LC2024 Workshops

John Comstock

John has been working at the Global Ministry Center in discipleship ministry for the past nineteen years, coordinating the courses and resources for DiscipleshipPlace.org.

Jonathan Trees

Jonathan Trees brings over 34 years of extensive experience to his pastoral ministry, cultivated through leadership roles in worship, teaching, and service across the Florida and Midsouth Districts. Graduating from Trevecca Nazarene University and obtaining a Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary, Jonathan's academic journey laid the groundwork for refining his practical skills...

Juanita Copley

Juanita Copley is a teacher with more than 55 years of experience. As an active member of the Church of the Nazarene for 60 years, she has served as a teacher of adults, teens, and children in both large and small congregations.

Kalyn Vogelmann

Kalyn is the founder and director of THRiVE Ministries, a discipleship ministry for women, and the USA/Canada Women’s Discipleship Coordinator for Nazarene Discipleship International. She has been married to Robb for 28 years and has four children.

Kevin Gilmore

Rev. Kevin Gilmore serves as the executive director of Nazarene Benefits USA, a support organization for Nazarene ministers and employees in the USA.

Barb Stanley

Barb Stanley is the Founder and President of Wonderful Works Ministry, an online disability ministry resource center. She has a background in church administration, ministry mobilization and started her local church’s disability ministry. Barb grew up with a brother who has autism and is a passionate advocate for disability ministry. She lives in Ohio with her husband, Brandon, and two sons. To learn more, visit wonderfulworks.net.

Brad Lee

Darlene Franks

I am the discipleship pastor at OroNaz in Oroville, California. My passion is to empower others to make disciples of Jesus who bear fruit that will last. I have served on the Sacramento District NDI board since 2005 where I am president and also the Co-Educational Field Coordinator for the PLNU region. My husband and I enjoy time with Jesus, family, our life group, a good cup of coffee and a walk on the beach.

Daryll Stanton

Daryll Stanton, EdD, currently serves as the Global Resourcing Coordinator for Nazarene Discipleship International. He coordinates our NDI discovery, development and delivery of Wesleyan-Holiness discipleship resources globally. Prior to this, he and his wife, Verna, served nearly 37 years as missionaries in southern and eastern Africa.

David Frisbie

Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie have served marriages and families for the Church of the Nazarene for more than three decades. They are the authors of 43 books about marriage and family life. Their travels to speak and teach have taken them to 48 nations of the world plus all 50 United States.

Dean Blevins

Dean G. Blevins serves as Professor of Practical Theology and Christian Discipleship at Nazarene Theological Seminary and Director of the Nurturing Care with Children through Worship and Prayer Initiative. An active scholar, Dr. Blevins writes/consults in age level ministry, ministerial entrepreneurship, innovation, and clergy/lay formation. Reverend Blevins' most recent book is The Disciples of Jesus: A Bible Study (Foundry, 2023)

Don Welch

Donald W. Welch is a licensed marriage and family therapist, professor, scholar, and nationwide speaker. He holds the masters of divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary and a PhD from the University of Kansas. He is ordained in the Church of the Nazarene, a certified sex therapist, and founder of the Center for Enriching Relationships (www.enrichingrelationships.org). He oversees a partnership with the Point Loma Nazarene University Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling program which trains therapists. In 2022, he founded the Welch Therapy Institute (www.welchtherapyinstitute.com) providing innovative marriage tools and resources to churches and mental health practitioners. Dr. Welch lives in Coronado, California with his wife, Robin, and they have two grown children.

Dorothy Whipp

Dorothy Whipp is the Executive Pastor at Edmond First Church of the Nazarene, OK District Children's Director and Children's World Quiz Coordinator. If the weather is nice and you can't find her, she is most likely fishing!

James Hicks

Dr. James Hicks has been mentoring and equipping through small groups for 40 plus years. His doctoral dissertation was intitled “Discipleship Through Small Groups” which included both the theological and practical development of mentoring groups and individuals. His mentoring and equipping experiences have included individuals with and without a church background.

Jeff Spangler

Jeff is a Nazarene “PK” who spent over 21 years of his ministry as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, retiring in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Since his retirement in 2018, he pastored a small church and served as the North Carolina District NDI President for 5 years before accepting the position as the Global NDI Administrative Director.

Jerry Storz

"Dr. Jerry Storz holds a BA in Christian Education from MidAmerica Nazarene College, an MA in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University, Denver, CO. He has served as a Program Director and Professor at Nazarene Bible College. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for Barclay Bible College, Argosy University, Colorado Christian University, Southern Nazarene University, and Pacific Rim Christian University. He has served as a church staff member in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Colorado. He has served as President and Board member for the Denver Chapter of Christian Leadership Alliance. He has served as Program Director for International Network of Children’s Ministry, He has traveled across North America and Internationally, training ministry leaders through workshops and seminars. He has written and presented a workshop for Discipleship Place. He has recently written and published “Thirty Days to Better Boards Members and Meetings” and has a passion to transform the faith-based board governance space to a place of board members knowing and understanding the importance of their roles and responsibilities in their service as board members."

Leah Whicker

"Leah Whicker is the Special Education Consultant for Wonderful Works Ministry, an online disability ministry resource center. She has a background in education and has professional experience as an Intervention Specialist. She is passionate about equipping churches to have their own disability ministries. Leah is married. She and her husband, Chris, have two school-aged children."

