Co-Pastor

Rev. Tom Are, Jr.

Prior to coming to Village in 2004, Tom Are, Jr. spent most of his life in the Southeast. After serving as senior pastor for 19 years, he became co-pastor with Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka. He loves Royals’ baseball, stories that make you laugh, a book that makes you think and enough snowfall to close things down for a day or so. When he can’t be in Kansas City, his favorite spot is to be canoe/camping in Quetico, Canada.

Tom finds the Village Church family to be honest about faith, serious about mission and growing in our commitment to be shaped by the life of Jesus Christ. He sees significant changes in our culture regarding faith these days, and that gives him great energy and a deep sense of joy in his call to ministry.

Tom is a graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. and Yale Divinity School. Previously, Tom has served Westminster Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Seven Oaks Church in Columbia, South Carolina and Riverside Church in Jacksonville, Florida Tom and his wife, Carol, have been married since 1987, and they have two young adult children, Sarah and Nathan. Carol is a registered nurse and Tom is a sixth generation Presbyterian pastor (that’s a lot!).

Interim Site Pastor

tim.soule@villagepres.org

Rev. Tim Soule

Rev. Tim Soule is our new temporary site pastor leading worship every Sunday, providing pastoral care and working with the Antioch Campus staff during the week. Tim recently retired as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Tim is a graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has served churches and in ministry in Conrad, Iowa; Sacramento and Red Bluff, California; and Hutchinson, Ottawa, and Leavenworth, Kansas.

Tim and his wife, Debbie, love sports including tennis, sand volleyball, golf, fishing, just to name a few. They also enjoy gardening, bike rides, long walks, attending sporting events and spending time with family.

Director of Music

cameron.rolling@villagepres.org
913-681-8180

Cameron Rolling

Cameron joined the Village Church Antioch Campus choir in August 2021 as bass section-leader. He transitioned to role of director of music in December 2021. He is currently attending the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in pursuit of two Master of Music degrees in choral conducting and vocal performance with a concentration in vocal pedagogy.

Prior to joining the Antioch Campus music department, Cameron served as the director of music at Centerville United Methodist Church in Centerville, Georgia for two and a half years while completing his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with concentrations in voice and conducting from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.

Cameron spends his “free time” watching Netflix, cooking and shopping.

Communications & Site Coordinator

lisa.harrison@villagepres.org
913-681-8180

Lisa Harrison

Lisa joined the staff at Antioch Campus in June 2021 as the communications and site coordinator. Born and raised in the suburbs just north of Chicago, (Go Bears!) Lisa’s family was very active in the Village Presbyterian Church of Northbrook, where she and Tim were married in 1991, and where her father still serves on the Endowment Committee. Lisa and Tim raised their two young adult sons, Parker and Davis, as members of the Presbyterian Church of Stanley, where Lisa served as a deacon, taught Sunday School and VBS, rang in the bell choir, and chaperoned an amazing mission trip to Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina cleanup efforts.

Prior to joining the Antioch staff, Lisa taught middle school Social Studies, English and Spanish at The Barstow School for 12 years, and then worked as a magazine editor for several local publications for a decade. She earned her BA and MA in Education from the University of Kansas, where she met Tim, and where both of their boys have recently graduated. Needless to say, they are all avid fans of Jayhawks basketball.

Preschool Director

paula.benefiel@villagepres.org
913-681-1906

Paula Benefiel

Paula has served as director of the Antioch Campus Preschool since August 2005. She grew up in Shawnee, Kan. and attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education with an emphasis in special education from Pittsburg State University.

Her philosophy in early childhood education is teaching children to think creatively so they may succeed in an ever-changing world. Paula notes that purposeful play is developmentally appropriate and a significant element of any early childhood program.

Paula has three young adult children, two sons, Taylor and Kyle, and one daughter, Katie. And a couple of adorable pups that keep her on her toes.

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