Leadership
Pastors
Dr. Leonard W. DeWitt - Senior Pastor
Dr. Leonard W. DeWitt was born in the Province of Alberta, in Western Canada. Attended Mt. View Bible College, now known as Rocky Mt. College, graduated with a Bachelor of Sacred Literature, and received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Azusa Pacific. In the 1960’s he pastored churches in Yakima and Wapato, Washington. In 1971 he was called to pastor Ventura Missionary Church, where he served for 10 years, then elected President of the Missionary Church denomination, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, serving in that capacity for 6 years. Pastor DeWitt rejoined Ventura Missionary church in 1987 and served for 15 more years as their Senior Pastor. After a brief retirement, he was called to develop a Senior Adult Ministry at Ventura Baptist Church and served there for 7 years.
In 2017 he established Ventura Jubilee Fellowship, affiliated with the Missionary Church, Inc. He is the author of two books, “Jehovah Jireh is His Name” and “Learning to Live”. He is married to Lesley Knudsen-DeWitt and has two adult children, Pamela and Sheldon, 4 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Rev. Jim Merillat - Associate Pastor
He grew up on a farm north of Archbold, Ohio. In 1979, Jim enrolled at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) to major in Industrial Education. While there, Jim gave his life to Christ and was encouraged in his faith by a Christ-centered campus ministry called ‘ Active Christians Today’. In his senior year, Jim sensed a calling from God to go into full-time ministry.
So in the fall of 1983, Jim headed off to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. That is where he met his lovely bride, Pamela DeWitt, who was majoring in Christian Education. They continued to date throughout his 3 years at Asbury and were married in 1986.
Their first ministry together was at the Kapaa Missionary Church in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii. In 1989 they moved to Indiana where Jim served as the youth pastor at the Granger Missionary Church. In 1998 they moved to West Valley Missionary Church in Yakima, WA, where he has served as their Pastor for the past 22 years until accepting his new position at Ventura Jubilee Fellowship.
Jim and Pam have one son, Caleb, born in December 2000, who is a pure joy to them.
Mike Sherrow - Worship Pastor
He was born in Winchester, Indiana; graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College with a Bachelor of Music Education degree in May of 1972. Taught music for 3 years in the Fort Wayne public schools there and in Lynn, Indiana. Served in full-time church ministry at Lakeview Church in Zion, Illinois for 13 years. In July of 1989, he was called to serve at Ventura Missionary Church, where he remained for 25 years. After a brief retirement, he was offered a position with the newly formed Ventura Jubilee Fellowship, where he remains at present. He is married to Sue, and they have 3 adult children, Sally, Luke and Jordan, and 2 grandchildren.
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