Meet Our Leadership Team

Brian Hedges (Lead Pastor)

Raised in a pastor’s family, Brian was graciously drawn to Christ as a teenager and began preaching when he was 18. Brian became our Lead Pastor in 2003. Brian is married to Holly, who works in administration at a local Christian school. Brian and Holly have been married since 1996 and have four children. Brian is the author of Christ Formed in You, Christ All Sufficient, The Story of His Glory, Watchfulness: Recovering a Lost Spiritual Discipline, and other books. He also enjoys working out and playing golf, and is an avid reader. Among his favorite authors are Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and C. S. Lewis.

Brad O’Dell (Pastor for Discipleship and Small Groups)

Brad grew up as a pastor’s kid in the southern Midwest and experienced a heart change and call to church ministry in his early twenties. He spent about a decade in Virginia, where he earned his Master of Divinity and gained pastoral and discipleship experience. He loves seeing the supernatural work God does in people’s lives through the seemingly ordinary rhythms of small groups. But Brad not only serves as our pastor for discipleship in small groups, but is also one of our elders, helps provide leadership to our student ministries, and is one of the primary teachers/preachers at Redeemer. Contemporary influences include John Piper, Tim Keller, and Kevin DeYoung; older influences include C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, Herman Bavinck, Thomas Chalmers, and John Calvin. However, his wife and best friend Katie and his parents are still his main go-to sources for ministry wisdom, and he is so blessed to have them. He enjoys hiking, fly fishing, and recreational sports, but most enjoys what Lewis calls “the golden sessions” — long evenings with good friends, talking, laughing, telling old stories.

Kathy Eby (Director of Children’s Ministries and Women’s Ministries)

Kathy was raised in Christian family in small-town Iowa. After high school, she attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband Matt. She has previously worked as a nanny, boarding school dorm parent, and mobile home park manager, along with homeschooling her five children for eight years. She brings her varied experiences with children and management to her work in Redeemer’s children’s ministries, and also provides leadership to our women’s ministries. Kathy’s theology has been influenced by her education at Moody as well as sitting in some seminary classes at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Her heart for Christ has been nurtured through the music and lives of Christian artists including Rich Mullins, Andrew Peterson, and Audrey Assad. She enjoys reading, walking in nature, and the chance to build relationships with others through open and honest conversations.

Stephen Hedges (Director of Worship and Arts)

Stephen Hedges was raised in the church, but was initially skeptical about Jesus. But in his early teen years, Stephen came to faith, trusting in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for his salvation. He discovered his heart for music and worship shortly after. Stephen served as Interim Director for Worship for Redeemer Church in 2019, remained an active member of our worship team for several years, and then joined Redeemer’s staff as Director for Worship and Arts in 2023. His vision as a worship leader is to creatively and boldly lead the congregation in corporate worship so that the name of Christ will be magnified each week. Apart from him, our music means nothing. Stephen’s interests include not only music, but all forms of art and creativity, including drawing and photography. But he is most at home with a guitar in his hands.

Justin Reemtsma (Director of Student Ministries)

Justin was born into a pastor’s home and came to Christ when he was 5 years old. Justin has earned a bachelor’s degree in bible exposition, is deeply committed to the local church, and has a desire to see teens grow in their personal faith to be more like Christ. He is married to Christine, has three children, and enjoys hiking, sports, reading, and spending time with his family. Some key influences in Justin’s life are D. A. Carson, Charles Spurgeon, C. S. Lewis, and John Piper.

Julia Azcuna (Administrative Assistant)

In addition to working part-time as the Administrative Assistant for Redeemer Church, Julia has been homeschooling her six children for 20 years. She and Lyndon moved to this area in 2011 to take care of her parents and ended up staying after they both passed away. Although she would like to be reading more these days, two books that had an impact on her life are In Light of Eternity, the Life of Leonard Ravenhill by Mack Tomlinson, and Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. Others that have been very inspirational in her spiritual growth are John Piper and various Puritan writers. She loves doing biblical counseling with One Hope Biblical Counseling a lay ministry focused on walking with one another during difficult times. Most importantly, she loves spending time with the family, laughing and enjoying life together!

Kurt Krause (Technical Director)

Kurt was raised in a Christian home and knew that everyone is a sinner and that everyone needs a savior, but it wasn’t until his early teens that he recognized his own need for a personal relationship Christ. Kurt has been helping with the technical aspects of the worship services as a volunteer for the past six years and joined the staff as Technical Director in September of 2023. His goal is to create an environment conducive to worshiping our Lord by reducing distractions caused by technical issues. Kurt enjoys many things, including woodworking, photography, camping, hiking, and climbing.

Andy Lindgren (Lay Elder)

Andy grew up in the home of a worship leader and placed his faith in Christ at a young age. As a teenager the Lord moved powerfully in his life, and knowing Jesus became his singular ambition. Andy has a passion for studying, preaching, and teaching God’s word. Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, he relishes experiencing the beauty of nature with his lovely wife, Jenni, and their inquisitive children. His spiritual influences include Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, C.S. Lewis, Keith Green, R.C. Sproul, Don Carson, John Piper, and Timothy Keller. Few things bring him more joy than seeing others recognize the worth and beauty of the Triune God.

Phil Krause (Lay Elder)

Raised by missionaries in Central America, Phil began his journey with Christ as a boy. He is married to Christy and they have six children. Phil has worked in Christian ministry as an audio producer for several nationally-syndicated Christian radio programs. He echoes Paul’s words, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” God has used the ministries of Steve Lawson, Lance Quinn, D. A. Carson, John Piper, and Ed Welch in Phil’s spiritual growth. He enjoys the music of Michael Card and outdoor activities like fishing and camping with his family.

Steve Johnson (Lay Elder)

Steve accepted God’s grace at age 14, when Ephesians 2:8-10 became personal for him. After serving in the U.S. Army, he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics and earned a Master of Business Administration degree. Steve has worked in the technology industry and helped with the family farm since the early 1970’s. Steve has been married to Colleen since 1977, and together they have raised three children and numerous foster children. They also have four treasured grandchildren. Prior to joining Redeemer, Steve served as an elder in a church plant in Boise, ID, and in a multi-campus church in Boulder, CO. The Lord continues to grow and refine him through teaching from authors such as Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, and Tim Keller, as well as local church pastors and members.