Office Hours (M-F): 8:30-5:00

 ** Day School Staff

Senior Pastor - Edward Wm. Trost
Native of: Chicago, Illinois
Family: Wife - Barb, four children.
Came to Bethany: 9/18/88
Previous Churches Served: Calvary, Wamego, KS (1967-70), Holy Cross, Wichita, KS (1970-78), St. Paul, Flint, MI (1978-88).

Associate Pastor - Bryan Drebes
Native of: Hannibal, MO
Graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Served here at Bethany as Vicar in 2000
Came to Bethany:  9/9/2001
His wife, Cheryl, joined in August 2007

Associate Pastor of Outreach - Mark Schulz
Family: Wife - Nancy, two children.
Came to Bethany:  5/1/2005
Previous Churches Served: St. Mark, Omaha, Nebraska; The Lutheran Church of St. Luke, Itasca, Illinois; and North Shore Lutheran Ministry in Lake Forest and Highland Park, Illinois.

Director of Child Ministry - Pamela Nummela
Native of: St. Louis, Missouri
Family: Husband - Tom, also a DCE, Children - Bethany and Tim
Came to Bethany: July 1, 1999
Certifications: Lutheran teacher (1974) and DCE (1991)
Previous Churches Served: As teacher in Portland, Oregon (1975-77); Lansing, Michigan (1977-82); Waco, Texas (1982-84); Blue Springs, Missouri (1984-92); Affton, Missouri (1992-99) 

Director of Youth Ministry - William Prann

William has spent his life trying to experience as much of God’s creation as possible.  He loves being outside doing everything from yard work to racing his bicycle in local and regional races.  William received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Dakota on a track scholarship and spent eight years as a Commercial Lending Officer in the Kansas City area.  In 2001, He was named one of People Magazines “100 Most Eligible Bachelors.” Following that experience, he quit the bank and returned to school to prepare to serve as a Youth Minister.  According to William, “investing in people has a much better return.” He is now a certified Director of Christian Education with the Lutheran Church and serves as the Director of Youth Ministries at Bethany Lutheran Church with campuses in Overland Park and Stilwell, Kansas.  He is working on a Master’s degree through Concordia University.  William lives in Lenexa, KS with his wife, Tricia and everyone else’s kids.

Administrator - Dennis Underwood 

Receptionist - Carolynn Eckard 

Director of Music - Sara Oberle
Native of: Great Bend, Kansas
Family: Husband - Curtis
Came to Bethany: July 2008
Previous Churches Served: Ruskin Heights Lutheran 1996-2000, Ward Parkway Presbyterian 2000-2001,
Overland Park Christian 2002-2005

Bethany Lutheran Day School
Staff Information

Staff at Bethany

Click on the  "Bethany Day School"  button in the  "Contents"  listing at the left for detailed information on the Bethany Lutheran Day School Program.

Vacant - Principal

Debbie Dillon, Kindergarten Grade

Debbie grew up in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  She attended Concordia University in Mequon, WI and graduated in 1994 with a BS in Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology.  She taught at Grace Lutheran in Kansas City for five years.  She then taught at Mt. Calvary Lutheran School in Minnesota for two years.  Debbie moved back to Kansas and taught kindergarten in a public school in Argentine, KS for two years.  In May 2005, she started her Master's program at NWMSU.  Debbie and her husband, Shannon, have two children.  Debbie enjoys repelling, swimming, and many other outdoor activities.  Debbie is very excited about teaching Kindergarten at Bethany this year.

Becci Arnholt, First Grade

Becci grew up in Columbus, Indiana on her parent’s farm.  She graduated from Concordia University River Forest in 2003, attending Concordia Irvine, CA for one year of college.  Becci’s first call was to teach kindergarten at Lamb of God Lutheran School in Las Vegas, Nevada where she taught for 5 years.  In May 2008, Becci graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy.  Along with her passion for teaching and serving the Lord, Becci also enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, being outdoors, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Beckie Rathke, Second Grade

Beckie is a 1989 graduate of Concordia University in Seward and has taught in schools at Messiah and Grace here in the Kansas City area.  She has also taught in Sioux Falls, SD, Fort Wayne, IN, and Kearney, NE.  From 2003 - 2005 she was employed with Nebraska Furniture Mart, both here and in Omaha, NE.  A native Nebraskan, she grew up in Wisner, a farming community, where her parents still live.  Her family includes 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 12 nephews and nieces, and 1 great-nephew.  She enjoys music, running, working outside, and teaching fitness classes.  Highlights in her life include traveling to Haiti to help set up feeding programs for children in Lutheran Schools.

Nancy J. Schulz, Third Grade

Nancy is a 1982 graduate of Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a math concentration.  She also received Church Teacher and Director of Christian Education certifications.  She is originally from Spencer, IA where she attended First English Lutheran Church.  Nancy served Lutheran schools in Waterloo, Itasca, and Lake Forest, IL prior to moving to Overland Park in 2005.  She has taught Third Grade at Bethany since then.  She and her husband, Mark, have two daughters, Rebekah and Bethany.

Megan Darby, Fourth Grade

Megan grew up south of Wichita in Mulvane, Kansas.  She is a 2002 graduate of Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.  She graduated with degrees in Elementary Education and Mathematics, and also received a Lutheran Teachers Diploma.  During college, Megan had the opportunity to work in elementary schools in Nebraska, London, England and Brisbane, Australia.  Previously ―Mrs. Darby taught kindergarten here at Bethany for 6 years.  This will be her second year teaching Fourth Grade.

Jana Grimm, Fifth Grade

Jana is a 1989 graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in mathematics.  She has completed the Teacher Colloquy Program of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  Jana previously volunteered at Bethany as an art teacher and is beginning her sixth year of teaching Fifth Grade at Bethany.  She and her husband, Brian, have three children, Brianna, who attends Lutheran High, and Reagan and Evan, who attend Bethany.

Diane Harries, Sixth Grade (Homeroom)

Diane is the sixth grade homeroom teacher here at Bethany.  She is a member at Hope Lutheran Church in Shawnee, where her husband, Tom, is the Senior Pastor.  They live in Lenexa and have three grown children, and one granddaughter.  Diane holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from St. Mary's College in Leavenworth with an endorsement in 7-9 Language Arts.  She received her colloquy through Concordia University, Seward, NE, to be rostered with the LCMS.  She teaches reading, English, and music to the 6th - 8th graders.  When not busy at school, she can usually be found immersed in music or cooking or having fun with her granddaughter….sometimes all three!

Steve Potter, Seventh Grade (Homeroom)

Steve grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He received his BA degree in elementary education from Mid-America Nazarene University in 1976.  Ten years later, he earned a Master's degree from UMKC.  Steve taught 5th grade at Meadow Lane Elementary School in Olathe for 17 years.  For the past 16 1/2 years, he taught 7th grade Life Science at Santa Fe Trail Junior High and Prairie Trail Junior High School.  He coached freshman girls basketball and 8th grade girls volleyball.  For three years, he participated in a Life Science Cadre sponsored by NASA.  He and his wife, Cindy, have one daughter, Jana, who is married and lives in Colorado Springs, CO.

Peter Lorenz, Eighth Grade

Peter Lorenz was born and raised in Wisconsin where he eventually attended Concordia University Wisconsin.  A 2005 graduate, Peter's first call was to serve as a middle school teacher and athletic director at St. Peter's Lutheran in Waterford, WI where he taught from 2006-2009.  In his spare time, Peter enjoys music, biking, and participating and following sports, his favorite team being the Milwaukee Brewers.  Peter is currently planning a November wedding with his fiancé, Emily.

Laura Grossman, Day School Support Staff

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