of employment and in 1986 she trusted Christ as her personal Savior; they were married in 1987. In 1995 Rick was led to be equipped for the work of the ministry, and started taking correspondence courses through a Bible Seminary, but felt it wasn’t enough. Two years later, after much prayer, Rick and Katie moved to Superior, WI to be a part of Duluth Bible Church. Together, they sat under the sound exegetical, expository teaching of Pastor Dennis Rokser. In addition, Rick was trained for six years in the Grace Institute of Biblical Studies. In 2005 Rick and his wife relocated back to the Milwaukee area to be a part of Word of Grace Bible Church.
Tim Shirk – Associate Pastor
Tim Shirk was born the youngest of five in the central valley of California. Being exposed to the Word by faithful parents from infancy, Tim came to faith in Christ at nine years old. After high school, Tim attended the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, where he met his wife Lisa. After graduation, Tim and Lisa moved back to Wisconsin to live close to Lisa’s parents. Eventually the Shirk family was introduced to Word of Grace Bible Church through friendship with the parents of one of their son’s kindergarten classmate’s parents, Rick and Katie Gerhartz. Word of Grace Bible Church has had a large impact on the Shirk family through continual exposure to sound Bible teaching, opportunity for ministry, and fellowship with ‘one another’.
Bill Lent – Deacon
I was blessed to have been raised in a Christian home with God-fearing parents here in the city of Milwaukee. At an early age, I heard many Biblical truths that laid the foundation for my salvation. However, due to lack of clarity and confusing teaching, it wasn’t until I was about 16 years old that I received full assurance of my salvation. Once I understood and believed that sin’s debt is paid fully by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, I was able to finally rest in His finished work for me and say for certain that I was a child of God. I have since been blessed with a loving bride and sweet little boy which are also gifts of His marvelous grace!
Ian Rokser – Deacon
Ian is a native of Duluth, Minnesota who has lived in Milwaukee since 2005. He came to trust in Jesus Christ alone as his Savior at the age of five through the faithful witness of his parents. During his upbringing, Ian absorbed hours of sound Bible teaching by faithful men including Dennis Rokser, Tom Stegall, Kurt Witzig, John Whitcomb, Renald Showers, Ron Merryman, and Chester McCalley. He is now employed as an engineer and greatly privileged to serve the saints at Word of Grace Bible Church. Ian has three young boys and a wife, Emily, through whom he is continually reminded that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that he could ask or think.
Tom Stegall – Former Pastor-teacher
Tom is originally from Minneapolis, MN. He was raised as a Roman Catholic and following high school attended seminary with a desire to become a priest. However, upon reading the Bible and through the testimony of a few saved friends, he came to trust in Christ alone for his salvation and was born again by God’s grace in 1987. He was actively involved in the Duluth Bible Church from 1988 until 1998, where he became equipped through the accurate teaching of God’s Word and the shepherding of his pastor, Dennis Rokser. At D.B.C. he met his wife Debbie, a native of Duluth, and they were married in 1997. Pastor Stegall attributes his primary preparation for pastoral ministry in Milwaukee to his decade of personal involvement in his local church in Duluth. He was further prepared by completing a five-year course of study through the Grace Institute of Biblical Studies; and he is also a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and the University of Minnesota in Duluth.