Our Team

Lead Pastor

Dave Nelson

Lead and Teaching Pastor

Family: Dave and his wife, Rindy, started GLC in 2009. They have three kids.
Fun Fact: Dave and Rindy have lived in 7 different cities and in 12 apartments/homes in their 24 years of marriage.
Guilty Pleasure: Peanut M&Ms
Big Dream: Shooting a 12+ point buck

Central Staff

James Nelson

Children's Ministry Pastor

Family: James and his wife, Kimi, have a blended family with seven children.
Fun Fact: James loves camping with his family and eating spicy foods. And, he speaks Spanish!
Guilty Pleasure: Ghost pepper beef jerky
Big Dream: Doing mission work in foreign countries

Liesel Gruener

Finance & Operations Director

Family: Liesel and her husband, Doug, have three adult children whom they have moved out of the house with varying degrees of success.
Fun fact: She's a huge K-Pop concert fan.
Guilty Pleasure: Chocolate creamer with a splash of coffee
Big Dream: Traveling around the world in 90 days

CARson Brauer

Chief Storyteller

Family: Carson has a sister who is nine years older than him and a brother who is thirteen years older than him, but Carson's parents PROMISE that he wasn't an "oops." He's not so sure he believes them.
Fun Fact: Carson backpacked through 12 countries in three months!
Guilty Pleasure: Pizza, unless it has vegetables on it
Big dream: To write, produce and direct a short film

Lawrence Kirby

Teaching Pastor*

Family: Married 15 years to his best friend. Together, they have 3 children, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren.
Fun Fact: In another life he’s a full-time personal stylist. He’s also a dope DJ!  (only in his head)
Guilty Pleasure: Buying sneakers
Big dream: Seeing local churches move together in unity

*Kirby is the lead pastor of OneVoice Church in Kenosha, but speaks at Great Lakes Church 8-10 times a year.

Kellie Romanowski

Operations & Event Coordinator

Family: Mom of Cameron James (CJ), who is almost 2.
Fun Fact: Met Chris Tomlin and Toby Mac. Played 8 competitive sports growing up.
Guilty Pleasure: Loves super sour chewy candy, loads of ketchup on my burger & chips and dip.
Big dream: To own, operate and manage a daycare center.

Kenosha Campus

Sam Gazunis

Kenosha Students Director

Family: Sam and his wife, Robin, both share a passion for youth ministry and love seeing young men and women live out a purpose-filled, Jesus-centered life.
Fun Fact: In elementary school, Sam choreographed a dance to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song for a school talent show and got to ride in a limo to Cape Cod with his friend.
Guilty Pleasure: Unhealthy amounts of Sushi
Big Dream: Have a student team that writes and records music

Racine Campus

Tyler Clapsaddle

Racine Student Pastor & Central Communications Director

Family: Married to Christen & have a goofy pup named Rudy.
Fun Fact: My first jobs were working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.
Guilty Pleasure: Anything sweet. It’s bad.
Big Dream: Retire in a big city

Christalle Hamilton

Groups Director & Campus Experience Director

Family: Married for 20 years to Rex. Proud mom to three boys and a girl.
Fun Fact: First job was at an amusement/water park.
Guilty Pleasure: Reruns of "Friends" episodes and a good chocolate milkshake
Big Dream: More, more, and more travel

Melissa Langner

Racine Campus Kids Director

Family: Mother to two awesome kids, ages 18 and 11.
Fun Fact: She has an extensive collection of Mary Poppins memorabilia that she has been adding to since 1998.
Guilty Pleasure: Oreo® Dream Extreme Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory®. Ask anyone who knows her, she talks about it like it's her child!
Big Dream: To adopt more children

Cristina Goetzinger

Racine Campus Elementary Director

Family: I’ve been married to my amazing husband for 12 years. We are a blended family with 4 kids. Xavier, Mireya, Isaiah, and Joey.
Fun Fact: I love dancing anytime anyplace and I have a huge sense of humor. Summer is my favorite season and Christmas is my favorite holiday!
Guilty Pleasure: A super soft fresh glazed donut from O&H Bakery®!
Big Dream: One of my dreams is to help my community by improving their health mentally and physically. Maybe one day I will open a mental health facility that focuses on the mind body and soul.

Board of Directors

Jeneyl Anglin

Lani Renneau

Justin Matthews

James Grogan

Scott Obenchain