Leadership

Pastor/Elder/Overseers
We believe God has gifted our church with godly men who are called by God to serve this church by primarily ministering to its spiritual needs through the teaching of God's Word, prayer, discipleship, and counseling. The Bridge Church has three pastor/elder/overseers who work together to oversee the ministries of the church and to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

John Michael LaRue ~ Lead Pastor

Pastor John Michael and his sweet wife Amanda moved to Dayton in March of 2019 to become the lead pastor of The Bridge Church (then called FBC Miamisburg).

The LaRues moved from Louisville when John Michael received his MDiv in Biblical and Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011 and has completed all but his dissertation for his PhD in Systematic Theology.

John Michael and Amanda have been married for ten years, and they have three precious daughters - Molly, Macy, and Maggy.

John Michael's greatest passion is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in every possible way he can do that, whether that means with the kids at VBS, on the basketball court during half times, at camps and retreats with youth and young adults, with the men at BBQ Feast nights, or with the seniors at breakfast and on trips.

You can reach Pastor John Michael at
[email protected]

Chris Carpenter ~ Associate Pastor of Missions

Pastor Chris became the Associate Pastor of Missions at The Bridge Church in February of 2023. Along with having served several churches in the Dayton area in various capacities ranging from student ministry to associate and lead pastor roles, Chris has spent over six years directing a church planting ministry in South Asia.

He is a 2000 graduate of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College with a BA in ministry emphasizing missions and evangelism, and he received his MDiv in Applied Apologetics from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2007.

Chris's passion is for reaching the unreached with the good news of the gospel of Jesus and helping provide them the resources to be disciple-makers themselves. He loves leading mission trips, encouraging others to consider missionary service through education and awareness of opportunities, mobilizing teams for short term missions, and providing care and support for missionaries serving long-term.

You can reach Pastor Chris at
[email protected]

Brad Herbst ~ Associate Pastor of Outreach and Evangelism

Pastor Brad and his amazing wife Jessica moved back to the Dayton area in 2010, where they worked as church planters. In 2023, God moved them down a new path to join The Bridge Church and become the Associate Pastor of Outreach and Evangelism.

The Herbst are native to the Dayton area and met each other in high school at MVCTC. They got married 5 months later and will celebrate their 27th anniversary in July. They have 4 grown children Julie, Ruthie, Elijah, and Ellie, and three grand children.

Brad has a BA in Biblical Studies with an emphasis on preaching and teaching. He was ordained as a preaching pastor in 2002 and has served as a youth pastor, discipleship pastor, interim pastor, church planter, and lead pastor.

Brad's is passionate about sharing the Good News about Jesus and equipping believers to move beyond the church walls to take the Gospel to those who may never enter the church building. Brad also has a strong passion to unite believer for the work of evangelism, as well as offering pastoral support and care for other pastors.

You can reach Pastor Brad at
[email protected]

Deacons
We believe God has gifted our church with godly men who are called by God to serve this church primarily by meeting its physical needs, caring for its members, and supporting the ministry of the pastors. The Bridge Church has nine deacons who serve the body in all of its various ministries. If you need prayer or help please reach out to us at [email protected]