At Countryside we believe that pastors are delegated by God with the responsibility to serve as shepherds under Jesus Christ in His church. Their responibility as layed out in scripture is three-fold. As Pastors they are to shepherd, guide, and protect the flock. As Overseers, they are to superintend, guard, and provide directive care for the church. As Elders, they are to manage, lead, represent and govern the church. These men are responsible primarily for the spiritual care of the church.
We feel that God has blessed us tremendously with a group of pastors who are faithful to their God-given call and serve us incredibly well. We are thankful for them, and for the grace that God has shown in their lives.
Jesus Christ changes everything. Not being raised in a Christian home and living only for himself, Mike Summers was confronted with the emptiness of a life of sin, guilt, and shame. Miserable, used up and feeling hopeless, he was rescued from a life of bondage by the grace of God in 1979 in Green River Wyoming. After moving to Florida, God brought his wife Karen into his life and they began their journey through life and ministry together.
The Summers moved to Olathe in order to plant a church and in November 1990, and Countryside was organized. Mike completed his undergraduate education at Calvary Bible College, and then both his Master of Ministry and Doctorate of Sacred Ministry degrees from Northland Baptist Bible College.
Mike and Karen have six incredible children, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and one perfect grandson. Besides the fulfillment of walking with Christ, joy of family, and privilege of ministry, Mike enjoys the quiet of being alone with God outside in open spaces. When he is not studying God’s Word or spending time with his family, you might find him on his bike, or working on the farm.
If you would like to learn more about a walk with Christ, you may contact Pastor Mike at (913)592-3270 or via e-mail at .
Scott Nicoll has been the Youth Pastor at Countryside for the past 19 years. His ministry began with just a handful of young people, and today the youth group has grown to over 90 teenagers. Scott was a junior in high school when he felt God’s calling to a life of youth ministry, but reality of that decision took some unexpected turns. He began by earning a teaching degree at Calvary Bible College, which led to a job opportunity at a Christian school in Kansas City. But after three years in that setting, Scott knew that God was leading him to begin working with teens in a local church. That’s when the Lord opened the way for him and his wife, Dori, to come to Countryside.
Today the youth ministry offers numerous fellowship and service opportunities for its members, including summer camps, leadership retreats, missions trips, music groups and Bible quizzing. Scott says this ministry of the church strives to serve as reinforcement for the parents’ ministry to their own teens. “By teaching the Bible faithfully, we echo the message heard in the home,” said Scott. “In addition to that, the youth ministry allows teens to connect with and make friends with others their age, as well as begin to mentor younger people.”
Scott said that while he can’t guarantee perfect teenagers, the youth ministry does present a Christian environment for young people to exhort each other toward Christlikeness. “We desire to be a Word-oriented, fellowship-focused, and servant-centered youth ministry that exalts Christ,” he added.
Scott and Dori have four children—two adult daughters, one daughter in high school, and a son in junior high. When Scott isn’t serving at the church, you’ll find him at the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department, where he started as a firefighter 18 years ago, and is now a Captain.
If you would like more information about the church’s youth ministries, or if you want to know how to begin a walk with Christ, you may contact Pastor Scott at (913)592-3270 or via e-mail at
“My greatest blessing is to watch God grow teens in their walk with Him and then use them in His service as they yield their lives to Him,” said Scott.
Associate Pastor Otto Skoog is living testimony of how God’s grace can completely transform a person’s life. When he and his wife, Krista, first visited Countryside in 1993, he wasn’t even sure if God was real. “I believed that Christianity was system of mythology that didn’t make any sense,” said Otto. But the more he heard the preaching of the Bible in a clear and understandable way, the more relevant it became. Members of the church also reached out to Otto and Krista in a practical way, and his skepticism began to erode. “In short, they lived what they taught and God used that grace to reveal himself to me.” On July 18, 1993, Otto placed his trust in Christ.
