Born and raised in the great city of Phoenix, Arizona, Jeremiah Semmler has a deep love for his hometown. Married to his wife, Laramie, for 23 years, they have built a life together centered on faith, family, and community. They are proud parents to three incredible children—Judah, Joel, and Ezra.
Jeremiah has been serving in ministry since 1999, dedicating 16 years to roles as a youth pastor and associate pastor. In 2015, he followed God’s calling to plant CityView Church, where he has joyfully lead a growing congregation and seen lives transformed. Recently, Jeremiah stepped into the role of executive director of the Thrive Baptist Network, where he leads efforts to strengthen and unite churches for greater kingdom impact.
Passionate about the local church, Jeremiah believes in the power of unity among congregations, convinced that churches working together can achieve more than they ever could alone.
In his free time, Jeremiah enjoys running, hiking with Laramie, cheering on his kids in their sports, and unwinding with a good movie. Through all his pursuits, Jeremiah remains committed to seeing the city he loves flourish and to sharing the hope of Christ with all he meets.
Associate Director
Brian Dodridge
Brian was born in Phoenix, and after serving churches in Texas and Tennessee, now once again serves a church in our local Thrive Network, Wellspring Church in Goodyear. Brian is married and has four children. Brian has served on church staffs since 1996, and in those years, 25 years have been in an associate or executive pastor role. Brian enjoys this role and enjoys working with the Thrive Network’s “#2’s” to help encourage them, and to help them serve their pastors and churches effectively.
Associate Director
Gary Derbyshire
Gary Derbyshire has been the Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Glendale, Arizona since 2018. Before his call to Grace Baptist, Gary was a Youth and College Pastor for 10 years. He is passionate about missions, church revitalization, discipleship, and evangelism. As the son of missionary parents, he loves cross-cultural ministry and working together to reach the nations for Christ. Gary and his high school sweetheart have been married since 2008 and have four miniature disciples together. He loves his role with Thrive in equipping pastors and their churches to thrive in the calling God has given them.
Associate Director
Andrew Bailey
Born and raised in the West Valley of the Phoenix Metro area, Andrew Bailey has a deep love for the community he calls home. He earned his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and his graduate degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently pursuing his doctorate. Andrew and his wife, Sarah, have been married since 2014 and are blessed with four children ranging from preschool through elementary age.
​
After a brief career in corporate HR, Andrew answered God's call to ministry in 2015, helping launch Cross Church's first multi-site campus. Today, he serves as Campus Pastor at Cross Church Surprise, where he has witnessed the transformative power of the gospel in people's lives.
​
As an Associate Director with the Thrive Baptist Network, Andrew is passionate about supporting churches and pastors throughout the West Valley. He believes in the vital importance of equipping and encouraging church leaders to fulfill their God-given vision for their congregations. Andrew is committed to building meaningful relationships with ministry leaders and providing the support they need to serve their churches effectively.
​
Through his role with Thrive, Andrew looks forward to strengthening partnerships among churches and seeing the West Valley flourish through united kingdom work.