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

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, a son-in-law,  and one granddaughter.   He is a graduate of Clarks Summit University (formerly Baptist Bible - '94, ’01). Following his education he completed a 2 year pastoral internship at his home church.  In 2004, he and a small team planted Sussex County Bible Church.  Duane loves the Lord and His people  and has a passion to share the truth of God’s Word.  In addition to serving at SCBC Duane also serves on the board of Servant Leaders International, and Legacy Academy of Delaware.
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,  Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief  by John Frame, and 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever.
Hobbies: Reading, spending time at the beach with family, and traveling

Chris Condos

Pastor and Elder

Bio: Chris was born and raised in Vermont, moving to Sussex County in 2005 when he and Julie were married. Chris and Julie have been married for 19 years and together they have four children, Alex, Griffin, Sophia, and Lincoln. Chris graduated from Clearwater Christian College in 2003 and continued on to Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating with his M. Div. in 2007. Chris has finished all of the coursework and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation, planning to complete his D. Min. in 2025. He is also an adjunct professor for Cornerstone College and Seminary, developing and teaching online courses to students around the country. Chris loves the church, especially leading worship and ministering alongside others during short-term mission trips.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, and Dangerous Calling, both by Paul Tripp; Idols of the Heart, by Elyse Fitzpatrick; Canoeing the Mountains, by Tod Bolsinger; The Reason for God, by Timothy Keller, and The Four Loves and Mere Christianity, both by C.S. Lewis.
Hobbies: Traveling, Watching the New York Yankees, Reading, and spending time with friends
and family.

Orval Foraker

Pastor and Elder

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. 

Larry Carder

Deacon

 

Ruth Drummer

Operations Coordinator

Bio: Ruth and her husband Eric have been attending SCBC since 2023, a few years after moving to Long Neck from Easton, MD and became members in 2024.  They have four children, and seven grandchildren and have served together in business and various ministries, including the mission field in Brazil. Ruth has 40+ years of experience working in an office environment in both business and church ministry.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado; The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren;  studies on specific books of the Bible by various authors
Hobbies: Quilting, gardening, spending time on the beach and watching nature

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 and was blessed to come to know the Lord at a young age. She moved to Delaware in 2018 with her husband and two children. Kate works part-time as a cyber security engineer, has enjoyed serving the ministry of SCBC behind-the-scenes through technology, and has served in children's ministry since 2020.
Influential book(s) besides the Bible: Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung; Heaven by Randy Alcorn; Finding the Right Hills to Die on: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund
Hobbies: Swimming, gymnastics, 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.