Trinity is a blessed church that is led by a dynamic staff of people who are great at what they do, who love to work collaboratively as a team, who minister the love of God out of the love they receive from God, and know how to have a good time.
Staff and ministry Leaders
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David To
Senior Pastor
Pastor David has been in church ministry for over 15 years. He was born and raised in church. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior when he was 12. He felt God’s call into ministry when he was very young and followed that call throughout his life. He graduated from William Tyndale College near Detroit with a Bible Degree and from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a Master’s of Divinity Degree. He served in a variety of settings from urban to rural and from small to large churches and with a variety of ministries - youth, young adults, music, adult discipleship, congregational care, pastoral ministries, and etc. His heart's desire is to be obedient and glorify God by making disciples, equipping the church, and igniting each person to love God and love others.
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Nancy Eberle
Family Ministries Director
Nancy joined the staff in January 2020. Her family has attended Trinity UMC for over 5 years. Nancy and her husband Rick have 3 children. She loves her job of working with all age groups at Trinity and North Union.
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RUTH TO
YOUTH DIRECTOR
Ruth To has been in ministry for 11 years serving in youth, children, and family ministries. She has her bachelor’s in Biblical and Religious Studies with an emphasis in Christian Ministries. She is excited to serve the teens of Trinity and North Union Churches. Her hope is to encourage faith development and build relationships. She is married to Pastor David, and they are excited to continue to serve the community of Van Wert.
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jody Bigham
OFFICE MANAGER
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Loralee lichtensteiger
communications director
Loralee joined the staff in July 2019 after the partnership with North Union UMC was formed. She served as North Union’s secretary for a year and six months. Loralee and her husband, Steve have 3 children. She is looking forward to meeting new people and serving both the Trinity and North Union church families.
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erica clay
Vocal and bell Choir director
Erica has been worshipping with the Trinity congregation for more than 30 years. On a typical Sunday, you might find her waving her arms at one of the choirs, playing a piano duet with her mom, bringing the bass, strumming the guitar, or wearing some big headphones as she tweaks the sound system--doing all of it with the goal of helping the congregation hear the Holy Spirit moving in our worship.
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AMANDA BLOCK
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP COORDINATOR
Amanda Block was born and raised here in Van Wert. She attended Huntington University where she studied youth, children, and family ministry. After graduation, she has served as the worship leader at other churches before coming to Trinity. She is very passionate about providing a quality worship experience through music and is excited to minister to everyone who comes on Sunday mornings. Amanda and her husband Hall have a two-year-old son named Asher, and they are excited to raise their family and to serve in the community of Van Wert.
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MELISSA CLAY
PIANIST
Melissa and her husband, Gary, joined Trinity more than 30 years ago when their children were young. They were drawn to this church family because of their love for the Lord and each other, the study of Scripture, missions and outreach, and a strong commitment to training children. Melissa feels privileged to have been part of Trinity's music staff for over 15 years as the choir accompanist, pianist, and keyboardist for the praise team. Being a part of this ministry is a blessing in her life.
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MATT SAUNIER
SOUND BOARD TECH
Matt Saunier and his fiancé Beth Griffin began attending Trinity United Methodist Church in 2021, in the hopes to find their place in a church. With the warm welcome they received, Matt wanted to “plug-in” wherever he could. The position of Sound Technician falls into his expertise and passion. Working at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center for 13 years paved the way for the development in the field of Audio and Visual. Matt is extremely excited to be a part of the team at Trinity and looks forward to growing closer to the Lord with his service.
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terri schlenker
facilities
Terri Schlenker is our wonderful and cheerful custodian at Trinity. Terri and her husband, Ed, have attended Trinity since 1992. They have three children and six grandchildren. Terri and Ed love their church family and feel incredibly blessed to have raised their children here.