Elder Affirmation

Our biblical model of church leadership includes an eldership that is charged with leading and caring for our church. Our Eldership is recommending the addition of three men, increasing our number of Elders from 9 to 12. Over the past year, these men have participated in a mentoring process to ensure they are a good fit for our church. They are now being submitted to the church body to confirm their selection.

Through this page, you will be introduced to these men who we believe will be outstanding elders.

The vote of affirmation will be held in person on Thursday, March 25 and Sunday, March 28. Absentee ballots are available in the Resource Center.

Please only vote one time, either digitally or through a ballot submission on campus.

Submit your vote of affirmation digitally today

Jim Dalrymple

Jim Dalrymple serves on the faculty and as an executive vice president at Ozark Christian College. Prior to this, Jim served as the lead minister at First Christian Church in Monticello, IL (2003-2013). He and his wife Stephanie have three children — Grace (14), Sawyer (11), and Ellie (7). Jim and his family have attended Christ’s church for the past eight years — during this time he has served in the Impact and Adult ministries.

Michael DeFazio

Michael DeFazio is Professor of New Testament and Hermeneutics at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, MO, where he lives with his wife Beth and two children. He graduated from Ozark Christian College and Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA), and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). Before moving to Missouri, he and Beth served in ministry at Real Life Church in Valencia, CA. He considers it his mission in life to see Jesus clearly and help others do the same. He loves spending time with Beth and kids, coaching youth sports, reading good books, and (amateur!) woodworking. He has written a devotional exploration of Colossians called More Jesus.

Darrin King

Darrin King has been a Christ-follower since his teen years, and continues to love and worship Jesus with his wife of 29 years Chrissy, Christ-follower since childhood. They have four grown children, three of whom are married, and so currently share the ‘empty nest’ with their Australian cattle dog Ollie and two Costa Rican cats, Bella and Trixie. Along with their children Zachary (Ashley), Austin (Keilah), Chloe (Conner), and Wyatt, they did Kingdom work for thirteen years in Central America. Sent out by Christ’s Church of Oronogo, their first tour was in Honduras, serving with Iglesia Cristiana, Cuerpo de Cristo in Tegucigalpa, and later in Costa Rica assisting a training program and church plant on the east side of San Jose. Darrin & Chrissy currently reside in the Joplin, MO area where Darrin teaches Intercultural Studies at Ozark Christian College, and Chrissy teaches Spanish at a local high school. They worship and serve at Christ’s Church of Oronogo, volunteer by serving missionaries in member care roles, teach classes at church, and enjoy traveling and being with family.