OUR TEAM
Rich Merkouris | Senior Pastor
Phone: 605-271-3456
Email: rich@kingofglorysf.org
Rich Merkouris is the Senior Pastor at King of Glory. He is a graduate of Sioux Falls Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree and on May 18, 2011, he was the first pastor ordained as a North American Lutheran Church pastor. He enjoys golfing, pheasant hunting, softball, reading, and having people over for supper!
Rich’s wife Shannon teaches at John Harris Elementary School in the special education area. You will often see Shannon helping lead worship services as she is the one with the musical abilities in the Merkouris family. Rich and Shannon have three children, Hannah, Henry and Hazel.
“It is an extreme honor and joy to lead this congregation as we seek to proclaim the good news of Jesus,” Rich says. “There is nothing better than telling and hearing about the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. We are now free to go out and serve our neighbor. We will be a congregation that’s grounded in the scriptures and focused on reaching out to others.”
Will Brown | Outreach Ministries Coordinator
Phone: 763-229-1759
Email: will@kingofglorysf.org
Will serves as the Outreach Ministries Coordinator at King of Glory. Originally from the Twin Cities area, Will now lives in Garretson, SD, with his wife Erika and their daughter. He graduated from Crown College in 2014 with a youth and social ministries degree.
Will has a passion for connecting with people through intentional outreach/care ministry that serves to shine a light on his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Will is also very passionate about worship ministry and loves to play music, he also enjoys getting out in nature with his wife and their dog, and enjoys working on house projects in his spare time. He is very excited that God has led you to this ministry and looks forward to getting to know you!
Ryan Egan | Worship Coordinator
Email: ryan@kingofglorysf.org
Ryan is the Worship Coordinator at King of Glory. Ryan is passionate about worship and music ministry as well as fostering the creative arts within the local church. Ryan attended the Association Free Lutheran Bible School (now the Free Lutheran Bible College), earning a certificate in Biblical Studies. He also attended University of Sioux Falls for music composition, later graduating from Westwood College with a degree in graphic design and multimedia. He has over 10 years of experience coordinating worship services.
Ryan and his wife Christine own and operate Queen City Balloons, a small local business in Sioux Falls. Christine, an accomplished professional violinist, teaches private violin lessons and regularly performs with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches some private adjunct music lessons at Sioux Falls Christian schools.
They have three children - Layla, Michael and David. Ryan loves spending time with his family, reading, playing board and card games, and watching movies. He is an active martial artist, currently training for his 2nd degree black belt in the ATA.
Julie Burnside | Director of Ministry Operations
Phone: 605-271-3456
Email: julie@kingofglorysf.org
Julie serves as the Director of Ministry Operations at King of Glory. In her role she is responsible for the adult ministry, deacon/care ministry, volunteer assimilation, and oversees the daily operations.
Julie grew up on a farm in Minnesota. She graduated from Moorhead State University with a degree in Business Education. She and her husband Tom are blessed with 2 sons, 1 daughter, 2 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law and 3 grandsons. Julie loves to sing, read and study God’s Word, disciple women, and spend time with her family and friends. One thing that excites Julie in her role at King of Glory is encouraging and seeing others grow in their walk with Jesus, discovering their passions and plugging them in to the KOG community.
Kim Van’t Hul | Family Ministry Coordinator
Phone: 605-271-3456
Email: kim@kingofglorysf.org
Kim is the Family Ministry Coordinator at King of Glory. She loves working with kids and partnering with their parents as they raise their kids in the Lord. Psalm 78:4 commands that "we tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done." Kim loves to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with kids and see them grow in their knowledge of the truths of God's Word and His love for them.
Kim grew up on a farm in Iowa and graduated from Dordt University with an associate's degree in secretarial science. Most of her working career has been in an elementary school office which solidified her love of working with kids and parents. Kim and her husband, Steve have 1 daughter, 2 sons, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and 5 grandchildren. She loves reading, biking, camping, and sharing Jesus with the people that He brings across her path. Her deepest prayer is that the children that participate in Kids Ministry at King of Glory will grow in their faith and that through that faith will lead lives that impact our world for Him.