Our Staff

Tony is the Lead Pastor of Vida Springs Church and is responsible for preaching, vision, staff development, and overall care for the people of Vida Springs. He was previously the Lead Pastor of Clear River Church in Lafayette, IN, which he helped plant in 2006. Before he was a pastor, Tony was studying to be a Tropical Biologist and did research on stream ecosystems in Central America. He loves college football, fishing from his kayak, hiking trails and exploring local Gainesville cuisine with his wife, Sarah. They have been married since 2002 and have five kids.

Kurt is a Staff Pastor at Vida Springs Church. His responsibilities include helping with preaching and teaching, overseeing our small group system, membership process, prayer team and office administration. Kurt was on staff as a pastor at Clear River Church in Lafayette, IN and moved to Gainesville to help plant and establish Vida Springs. Kurt enjoys playing basically any kind of sport, board games and doing home projects in his free time. He and his wife, Karissa, have been married since 2010 and have three kids.

Gordon is a Staff Pastor at Vida Springs Church. His responsibilities include overseeing media & graphic design, small groups, our youth group and outreach to UF and Santa Fe College students. Gordon grew up in the Florida panhandle, then moved to Gainesville in 2015 to pursue a degree in agricultural communications. Gordon found Vida Springs while at UF and came on staff after finishing his master's degree in 2018. Gordon loves video production, paddleboarding, hiking and hunting. He and his wife, Anna, have been married since 2021 and have two kids.

John is a Staff Pastor at Vida Springs Church. His responsibilities include facility maintenance, overseeing Sunday serving teams, International outreach, along with leading Thursday DC and a small group. John was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States when he was 14. He lived in Indiana for 8 years and moved to Gainesville to continue his graduate studies in 2018. In 2020, he obtained his master's degree in engineering from the University of Florida and shortly after he joined our staff at Vida Springs. In his freetime, John loves to cook, play musical instruments and have dinner with friends.

Frank serves as a non-staff Overseer at Vida Springs, which includes responsibilities for long-term vision and planning, financial budgeting, staff accountability and overall leadership and direction of the church. His full-time career is with UF's Department of Emergency Medicine as an Administrative Director. He and his wife, Sheena, have been married since 2008 and have three kids and an Australian labradoodle.

Taelor was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN. She is a proud student-athlete graduate from the University of Florida, Go Gators! Taelor serves as the Administrative Assistant & Event Coordinator at Vida Springs. Her responsibilities include organizing and coordinating events, helping with Vida Kids, and any other administrative needs at the church. In her free time, Taelor loves being the “fun” aunt, sports, baking, and game nights with friends!

Josh serves as our Worship Team Leader at Vida Springs, which includes responsibilities for leading worship on Sundays, team coordination and planning, and developing current and future worship team members. His full-time career is with PHOS Creative, a mission-driven marketing agency here in Gainesville. Josh and his wife Debbie are Florida natives and have three sweet kids. Together, they enjoy family bike rides, ultimate frisbee leagues, and roasting their own coffee.

Rachel serves as our Kids' Director. Before moving to Gainesville to help plant Vida Springs, she went to Purdue University, where she earned her degree in Elementary Education, then served as the Kids' Director at Clear River Church in Lafayette, IN. Along with leading Vida Kids, our kids program, she trains and develops our teachers and helpers, oversees the creating and implementing of our curriculum, and works hard to make sure our kids have a great experience on Sunday mornings!

After working in finance for 20 years, Janet retired in 2018 and moved to Gainesville. She has been a member of Vida Springs ever since. Her responsibilities as bookkeeper include organizing and recording church finances, budgets, and bank accounts. Janet enjoys nature walks, bicycling, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her grandchildren.