Our Staff
Senior Pastor, Mark Vanderson is a graduate of MSU and Western Theological Seminary. He has a great passion for preaching, teaching and leadership. As a team leader, Mark has the privilege of serving with the gifted members and staff to fulfill God’s vision for Kalamazoo and the world. Mark enjoys family, fishing and MSU sports.
Pastor of Spiritual Growth, Becky Ringler is a wonderfully gifted teacher and her passion is teaching and helping people understand the truth of God’s word and how to live daily in the grace of Christ. She oversees adult ministry programming. In her free time, Becky enjoys spending time with her husband, their adult children and her horses.
Youth and Children’s Spiritual Growth Pastor,Joe Soria oversees all of the children and youth programs as well as heading up our high school ministry. He loves doing mission work, traveling, music and anything to do with football. Joe hopes to encourage students to explore and enjoy the exciting journey that God makes available to them.
Director of Arts in Worship, Andy Krieger is responsible for our worship experiences as well as other creative communications tools like video and staging. Along with being a professional trumpet player, he has a special blend of creative, artistic and technical gifts that makes him so good at what he does.
Director of Operations, Tom Schrock is a great asset to our staff. He keeps the day to day operations running smooth, from managing janitorial staff to balancing the budget. Tom’s gentle manner, yet insightful thinking, provide the perfect mix for his responsibilities.
Administrative Assistant, Laurie Zditosky is a key person in the office. She handles all of the room scheduling, publishes the newsletter and bulletin, manages attendance and membership, creates church mailings and a million other things that help Southridge run smoothly. Laurie also leads a women’s small group.
Administrative Assistant, Ann Drake helps to take care of our finances. Along with keeping the books, Ann assists with various office tasks and maintains the web site. After hours, she works with Marriage Ministry and co-leads a small group.
Administrative Assistant, Shelly Losey, is the assistant for the children and youth ministries. She keeps them organized, publishes the youth newsletters, keeps track of youth trips and fundraiser’s and takes care of whatever is needed to support the ministry. Shelly is also a member of the Southridge Praise Team.
Directors of Children & Youth Worship, Matt & Tori Walker are a gifted musical couple who make the children’s and youth programs come alive with music and singing. Matt and Tori lead a worship band, help students use their musical gifts and are active in other areas of youth ministry.
Director of Middle School Youth, Brian Switalski is the newest member of our staff. We are blessed to have him lead our middle school students as they develop their relationship with Christ and impact this community and the world.