Pastoral Staff
Senior Pastor
REV. MIKE ASCHER
After 25 years of pastoral ministry in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the Lord called Mike Ascher to join the pastoral staff at Good News in 2012, where he served as co-pastor with Dr. Walt Coles for two years. He became senior pastor in March of 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Bob Jones University in 1987, a Master of Ministry degree from Northland International University in 1993 and a Specialist in Ministry degree from Bob Jones University in 2014. Pastor Ascher also has extensive training and experience as a Biblical counselor. Mike and Renee are the grateful parents of eleven children. Pastor Ascher serves as chairman of the board of Armed Forces Baptist Mission and is also a chaplain with the Chesapeake Police Department.
Pastor Emeritus
REV. WALT COLES
Pastor Coles faithfully served as the senior pastor at Good News for twenty-three years before retiring in 2014. Before retiring, he served in ministry for over fifty years. He and his wife Jan are still a vital part of our church family and we value their wisdom and friendship.
Assistant Pastor
REV. NATHANIEL BROWN
Nathaniel Brown joined the pastoral staff of Good News Baptist Church in 2015 after completing his studies at The Crown College of the Bible where he earned Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Missions and Master of Missiology degrees. He and his wife Rebekah were married the same year. They have two sons, Aaron and Ezra, and a daughter, Ivy. Nathaniel is burdened to see the ministry of Good News continue to grow and has a special burden for children. He has a heart to see them come to know Christ and grow through the children’s ministries at Good News. He is also burdened for single young adults and is working to see them grow and serve the Lord.
Assistant Pastor
REV. JOHN RADACSY
John Radacsy joined the pastoral staff of Good News Baptist Church in June 2018 after completing his theological studies at Maranatha Baptist Seminary (Watertown, WI) where he earned the Master of Divinity (2016) and Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling (2018) degrees. John is a former high school history teacher and medically-retired U.S. Marine Corps officer. He and his wife Cindi have two sons, Daniel and Andrew. John helps administer the church’s missions program and teaches an adult Bible fellowship class. He also helps with pastoral counseling and outreach to the local military community.
Youth Director
JASON SMITH
In 2024, we welcomed Jason to our church staff as our youth director. Jason is the son of a pastor and he and his wife Hannah have many years of experience serving in church ministry with their families. Jason brings vibrancy and a genuine love of young people to our teen ministries and we are excited to see God grow our young people under his leadership.