Meet Our Staff

Rev.Wes Pastor
President, MBA, MAR, MTh

Wes Pastor is the founder and president of The NETS Institute for Church Planting. In 1991, Wes moved to Vermont to plant Christ Memorial Church, now the largest Baptist church in the state. Nine years later, his vision for spreading the gospel through church planting culminated in the launch of NETS.

Wes graduated from The Ohio State University, then earned an MBA from Miami University in Ohio, where he taught accounting. While in Ohio he was actively involved in the Navigators ministry. His pastoral studies began in 1985 at Dallas Theological Seminary and led to an MAR in Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) in 1990. In 2010, Wes earned his MTh in Scripture and Theology for Practice from the University of Wales.

Wes continues as Christ Memorial’s senior minister. In addition, he has taught as adjunct faculty at Redeemer Seminary and Wales Evangelical School of Theology. He has spoken at various conferences including Sola (Quebec) and the Jonathan Edwards Society, and is an occasional blogger for The Gospel Coalition. Wes and his wife, Sue, have five grown children, and relish whatever time they can get with their two granddaughters.

Dave Appenzeller
Executive Director, BS EE

In 1993, after graduating from Drexel University, Dave moved to Vermont to work for IBM and was quickly promoted to executive program manager. In 2006, he left IBM to work as executive director for NETS. Dave oversees our day-to-day operations, special projects, and fundraising, and serves as conference coordinator for Plant New England. He and his wife, Audrey, have four children from grade school to high school. They have served at Christ Memorial since 1995, Dave as an elder and worship leader and Audrey as a women’s ministry leader. Together they also serve as NETS mentors.

Rev. Craig Combs
Preaching Mentor, MAR, MDiv

Craig joined NETS as preaching mentor in 2010 as a step in a life devoted to ministering the gospel and honing his ministry skills. After graduating from Western Kentucky University, he pursued full-time youth ministry while earning MAR and MDiv degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). He then spent 13 years as a senior pastor in Pennsylvania and Virginia. In 2003, Craig moved to Vermont to help NETS plant Redeeming Grace Church. He quickly became a highly sought advisor to our residents. Craig preaches regularly at Christ Memorial and throughout the NETS churches, and is pursuing his DMin in preaching from Westminster. He and his wife, Betsy, have been married for over 20 years and have five children.

Renée Bittner
Director of Student Affairs

Renée joined NETS in September 2001 and has spearheaded a number of NETS firsts, including our first newsletter and banquet, and fundraising for the first NETS residency condos. She has worn many hats over the years, and currently oversees all aspects of student recruiting, enrollment, and housing.

Lisa Young
Communications Coordinator

Lisa joined NETS in 2004 and oversees our publications, promotional materials and website.

Elaine Nyhagen
Controller

Elaine has been the NETS controller from the start. Her responsibilities include preparing financial statements, managing employee payroll and benefits, and fund distribution. Elaine is continually seeking to maximize the use of our finances to best serve the kingdom.

Wendy Trubia
Graphic Designer

Wendy joined NETS in 2001, designing marketing and recruiting materials for both NETS and Plant New England. She and her husband, Rob, also create the professional-quality fundraising videos and prospectuses used by our planters. 

Lydia Rumbaugh
Assistant to the President

In 2011, Wes's daughter Lydia joined the NETS staff to help manage his growing to-do list. From organizing meetings to arranging travel, Lydia does it all. And Wes has never been happier.

Terry Walsh
Office & Giving Coordinator

Terry joined the NETS team in 2009. She helps manage our banquets and conferences, as well as all donations to NETS, and is often the cheerful voice answering the phone.

Hannah Young
Research Assistant

Hannah interned for several summers before joining the NETS staff in 2012. She serves as an assistant to our church planters in researching and coordinating fundraising trips.