OUR STAFF
Steve McVey is driven by a deep passion for rural and small-town ministry, which led him to establish Dirt Roads Network. Since its launch in 2019, the network has been dedicated to planting and revitalizing life-giving, Bible-centered churches that transform communities across rural America.
A gifted teacher and visionary leader, Steve partners with several ministries, including the Rural Matters Institute and Crossroads Farm, and serves as an advisor to denominational leaders on rural ministry strategies. His mission remains clear: to “raise up an army of rural missionaries” by equipping and encouraging pastors to embrace a missionary mindset.
Before founding Dirt Roads Network, Steve spent two decades pastoring Lamont Wesleyan Church in the small Flint Hills community of Lamont, Kansas—home to just 40 people. Under his leadership, the church grew from a struggling congregation on the verge of closure into a thriving regional church, launching a satellite campus and planting three new churches. Through this experience, Steve recognized rural America as a vital and often overlooked mission field.
Steve and his wife, Samantha, have been married since 1989. They have two wonderful children, Andrew and Rebekah. Andrew, along with his wife Kendra and their three children, lives in Hutchinson, Kansas, while Rebekah and her husband Tyler reside in Westfield, Indiana.
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Steve McVey
Angela Audiss
MINISTRY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Angela is Ministry Leadership Director and Certified DRN Coach. Her faith took root in the soil of rural America. The current of life sent both she and her husband Jason into the harvest fields of Ottawa, KS. Since their arrival to Ottawa in 2000 Angela taught physical education, worked with Jason to raise their three children Lindsey, Abigale, and Joshua, led church small groups (children through adult), developed church ministries, collaborates in leadership of an ecumenical community youth ministry, and recently completed a master’s degree in ministry leadership.
Angela and her family enjoy employing their gifts of hospitality to those in their respective spheres of influence. They actively seek to live lives on mission at home, work, school, church, sports, or wherever life takes them. She and her family’s faith is interwoven into all aspects of their daily lives. Angela is a natural pastor. She offers shepherding and encouragement to those around her and consistently champions others towards spiritual growth and development.
Angela is passionate about the missionary approach Dirt Roads Network implements as it seeks to “raise up an army of rural missionaries!”
Chris Dyer
Dr. Chris Dyer came to faith in Christ when I was seventeen years of age, experienced a call to ministry when he was eighteen and became a pastor at the age of nineteen. In 1986 he became a minister in the Wesleyan Church in which he planted a new church, helped plant other churches, and was the pastor of two established churches. Two of his churches produced three church planters and gave birth to three new congregations.
Pastor Chris is a certified leadership and church planting coach and serves as the trainer for our denomination's multiplication coaches. He is also an assessor for the Wesleyan Church Planter’s Assessment Center.
Disciple-making is his passion in life. He consistently preaches the necessity that the church must be on mission with God to redeem his lost creation. He loves pouring into leaders and congregations that desire to pursue that mission!
As for personal hobbies, music is a huge part of his life. His favorite music styles are blues and classic rock. He also enjoys fishing, hiking, bike riding, and hanging out with family which includes four amazing grandchildren! In his spare time, you might find him watching movies or TV with his wife, Renee. They also love to take long walks and travel.
LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR
Gena Ott
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Gena Ott is the Office Administrator for Dirt Roads Network (DRN), where she brings her
strong commitment to DRN’s mission. She has been an active board member since the
organization’s inception. As a member of Lamont Wesleyan Church, Gena has seen firsthand the transformative work of God within the church and its congregation. Beyond her role at DRN, Gena serves on the Lamont Wesleyan Church board and in other leadership capacities. She has a deep passion for rural communities and is dedicated to supporting their unique needs, particularly through rural churches. Raised on a multi-generational farm near a small town southwest of Kansas City, Gena holds adegree in Ag-Business from Kansas State University. She spent many years with the Ag Lending Cooperative, Farm Credit, before retiring and embracing her role at DRN.
Gena and her husband, Tim, live on a farm near Lamont, KS, and they have two adult sons,
Henry and Mark.
AMBASSADORS
Zach Kingery
GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH
Rev. Zach Kingery is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church and a Network Director with Dirt Roads Network. He is a Kansas native who grew up attending Lamont Wesleyan Church and has rural church revitalization as part of his spiritual DNA.
