The Disciple in Residence program is a seasonal ministry designed to help people grow as followers of Jesus and live out Marco Lutheran Church’s mission: Loving God and Others by Participating, Serving, and Sharing.
The goal of the program is to help people grow as disciples of Jesus who love God and others—and who put their faith into action.
During their approximate six weeks at Marco Lutheran, each Disciple in Residence teaches, leads Bible studies, mentors individuals and groups, and encourages people to put their faith into action. Their focus is simple:
- Participating - Growing through worship, prayer, and spiritual formation
- Serving - Discovering and using our gifts to serve others
- Sharing - Living confidently as witnesses to the love and grace of Jesus
We warmly welcome our first three Disciples in Residence and invite everyone to join us! We look forward to seeing how God will work through this new ministry and the people who participate in it.
Fall Residency
October – November
Pastor John Benham III
Pastor John currently serves as the part time Congregational Care Pastor heading up the 90 member, 10 team Care Ministry at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in Liberty Township, Ohio, a Cincinnati Suburb. He has served at Royal Redeemer since 2016. Prior to his current position, he was the full time Executive Pastor with administrative responsibilities that included overseeing the operation of the Liberty Township campus, HR functions, stewardship education and coordinating and administering the annual budget, as well as Pastoral duties of preaching, teaching and leading worship.
Prior to his call to Royal Redeemer, Pastor John was sole pastor at Advent Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill North Carolina for 10 years.
John’s primary Spiritual Gifts are teaching, mercy-showing, serving and evangelism. His passion is helping people grow spiritually, applying God’s Word to their lives and helping them to become all that God has created them to be.
John is a second career Pastor who brings 35 years of experience in Business to his calling. His business experience includes developing, training and implementing teams and programs, as well as managing the day-to-day operation of a 250,000 square foot Research facility for Lyondell Chemical located in Blue Ash, Ohio. He holds degrees in Biology (Univ. of Illinois) and Chemistry (Roosevelt University) as well as MBA coursework (IIT), and an MA in Practical Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
He enjoys music (he is a singer, drummer and plays keyboard by ear) and doing projects around the house. He has been married to Beth for 45 years and they have 3 children and 5 grandchildren, who range in age from 14 to 30.
Beth has a passion for Woman’s ministry, having served as the Director of a Pregnancy care Center in Cincinnati, the founding Director of a Women’s Center in Durham, NC and teaching Women’s Bible studies at several churches.
Winter Residency
January- Mid February
Pastor Jeff Scheich
Pastor Jeff Scheich and Melinda were married in 1979 and have three grown children, two in-law children, and three grandchildren. They all live in Lincoln, Nebraska. Pastor Jeff served for 15 years in Fishkill NY and then was called in 2000 to Christ Lutheran Church in Lincoln to work with High School youth and start a Lutheran Day School.
Melinda was a pediatric nurse and Bible teacher – she retired from nursing after Covid but has since devoted herself to mentoring high school students and teaching Scripture to women in church.
After starting the school and calling a full-time High School Youth Director, in 2004 Pastor Jeff’s calling changed to that of developing new multi-sites that would specifically reach the 25–40-year-old generation with the gospel of Jesus. Those worship services / sites were called Room211 (now called 211 Worship), named after Acts 2:11 “they all heard the word of God in their own language”. After 20 years and with two sites together averaging more than 1300 in worship (of all ages), he retired in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Pastor Jeff and Melinda have been trained in Israel to lead Teaching Tours of the Holy Land and are certified by Impact Biblical Resources to do that. Three trips are on the books for 2027, including one specifically designed for Marco Lutheran, leaving Miami on November 2, 2027. Consistent with that love of the land where Jesus lived, Pastor Jeff wrote a popular free study on The Chosen (found at www.christlincon.org/thechosen )
His gifts include teaching (making complex things simple) and leadership; they have a passion for those who don’t yet know Jesus. They are excited about the possibilities of continuing to get to know the people of Marco Lutheran and having the opportunity to share God’s word to develop disciple-making disciples.
Late Winter Residency
End February to Easter
Pastor Kevin Elseroad
Pastor Kevin Elseroad was called by the English District and the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Atlanta, to plant a church in North Fulton County, GA. He began this work in 1989 using the “Church Plant through Child Care” model.
By 1991 the mission church was received into the District as Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, Alpharetta, Georgia. From 1991 through December 2025 he led the congregation. During his 34 years at CTS, God blessed the congregation with significant growth, the addition of multiple staff members, three building campaigns and the retirement of its mortgage. As Pastor Kevin reflects on his ministry, he gives all glory to God, noting, “God is good, and God is the builder.”
Prior to Christ the Shepherd, Pastor Kevin served as sole pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia, from 1981 to 1989. During his tenure, the congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary, experienced growth and added staff.
Pastor Kevin has also served the church in a variety of other capacities, including on the English District Board of Social Ministry, as a synodically trained Conflict Resolution Consultant, church-planting-through-childcare consultant, Circuit Visitor and facilitator of Together Forever marriage retreats.
Missions have also been an important part of Pastor Kevin’s ministry. He presently serves on the Board of Directors for India Transformed and has participated in multiple mission trips to Panajachel, Guatemala, Jaffa, Israel, and Bangalore, India.
His area of focus for the Disciples in Residence program is Sharing – helping people understand the ‘why’ behind evangelism and giving confidence in sharing the Gospel with others. At the heart of this emphasis is the simple “Come and See” invitation: encouraging people to invite family, friends and neighbors through the church doors so they can hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and experience the welcoming atmosphere of Marco Lutheran.
Pastor Kevin earned a BA in Chemistry from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, with a minor in Theology, and Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He and his wife Bonnie have been married since 1976 and have three children, Dan, Ben and Bethany, and 10 grandchildren, with one grandson in heaven.
Pastor Kevin enjoys sports as both a player and fan, particularly basketball, soccer and, more recently, pickleball. He also enjoys traveling, whether leading groups, traveling with family and friends, or exploring new places near and far.