Josh Parsons - Lead Pastor
Pastor Josh came to Western Oaks as lead pastor in May 2016. His
primary responsibilities include preaching and, along with the other elders,
keeping the church focused on our God given mission. He holds a doctorate from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Ashley, have three boys. In his free time (which, lets be honest, is hard to come by
when you have three small boys!) he prides himself on being the best disc golf
player in the church.
Tammie Emerson - Worship Leader
Tammie began serving as the pianist at Western Oaks in September 2015. In January 2016, she began working as the interim worship leader and became part of the staff in June 2016. She works along side of a worship team each week in an effort to lead the church to glorify God through music and worship. She has been a part of worship ministry for nearly 30 years. She received her degree in Music Ministry (piano track) in 1992 from Lincoln Christian University. She served as a pastor's wife in Sherman, IL from 1991-2009. She and her husband have two grown girls, Lexie (husband JP), and Lynzie. She also went back to school in 2005 to earn a degree in education in an effort to expand her mission field outside of the church. She has worked for the Athens school district teaching third grade since 2007.
Brie Bradshaw - Office Administrator
Brie became our Office Administrator in November 2017. She grew up attending Western Oaks and it has been inspiring for her to come full circle and serve the church in a different capacity. Along with her office duties she enjoys helping her husband, Jacob, serve the youth of this church and encouraging them to become disciples of Christ. Brie loves a good book, all things coffee, spending time with family, and most recently being a brand new mom.
Jacob Bradshaw - Youth Ministry
Jacob began serving as Youth Pastor for Western Oaks in March 2017. He has served in youth ministry since 2012. Currently he works full time for the Illinois Mental Health Collaborative as a Wellness Support Specialist, providing recovery education, emotional support, and referrals to youth and adults across the state of Illinois. In his free time, Jacob enjoys learning new things, disc golf, a good cup of coffee, making his wife dinner, and fathering his new baby.
Karen Dyas - Housekeeper
Karen is the sweet lady that keeps our church looking sparkly! She has been a member of Western Oaks since 1994 and is happily married to the one and only Jim. They have two grown children and they are grandparents to precious little Pia June.
