Colin was born and raised in the DC area. His vision for DBC is that we strive together for the faith of the Gospel, as Paul mentioned to the Philippians. Striving together means that we are fully engaged in serving the Lord and being used by Him. What is it we're striving for? The faith of the Gospel! The Gospel impacts every aspect of our lives, and we are to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to those around us: our families, our neighborhoods, and our world. We are not to do this by ourselves, but as a unified body of believers. We are a church family; we need to encourage, support, challenge, and comfort one another in all that we do.
Colin met his wife, Christine, while attending George Mason University, where he earned his B.A. in Russian Studies and Masters Degree in Education. Colin also earned his Doctor in Ministry degree at Liberty Theological Seminary, where he previously earned his Master of Arts in Religion Degree and Master of Divinity Degree. Colin has previously served as a Children's Pastor, abroad in Russia, and on the staff of Central Union Mission. The Seager's six children are Ashleigh, Katie, Michael, Alyssa, Matthew, and Kaylee - the older three are now young adults. Colin always loves a good game of hoops or ping-pong, loves to grill and will always be a Skins fan!
Tim Ripley, Worship Arts Director
Tim grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He came to have a personal relationship with Christ at the age of 5. He began his formal music studies on the piano at the age of 8. Soon after, he began playing in area churches and nursing homes.
During his high school years, he performed with various groups, singing and playing the keyboards. After graduation, he continued to advance his musical career through writing and performing contemporary Christian music in a variety of venues. He has written music for PBS, Twentieth Century Fox/America's Most Wanted, scored commercials and political campaign ads, and also done session work as an audio engineer/vocalist/producer. He has even written music for daytime dramas (read - 'soap operas'), but he will probably deny that if you ask him!
In 1985, Tim and his wonderful wife, Deborah, moved to Maryland. Over time, Tim's work became more and more driven by service in the local church. In January of 1997, Tim accepted the position of Worship Arts Director at Derwood Bible Church. His broad base of experience and talent allows him tremendous freedom to incorporate many styles of music into our worship. He loves both current songs and hymns so he uses both traditional and contemporary forms to give worship energy and substance.
Tim loves to fix things - especially anything with a motor! He writes and records music in his home studio and has done work for many artists and TV shows. For you tech-heads, he uses Pro Tools and Digital Performer on a Mac Pro computer in a hybrid setup. He's an avid Nascar fan and loves to talk about it with anyone who will listen! Right now, he's working on a 1970 Toyota Corona…
Mike Speer, Pastor of Student Ministries
Mike was a junior in high school and just moved to Maryland when he was invited on a youth group trip to Kings Dominion. He initially questioned whether anyone his age really believed in God, but it was his friends' authentic faith that led Mike to search for truth. In 1990 Mike responded to the gospel and accepted Jesus' gift of eternal life at a Christian rock concert when he was 17 years old. He continued to grow in his faith through personal time with the Lord, discussing theology with his friends and mentors, and attending church with his family.
Mike graduated from the University of Maryland and met his wife, Anna, at a singles Bible study here at DBC. He enjoys studying and teaching God's Word, playing music, and investing his life in kids, students, and other leaders with the same passion.
Mike earned his Master of Divinity Degree from Liberty Theological Seminary in Dec. 2014. Mike and Anna are proud adoptive parents to their two children, Jake and Emily.
Karen Vile, Office Manager
Karen grew up in New Orleans, where she met the Lord and years later met the Viles, who introduced her to their son, Matthew. Matthew's job moved them to Maryland, and they found DBC. Over the years, Karen has served DBC in many ways, holding positions in Awana and teaching Sunday School. She currently serves as a Momentum leader and has homeschooled her children since kindergarten. She and Matthew have been blessed with two wonderful children - Hannah and Malachi. Hannah is now in college, and Malachi is finishing high school through CCA and CI.
Deborah Ripley, Ministry Support Coordinator
Deborah grew up in Michigan and came to know the Lord during her first month in college. Shortly after she married Tim, (now DBC's Worship Arts Director) they moved to Maryland. Tim & Deborah have three adult children, a daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. They have been attending DBC for over 25 years.
Abigail Brown, Nursery Director
One night while attending a local Pioneer Girl program at the age of seven, Abigail's group leader presented a simple but profound biblical message about Jesus Christ's gift of eternal salvation. It was that night that her relationship with Christ began. Abigail grew up locally and has attended Derwood Bible Church since her childhood. During her freshman year of college, she met David, whom she eventually married in the winter of 2008. After college, she went on to complete a graduate degree in education and currently works as a stay-at-home mom with her four children, Caleb, Jeni, Sophia and Olivia. Abigail has been active in various children's programs for many years. She is currently serving as DBC's Nursery Director.
Connie Frink, KidZone Director
Connie grew up in Frostburg, Maryland, and in a Christian home where she gave her life to the Lord at an early age. Connie has been involved in Children’s ministry since 1992 and was an
assistant to the Director of Children's ministry at her former church. At Derwood, she is involved with a transitional shelter, serves in KidZone, and is part of the Women’s Ministry team. She is married to a loving man, Geoff, and has three wonderful, grown children -Amy, Avery and Bethany.
Faith Muresan, Director of Chieftain Christian Academy
Faith is the director of Chieftain Christian Academy, our church's homeschool umbrella program for grades K-12. CCA has been an integral part of Faith’s life as she has homeschooled for the last 14 years. She is passionate about supporting families who feel called to homeschool because the relationships, support, encouragement, and guidance that CCA has provided have been invaluable in her own life.
Prior to homeschooling, Faith served as a missionary in Romania, where she met her husband. She has 4 children who keep her busy with their wide range of interest and activities. She is also blessed to serve with a local food distribution ministry each week.
Debra Tallman, Director of Chieftain Institute
Debra serves as director of Chieftain Institute, which offers academic courses to Christian homeschool students in grades 7-12. Debra also teaches two classes at the Institute; 20th Century American History and Government and Economics. Debra and her husband, Vinnie, have three daughters whom they homeschooled with the help and support of Chieftain Institute. Their daughters are now either enrolled in a four-year university or have already graduated from college. The Tallmans are longtime members of Derwood Bible Church.
Justin Atwood, Life Groups Coordinator
Justin is passionate about connecting people together and plugging them into the life of DBC. He believes that meeting together regularly for encouragement, mentorship, getting in the Word, and prayer is critical for a healthy church. Life Group's aim to bring believers together physically and spiritually. In his spare time, Justin loves woodworking and being outdoors. He and his wife have two school-aged daughters.