Leadership Team

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Duane Smith

Pastor and Elder of Preaching and Vision

Bio: Duane is a native of Sussex County.  His life was transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ in 1990, while a senior in high school. He is married to Jennifer, his wife of 30 years, and together they have 2 adult daughters, Sierra and Olivia and have served as  foster parents as well. He is a graduate of Clarks Summit University  (’94, ’01). Following his education he completed a 2 year pastoral internship at his home church.  He and a small team planted Sussex County Bible Church in 2004. Duane loves God’s people and has a passion to share the truth of God’s Word.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Preaching and Preachers by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, The Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin and 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever.
Hobbies: Reading, spending time at the beach with family, and traveling

Josh Marlowe

Pastor and Elder of Discipleship and Administration

Bio: Josh has lived in Sussex County since 2003 and has been on staff at SCBC since the Spring of 2011.  Josh surrendered to Christ in faith as a child and through his high school experience developed a desire to serve the Lord in full-time vocational ministry.  Josh completed his seminary training in 2008, graduating from Calvary Baptist Theological seminary with a M.Div. degree.  Josh loves working at Sussex County Bible Church and appreciates the relationship between the elders that encourages godly living and spiritual growth. He oversees the Growth Groups ministry, serves in many administrative roles, counsels, and is involved with leadership training.  Josh married his seminary sweetheart, Bethanne in 2004.  They have two daughters, Meranda and Lydia. Josh has lived abroad for just under a decade of his life and enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures. He has not yet visited the continent of Antarctica.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever, Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper,  The Trellis and the Vine by Collin Marshall and Tony Payne.
Hobbies: Josh enjoys spending time with his family at the beach, in a kayak, sailing, windsurfing, or throwing a frisbee. He also enjoys fine chocolate, roasting his own coffee, flying, tinkering, and woodworking when he gets the chance.

Orval Foraker

Elder of Membership

Bio: Orval is a native Delawarean and became a Christian later in life.  He is married to Margie, and they have three sons, Chris(38), Jon(36) and Andrew (30). They are the grandparents of 3 granddaughters and 1 grandson. Orval spent all of his professional career in Education. Orval received an undegraduate and graduate degree from the University of Delaware. Since moving to Sussex County in 2018, he has attended SCBC. In his previous church Orval served as a Deacon, a Sunday school teacher and as a member of the Praise Team. Margie and Orval currently team with members of SCBC to share the gospel with children at Love Creek Elementary School. Orval is the Board President for Delaware Child Evangelism Fellowship. This organization oversees all of the Good News Clubs throughout the State of Delaware. Orval is currently serving as the New Membership Coordinator. He enjoys getting to know prospective members during the classes and interview and is actively involved with church planting at Millsboro Bible Church.
Influential book(s) beside the Bible:  Two current books just completed would be Unoffendable by Brant Hansen and The Masculine Mandate by Richard D Phillips. Two recent books would be Biblical Eldership and The Twelve Lessons for Mentoring Elders by Alexander Strauch. The most influential work read outside of the Bible was Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. Other influential authors would be Paul Tripp for biblical counseling, Tim Keller and Mark Dever’s approach to sharing the Gospel with younger generations than my own, and R.C. Sproul for his ability to to communicate difficult biblical truths. For a devotional, Margie and I read and discuss My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.
Hobbies: Orval enjoys golf, reading, the beach, walking with Margie or a brother in the Lord, watching the wildlife especially the variety of birds, and kayaking. 

David Pettyjohn

Elder

Bio: David was born and raised in Sussex County Delaware. He was blessed to be raised in a home where Jesus was spoken of and taught regularly. David became a believer at a young age. In 2001, he married Emily and they have two children. Rylee was born in 2002 and Cale who was born in 2006. Additionally, they have been blessed to have two bonus daughters, Aubrey and Emi. Their family has been a part of SCBC since 2009 and David has had the opportunity to serve as an elder since 2014. He loves the Lord and feels it is a privilege to serve God’s people. He is excited to be a part of SCBC and to see how God is working within the church. David owns a Boulevard Appliance, a local appliance repair company.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Biblical Eldership
Hobbies:  Racing cars, pontoon boating, gathering with family and friends.

