The Upper Room Staff
Pastors Steve and Carrie Foss - Senior Pastors
Pastor Steve Foss gave his life to the Lord on May 2, 1986 and was instantly delivered from five years of drug addiction. In 1988, he held his first Bible study and after only 12 months, Steve saw over 500 people answer the altar calls. During that time he also started five campus outreaches touching over 120 youth every week. In 1990, God opened the door for Steve to help create Young Warriors, a very successful ministry under Morris Cerullo World Evangelism. By 1993, he began traveling internationally and saw God work tremendously. He has ministered to millions and has seen multitudes saved and even more baptized in the Holy Spirit around the world. More than 200,000 people have now completed his discipleship course. God has used Steve to train over 80,000 pastors and leaders in various schools of ministry from more than 70 nations. As a revivalist, Steve has lead 2 long term revivals, one lasting 25 months in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. Many testify that they have the strongest encounters with God in their lives while attending meetings with Pastor Steve.
Pastor Steve has shared platforms with people like Benny Hinn, Judy Jacobs, and Morris Cerullo, preaching to millions around the world with signs and wonders following. It is with this experience and the burning desire to see revival in Dallas/Fort Worth that Pastor Steve and Carrie Foss planted the Upper Room on Easter of 2009. Since then they have watched God work miracle after miracle as the church continues to grow rapidly in numbers and in manifestations.
Pastors Steve and Carrie have over 22 years of ministry experience to millions of people in over 170 nations around the world. They bring their powerful insight to the Word of God and strong anointing for the miraculous with a strong desire to see revival in DFW once again.
Pastors Frank and Cynthia Stegner - Executive Pastor/Elders
In 1992, Frank was saved and delivered from a life of drugs and alcohol. Since then he has always sought a place to serve in various churches throughout the years. In 1996, Frank and his wife Cynthia were ordained as youth pastors and led an on-fire youth ministry for over 5 years. They later were ordained as elders in the church they were serving in, and oversaw the youth and outreach ministries. Through their outreaches, they saw hundreds of people touched, fed and clothed.
Now, after serving faithfully in the Upper Room for over a year, Pastor Frank serves as an elder, and the Executive Pastor of the Upper Room. He works diligently to help Pastor Steve, and the rest of the leadership advance the vision God has placed upon the Upper Room.
Pastor Randy and Alecia Austin - Youth Pastor/Elders
Pastor Randy and Alecia Austin have served in various forms of youth ministry for over 16 years. They have led youth groups, outreaches, youth camps and revival services, seeing God show up in a powerful way. Many young people have been saved, delivered and had radical encounters with God throughout the course of Pastor Randy and Alecia's ministry.
After having served as youth leaders in the Upper Room for over a year, they now lead the Young Warriors youth ministry at the Upper Room. It is the burden and passion of Pastor Randy and Alecia to the young people discipled and raised up to be the men and women of God they are called to be. Their mission here at the Upper Room is to see the young people activated in their own unique gifts, and to see them walking in signs and wonders in the schools and wherever they go. Pastor Randy and Alecia are taking the baton from Pastor James in the ongoing vision to raise up a Galatians 2:20 army that will shake the region with the power and Word of God.
Pastor Robert Ramirez - Worship Leader
Robert Ramirez is an anointed worship leader who desires to bring worshippers into the very Presence of God where they can truly “worship Him in spirit and in truth”. He has been involved in music ministry for over seven years and is a graduate of the Heartland School of Ministry.
Robert was the youth worship leader and part of the main worship team at his home church, First Assembly of God in Laredo, Texas, for over two years before leaving to attend Heartland School of Ministry in Irving, Texas. While at Heartland Church he was one of the worship leaders for the weekly services and a part of the worship ministry for over two years. During his time of enrollment at Heartland School of Ministry Robert had the opportunity to travel with an evangelist for six months and witnessed countless people being saved, delivered and healed by the power of God. He has lead worship for youth conferences, trained singers, musicians and ministered the Word to youth groups and young adults. After graduating from Heartland School of Ministry he accepted the position of Worship Leader at the Upper Room in 2009, where he leads the worship for the main services.
He has a desire to see true worship be taken to the nations of the earth. His heart is to impart the anointing for worship, to minister to youth through music and the Word, and to see this generation be raised up and released into their call in the worship ministry.
Pastor James Foss - Evangelism Pastor
James Foss spent his teenage years selling and using drugs. James was a very angry selfish young man. He would steal, kill, and destroy to get whatever his wicked heart desired. After being supernaturally released from jail James went on the road with Pastor Steve where he was delivered from his drug addiction and all the other wickedness in his heart.
After this James served Pastor Steve as his armor-bearer traveling with him to the nations and all over the United States. Steve and Carrie Foss became the stable godly parents James never had and in November of 2009, they legally adopted James as their son. As Saul became Paul and Simon became Peter. James Trahan became James Foss. “Pastor Steve and Carrie sacrificed so much for me and words cannot describe how God has used them in my life. I never thought I would have such love and kindness shown to me. I wake up everyday grateful for the family God has given me” -James Foss
James was the first youth Pastor of the Young Warriors, the junior high and high school youth group of the Upper Room. He pioneered and built the group for a year and a half until September of 2011 when God called him to be a missionary to Alaska for several months; they were the first full time missionaries sponsored and fully supported by the Upper Room Church. Pastor James and Kelly have now returned from their mission to Alaska to become part of the 20,000 souls campaign. As our evangelism pastor, he will be heading many of the outreaches, training and various aspects of the 20,000 souls campaign.
Pastor Benjamin Foss - Young Adults Pastor/Media Director
Benjamin Foss, the first natural-born son of Pastor Steve and Carrie Foss, grew up in the world of ministry, knowing from a very young age he to was called to give his life to full-time ministry. While growing up, Benjamin traveled with his father across the nation and the world, helping minister and serve in many ways. During these trips, he learned much about ministry and the Word of God. At the age of 14, Benjamin began to teach himself to play piano. He quickly grew in skill and from the start began using his gift to worship God.
Benjamin came on staff and has been heavily involved in nearly every aspect of the Upper Room Church since its launch in April of 2009. He has worked primarily behind the scenes in media and smaller administrative tasks, as well as ministering on the drums, faithfully serving the work of God at the Upper Room.
In April of 2011, Pastor Steve licensed Benjamin as a minister of the Gospel. Now he is heavily involved in the evangelism and young adults ministries of the Upper Room, helping lead and continuing to serve the work of God. He has a burden for young adults, to see them raised up in the work and call of God on their lives. Always a worshipper at heart, Benjamin also has a passion for the worship ministry, writing and creating music, and raising up worship teams and leaders to minister before the throne of God.