Mark Lail

"Mark Lail has served as President of the Church of the Nazarene Foundation since March 2012. He previously served as the Director of Stewardship Ministries for the Church of the Nazarene, Inc. He is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary and also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark served as a pastor for over 22 years in New York and Ohio. Under Mark’s leadership the Foundation stewards over $140 million in assets and distributes over $10 million to ministry every year. Mark and his wife Ruth live in Ottawa, Kansas, and have five daughters and six grandchildren. "

Michael Benson

Mike Wonch

"Mike Wonch serves as senior editor of adult curriculum and youth editor at The Foundry Publishing. He has written articles for various publications and contributed to children, youth, and adult small group resources. Mike is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and a graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary. He lives in Gardner, Kansas with his wife Jeremi. "

Rich Houseal

Rich is the director of Research Services for the Church of the Nazarene. He currently serves as the ASARB secretary/treasurer, and was one of the principle investigators for the 2020 U.S. Religion Census. Rich enjoys teaching the Bible, traveling with his wife Cathrina, and working on things around the house.

Ryan Nelson

Rev. Ryan Nelson was hired as the Disability Ministry Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene, October of 2023. Ryan has been married to his wife, Rev. Serina Nelson, since 2011. Together they Co-Pastor Church Street Church of the Nazarene in Carlsbad, NM. Ryan & Serina love to play and travel with their daughter Marley.

Sam Barber

"Dr. Sam Barber was elected District Superintendent of the South Central Ohio District in April of 2022. He and his wife, Jill, have served four churches as lead pastor for over 33 years. Their ministry has taken them from Ohio to North Carolina and to Kansas before returning to Ohio.

Dr. Barber holds a Doctor of Ministry from Nazarene Theological Seminary as well as master’s degrees from Malone and Duke Universities, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from MVNU. In addition to pastoral ministry, Dr. Barber has served as adjunct professor, guest speaker, trustee, and author, most recently publishing, “A People of Grace: Becoming Disciples Together,” along with articles for Holiness Today. He was elected to the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene in 2023.

Sam is married to Jill who has served in ministry and leadership roles across the years in the local church, the business world, and the denomination. She has served Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and the United States Canada Region of the Church of the Nazarene. She currently serves as the Communications and Connections Director for SCO. Jill is also a writer having been published in both Grace and Peace and Holiness Today. The Barbers have one son, Ross, who lives in New Albany, OH, and serves as the Director of Audio for The Columbus Vineyard churches.

Sam and Jill have loved serving the pastors and congregations of the South Central Ohio district for the past two years."

Scott Rainey

"Dr. Scott R. Rainey became Lead Pastor of Huntington, Indiana, First Church of the Nazarene on January 14, 2024. While serving as pastor of his local church, Dr. Rainey also serves as the co-executive director of the Chic Shaver Center for Evangelism (CSCE).

Before moving to Huntington, Dr. Rainey served as the Global Director of Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) through the Global Ministry Center of the Church of the Nazarene (August 2018 – March 1, 2024). Under his leadership with NDI, the Church of the Nazarene made significant strides in the area of discipleship, including the development and launch of a new global framework for discipleship known as “A Journey of Grace.”

From January 2012 to August 2018, Dr. Rainey served as a missionary and Field Strategy Coordinator for the Eurasia North Field on the Eurasia Region. Under Scott’s leadership, the Eurasia North Field entered three new countries (Georgia, Belarus, and Latvia) and started 24 new missional communities with hopes that each of these house churches would develop into healthy, multiplying churches.

An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, he served as the lead pastor of Living Word Church of the Nazarene in Houston, Texas, from April 2003 to December 2011. During Scott’s pastoral ministry in Houston, Living Word grew from 450 to 750 in regular attendance, relocated, and planted Celebrate Life Nazarene in Katy, Texas.

Scott has also served in staff positions in Fort Wayne, Indiana (Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene), and Kansas City, Missouri (Assistant Minister of Outreach and Evangelism at KC First Church of the Nazarene).

Dr. Rainey is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University (1993), Nazarene Theological Seminary (2001), and Houston Graduate School of Theology (2009), where he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in church dynamics.

He and his wife, Jenni, and their two daughters, Bekah and Sarah, currently live in northeast Indiana."

Stan Reeder

Stan Reeder served as a youth pastor and lead pastor of growing churches in Canada and the United States for 25 years before serving for 11 years in the role of Superintendent for the Oregon Pacific District Church of the Nazarene. In 2020 Stan was elected as the Church of the Nazarene’s Regional Director for USA/Canada. He has a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary with an emphasis in Strategic Planning. Stan enjoys hockey, rock climbing, and backpacking. His wife Janet has retired from serving as Vice President of Patient Care Services in a national healthcare provider. Stan and Janet have two grown sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and one beautiful granddaughter.

Tim Brewer

Has served as lead pastor of Ontario Nazarene Church and as District NDI President for 17 years. He recently accepted the invitation as Educational Field Coordinator, serving the Northwest region. Tim is married to Nancy (39 years) and has two wonderful children, Rachel (James) and Brad.

Tom Hruska

Tom Hruska is now in his third calling. After a few years teaching political science and many years as an actuary, he is now a pastor to older adults in Tucson, Arizona. Elton Trueblood once said, “For the Christian retirement is liberation for service.” Tom helps older adults find their calling and the liberation that goes with it.

Trey Brooks

"Candice and Trey Brooks are Co-Founders of Equip to Engage - a ministry that equips, encourages, and connects children’s leaders through SPARK, speaking at children’s camps, and other training opportunities. In addition, they led GA Kids for General Assembly 2023, helped lead the family resources for Half-Million Mobilization 2024, and PALCON Kids 2024 at Point Loma Nazarene University. Trey and Candice have three children, live near Oklahoma City, OK, and are both graduates of Southern Nazarene University as well as Trey is a graduate of Nazarene Theological Seminary and an ordained Elder. "