Faculty & Staff

Pastor Lee’s life goal is to magnify and exalt the name of the Lord (Psalm 34:3). He is also an adjunct professor at Pensacola Christian College in Florida.

Interests: He is a father of four who enjoys soccer, landscaping, cutting down trees, splitting firewood, collecting Pez dispensers, and peanut butter & pickle sandwiches!

Mr. Bender is our 4th-12th principal. He loves the picture of teamwork painted by Scripture in Philippians 1:27 & Proverbs 27:17 which demonstrates that believers should work together and be more like Christ because of their partnership.

Interests: Mr. Bender enjoys prowling Home Depot for his next home improvement project, aquariums, wrestling his two children, and date nights with his wife at Panera.

Mrs. Lerand loves Jesus’ invitation to children in Mark 10:14. It’s a joy for her to help young children learn to read, so that they can read the Bible for themselves.

Interests: She is a mother of two who enjoys reading, listening to audio books, playing music, gardening, baking, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bath & Body Works, & would LOVE to drive a Polaris Slingshot someday!

In 1995 Miss Jody left her 21-year McDonald’s career to become the secretary of Dyer Baptist Church. God has used the experience she gained managing a local restaurant to prepare her to run our school efficiently. She loves Proverbs 3:5-6 which has kept her steady in times of trial, including a battle with cancer.

Interests: She enjoys making cards, writing, sewing, and all kinds of other crafts (which she is quite good at). Payday candy bars and gooseberry pie are some of her favorites too (as well as her beloved McDonalds).

Miss Candice joined the secretarial team when the south building was opened in 2016. Philippians 1:20 is her life verse, “so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Interests: She likes dutch apple pie, ice skating, Starbucks chai lattes, chocolate cookies, and Culver’s cheese curds. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and her four children.

Romans 8:32 assures her that if God would give the very best in giving His Son, He will take care of everything else in her life.

Interests: She is a mother of four who enjoys camping, gardening, reading, cooking, coffee, tea, music, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and jewelry.

Dr. Atkinson grew up in Canada. He has pastored for a total of 50 years in Canada and South Carolina, with 27 of those years spent here at Dyer Baptist Church. He and his wife have 2 children and 7 grandchildren.

Interests: He enjoys songwriting, photography, making videos, biographies, lasagna, crepes, steak, the colors purple and teal, and flowering plants.

Mrs. Baggech loves the peace of knowing God will guide her (Proverbs 3:5-6). She has been teaching for over 20 years. Her goal is to make learning fun and encourage her students to do their best.

Interests: She is a mother of four who enjoys collecting items of cobalt blue glass, camping, reading, gardening (flowers), shopping, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and frozen custard at Culvers.

Mrs. Bevell is a loving mother and wife, and a loyal supporter of our school. She has lived in the region her whole life. She loves the Gospel of John and the book of Proverbs best.

Interests: She enjoys Mexican food, and her favorite snacks are chocolate, popcorn, and coffee. She enjoys spending time with friends, going to fairs with her family, crafting, and cooking.

Mrs. Bird, one of our founding teachers, loves Psalm 119:165 for its promise of peace for those who love God and His Word.

Interests: She is a mother of six who enjoys camping, visiting historical places, reading, crafts, black licorice, turtle ice cream, the color purple, and scarves!

Mrs. Chabot is originally from the Chicagoland area, but moved to Indiana just after college. She and her husband have four children who all love PCCA. She really loves the reminders for Christians found in James 1:2-18.

Interests: Knitting, collecting fun pens, Oreos, oat-milk lattes, peanut butter cups, Chipotle, & Chick-Fil-A

Mrs. Dryden hails from the great state of Michigan! Her family had a small farm and she enjoyed participating in 4-H. A favorite verse of hers is Psalm 16:11.

Interests: She enjoys reading, sewing, crocheting/knitting, chocolate, Chick-fil-A, and drinking coffee.

Mr. Dryden grew up in as missionary kid in Haiti and can speak Creole and a little French!

Interests: He enjoys gummy bears, fishing, and reading historical/political books.

Mrs. Harned is a lifelong resident of NW Indiana and was a substitute teacher for our school for several years before joining us full time in the preschool.

Interests: Mrs. Harned is an expert at finding good deals and loves spending her free time garage-sale-ing with friends. A loving mother of four, she often can be seen spending time with nephews and extended family!

The first Bible verse that Mrs. Holan ever memorized was Proverbs 3:5-6, and it has been her life’s verse ever since.

