Elders

Contact

Mark Bahr

Teaching Elder

Mark Bahr has been serving Redeeming Grace Church Teaching Elder since April of 2018. He is husband to Donna and they enjoy a happy marriage in which they seek to keep Christ at the center. He has a Masters Degree in New Testament from Criswell College and is a lover of the Greek New Testament and studying Baptist Covenant Theology. Previously, Mark served as a co-pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Dallas, TX for nearly 11 years. He has significant experience working with missionaries, in healthcare as a hospice chaplain, and has served as an Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Greek at the Southern Bible Institute and College (now Foster College) in Dallas.

​He enjoys watching the sunset with his wife, the outdoors, playing piano and guitar, woodworking, painting, and is a voracious reader. His prayer for his life and ministry is that he will be chained to the text of Scriptures that he may freely exalt Jesus Christ in all aspects of life.

Gary Morse
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Elder

Gary Morse has been a member of Redeeming Grace Church for over 25 years and served as a deacon for a good portion of that time. He was identified by both the eldership as well as other members as one who is qualified for the office of elder and has been serving as an elder since January of 2024.

He and his wife, Kim, retired to Oak Harbor, WA after a 20 year US Navy career. They have one adult son, Jon, who has served honorably in the US Air Force. Gary retired October 2016 after 18 years in the Title Insurance industry. 
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Gary loves to fish, hunt and travel. He has also worked as a referee for the North Whidbey Soccer Club for many years.

Deacons

Rob Lauritzen
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Deacon

Rob Lauritzen and his wife, Marj, retired in Oak Harbor, WA, after 23 years of military service in the US Navy. He also recently retired in civil service from NAS Whidbey Island. He is currently employed part time with ACE Hardware. They have one adult daughter.
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​Rob loves to play golf and enjoys singing and acting in his spare time. He has sung in the Whidbey Community Chorus for several years and is currently serving on the Community Chorus' Board of Directors. He can occasionally be seen performing on the stage of the local Whidbey Playhouse theater.

David Hammons
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Deacon

David Hammons and his wife, Melanie, reside in Anacortes, WA. They have one adult daughter, who is studying for her Masters in Psychology at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC. David is currently employed at NAS Whidbey Island. David has a Computer Science Engineering degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Columbia College-Whidbey Island. He has served 4 years of active duty in the military; he lived in California, North Carolina, and Texas before moving to Washington. 

​David plays guitar and shares his musical talent in the church ensemble on Sunday. He also scuba dives in his spare time and is presently pursuing his private pilot's license.

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

1 Peter 5:1-4