Senior Pastor Darwin Dunten and his wife Polly are from the Fort Wayne, Indiana/ Toledo, Ohio area.  They have three children and two grandchildren.  Two of their children are serving overseas with the United States military.  One daughter lives in Bryan, Ohio.

Pastor Darwin is a firm believer that the church must be relevant, worshipful, and fun.   He also knows that a Christian must be continually growing in his or her walk with Christ.  Therefore, those who are attending Mt. Tabor will be given opportunity to become stronger in their relationship with Christ.

Pastor Darwin graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College with a bachelors in Christian counseling.  He received his Masters in Christian Ministries degree from Huntington University.  He has continued his education and has an MDiv. equivalent recognition from Winebrenner Theological Seminary.  Darwin has served on national denominational boards and served as the cluster leader (supt.) of local pastor and churches.  His experience also includes hospital chaplaincy and the Hancock county Ohio administrative chaplain for the sheriffs department.

Darwin and Polly love to travel.  “Ms Polly” loves children and has a strong desire to share Jesus with the younger generation.

 

 

Ben Neff, Youth and Young Families Pastor.

Youth Pastor Ben Neff and his wife Michelle have been serving the community for many years.  Ben has served in youth ministry in some capacity since the year 2000.  Ben served at the part time youth pastor from 2007-2013.  He also spent 7 years as the dean of senior high week at Camp Otyokwah.  Ben has served this community as a junior high math teacher for 13 years.  He felt unsettled not using his spiritual gifts to the fullest and felt the Spirit calling him to use his gifts more in the church.  He gave up teaching after 18 years became full time in the summer of 2021.

Ben also enjoys serving the community as a real estate agent and beef farmer on the side.  He likes to be out with people doing life together.

Michelle supports Ben in his work at the church and keeps busy taking care of their 4 wonderful kids.  Michelle also faithfully serves on the worship team.
Ben received his pastoral credentials within the Churches of God Conference in July of 2021.

 

 

 

Abbie Gray is the Director of Worship.  She is from Lebanon, Ohio.  She strives to make the worship inspirational and Jesus focused.  Abbie radiates with joy as she worships the Lord.  She serves alongside her husband Jim, who is an elder in the church.  When not working at Valco in Coldwater, she enjoys long walks on the streets of Mendon, bluegrass and folk music, and trimming bonsai trees.  Abbie also does not like to talk about herself, so some of this we had to make up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connie Randall serves as secretary at Mt. Tabor.  She keeps the communication lines working well at the church by taking care of the calendar of events, putting together a weekly email, weekly bulletin, prayer request sheet, and notifications to volunteers to help everything run smoothly each Sunday. She also enjoys helping with the logistics of any event (outreach) that is being planned at Mt. Tabor.

Connie has lived in Mercer county all of her life except for two years while her husband served in the U.S. Navy.  Doug, her husband for 37 years, died in a tragic tractor accident a couple of years ago. God blessed them with four children. Three of the children are married and one lives at home with her when not away at college. She looks forward to spending any time available with her 18 grandchildren.

She enjoys doing an in depth study of God’s Word with a group of ladies once a week, volunteering with Mercer County Right to Life, ministering to young women in their marriage and in their role as a mother, and helping wherever the need is in the homeschool community.