Bob Hoerr was appointed to the board of directors of Berean Prison Ministries in 2020? and was elected board President in 2021? Bob and his wife, Myrna, have 4 married children,13 grandchildren and a foster grandson. Bob has served as a past trustee and current head song leader in his 51 years as a member of the Peoria Apostolic Christian Church. He has also served for 16 years as an executive board member for Lifesong for Orphans and as a strategic counselor for Lighthouse Christian Academy for the last 10 years.
Education: Bob has a BS degree in Construction Management and minor in Business from Bradley University. Professional Experience: He served as CEO of PJ Hoerr, Inc retiring in 2020 after 42 years of service.
Ken Helmuth joined Berean Prison Ministries in 2000 as a volunteer at the Peoria County Jail. In addition to serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors, he currently serves as Chaplain at the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown, Ill. He also has responsibility for the Romanian and Russian prison ministries. He currently resides in Morton, IL with his wife, Diane, and attends Grace Church in Morton, IL.
Education: AA 1970, Hesston College. BS 1973, McPherson College. JD 1983, Washburn University School of Law. LLM 1986, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law.
Professional Experience: Ken retired in 2013 from the Legal Services Division at Caterpillar Inc.
Spark began serving with Berean Prison Ministries in 1999 at the Peoria Juvenile Detention Center. In 2002 he began serving as Chaplin at the Peoria County Jail, and is currently on the Board of Directors. He currently resides near Hanna City with his wife Rhonda and attends the Peoria Apostolic Christian Church.
Education: Spark graduated from Illinois Central College in 1973.
Professional Experience: Spark began working at Meister Electric in 1973, and is currently the President and owner of the company
Skip Meister joined Berean Prison Ministries in 1996 as a volunteer Chaplain at the Peoria County Youth Farm. In 2004, he moved to the Peoria County Jail to work as the Worship Leader for the Sunday morning services. In 2008, he also began working as an inmate biblical counselor on Friday mornings in the Peoria County Jail. Skip lives in Peoria with his wife, Pat, and is a member of the Peoria Apostolic Christian Church. He and Pat have two daughters and eight grandchildren. Skip also serves as the Assistant Secretary of the Board of Directors.
Professional Experience: Skip has worked in the insurance business since 1988, first as an agency owner for 22+ years, and most recently as an agent with Kuhl Insurance Agency in Morton, IL.
Retired from a career in film and video, now working part time at Salem Children’s Home in Flanagan. Married with three daughters, three sons-in-law and 6 grandchildren.
Participating in prison ministry for 20 years sharing the best news ever.
Keven Hofstetter started jail ministry in 1991 prior to the formation of Berean Prison Ministries. His buddy, Lloyd, asked him to help conduct Bible studies at the Peoria County jail every Thursday, which reached a peak of 6 Bible studies per evening with nearly half the total jail population in attendance. Keven currently serves as the volunteer Chaplain at Mason County jail. He also shares the Bible message monthly at both Tazewell County jail and Fulton County jail where he is accompanied by his son Daniel. In addition, Keven regularly conducts Bible services at the Pathway Ministries down-town mission. Keven publishes Bible verse word-search puzzle books and a Bible study entitled “Is It Time for a You Turn” to provide Bible based activities for inmates, mission residents and any others who are interested. Keven joined the Berean Prison Ministry Board in 2022.
Keven and his wife have 4 children and reside in Washington, Illinois where he is a member of the Apostolic Christian Church.
Education: Keven has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University
Professional Experience: Keven joined Caterpillar Inc in 1988 and currently holds the position of Engineering Fellow within the Virtual Product Development division.
David has served for the last eleven years as a volunteer at the Fulton County jail and has been active in the Romanian ministry. David lives in Morton with his wife Cindy. They have four children and several grandchildren. He is a member of Grace Church in Morton.
Education: BS in Political Science from Illinois State University
Professional Experience: David has worked for the last 33 years at Merck selling pharmaceuticals and has served as the Tazewell County Board Chairman for over 15 years.
Peoria, Illinois
The grandson of Berean Prison Ministries co-founder Ed Meister, and son of retired Peoria County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Edward Carl Meister. It is because of his sincere belief in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ that he became a counselor to the incarcerated individuals of Peoria County Jail.