Rob Reinert

Deacon

Bio:  Rob grew up in Salisbury, MD in a Christian home. He became aware of his need for a savior at a youth camp as a teenager. Rob has lived in Sussex county for 12 years and has attended Sussex County Bible Church for 8 years. He and his wife Kate appreciate SCBC’s emphasis on the Word of God and the centrality of the gospel. Rob is a physician assistant at the ICU at Beebe Hospital. He has two children, Quinn and Gabe. Rob and Kate also enjoy hosting foreign exchange students.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, any book written by Tim Keller
Hobbies:  Rob enjoys hunting, fishing, scuba diving, playing volleyball and working on his sawmill.

Jonathan Offen

Deacon

Bio: Jonathan was blessed to be raised in a Christian home with his parents and sister, and grew up with the Gospel as a central part of his family’s life. He moved with his family to Sussex County Delaware in 1995 from southeast Pennsylvania, and has lived here ever since. He has been attending SCBC with his family since 2013.He is married to Andrea, a lifelong Sussex County native and wife of 13 years, and they have three sons; Jonny, Christopher, and Jeremiah, and their first daughter due in June. Jonathan has a desire to see the gospel spread and Bible teaching churches to grow, both at home and abroad. He and his wife have been on multiple short term mission trips to locations in the United States, Mexico, and France. Jonathan has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University, with areas of study in Religion and Natural Sciences. Jonathan currently works for Sussex County EMS as a Paramedic District Supervisor.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven, Mark Cahill; Courageous Faith: Life Lessons from Old Testament Heroes, Ed Hindson
Hobbies: Adventure Racing, Triathlons, Camping, Hiking, Kayaking

Steve Cooper

Deacon

Bio: Steve has been a resident of Sussex County since 2003 and has been attending SCBC since 2010. He is married to Alex and they have five children. In 2006, Steve graduated from Clearwater Christian College in Clearwater, Florida with a degree in physical education with minors in history and Bible.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Crazy Love by Francis Chan and The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
Hobbies: Triathlons, Sports, eBaying, spending time near or on the water 

John Reeser

Deacon

Bio: John grew up in Birdsboro, PA. He has had a heart for Christ since he was 10 years old and was baptized in a farmer’s pond in 1976. John is a Navy veteran, having spent four years on the aircraft carrier USS Independence CVA62 and six years as a Seabee with the 21st Battalion in Lakehurst, NJ. John retired from his position as a Stationary Engineer with Pfizer in 2011 and moved to Delaware shortly after. John became a member of SCBC in 2017.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Truth for Life: 365 Daily Devotions by Alistair Begg; A Good Old Age by Derek Prime
Hobbies: Target shooting

Janet Saunders

Children's Ministry Co-Director

Bio: Janet moved to Delaware in 2017 with her husband, Bill. Her passion is teaching children about Jesus. She has more than 50 years of experience teaching in both public and private schools, children's ministries, Good News Clubs, and tutoring. Her life verse is Ephesians 2:4-6.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: New Morning  Mercies by Paul David Tripp; Providence by John Piper; The Assurance of Our Salvation by Martin Lloyd-Jones.
Hobbies: Janet is an avid reader and loves to knit.

Kate Gerrick

Children's Ministry Co-Director

Bio: Kate grew up in Connecticut, where she was blessed to be introduced to the Lord at a young age. She moved to Delaware in 2018 with her husband and two children. Kate finds beauty in simplicity which has fueled her interest in developing and implementing technology to automate and improve processes. She works part-time as a cyber security engineer, has enjoyed serving the ministry of SCBC behind-the-scenes through technology, and has served in SCBC Kids since 2020.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Heaven by Randy Alcorn; Finding the Right Hills to Die on: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund
Hobbies: Swimming, gardening and camping.

Biblical Eldership

A biblically qualified team of men that jointly pastors the local church.

Elders

The New Testament commands for elders to lead the church with loving pastoral care and discipline, teach and preach the Word, protect the church from false teachers, visit the sick and pray, judge doctrinal issues, and be humble, sacrificial examples of Christian living.

Deacons

The New Testament commands for deacons to assist the elders with the care of the church, and be humble, sacrificial examples of Christian living.