With a BA in Pastoral Ministry & Biblical Study and a Master of Divinity, Zach has pastored in small town and rural churches in Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Dakota. He met his wife, Jessica, while attending Oklahoma Wesleyan University and they have three children: Syrus, Etta, and Jameson.
As a Network Director Zach works with denominations, church leadership, and pastors to be effective in the mission field of rural America.
“It is my hope to see the pioneering, Holy Spirit filled, mission-minded zeal of the Methodist movement renewed in rural America.”
Jonathan Hall
Church of the Nazarene
Jonathan is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. He grew up as a pastor’s kid in Coffeyville, KS. He graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in music. Immediately, he took a job teaching music in public schools (Cherryvale & Coffeyville) along with being a youth pastor.
In 2015, Jonathan and his wife, Jordan moved to Southern Alabama where they accepted their first lead pastorate in Excel, AL. Throughout the past 10 years, Jonathan has had the immense privilege and honor to lead three churches (Excel, AL; Garnett, KS; Moravia, IA). All these churches have been located in rural America.
Jonathan is passionate about journeying together with fellow pastors and churches to live in fullness of life on God’s mission.
ROADSIDE ASSISTANT/CHAPLAIN
Fred Miller
Fred Miller and his beloved Marvia made it a priority to live each day saying, Yes Jesus, before they knew what He would ask of them. Fred calls it living in “Yes Mode,” and it continuously adjusts and shapes his life with God-serving opportunities. "You are incredible", is the way he introduces himself to nearly everyone he encounters. That statement usually results in an opportunity to portray the Gospel in some way, as well as to encourage his friends. It certainly causes the aroma of Jesus to linger wherever he has been.
For quite some time Fred and Marvia walked alongside smaller Wesleyan churches encouraging them and assisting where needed. With the restructuring of the Kansas District, Dirt Roads Network invited the Millers to bring their experience and apply it in rural and small town settings as pastors to pastors. That ministry was well suited for them and continues to be. Fred has continued to focus on intentionally giving value to everyone. This is a ministry of love, prayer, and availability, centered on encouraging God’s people. Fred says, "It’s important to remember, you were custom designed by God to accomplish His purpose". When your relationship with Christs is up to date, you are successful every day by His definition. That perspective has a way of sparking new determination in pastors and churches who sometimes feel they minister in forgotten places. Fred sees his place on the team with Dirt Roads Network, as Roadside Assistance, and he is excited about the opportunities Dirt Roads Network provides.
CONTRACTED TEAM MEMBERS
Scott Bills
Scott has served in a variety of ministry positions over the past nearly 50 years. After a campus ministry role with Youth For Christ, he joined the Wesleyan Church, serving congregations in Michigan, Indiana and Wyoming as a pastor. Major areas of ministry experience include student ministry, music, worship, teaching and administration.
In 2004 he accepted a position with another denomination and was involved in campus development for a multi-site congregation in northern Michigan, later serving in an administrative role and finally as the congregation’s interim pastor prior to retiring from a full-time role in 2020. Since retirement, Scott has been involved with the Wesleyan Church’s Great Lakes Region doing pulpit supply work and serving as an Ambassador and coach to local pastors. In 2024 Scott began working with Dirt Roads Network as a coach, a role in which he continues to serve.
Scott and Elaine have a blended family which includes two daughters, four sons, their spouses along with 19 grandchildren ranging in age from 7-25.
Scott and Elaine, both natives of Michigan, now reside in Traverse City, Michigan, enjoy traveling, camping (but not roughing it), reading and volunteering in their local church.
Thomas K. Schmidt
Tom has been married for 50 years to Denise and they have been in ministry together for 50 years. They led 2 churches for 30 years: Hart, Michigan (14 years) and Lafayette, Indiana (16 years). The next 15 years Tom served in district/regional leadership. The last 5 years Tom has been a Great Lakes Region Ambassador serving 13 pastors as mentor/coach, Dirt Roads Network Coach, leadership coach to several pastors and an interim pastor for 1 ½ years.
Tom is a Michigan State Police Chaplain, Hart Post and involved with local and world community service with Rotary International.
The Schmidt’s have traveled to several countries leading leadership development events. They have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.