Banner of Christ Church

Loving Christ, Becoming His Family

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Meet The Staff

Meet the Staff

When we start talking about staff, it’s a strange deal (insert your own jokes here). At Banner, like all healthy churches, it’s really the church family as a whole that makes things happen; those men, women, and children who give countless hours of their time to see that our ministries meet the needs of our community and congregation. So, browsing our staff page is like looking at the tip of an iceberg to see what you’ve got. Our ministry leaders are the heartbeat of what we do as a congregation and our staff serves to encourage and resource them. If you’ve got questions about how or why things happen we can help.

Pastor Teddy joined the Banner family after ten years of service with the United Brethren in Christ. His path towards pastoral ministry didn’t follow a traditional route, but rather a re-shaping of his leadership experiences in the United States Marine Corp and secular workforce. After years of living against the church and rejecting everything it stood for, His surrender to Christ led him to enroll in his hometown college, Huntington University, where he earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies before completing his Master’s in Christian Ministry with Liberty University. Pastor Teddy says, “I struggled to reconcile the environment I grew up in with the notion of a loving God, and it took more than twenty years to finally let the light of Christ draw me out from the destructive behaviors that consumed my life. As you might guess, I strongly relate to the Apostle Paul whose encounter with Jesus transformed his life in an all-consuming way. I don’t deserve His grace, but I eagerly embrace His calling to lead, encourage, and equip others to be His lights in a world of too much darkness. God has proven Himself a faithful Redeemer. He is my Rock and the reason I am the father, husband, and man I am today. I want everyone to experience the hope and purpose that a relationship with Him brings, and I’m excited to partner with Banner towards that end. To God be the glory!”

Pastor Teddy Fairchild

Pastor Teddy joined the Banner family after ten years of service with the United Brethren in Christ. His path towards pastoral ministry didn’t follow a traditional route, but rather a re-shaping of his leadership experiences in the United States Marine Corp and secular workforce. After years of living against the church and rejecting everything it stood for, His surrender to Christ led him to enroll in his hometown college, Huntington University, where he earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies before completing his Master’s in Christian Ministry with Liberty University. Pastor Teddy says, “I struggled to reconcile the environment I grew up in with the notion of a loving God, and it took more than twenty years to finally let the light of Christ draw me out from the destructive behaviors that consumed my life. As you might guess, I strongly relate to the Apostle Paul whose encounter with Jesus transformed his life in an all-consuming way. I don’t deserve His grace, but I eagerly embrace His calling to lead, encourage, and equip others to be His lights in a world of too much darkness. God has proven Himself a faithful Redeemer. He is my Rock and the reason I am the father, husband, and man I am today. I want everyone to experience the hope and purpose that a relationship with Him brings, and I’m excited to partner with Banner towards that end. To God be the glory!”

At Banner: Pastor Teddy is the primary teaching pastor and leads with the Elder Board in guiding the staff, volunteers, and providing general oversight of congregational ministry. His passion is leading God’s people to a deeper relationship with the ONE who calls them. He desires to guide and direct believers to the be the light to their community so that HIS kingdom will grow and expand beyond our wildest dreams. He has a strong desire to see the lost saved and enjoys those conversations and encouraging them not only to make that choice but also to come into the fold of the local church and strengthen their relationship with HIM.

 

At Play: Pastor Teddy enjoys any and all sporting events. The excitement of being in the arena at any level makes for a great time with friends and family. Golf is a favorite hobby, and although he admits that he isn’t going pro anytime soon, he’s a valuable asset on a scramble team!

 

At Home: Pastor Teddy and his wife Sarah met at Huntington University and found a shared sense of adventure and kinship in their desire to serve the church. They have two children: Julz (Daughter) lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana and attends Purdue University of Fort Wayne pursuing here degree in Human Services. Gabriel (Son) is an energetic young boy with a friendly, fun-loving spirit. The Fairchild’s are also blessed with their first grandson, Hendrix James, who they enjoy spoiling in every possible way.

Linda grew up in Grand Rapids. She attended Western Michigan University where she received a BS degree, and started attending Banner in 2006.

Linda LaLone

Linda grew up in Grand Rapids. She attended Western Michigan University where she received a BS degree, and started attending Banner in 2006.

At Banner: Linda is an office assistant here at Banner. She enjoys speaking with the people who call or stop by the office and doing all the little things that helps the office to operate. She and her husband, Mark, serve together in Banner’s Deacon Ministry. She loves meeting new people and helping them in any way to connect at Banner.

 

At Play: Linda’s enjoyment always centers around family and the outdoors. She loves camping and the beautiful Michigan scenery. You could find her outside in the summer reading a good book, or, watching a great old musical or other classic movie. Secondhand stores are also among her favorite things.

 

At Home: Linda has a great husband, Mark, and has been married since 1984. They have 3 children, Kyle, Shaun, and Anna.