Our Staff
Senior Pastor Mark Voll: Mark and his wife, Sue, joined Friedens as senior pastor in 1987 after having served as pastor for churches in St. Germain and Neillsville, Wis. Mark and Sue were married in 1977 and have two children — Katie, who attends Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and Tyler, a student in the Port Washington-Saukville school system. Mark is the son of a pastor and a Chicago-area native who grew up rooting for the Chicago Cubs and Bears but has since seen the light and now strongly supports the Brewers and Packers. Mark readily admits that one of the most positive influences on his life has been Sue, a native of the Port Washington-Saukville area and daughter of former Ozaukee County Judge Warren Grady, and whose family are long-time Friedens members. Besides sports, in his free time Mark enjoys playing the guitar and singing with Sue in the Ozaukee Chorus and local theater, appearing in “West Side Story,” “The Music Man” and “The Sound of Music,” among others. Most of all, however, Mark says he enjoys studying and talking about “God’s powerful grace and truth experienced as we’re courageously following Jesus Christ.”
Associate Pastor Dr. Don Zahurance: After six years as missionaries in Poland, Don and wife, Theresa, joined Friedens Church in August 2003 as associate pastor. Among his duties, Don oversees Friedens’ “Gray Matters” ministry for senior citizens. He also leads new members classes periodically. Don and Theresa were married in November 1969 and have had six children, one of whom died as a result of a miscarriage. Four of their other five children are grown — Jennifer, Donesa, Andy and Lorietta. Their youngest son, Grant, attends Word of Life Bible Institute in Hudson, Fla. Andy serves with the Evangelical Free Church of America’s Touch Global ministries to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area. Before serving as missionaries to Poland through Word of Life International, Don pastored churches in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Cushing, Okla., and was a youth pastor in Louisville, Ky. Don also has been an instructor with Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Mich., and Moody Bible Institute Extension Studies. Don earned two bachelor’s degrees, a masters degree and a doctorate of divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist College. In his free time, Don enjoys fishing, painting, woodworking and “always seeking to please the Lord Jesus Christ.”
David Toeller leads Friedens’ Blaze ministry for teens. David is a senior at Moody Bible Institute, majoring in youth ministry. He is 22 years old, and grew up in Saukville, graduating from Port Washington High School in 2004. He expects to graduate from Moody in December 2008. David enjoys working with youth, playing bass, playing video games, ultimate Frisbee and disc golf, and watching good movies. His responsibilities at Friedens include leading Blaze gatherings on Sunday nights, helping other youth ministry volunteers be more effective, and helping coordinate the junior high and high school-aged Bible studies. “My goal with the youth group is to bring the students closer to Christ and implant in them a desire to serve Him with the rest of their lives. I desire to do this in partnership with parents and with the rest of the congregation,” David said.
Mitchell Eliason, Friedens’ director of worship, was born in Milwaukee and raised in East Troy in a music-filled home. He learned to play the saxophone when he was 7 and was playing the bass guitar when he was 13. He traveled as a teenager with the Greater Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble for four years and then played bass guitar in a band in college. He taught himself to play guitar in 1993 and got involved in leading worship. Before coming to Friedens, Mitchell helped lead music worship and youth ministries at churches in Brookfield, West Allis, West Bend, New Berlin, Port Washington and Reynoso, Mexico. Mitch lives in Port Washington and works at Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee and is an avid biker. He’s also part of a Milwaukee-based Christian band called Scarlet Thread.
Administrative Assistant Debra Bendt: If the love of Jesus Christ is the glue that holds Friedens together, Deb is “The Applicator,” helping keep the Friedens engine running smoothly. Deb married husband, Mike, in November 1989 on the opening day of deer season. Now THAT’s love. They have two children — Lauren and Erin. Deb became Friedens’ administrative assistant in 2005. Besides her duties with family and church, Deb also is director of the Friedens Women’s Ministries, is a member of the worship team and operates her own graphics and marketing business. When she’s not working, Deb is an avid Packers fan, but most enjoys being with her family.