Pastor & Staff

Pastor Bob O’Bannon

Bob O’Bannon was born in Muncie, Ind., but spent most of his childhood years in the Carmel area. After graduating from Carmel High School, he went back to Muncie to earn a journalism degree from Ball State, and then spent a couple of years working as a newspaper reporter for the late Muncie Evening Press. In 1989, Bob left the Press to take a job as director of public affairs for the Indiana Manufacturers Association in Indianapolis, where he was involved in public relations and desktop publishing. Bob is an avid music collector who picks the guitar reasonably well and loves playing basketball, mountain biking, reading books, and taking walks with his wife, Mary.

Bob and Mary met in Indianapolis while attending a prayer group at church. Bob remembers being attracted to Mary’s wisdom, maturity, and heart for the underdog. He knew almost immediately that Mary was the girl for him, although it took Mary a little longer to get with the program! In October 1994 they were married and have enjoyed a strong, loving relationship ever since.

Mary was raised in a Christian home in Richmond, Ind. Her pastor and parents spoke often about the Gospel, so as early as the age of 6, she became convicted of her sin. Soon afterward, she asked her mother how to become a Christian and decided to pray to receive Christ at that time. While growing up, Mary felt the need to know the Bible better, so she decided to attend Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Fla., where she earned a degree in biblical education with a minor in theology. Mary is gifted in encouragement, mercy, wisdom, and hospitality. She loves interior decorating, spending time with her two border collies, baking, entertaining people in her home, and taking walks with her husband.

Bob was led to Christ through the witness of a Campus Crusade staff member while still at Carmel High School. He became involved in Campus Crusade immediately and continued with the ministry through college, when he also attended Westminster PCA under the leadership of Petros Roukas. While living in Indianapolis, Bob and Mary began attending College Park Church on the northwest side, an experience that God used to stir a passion in Bob’s heart for seminary training and pastoral ministry. After much prayer and counsel, Bob and Mary left their jobs in Indianapolis to start a new life in St. Louis, where Bob began classes at Covenant Theological Seminary in January 1999. Through this experience, Bob’s desire for pastoral ministry increased, and before graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in May 2002, he found himself pastoring a small evangelical Presbyterian church in Alton, Ill., just across the river from St. Louis. In early 2004, Bob taught Bible to students from grades six through 12 at Westminster Christian Academy in the Alton area, before receiving a call to pastor New Life Presbyterian Church in Yorktown, Ind. The O’Bannons gladly moved back to central Indiana, where Bob was ordained in the PCA and started serving at New Life in September 2004.

Bob and Mary are united in their desire to show the love of Christ to the community and to preach the good news that God has broken into our existence in the man Jesus Christ in order to free individuals from their bondage to sin and to make all things new. The O’Bannons consider it an honor and privilege to minister in the name of such a wonderful Savior.

Pastor Brian

Brian was a professor of  Health Science at Ball State University from 1995 to 2004. During that time he also worked as the Coordinator of the College and Young Adult Ministry at Westminster from 1999 to 2004. Brian graduated from Mid-America Seminary in 2007. He worked as an assistant pastor at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, and pastored Trinity Presbyterian in DeMotte, Indiana. Brian came on staff as our assistant pastor in September 2009

Staff

Joel Good, Music Director

Joel Good joined the New Life staff in the Fall of 2007 as Director of Music. Joel is currently studying Music Education at Ball State University where he led worship at Campus Crusade for several years prior to his graduation in 2004 with a degree in Telecommunications. He and his wife Ellen live in Muncie.

Adam Delaplane, Youth Director/Ministry Assistant

Adam is on staff at New Life as the Youth Director. He and his wife Jessy started the youth program in 2003, while they were attending Ball State University. When they graduated from Ball State they decided to stay on staff and continue ministering to the youth at New Life. He is also involved in the Christian Education, Outreach, Worship, and the Missions teams at New Life.

Jessy Delaplane, Administrative Assistant

Jessy has been attending New Life since 2003, when she started attending with Adam during their freshman year at Ball State. She has earned a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. In the fall of 2008, she helped Grace and Peace launch a Latino tutoring program on the East Side of Indianapolis which she continues to run. Besides running the office for the church, she helps Adam with the youth ministries and plans the annual mission trips to Monterrey, Mexico.