Staff
David Kisner, Lead Pastor
David Kisner has been the Lead Pastor at Washington Heights since 1996. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Before coming to WHBC, he served as Assistant Director of Christian Ministries at Cedarville University, Associate Pastor at North Baptist Church in Rochester, New York and Senior Pastor at Westmont Bible Church in Westmont, Illinois.
His main responsibility is administering the Word of God during our Sunday morning Celebration Services. He also oversees the church staff, gives vision and direction to the ministry, and counsels individuals and families in crisis.
David and his wife, Wendy, have been married for 37 years. Wendy is a fourth grade teacher in the Centerville School System. They have two children: Amy, who makes her home in Chicago where she is an interpreter for the hearing-impaired, and Nathan, who makes his home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Hobbies/Interests/Passions: Flying (he holds a private pilot’s license), reading, golfing and home maintenance projects.
Justin Hoppe, Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship
Pastor Justin married his high school sweetheart, Grace in 2004. They have 5 children: Cade, Caroline, Charlotte, Levi, and Wesley. Justin grew up with Washington Heights as his home church. After several years in retail management in food service, God used a desire to serve Christ and his Church to lead the Hoppes to join the staff at WHBC in full time ministry in 2012 as the Student Ministries Pastor. In 2015 Justin transitioned to the Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship.
Justin is involved in a range of ministries here at WHBC including supporting our Missionaries and Missions Program by serving on the GO Team (Missions Committee). Justin and Grace have led eight cross-cultural short-term trips (domestic and international) with teens and adults. They have also worked with many couples in pre-marital and marital counseling over the years.
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Training: Baptist Bible College (B.S. Integrated studies M.A. organizational leadership); The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Doctor of Educational Ministry, anticipated graduation May 2024)
Books: Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman; On Being a Pastor by Prime and Begg; The Call by Os Guinness; Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Favorite Restaurants: Chipotle, Starbucks, Chop House, Mr. P’s Bistro (Southport, NC)
Hobbies/Interests/Passions: Time with Grace and the kids, hunting, hiking, canoeing, Michigan Wolverines football, Detroit Tigers baseball
Podcasts: The Briefing with Dr. Albert Mohler; The Missions Podcast – ABWE; Amazon to the Himalayas with Dr. Paul Akin; Revisionists History – Malcolm Gladwell; The Way I Heard It – Mike RoweJustin Hoppe, Outreach & Discipleship
Nathan Wood, Worship Arts Ministries
Grant Winslow, Student & Family Ministries
Grant Winslow was born and raised in Toledo, OH. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 2014 with a degree in Adolescent/Young Adult Education. God grabbed his heart for ministering to college students during his time there. Before coming to WHBC, he served with Cru (Campus Crusade) at UT for 6 years, and then interned with Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo with their School of Church Ministry beginning in the Fall of 2020. At EBC, he developed and saw God grow a ministry to college students and young adults. The internship was paired with a grad school at Cedarville with a Master’s of Ministry Degree.
Grant and his wife, Lydia, were married the summer of 2021. Lydia is a 2nd grade teacher at Middletown Christian. Together they love to play board games, drink coffee, read, enjoy God’s creation in parks, and being a house divided when it comes to OSU and UM. They are passionate about helping teenagers and students come to know Christ and to make Him known.
Books: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Delighting in the Trinity, The Vine Project, The Deep Things of God, 9Marks books
Restaurants: Chick-fil-A, Cane’s, Wawa, basically any coffee shop, Culver’s
Music: Sovereign Grace, Hawk Nelson (the old HN), CityALight, Twenty One Pilots
Podcasts: ForTheGospel, 9Marks Pastors Talk, Youth Pastor Theologian, The Office Ladies, The Happy Rant
Alia Edem, JAM City Director
Alia Edem graduated from Cedarville University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Bible minor in 2003. She spent 6 years teaching first grade and kindergarten in a public school. She also worked a year for Dayton Christian homeschool.
She and her high school sweetheart, Jason, were married at Washington Heights in 2002. They live in Beavercreek with their three children Xander, Lily, and Grace. They also have an overly friendly Golden Retriever, Max, an adopted stray kitty, Turbo,
and a goldfish, Goldie, that their youngest won at the school’s spring carnival. She loves her family and one of her greatest
joys is doing life with them.
Alia has been involved in many of Washington Heights children’s ministries throughout the years including working with the youth group, teaching kindergarten Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, various roles in Awana, as well as, Upward basketball and soccer. She began her official role as JAM City Director in June of 2017.
Hobbies/Interests/Passion: spending time and doing activities with her kids, tagging along on her husband’s business trips when she can, and going to see plays and musicals.
Favorite Verse: Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."