Interests: She enjoys road trips and traveling, reading, adventure, anything with dark chocolate and sea salt, Oreos, and goldfish. She also likes Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, the color teal, and fall!

Dr. Honeysett is a native Chicagolander, and is an amazing Science teacher. She practiced medicine as a physician before starting her family!

Interests: Info to come:

Mrs. Kerr loves Colossians chapter 3 because it shares the security and hope we have in Christ and then goes on to show us how we can live more like Him each day. She is a mother of 5 children who is proud of her Norwegian heritage and loves making traditional Norwegian food. 

Interests: She loves history, traveling, baking, and visiting historical places, watching her kids play baseball, and shopping for shoes. Some of her favorites are Lindor chocolate truffles, Dragon Bowl or Sakura Bowl, fudge ripple ice cream, Smoothie King, Last Chance Overstock, the color green, and her favorite season is summer.

Mrs. Kerr has been teaching for several decades, and has filled just about every role in the classroom and school management. She currently has several grandchildren in the Academy.

Interests: She is passionate about education, enjoys spending time with her many grandchildren, sewing, and reading.

Hebrews 11:5 tells us that Enoch pleased God, and Pastor Peter’s goal in life is that God would be pleased with him in thought and action, so that God smiles at his work.

Interests: He enjoys playing Legos with his kids, running, making children’s videos, leading the youth group, studying the Bible, and spending time outdoors with his family. Culver’s is his favorite local restaurant!

James 1:22 speaks to Mrs. Kuipers of the need to make sure God’s Word is actively changing the way she lives out her life.

Interests: She enjoys crocheting, hiking with her husband and dogs, trying new restaurants, and the Scrambled Diner in south Dyer. She can usually be found at Goodwill on half-price day, and loves scarves!

2 Corinthians 15:10a reminds Mr. Lerand that nothing is accomplished without God’s grace. Dealing with Tourette Syndrome has been a key element in shaping his life. He loves most things that engage creativity and any opportunity to make something more beautiful.  

Interests: He loves being home with Mrs. Lerand and their two children and enjoys pizza, a well-crafted cup of coffee, cinnamon rolls, dark chocolate, Nutter Butters, Wiley Wallaby Red Licorice, the outdoors, exploring, gardening, playing board games, music, photography, Costco, & the Green Bay Packers!

Mr. McCarville has lived around Lake Michigan his whole life, most recently coming to us from Wisconsin. He likes the gospel of Luke best, as Dr. Luke had to research and compile his information, yet it still matches the other gospels.

Interests: He enjoys Mexican food, skiing, disc golf and other outdoor activities. For snacks, he enjoys flavored corn chips and chewy candy.

Miss Rabe (pronounced Rab) has lived in both Minnesota and Illinois and is a Midwesterner through and through.  She clings to 1 Thessalonians 5:24 which says, “Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.” This is a great reminder that where God leads, He always provides.

Interests: She enjoys watching baseball games (go Twins!), coffee shops, chocolate, mint ice cream, and playing volleyball. One of her bucket list items is to see all 50 states.

One of Miss Reeder’s favorite verses is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” One of her mentors used to text her this verse or write it on little notes to encourage her through rough times.

Interests: She likes to cook, crotchet, play board games, and read. Some of her favorite things are dark chocolate, McDonald’s, Target, spicy chips, the color green, and the season of fall.

Miss Moreno is a Texan who loves spending time with family and friends. She loves Isaiah 41:10 because it provides security and assurance of the Lord’s continual presence.

Interests: She loves traveling, singing, playing volleyball or soccer, and trying new coffee shops. She loves Snickers with almonds, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle (or any Mexican restaurant), Target, & Hobby Lobby. Her favorite color is blue, her favorite season: fall, and her favorite coffee is Starbucks.

Psalm 18:1-2,30 is an anchor for Miss Terry when she’s facing difficult and large projects.

Interests: She loves spending time with her family, music, photography, the outdoors, reading books, and taking missions trips around the world! She also enjoys coffee, dark chocolate, Olive Garden, and the Fall and Winter seasons.

Mrs. Thacker loves spending time with her 2 children and planning trips and outings. She is passionate about literature and writing, and enjoys research. God has shown her the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9 in her life, and it has become one of her favorite verses.

Interests: She enjoys listening to audio books on long walks with her pug, all things autumn, coffee with cream, dark chocolate, cow tails candy, and sparkling water.

Miss Wright has a deep love and compassion for children, and genuinely enjoys engaging them in conversations. She pours her heart into teaching each child in her classroom.

Interests: She enjoys volleyball, BBQ, and dark chocolate.