About Our Pastor

Pastor’s Bio

Josh came to Emmanuel in January 2006 following his M.Div. degree at Sioux Falls Seminary (then North American Baptist Seminary) in Sioux Falls, SD.  He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lisa, and they are humbled and blessed to be the parents of Abby, Kenna, Isaac, and Brianna.  Born in Tacoma, Washington, Josh also grew up in South Dakota and Northern California before moving to Ellinwood, Kansas as a sophomore in high school.  He graduated from Sterling College in 1997 with a double major in Religion & Philosophy and Christian Education.  During his college years up through their move to Marion, Josh served part or full-time at four other churches in the areas of youth & children’s ministry and worship/music.  Since moving to Kansas over 20 years ago, Josh has learned to love small-town Kansas life, and he and Lisa (a small-town Kansas native) can’t imagine living and serving anywhere else.  Josh enjoys going on long walks with his family, playing guitar, working in the yard, playing sports, and reading good theology.  Romans 5:8 is his most beloved Scripture because it speaks of his true and dire situation and God’s most precious and gracious rescue – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”