Dr. Mike Summers

Lead Teaching Pastor

Mike Summers started Countryside as a small church plant in 1989. For more than 33 years, he has shepherded the church through many different seasons of growth and change. While pastoring and leading, Mike earned both his masters and doctoral degrees from the former Northland University in Wisconsin.

Currently, Mike serves as the lead teaching pastor at Countryside. Outside the primary responsibilities of studying and preaching, he also spends much of his time counseling with families, couples, and individuals. He is the head of our Journey to Judea ministry, overseeing the many teams and group leads. Mike also speaks at conferences, events, and retreats. He has written two books: Help! My Spouse Has Been Unfaithful and Life In Christ: A New Disciple’s Guide To Following Jesus. He has been married to Karen since 1982 and has 6 children and 14 grandchildren.

Scott Nicoll

Associate Pastor

Scott and his wife Dori have been at Countryside since 1990. A graduate of Calvary Bible College, Scott served as our youth pastor for 20 years. He has more recently transitioned to a different role, providing more pastoral care for the entire body by overseeing the small group ministry, funeral ministry, and being available for “filling in gaps” as needed. He enjoys preaching, teaching, and visiting folks in the hospital and in their homes, as well. Scott was also employed by the KCMO fire department until his retirement in 2016.

The Nicolls have four married adult children, four precious granddaughters and three awesome grandsons. Scott enjoys spending time with his family, going on hikes with the love of his life, riding ATVs, traveling, and watching most sporting events.

Bryan Neal

Associate Pastor

Bryan Neal came to Countryside in June of 1994 and served as an Adult Sunday School teacher and deacon for 10 years. In 2004, he was called by God and the church to serve as an Associate Pastor at Countryside and has continued to serve in that role. Bryan received his bachelor’s degree in Bible and Christian Education from Citadel Bible College in 1986 and taught in Christian schools for three years before beginning a much less stressful career as an Air Traffic Controller in 1990. He retired from the FAA in 2012 after 23 years of service.

Currently, Bryan serves as the associate pastor who primarily oversees the children’s ministries at Countryside. These include Sunday School, C.H.O.W., Tiny Trackers, Power Pack, JYG, Vacation Bible School, and his favorite, Junior Camp. Bryan has been married to Kathy since 1983 and enjoys not living on a farm but in a maintenance-provided community. He loves dearly his three daughters, two sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren. 

Otto Skoog

Associate Pastor

Pastor Otto first was introduced to Countryside in the early 1990s. As an atheist, Otto was convinced of the futility of religion and denied the validity of God’s Word. Through discipleship and the hearing of consistent preaching, God did a miraculous work in his life. As he came to Christ and grew rapidly, it was evident that God was calling Otto into service as a pastor. Upon receiving theological training at Calvary Bible College, Otto was brought on staff as Countryside’s first Associate Pastor.

Currently, Otto serves as the associate pastor overseeing and teaching our Bible Institute, guiding our men’s and women’s ministries, and teaching a dynamic class to our college student and young married adults. He is married to Krista and enjoys grilling and spending time with his two children, their spouses, and his first grandchild.

Michael Summers

Associate Pastor

Michael was called on by the church body at Countryside to pastor in 2013. For the first 6 years of his ministry he led our middle and high school students and our worship ministry. Currently, he continues to lead our worship ministry, oversees technology ministries, is involved in counseling as well as our “Journey Through the Bible” study program. He holds a masters degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Michael loves spending time with his wife Kimberly and their 3 children, working on their 150+ year old home, and writing in his spare time. His new Advent devotional book titled Worship Christ the Newborn King is expected to be released in September 2023.

Roger Johansen

Missionary Pastor – Brazil

Roger Johansen came to Countryside with his then-fiancée Crystal in 1991. While serving in the church, Roger finished a graduate degree from Calvary Bible College. Countryside sent the Johansens to Brazil as church planters in 1994.

Roger has been church planting in northeast Brazil. His work began in the city of Maceio on the eastern coast. For 15 years, Roger planted multiple churches and trained pastors and church leaders to shepherd those local assemblies. These churches today are active and growing under the leadership of those national pastors. After much prayer and seeking the Lord, Roger moved his family and ministry of church planting to the city of Aracaju in 2019. He is currently seeking to replicate the kind of church planting and deep personal investment of training national pastors and leaders of these new assemblies.

While serving, Roger earned degrees from Clarks Summit University, Northland University, and Carolina University. This has opened opportunities to train future pastors around the globe. Roger has five children and one granddaughter. He continues to be supported on staff at Countryside as a church planting missionary.

Brian Warne

Missionary Pastor – Mexico

Brian serves Countryside as a church-planting missionary pastor in Mexico. He and his wife Danyel have been at Countryside since 1993. Brian was called to serve as a Countryside pastor in 1998 and began church planting in Sinaloa, Mexico among the Mayo Indians the following year. Brian earned his bachelors degree in Pastoral Studies, his masters in Biblical Counseling from The Master’s College and Seminary, and is a certified Biblical counselor with the ACBC.  The Warnes have two married children and 5 granddaughters.

Brian enjoys many opportunities to assist in training pastors in rightly handling and passionately preaching the Word of God.  Utilizing a pastoral residency program through the local church in Mexico he is involved in training Latin American pastors as church planters and assisting them in planting churches throughout Mexico and Peru.

PHilip Johnson

ASSOCIATE PASTOR

Philip grew up in western Nebraska and trusted Christ for his salvation at a young age. While in college, he was involved in various ministries at his local church and began to pursue ministry. In January 2020, Philip was brought on staff at Countryside as a pastoral resident to lead the student ministry. He was officially installed as a pastor of Countryside in May of 2021. Philip graduated from Cornerstone Bible Institute in 2012 and Calvary Bible College in 2016 with a degree in Biblical studies. It was during his time at Calvary that Philip met Stephanie (Dietzel) and started attending Countryside. Philip and Stephanie were married in 2016 and have two children.

Alex Lynch

Pastoral Resident

Alex began attending Countryside with his family in 2001. He trusted Christ at a young age and grew through the teaching ministries of this church, learning to treasure God’s Word and lovingly serve God’s people.

Currently, Alex serves as Countryside’s Pastoral Resident, working under the pastors to direct and support the Men’s Ministries, Young Adult Ministries, Small Group Ministries and Administration. Alex married his wife Kalena in 2016 and together, they enjoy spending time with their two sons Charlie (3) and Bennett (1).