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HIGHLANDS’ ELDERS

We are blessed by the Lord with a number of men that meet the biblical qualifications to be an elder. Although there are many responsibilities of an elder described in Scripture, some elders are called out to focus on governing, which we call the Board of Elders. The Scriptures, Holy Spirit, our Statement of Faith and our Bylaws are the primary means of guidance for the Board, where all decisions are made in unanimity.

Overall, all elders are responsible for the shepherding of the congregation which includes both ruling and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17).  Deacons and Deaconesses act with delegated authority from the Board of Elders in their assigned areas of ministries (Acts 6:1-6) and meet the biblical qualifications.

Current Elder Board

Lead Pastor

Nate Edmondson

Nate grew up in Tennessee and trusted in Jesus to save him as a kid. In high school, his family planted a church where he began teaching the Bible in kids ministry and leading worship bands for student ministry. This experience, combined with the insight of several older Christians, helped him discern a call to ministry. He’s a graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL and Western Seminary in Portland, OR. Nate is married to Courtney, who is also a graduate of Moody, and works as a mental health counselor. Together they have two daughters, Esther and Anna. Nate served as the High School Pastor at Highlands from 2015-2017, and returned to Highlands in 2020 where he now serves as the Lead Pastor. When he’s not doing church stuff, Nate enjoys following Tennessee sports, smoking meat, going on walks with Courtney, and playing with Esther and Anna.
Board Vice-Chairman

Mike Loos

Mike is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, and lived in Tampa, Florida for around 25 years. He moved to the Seattle area, and he and his wife, Fay, became members at Highlands in 2015. Mike is in leadership with the Celebrate Recovery Ministry. Prior to Highlands, he served in leadership at a multicultural church where they helped settle refugees to the US. He retired from working in the recruiting field. He enjoys gathering with people in groups, or intentionally one-on-one.
Board Secretary

Dave Lyon

Dave became a Christian in 1978 and rededicated his life to the Lord in 1991. He and his wife, Drea, have two grown children, Natalia and Nathan, and have been attending Highlands as a family since 2008. Dave has served for many years as a member of the Highlands Worship Team, and is passionate about leading and encouraging God’s people to worship Him. Over the years, Dave and Drea have served together in Community Groups, prayer teams, and HCC Kid’s ministries. In his free time, Dave enjoys writing, producing and performing music, singing, traveling, skiing, and all things aerospace.
Board Treasurer

Larry Maison

Larry retired in April 2020 after serving for 34 years in church ministry, 23 years at Highlands Community Church, and 11 years at Trinity Church in East Lansing, Michigan as a Church Administrator. Larry and his wife, Karen have been married for 42 years and have four sons and two grandchildren. Larry came to know the Lord through the Navigator ministry while serving in the US Army. During his Christian life he has been active in leading and participating in community ministry, small groups and student ministries. Larry graduated from Michigan State University. He enjoys hiking, biking, skiing and disc golf.

Joseph McLean

Joseph was born and raised in Spokane Valley, WA. He spent four years in the Marine Corp as a Sergeant directing tactical air traffic in Asia. Joseph is married to his wife Lynette and has 2 sons and 3 daughters. The McLeans have lived in the Kennydale neighborhood for 38 years and have been blessed by the Bible teaching ministry of Highlands for over 25 years. Joseph has taught in the elementary classes at Highlands on Sundays for several years. He also has been a part of leading the teen ministry of Celebrate Recovery in the past.
Executive Pastor

Ben Menenberg

Ben has been a follower of Jesus since 2004 and a member of Highlands since 2013. He joined the staff team as Executive Pastor in 2022. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Theology degree from Fuller Seminary, and he is also a Certified Public Accountant. Ben is married to Laura, and together they have four sons: Nathaniel, Noah, Nehemiah, and Nicholas. Ben and Laura fulfill their family mission of ministering to children with intellectual disabilities by serving in the special needs ministry at Highlands, volunteering with Special Hope Network, and by caring for their eldest son. Ben enjoys cycling, cooking, and studying God’s Word.

Jim Munson

Jim has served as a pastor for 48 years. His primary spiritual gift is encouragement. He has been married for 51 years to Kathy and has 2 daughters and 3 wonderful grandchildren. Jim retired from traveling the world with a network of churches he was a part of at the end of 2017. His function at that time was to bring encouragement and to celebrate the churches, missions, and schools all over the globe. He has been at Highlands Community Church since 2013 and in 2020 briefly served part-time as a pastor at Highlands during a season of transition. He is now happily retired again.

Martin Rudy

Martin has attended Highlands since 1980. He has been married to his wife Terri since 1984, and they have a son and a daughter. Martin graduated from Western Washington University with a Computer Science degree and has worked in the software development arena for over 40 years. Martin loves studying theology, creating teaching materials, and sharing God’s Word with anyone who will listen.
Board Chairman

Mike Ryan

Mike began attending Highlands in 1999 and served on the International Ministries from 2007-2020. During this time, Mike has had the opportunity to travel to numerous countries participating in various ministries. Mike also served as a Community Group leader for many years and as an HCC Kids volunteer. Mike has an MBA and professional experience in project management, program management, and finance. In his free time, he enjoys taking in God’s amazing creation through hiking, camping, and beachcombing with his wife and two kids.

Patrick Sundaresan

Patrick has attended Highlands since 2006 and served as a greeter and an usher for a few years. He and his wife Hannah currently lead a community group, and are thankful for Highlands’ Kids and Student Ministries which their four children participate in. Patrick has an educational background in engineering and business, and has been working in the aviation industry since graduation. He is an avid sports fan who loves to root for Seattle sports teams, along with his alma maters KU and UW. Patrick is passionate to see lives transformed by God and seeks to build relationships that exude authenticity and vulnerability before God and others.

Michael Wendt

Mike has attended Highlands for the last 20 years; he and his wife Keisha have two daughters. Primarily, Mike has been involved in student ministries coaching high school and middle school students in understanding God’s Word. He has taught Sunday school and helped engineer sound for Sunday services. His passions are biblical apologetics and teaching. He works as a computer engineer and enjoys photography, science, and board games. He also loves hiking, partly for the views, and partly for deep discussions along the way.