Pastoral Staff
Rev. Tom Are, Jr.
Co-pastor
Prior to coming to Village in 2004 as senior pastor, Tom Are, Jr. spent most of his life in the Southeast. After serving as senior pastor for 19 years, he became co-pastor with Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka. Tom loves Royals’ baseball, stories that make you laugh, a book that makes you think and enough snowfall to close things down for a day or so. When he can’t be in Kansas City, his favorite spot is to be canoe/camping in Quetico, Canada.
Tom finds the Village Church family to be honest about faith, serious about mission and committed to doing the good that is ours to do. His ministry is grounded in hope, for God has promised that there is a day when all that has gone wrong will be made right, and we are living toward that promised day.
Tom is a graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and Yale Divinity School. Previously, Tom has served Westminster Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Seven Oaks Church in Columbia, South Carolina and Riverside Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Tom and his wife, Carol, have been married since 1987, and they have two adult children, Sarah and Nathan. Carol is a registered nurse and Tom is a sixth generation Presbyterian pastor (that’s a lot!).
Tom's book, “Joy Even on Your Worst Days: Wisdom from Philippians” is available on our online bookstore.
913-671-2341
tom@villagepres.org
Tom finds the Village Church family to be honest about faith, serious about mission and committed to doing the good that is ours to do. His ministry is grounded in hope, for God has promised that there is a day when all that has gone wrong will be made right, and we are living toward that promised day.
Tom is a graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and Yale Divinity School. Previously, Tom has served Westminster Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Seven Oaks Church in Columbia, South Carolina and Riverside Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Tom and his wife, Carol, have been married since 1987, and they have two adult children, Sarah and Nathan. Carol is a registered nurse and Tom is a sixth generation Presbyterian pastor (that’s a lot!).
Tom's book, “Joy Even on Your Worst Days: Wisdom from Philippians” is available on our online bookstore.
913-671-2341
tom@villagepres.org
Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka
Co-pastor
Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka joined the staff in March 2016 as director of adult faith formation, later becoming senior associate pastor. He was called as co-pastor with Rev. Tom Are, Jr., in 2023.
Rodger believes that because God created us all for relationship, discovering how to follow Jesus Christ happens best in community. He is profoundly grateful to be serving at Village Church and is inspired daily by the faith and faithfulness of this vibrant community of children, youth, young adults and adults.
Born in Honolulu and raised in Seattle at the Japanese Presbyterian Church, prior to coming to Village, Rodger taught at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta for 15 years as the Benton Family professor of Christian Education. Before serving on the faculty of Columbia Seminary, he was director of youth and young adult ministries for the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rodger is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University (BA), McCormick Theological Seminary (MATS), and Georgia State University (PhD.). Rodger is most at home in the classroom both as a teacher and as a learner. The son of Rev. Richard and Alice Nishioka, he is evidence that you can be a pastor’s kid and still love Jesus and the church.
913-671-2323
rodger.nishioka@villagepres.org
Rodger believes that because God created us all for relationship, discovering how to follow Jesus Christ happens best in community. He is profoundly grateful to be serving at Village Church and is inspired daily by the faith and faithfulness of this vibrant community of children, youth, young adults and adults.
Born in Honolulu and raised in Seattle at the Japanese Presbyterian Church, prior to coming to Village, Rodger taught at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta for 15 years as the Benton Family professor of Christian Education. Before serving on the faculty of Columbia Seminary, he was director of youth and young adult ministries for the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rodger is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University (BA), McCormick Theological Seminary (MATS), and Georgia State University (PhD.). Rodger is most at home in the classroom both as a teacher and as a learner. The son of Rev. Richard and Alice Nishioka, he is evidence that you can be a pastor’s kid and still love Jesus and the church.
913-671-2323
rodger.nishioka@villagepres.org
Rev. Melanie Hardison
Pastor of Pastoral Care
Rev. Melanie Hardison comes from a long line of Presbyterians and has been ordained as a minister of word and sacrament as well as an elder and a deacon. She describes Village as “a place of warm hospitality, thoughtful engagement and hopeful authenticity.”
A graduate of Agnes Scott College and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Melanie earned a dual degree in seminary: the Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Prior to graduate school, she served as a program manager at the national level of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for 15 years. With experience as a therapist and hospital chaplain, Melanie is passionate about end of life care, grief and bereavement work, and spiritual practices.
Some of her favorite time is spent twirling around a dance floor doing the two-step, west coast swing, ballroom or country line dance. When she can't be on the dance floor, Melanie enjoys deep conversation, growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, hiking, traveling, and any opportunity to laugh so hard she cries.
