OUR STAFF:

Tom Atchison

Senior pastor

Tom has faithfully served Fox Valley Church for over 26 years. He and his wife, Cathy, have three grown children and five grandchildren.

(847) 844-1010 x 15

Email Tom

Stephen Drew

Life Group Pastor

Stephen joined FVC in 2012. He and his wife, Laura, have two children. Stephen is getting his Masters at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

(847) 844-1010 x 18

Email Stephen

Chris Yops

children and family ministries

Chris joined the FVC staff in December 2015. He and his wife, Michele, have been married since 2001 and have five children.

​(847) 844-1010 x 13

Email Chris

Brad Lawson

Worship PASTOR

Brad has been at Fox Valley since 2016. He and his wife, Emily, have been married since 2012. Brad has his Masters from Moody Bible Institute.

(847) 844-1010 x 21

Email Brad

CJ Maderia

Student ministry

CJ joined our staff in 2018 after serving in ministry in Seattle. He and his wife Aleesa have been married since 2015 and have a dog named Rosie.

(847) 844-1010 x 22

Email CJ

Mary Gibson

journey land assistant director

Mary has served as Fox Valley's preschool director since 2011. She and her husband, Marshal, have two teenage sons.

(847) 844-1010 x 19

Email Mary

Carol Dembkowski

office administrator

Carol has been at Fox Valley in various roles since 2002. She and her husband, Tim, have 3 children and 3 grandkids.

(847) 844-1010 x 11

Email Carol

Emily Lawson

communications

Emily joined staff in 2017 after moving from Florida with her husband, Brad. They are passionate about foster care and adoption. They have a dog, Piper.

(847) 844-1010 x 14

Email Emily

OUR PASTORAL COUNCIL

The Pastoral Council is currently comprised of five individuals.  The senior pastor, Tom Atchinson, is a cornerstone assuring the mission will always come first. The remaining four members are surrendered Christians in a mature walk with Christ.  These members bring a diverse set of skills including financial management; in-depth knowledge of the EFCA; strategic planning, and organizational aptitude. 
​
The Pastoral Council is constructed mindfully to guide us to where we want to be: 

• They devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word to: 

• Provide missional/visionary leadership in accordance with God’s will 
• Assess and strengthen the spiritual health and shepherding of the church 
• Protect Biblical truth 
• Establish ministry, guide and empower staff, help others to carry them out 
• Establish, manage, and oversee church finances 
• Act as the administrator for policies, procedures, staff and conducting congregational meetings. 

RON BUSKEY
Ron and his wife, Theresa have been part of Fox Valley Church for 11 years. They have been married for 34 years and have two adult children, their daughter now lives in Cincinnati and their son, in the Chicago area.

His spiritual gifts include strategic planning and serving others. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology.

After a fruitful career with Motorola, he started Plan B Audio in 2014, an entity created to assist churches and ministry groups optimize both their sound and lighting technology. He plays percussion on Sundays and you can often find him in the technology booth.

BOB LOWEN
Bob and his wife, Debbie have been attending Fox Valley Church since 2003 and became members in 2008. They have been married for 42 years and have four children and eight grandchildren.

He is giving, a helper, mentor and encourager. These gifts drove his 45-year career in law enforcement. His gifts also help him lead the Bible Study Ministry at Wayside Center, a homeless shelter in Elgin, as well as his work at Fox Valley.

In addition to his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, he earned a master’s degree in Public Administration. In his free time Bob enjoys being outdoors and staying fit and active.

ROB SCHRADER
Rob and his wife, Julie started attending Fox Valley Church in 2000 and became members in 2008. They have been married for 22 years and have three children, Adam (25), Noah (20) and Owen (16).

He has been given three spiritual gifts: empathy, responsibility and promotion of harmony. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

Rob and Julie love good restaurants and sharing a bottle of wine. Rob enjoys baseball and the many strategic nuances of the game.

ADAM VIETMEIER
Adam and his family first attended Fox Valley Church in 2013 shortly after a two-year mission to China with Athletes in Action. They have been members of Fox Valley for approximately four years.

His spiritual gifts include encouragement, shepherding and giving. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Trinity International University and completed Discipleship Training with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). He has completed a variety of short-term mission trips throughout his adult life.

Stephanie and Adam have been married for 15 years and have three daughters: Mia (10), Macy (7) and Averie (5). He played college basketball and is a big fan of movies, TV and books. Ask him which is his all-time favorite movie!