Oakhill Staff - Shepherding the Flock in a Dry and Thirsty Land
Jeff Carlson, Pastor, Teacher, Preacher, Shepherd
Our pastor was born in Illinois and raised in the Chicago suburbs. Pastor Jeff came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a college freshman through the witness of a campus evangelist. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a degree in engineering and worked in the engineering world for several years before our Lord called him to ministry. Following graduation from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, our pastor came to Oakhill Church as his first and only call. Jeff has a tremendous passion to teach and preach God's Word and loves to see people experience amazing grace through in-depth and fresh revelation of the Lord and His Gospel. Jeff strongly believes that Jesus is Lord of all and is committed to seeing Jesus being brought to every area of society, including civil government. The Lord has also given our pastor a great love for Israel and the prophetic meaning of the modern nation for Christians today. That love has been reflected in his tours of the Holy Land with people from all over America.
Jeff met his wife Dianne here in Grand Rapids, where they make their home with their 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren. A great day for our pastor is having dinner at home with his wife and playing with his grandchildren.
Our pastor was born in Illinois and raised in the Chicago suburbs. Pastor Jeff came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a college freshman through the witness of a campus evangelist. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana with a degree in engineering and worked in the engineering world for several years before our Lord called him to ministry. Following graduation from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, our pastor came to Oakhill Church as his first and only call. Jeff has a tremendous passion to teach and preach God's Word and loves to see people experience amazing grace through in-depth and fresh revelation of the Lord and His Gospel. Jeff strongly believes that Jesus is Lord of all and is committed to seeing Jesus being brought to every area of society, including civil government. The Lord has also given our pastor a great love for Israel and the prophetic meaning of the modern nation for Christians today. That love has been reflected in his tours of the Holy Land with people from all over America.
Jeff met his wife Dianne here in Grand Rapids, where they make their home with their 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren. A great day for our pastor is having dinner at home with his wife and playing with his grandchildren.
Glenn Bulthuis II, Music Director
Glenn was born and raised in California. Following his graduation from Calvin College, Glenn worked in the business world for many years. During that time his love for music led him to form the band "Glenn Bulthuis and the ToneDeafs", a group that entertained and delighted audiences all over West Michigan. Glenn has served as music director for several churches in the area over the years. He met his beautiful wife Jana, also a Calvin College graduate, here in Grand Rapids. Glenn and Jana continue to raise three terrific children Glenn III, Annie and Sam.
Glenn was born and raised in California. Following his graduation from Calvin College, Glenn worked in the business world for many years. During that time his love for music led him to form the band "Glenn Bulthuis and the ToneDeafs", a group that entertained and delighted audiences all over West Michigan. Glenn has served as music director for several churches in the area over the years. He met his beautiful wife Jana, also a Calvin College graduate, here in Grand Rapids. Glenn and Jana continue to raise three terrific children Glenn III, Annie and Sam.
Grace Birmingham, Youth-Family Ministry Director
Meet Oakhill’s Youth & Family Ministries Director, Grace Birmingham (Harr). Grace is a vibrant individual with a deep-seated enthusiasm for working with families. Growing up as a middle child among two brothers and five sisters, Grace values quality time spent with family. Currently engaged, Grace anticipates beginning her own family with her soon to be Husband, Jacob Harr
Grace has a gift for teaching the Bible and sharing the love of Jesus with everyone she meets. At Oakhill, Grace oversees our Family ministries ages 0 - 18 years. Grace’s dedication to sharing the truth of Scripture with our church is evident in her creative lesson plans and the joyful atmosphere she cultivates in every class. Grace believes in the power of community and strives to build strong connections among the families she serves, fostering a supportive and spiritually healthy environment for growth in GOD.
In addition to her work at Oakhill, Grace enjoys time with friends, going for walks, and reading books with her Fiancé Jacob. A few fun facts about Grace are : her favorite drink is cinnamon tea, she enjoys eating lots of fruit and vegetables, she loves to sing, clean, cook, and bake.
Grace is eager to work with families at Oakhill, organizing events that bring families together for fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Her compassionate nature and tireless energy make her a beloved figure within our church and the wider Grand Rapids community.
Meet Oakhill’s Youth & Family Ministries Director, Grace Birmingham (Harr). Grace is a vibrant individual with a deep-seated enthusiasm for working with families. Growing up as a middle child among two brothers and five sisters, Grace values quality time spent with family. Currently engaged, Grace anticipates beginning her own family with her soon to be Husband, Jacob Harr
Grace has a gift for teaching the Bible and sharing the love of Jesus with everyone she meets. At Oakhill, Grace oversees our Family ministries ages 0 - 18 years. Grace’s dedication to sharing the truth of Scripture with our church is evident in her creative lesson plans and the joyful atmosphere she cultivates in every class. Grace believes in the power of community and strives to build strong connections among the families she serves, fostering a supportive and spiritually healthy environment for growth in GOD.
In addition to her work at Oakhill, Grace enjoys time with friends, going for walks, and reading books with her Fiancé Jacob. A few fun facts about Grace are : her favorite drink is cinnamon tea, she enjoys eating lots of fruit and vegetables, she loves to sing, clean, cook, and bake.
Grace is eager to work with families at Oakhill, organizing events that bring families together for fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Her compassionate nature and tireless energy make her a beloved figure within our church and the wider Grand Rapids community.
Patricia MacMillen, Office Manager
Patricia spent 19 years as a wife and stay home mom of four sons. With a heart for volunteering, she ran 3 Cub Scout Packs and was heavily involved with a Boy Scout troop for 9 years. After marrying her second husband, they had a daughter. Patricia has worked in customer service since 2010. In 2017 she decided to finally finish her degree while working full time and volunteering for Youth for Christ and her former church. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business from Cornerstone University in 2020. She is blessed with a wonderful, supportive husband. She is a mother to five and a grandma to twins. Her interests are anything in the woods; rustic camping, hiking, biking, tubing on the river, etc. She also enjoys gardening, cooking and baking. She loves to feed the people in her life good food. "I am so happy to be a part of Oakhill and will work hard to serve you to the best of my ability for as long as the Lord wills."
Patricia spent 19 years as a wife and stay home mom of four sons. With a heart for volunteering, she ran 3 Cub Scout Packs and was heavily involved with a Boy Scout troop for 9 years. After marrying her second husband, they had a daughter. Patricia has worked in customer service since 2010. In 2017 she decided to finally finish her degree while working full time and volunteering for Youth for Christ and her former church. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business from Cornerstone University in 2020. She is blessed with a wonderful, supportive husband. She is a mother to five and a grandma to twins. Her interests are anything in the woods; rustic camping, hiking, biking, tubing on the river, etc. She also enjoys gardening, cooking and baking. She loves to feed the people in her life good food. "I am so happy to be a part of Oakhill and will work hard to serve you to the best of my ability for as long as the Lord wills."
