Our Staff
Rev. Mark Brady
Pastor
Reverend Mark J. Brady came to Union Church in 2004. Mark has an excellent reputation in building churches and not only increasing church membership, but increasing enrollment in Sunday Schools as well. The Brady family consists of Mark, his wife Diana and their sons, Nate, Ethan and Austin. Diana is also an ordained United Methodist minister, a nurse, and a counselor. Mark enjoys golf, kayaking, skiing, hockey, basketball and family outings to the ocean.
Pastor Brady is an ordained United Methodist Minister. Rev. Mark Brady holds a BA in Humanities/Political Science from Univ. of Minnesota, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and has completed doctoral course work at the Claremont School of Theology.
Ross Hoksbergen
Music Director
Dr. Ross Hoksbergen is the director of the music ministries at Union Church, which include the Adult Choir, Praise Band, Women’s Chorus, and Children’s chorus, and Joyful Noise. He coordinates the music for weekly services and special events, including community benefit concerts, Christmas and Easter Cantatas, and concerts by guest musicians.
Ross began his collegiate studies at Western Michigan University, He then completed a M.M. from the University of South Florida, where he was a graduate teaching assistant. He was the interim choir director at First Reformed Church of Tampa, Florida. Dr. Hoksbergen continued his studies at Michigan State University, where he completed the D.M.A. degree in Music Performance. Ross was a member of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and frequent guest of the Grand Rapids Symphony
Rumyana Yanakieva
Pianist/ Organist
Dr. Rumyana Yanakieva plays our piano and organ on Sunday mornings as well as at our special concerts and events.
Dr. Rumyana Yanakieva graduated with honors from the National Academy of Music in Sofia (Bulgaria), she pursued a Master’s in Music under a full assistantship from University of South Florida. She then began work on a Doctoral Degree (D.M.A.) in Music Performance from Michigan State University in 2008. Rumyana was a scholarship winning pianist and a full graduate assistant during her time at Michigan State University. She collaborated with numerous undergraduate and graduate students, performing in over 50 recitals. She was selected in 2013 to work as a collaborative pianists at the International Trumpet Guild Seminar, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rumy believes worship music is important to our Church and she and Ross strive to make our worship music a key component to our services.
Barbara Murray
Christian Education
Barbara Murray has been the head of our Christian Education for many years. She has a heart for children and works tirelessly to educate our youth and adults here at Union Church. Barbara's vision: Christian Education provides opportunities for children, youth and adults to get to know God, Jesus and the Bible. She wants them to explore their faith and gain a greater understanding of their relationship with God and Jesus. In the Sunday School She wants to offer the opportunity for kids to learn the basics of our faith and the bible's good news. She wants them to become familiar with the Bible and know how to read it, find things in it and apply it to their life--not be afraid of it. As the children grow older She wants to increase the depth of their understanding and provide opportunity for them to explore, ask questions and understand their personal relationship with God and Jesus and how that fits into the church and their life. The same goals are appropriate for Christian Education for the Adults as well