Omark 2025 Final Results

We want to thank all students for their participation in the 2024-25 58th annual Edwin J. Omark Preaching Competition and congratulate all on a job well done. Below you will find the videos, bios, and pictures of each winner in the 24-25 competition.

Ann received her undergraduate degree at Bethel in Christian Ministry before attending Bethel Seminary. Ann is currently enrolled in the M.A. in Ministry program and hopes to graduate in December. Ann works as a full-time chaplain at Catholic Eldercare in northeast Minneapolis and loves her job very much. When she is not hanging out with her residents and helping with mass, she enjoys being with her family watching hockey, going for walks with the dogs, camping, crocheting and quilting.

Justin is an audio engineer and audio instructor in the music department at Murray State University. He occasionally speaks and leads worship at Christian Community Church in Murray, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife Leah and three mostly-adult children. Justin loves all things C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and G.K. Chesterton. He has never met a downhill mountain bike trail he doesn't love. Justin is about halfway through the master's program in Christian Thought at Bethel Seminary and enjoys writing stories (and sermons) that he hopes are not too dissimilar from his aforementioned heroes.

View Lydia's entry

Lydia has been in ministry all of her adult life. After graduation from Pensacola Christian College, she did an internship at the European Headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) in Switzerland. She returned stateside to attend Children’s Ministries Institute. Lydia joined the International Headquarters and eventually became Director of Publications. Lydia’s second career was a stay-at-home mother and homeschooler. During that time, she also managed the business office for her husband’s residential construction business. Lydia’s third career was the launch of a Christian Ranch/Camp that served children with especially challenging life circumstances.It is still going strong. After their three children left home, Lydia returned to CEF as Corporate Communications Specialist for four years.

With the desire to be a more present grandmother, Lydia moved to work part-time and remotely for Life Focus Communications. The ministry’s emphasis on Bible-centered trauma healing for children and women strikes a chord in Lydia’s heart and she believes God has led her to partner with LifeFocus.TV. Lydia is enjoying a light seminary load with Bethel so she can get the most out of each course. She hopes to use her degree to be a hospital chaplain someday.

Charlene has been a school psychologist for 22 years in Minnesota. After being on the prayer team and leading a small women’s group at her church, she decided to become a pastor as a second career after she retires from the school district in a few years. Charlene has raised four daughters, who are serving God in their own lives. Charlene is enrolled in the Masters of Divinity program at Bethel Seminary and hopes to lead a women’s ministry and write healing books for women upon graduation. In her spare time she loves to go on mother-daughter trips with her children, spend time with her grandson, and read fiction; especially historical fiction novels.

Levi Case grew up in the twin cities as a lifelong Christian with loving, Christ-centered parents and two sisters-one with a baby and one on the way! Levi met his wife, Harley, at Everyday Church back in 2023, which she now works at as an assistant teacher in their new day care facility, Honor House Academy. They got married last August, and still love to attend Everyday, but also love regularly serving and being involved at Northwood Church, where Levi grew up going with his family.

Apart from school at Bethel, he is entrepreneurial and has a small lawn mowing and landscaping business that pays the big bucks! While working he loves listening to John Mark Comer, The Bible Project, Andrew Huberman, and other spiritual and self-improvement podcasts, all in preparation for a future in ministry wherever God leads him.