913-671-2367
melanie.hardison@villagepres.org
A graduate of Agnes Scott College and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Melanie earned a dual degree in seminary: the Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Prior to graduate school, she served as a program manager at the national level of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for 15 years. With experience as a therapist and hospital chaplain, Melanie is passionate about end of life care, grief and bereavement work, and spiritual practices.
Some of her favorite time is spent twirling around a dance floor doing the two-step, west coast swing, ballroom or country line dance. When she can't be on the dance floor, Melanie enjoys deep conversation, growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, hiking, traveling, and any opportunity to laugh so hard she cries.
913-671-2367
melanie.hardison@villagepres.org
Rev. Anna Owens
Antioch Campus Site Pastor
Anna joined Village Presbyterian Church as site pastor at our Antioch Campus in Overland Park in April 2023. She was born and raised in South Carolina. She is a classically trained opera singer, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. At Converse, she first began to sense a call to ministry and a leadership inclination. She is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Anna met her husband, Josh Sweeney, on her first day of classes at Columbia. They were married her final semester. Anna and Josh have a toddler (Charlie) and two dogs (Abby and Newt).
Anna most recently served as the associate pastor for spiritual growth at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio. She has also served churches in Indiana and Alabama.
913-671-2372
anna.owens@villagepres.org
Anna most recently served as the associate pastor for spiritual growth at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio. She has also served churches in Indiana and Alabama.
913-671-2372
anna.owens@villagepres.org
Rev. Zach Walker
Pastor of Youth Ministries
Rev. Zach Walker has lived in seven different states but considers Kansas City to be home. In addition to graduating from Shawnee Mission East High School in 1997 he has lived in Kansas City at different times for over 10 years. With undergraduate degrees in psychology and gender studies he also graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2007 with a Masters of Divinity degree.
Prior to his ordination at VPC, he served as a high school director in the Seattle area at Sammamish Presbyterian Church as well as the director of youth ministries at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, California (San Francisco area).
Zach has served in youth ministry for over 10 years and couldn’t be more excited to be at Village Pres. Zach enjoys pretty much anything outdoors, loves to run and bike, and reads as much as possible. He and his incredibly awesome and intelligent wife, Meredith, welcomed Silas to the family in July 2017 and Sawyer in December 2020.
913-671-2306
zach.walker@villagepres.org
Prior to his ordination at VPC, he served as a high school director in the Seattle area at Sammamish Presbyterian Church as well as the director of youth ministries at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, California (San Francisco area).
Zach has served in youth ministry for over 10 years and couldn’t be more excited to be at Village Pres. Zach enjoys pretty much anything outdoors, loves to run and bike, and reads as much as possible. He and his incredibly awesome and intelligent wife, Meredith, welcomed Silas to the family in July 2017 and Sawyer in December 2020.
913-671-2306
zach.walker@villagepres.org
Rev. Alice Whitson
Pastor of Media Ministry
Rev. Alice Whitson was ordained and installed at Village Presbyterian Church in May of 2023. A native of the Midwest, Alice was raised in Jefferson City and graduated from the University of Missouri. Alice spent her college summers working at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina on their production team and found there a love of worship, live production and the future of the church. After discerning a call to ministry, she moved to Georgia to attend Columbia Theological Seminary. Alice is thrilled that God has called her back to the Midwest and especially thrilled that God has called her to Village Church.
In this new ministry, Alice is most excited about combining her love of the church and the good news of Jesus Christ with her interest in videography, social media and live production. You can find her most Sunday mornings in the A/V booth at the Mission Campus or in the YouTube chat. Come say hi!
Alice and her wife Julianna, a pediatric hospital chaplain, enjoy being outside, spending time with family and friends, and obsessing over their cat.
913-671-2380
alice.whitson@villagepres.org
In this new ministry, Alice is most excited about combining her love of the church and the good news of Jesus Christ with her interest in videography, social media and live production. You can find her most Sunday mornings in the A/V booth at the Mission Campus or in the YouTube chat. Come say hi!
Alice and her wife Julianna, a pediatric hospital chaplain, enjoy being outside, spending time with family and friends, and obsessing over their cat.
913-671-2380
alice.whitson@villagepres.org
Rev. Sally S. Wright
Pastor of Pastoral Care
Rev. Sally Wright joins Village Church with deep experience in hospital chaplaincy and broad experience at the presbytery and national church levels. She brings gifts and skills from both these areas to serve as associate pastor. A native of College Station, Texas, she worked in Washington, D.C. before attending Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She and her wife have lived for the past seven years in the Kansas City area. Her wife, Karen, is the associate pastor at Southminster Presbyterian Church. When not working, they are chasing her twins and Yorkshire Terrier around the back yard.
913-671-2347
sally.wright@villagepres.org
913-671-2347
sally.wright@villagepres.org
