Ministry Leaders - Encounter Life

our ministry leaders

holy spirit led leadership

Jesus modeled the Spirit led life and gave us the example that we all follow.

john schnell

lead pastor

At age 17 Pastor John had a powerful God encounter that sent him “searching for the One who touched him.” After ten years of religious activity, he found the truth and received Jesus Christ as Savior. Holy Spirit’s supernatural activity was in his life from the beginning. But it wasn’t until years later that he recognized and received the full baptism and breakthrough of Holy Spirit. Pastor John is a revivalist pastor who is passionate that the unbelieving and ungifted hear the Word and have personal encounters with God. Since 2009, he has guided ELM to be a church that hungers for the presence of God. He has been used to develop a church culture that embraces the full work of the atonement, all the gifts and manifestations of Holy Spirit, and a supernatural Kingdom. PJ has been married to Roxanne since 1983. They have five grown children and lots of beautiful grandchildren.

roxanne schnell

co-pastor

Worshipper, mentor, faithful servant, are characteristics of this dynamic women of God. Roxanne has been in ministry with her husband, John, for over 30 years. During those years, she has worked with all ages, ranging from preschool children, elementary, and youth, as well as adults, doing whatever was called of her. She has a mother’s heart for all the children of God, no matter their age. Mama Rox, as she is frequently called, has a passion to see all empowered and equipped to live at their fullest God-given potential. She desires everyone to have an encounter with the living God. She birthed the Student Ministries here at Encounter Life and strives to inspire hope in all she meets. Roxanne serves in various ministries at Encounter Life church and continues to teach, pray, and serve God faithfully, which she plans to do all the days of her life.

kacee degunia

associate minister of worship & connections

Kacee DeGunia has worked in ministry, primarily in worship, for almost twenty years at this church. She first asked Jesus into her heart when she was two, and again at twelve. She grew up with a passion for music which she was introduced to by her grandmother. God has shaped that passion into a heart for worshipping the Father. She currently leads the worship ministry at Encounter Life in the pursuit of a God-given charge of cultivating a passion for worshipping in the Presence. She also serves the church in the areas of media and connection, where she facilitates community and family engagement. She is married and she and her husband live in Mead.

josh hawley

associate minister of youth

Josh became the youth leader after having served in youth ministry at this church for about 12 years. He has a heart to see the students in this ministry come to know Christ, grow in their knowledge of who they are in Him, and use that knowledge to go out and impact the world with the Kingdom of God. He has a passion for worship ministry as well, and can usually be found “banging on things with sticks” (drumming) on Sunday mornings. Josh also serves on the Board of Overseers at the church, and is involved in managing the IT infrastructure as well. He grew up outside Wahoo, and has been attending church here since he was 10 years old. He loves getting to know people, and helping them any way he can.