From there, Otto’s new Christian walk revealed the spiritual gift of teaching, which eventually led him to enroll at Calvary Bible College. In 1999, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and a year later began serving as associate pastor. Otto says that one of the greatest rewards of his ministry is seeing people grow in their relationship with God and understanding his Word.
Otto and Krista, who have been married for 18 years, have two young children, Gabriel and Kyra. If you would like to learn more about Countryside’s ministries or what it means to have a relationship with Christ, you may contact Otto at 913-592-3270 or via email at .
Pastor Bryan is a native of Overland Park, KS. In fact his mother still lives in the house that he grew up in. As early as the sixth grade he realized that he had a desire to teach and determined that he would become a teacher. During his high school years at Shawnee Mission North he became interested in biology and decided to pursue this goal by attending the University of Kansas in the fall of 1980. It was over Christmas break of that year that he met his future wife Kathy and began to sense a different direction for his life. He sensed the Lord leading him into Christian education, so he left KU and started looking into Bible colleges. On August 13th, 1983 Bryan and Kathy were married. On August 21st of that same year they moved to Ozark, Arkansas, and on August 28th Bryan began taking classes at Citadel Bible College.
Bryan is a 1986 graduate of Citadel Bible College with degrees in Bible and Christian Education. He and Kathy taught for one year at Muncie Christian School in Kansas City, Kansas. Following that he served for two years as the administrator of Fairview Christian School in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. After 3 frustrating years of teaching it became apparent that God had something else in store for the Neals. They began seeking God for direction in their lives and He graciously directed them into the field of Air Traffic Control. In December of 1989 Bryan was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration and he has been working as an Air Traffic Controller since.
In June of 1987, Emilie was added to the family, in April of 1991 Amie was born, and in December of 1995, they were blessed with Abigail. The entire family is thrilled to be serving at Countryside. The Neal’s came to Countryside in July of 1994. Bryan has served as an Acts20:20 leader, an adult Bible class teacher and a deacon. In April of 2004, Bryan was approached by the leadership and asked to consider whether God might be directing him into pastoral ministry. After much prayer and consideration he did indeed sense God’s leading and was confirmed as an associate pastor at Countryside in June of 2004. One of Bryan’s primary areas of responsibilities is care of and for the body. If you have any need, you may contact him at (913)592-3270 or via e-mail at .
Roger G. Johansen serves Countryside Baptist Church as a missionary in Brazil. Roger and his wife Crystal are currently working with a church-planting team in the city of Maceio in Northeast Brazil.
Roger and Crystal have three sons and one daughter, Joshua, who was born in Brazil, Jordan, who was born while they served stateside in evangelistic outreach at Countryside, and Jonathan and Juliana, who were also born in Brazil.
Roger is originally from Springfield, Illinois and Crystal is from Columbus, Ohio. Roger has completed his Master's Degree studies at Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary and recently completed his doctorate through Northland Baptist Bible College. If you would be interested in finding out more about Roger and Crystal's ministry in Brazil, please read the latest Johansen Jot or e-mail them at
Brian Warne serves Countryside Baptist Church as a missionary in Mexico. Brian and his wife, Danyel have two children, Daniel and Amy. Upon receiving God's call into vocational ministry, the Warnes moved from their home in south central Kansas to Kansas City in 1993 to further prepare for the Lord's service. They became actively involved in the ministries of Countryside Baptist Church while Brian completed his degree in Pastoral Studies through Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary. During their time at Countryside, the Lord burdened their hearts to take the Gospel to Mexico and to assist rural Mexican believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In 1998, Countryside called Brian to serve as Associate Pastor with an emphasis in leadership development and administration until leaving to plant churches in Mexico. In April of 1999, Countryside sent out the Warnes to Sinaloa, Mexico where they now live and are involved in a church-planting ministry among the Mayo Indians. Brian is also continuing his studies toward an M.A. in Biblical Counseling at the Master’s Seminary. If you would like additional information about the Warne family's ministries in Mexico you may contact Pastor Warne via e-mail at