Each interim pastor at VitalChurch is a ministry practitioner who has been trained and has demonstrated a competence in VitalChurch’s revitalization process. The ministry itself is led by a group of partners and overseen by an executive director. Our interim pastors participate and are actively involved in all aspects of the ministry: diagnostic analysis, intentional interim pastoring, and follow-up coaching.
Interim Pastors
Dave Miles – Interim Pastor Team Leader / Founding Partner
Dave is the founding partner of VitalChurch Ministry and its interim pastor team leader. Dave has been privileged to see numerous churches transformed through VitalChurch’s revitalization process over the years. Dave lives in New York with his wife, Janet. They’ve been married since June 1980. Together they have three daughters, three sons-in-law, and numerous grandchildren. …
Gregg Caruso – Diagnostic Team Leader / Partner
Gregg Caruso is the VitalChurch team Diagnostic Team Leader. Gregg has been married to Linda since 1978 and they are based in Santa Barbara, California. He and Linda have four adult children and six grandsons. Gregg earned his M.A. in Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary and served as a “permanent pastor” for 16 years. Since …
David Brooks – Coaching Team Leader / Partner
David Brooks has served on the VitalChurch team in the New England region of the United States since 2001. David and Kathy reside in Manchester, New Hampshire, the geographic center of the six New England states, and have five children and four grandchildren. David has served on dozens of church diagnostic assessment teams and has …
Tom Wilkens – Leadership Systems / Partner
Tom resides in Colorado and has been married to his best friend, Jan, since 1982. They have two married daughters. Tom earned a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. His passion is how marriages, teams, churches and organizations develop and grow well—with special interest in …
Robert Samsel – Associate
Bob Samsel has worked with the VitalChurch team since 2014, helping with church diagnostics and report writing. His passion is to help churches establish healthy patterns that will glorify God and grow the Kingdom. Bob has a B.S. in Business Administration, an M.Div. from Bethel Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. in Family and Marriage Counseling …
Wade Thompson – Associate
Wade Thompson is a VitalChurch Scotland team associate. Wade has been married to Victoria for seven years. They live in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. Wade has lived in Scotland as a missionary with Church Resource Ministries for over ten years, serving on the leadership team of Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church. Wade now …
Steve Miller – Associate
Steve Miller resides in Central Oregon and has been married to his wife, Marlene, since 1976. They have four married children and seven grandchildren. Steve earned an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Talbot School of Theology. He enjoys helping Christians not only understand the gospel and their faith, but also contemporary …
Steve Ignash – Associate
Steve Ignash resides in Southern California and is a graduate of Talbot School of Theology. He has a wide range of ministry experience, including work at small, bible-teaching churches, as well as at Southern California megachurch, Saddleback Church. Steve enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, and working out. In addition to his work as an intentional …
David Young – Associate
David Young and his wife, Maryanne, are based in Houston. They have been married for 32 years and have two daughters in college. They started working together doing business process re-engineering at AT&T until they followed the Lord’s call to pastor churches through the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Dave has pastored churches for 23 years in …
Rich Schoenert – Associate
Rich graduated from Gordon-Conwell Seminary with both the M.Div. and D.Min. degrees. He “retired” several years ago after serving as a Senior Pastor for 43 years. The last twenty-four of those years were spent at Calvary Church, Roseville, MN, a multi-site congregation. Since “retirement,” he has served four churches as an Intentional Interim Pastor. Rich …
Craig Ray – Associate
Craig grew up in New England and has done various types of ministry in Maine, Brazil, Alabama, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and lately in Vermont, where he currently resides. While studying in Minnesota, he met his wife Brianna and stayed for five years. They have been married since 2009 and have three young boys who keep them …