Elders

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.  Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.  Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.  He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. ~ Titus 1:6-9

  • Ryan Newell

    Ryan Newell has served as an elder since 2004. Originally from Ohio, he and his wife, Tammy, met at Ohio Valley College in Parkersburg, WV.  In 1992, they found their way to Oklahoma Christian where Ryan serves as a psychology professor. He has served as chair of the Psychology and Family Studies Department for the past 13 years.


    Ryan also enjoys watching the sports he used to play and is a Cleveland Browns Fan. He also enjoys being an amateru magician and mechanic. 



  • Bill Rice

    Bill is Wilshire's newest elder having been appointed in 2016. He is originally from Rush Springs, Oklahoma and his wife, Mary, is from Lawton, Oklahoma. They married after their second year of college and have been married over 40 years. Bill and Mary have five children and ten grandchildren. Three of their children live in Oklahoma and are members of Wilshire. Two of Bill and Mary's children live in Arkansas. 


    Bill has worked in the field of software development for 30 years. Mary has a degree in Education and has enjoyed teaching piano lessons since she was in high school. 


    He's a Sooner football fan and strongly believes the best seats are in his very own family room. 


    Bill has been blessed to serve as a deacon for six churches. He and Mary became members of Wilshire in 2004 after moving from the Dallas area. 

Deacons

In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.  In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Timothy 3:8-13

  • Taylor Baird


  • Michael Barnett


  • Jeff Brown


  • Doug Caldwell


  • Len Feuerhelm


  • Ethan Garrett


  • Greg Goodpasture


  • Josh Gramling


  • Cliff Johnson


  • Andrew Rice


  • Tony Rose


  • Morris Wilson