Meet Our Staff

Lead Pastor: Rev. Jen Zerby

Pastor Jen grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and came to faith after being invited to the youth group at Batavia Covenant Church, where she later began her career in ministry. She came to Hillcrest in 2010 as the Associate Pastor and has now been serving as our Pastor since Fall 2014.

She has a certificate in Biblical Studies from Covenant Bible College in Alberta, Canada, and has a B.A. in Communications/Writing from Trinity Western University in British Columbia. Pastor Jen completed her Master of Divinity degree from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago and was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church in 2011.

Pastor Jen despises clowns, but loves coffee and outdoor concerts. She is a lifelong fan of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs and has a Canadian-like love of hockey (Go Hawks!). She is passionate about people of all ages coming to know and understand the depth of God's love for us.

Pastor Jen currently resides with the greatest dog that has ever lived: her goldendoodle, Duncan (named after the great Duncan Keith!).
 
Pastor Jen welcomes your thoughts, comments, and questions at: pastorjen@hillcrestdekalb.com
Associate Pastor: Rev. Bill Orris

Pastor Bill began his ministry in Feb. 2021 at Hillcrest after serving ten churches in our denomination, The Evangelical Covenant Church, in the role of lead or interim/transitional pastor helping congregations become more healthy and missional. He has a B.A. in Bible & Theology from Wheaton College and a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Pastor Bill has been in full-time pastoral ministry since 1988 and has served Covenant churches since 1992 as an ordained Covenant pastor. Pastor Bill is serving part-time as our Associate Pastor.

Bill grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and so did his wife Lisa (and yes, they are avid Steeler fans!!) They’ve been married for 35 years and they have three children... Billy, who is with the LORD, after tragically dying in a motorcycle accident at 26 yrs old in Aug 2015; Lauren & husband John; Michael & wife Kierra and their identical twin sons, Micah & Malachi, Bill & Lisa's first grandchildren who were born in January 2019! 😊

Bill & Lisa served as Co-Pastors for 5 1/2 years at Hope Covenant Church in Crystal Lake, IL where Lisa currently is serving as the Lead Pastor. You might see Pastor Bill on the baseball field, football field or basketball court refereeing or umpiring as a certified official for the Illinois High School Association. He’s worked 3 IHSA State Baseball Championships and 4 State Football Championships and is known as the smiling/singing referee! 

Pastor Bill would love to hear from you! You can reach him at pastorbill@hillcrestdekalb.com
Director of Youth and Children's Ministries

Patrick grew up and was raised in Mustang, OK. His home church’s youth ministry got to him at an early age! Even now; He still recalls the strong community and relationship building that came from his youth group! It’s what continues to fuel his heart for youth!

After receiving his call to ministry the summer before the 12th grade of high school; he began full time ministry. Later, he received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central OK. After college, Patrick moved to Florida to serve a church and ended up meeting his wife Christina. They both met while Patrick was leading worship at her church. They’ve been married since 2010 and have two wonderful doggos; named Harley and Charlie.

Patrick loves to hike, kayak, water/snow ski and watch movies! Also, try to skateboard!
Patrick has been in full time ministry since 2006 and is ecstatic about the call on his life to serve the youth of Dekalb, IL at Hillcrest Covenant Church.

You can reach Patrick at patrick@hillcrestdekalb.com
Director of Worship Arts: Joel Hitchcock

Joel grew up in Marshfield Wisconsin. He started playing music and leading worship services at a young age. When his Mom became one of the volunteer worship leaders at his home church, Joel and his 3 brothers all loved to help out by playing in the band on a regular basis.

After being encouraged by some close mentors to seek out full-time ministry, Joel attended Judson University in Elgin Illinois. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Worship and a minor in Biblical Studies. It was here that he also met his wife, Kara, who loves to use her gifts in the arts as well. In 2015, Joel came to Hillcrest to serve part-time as the worship leader. Joel later continued ministry in various churches in the midwest before returning to Hillcrest to serve as the full-time Director of Worship Arts in the fall of 2021.

In his free time, Joel enjoys recording music, being outside with his dog, and roasting his own coffee. Joel loves to connect with friends and family and is always excited to share a meal or have a game night! His greatest passion is using the creative arts to connect with God and His people.

Joel would love to speak with you! You can reach him at joel@hillcrestdekalb.com
Office Administrator:  Maureen Little

Maureen grew up in Elkhart, Indiana and graduated from Columbia College in Elgin.
She has been married to James Little for twenty years.

Maureen enjoys antiques, hiking and spending time with her family. She also enjoys sharing her passion for God. She is the first face you'll see when you come to Hillcrest and undoubtedly, you will be greeted with a smile! 

You can reach Maureen at office@hillcrestdekalb.com
Director of Production and Technical Services: David Wessel