David M. Bailey
David M. Bailey is a public theologian and culture-maker focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and CEO of Arrabon, an organization that cultivates reconciling communities by supporting and guiding Christian leaders and communities as they pursue reconciliation in a diverse and divided world. He is also the co-author of the Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God Study Series; the executive producer of the documentary 11am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project; And is rooted at East End Fellowship serving on the preaching team. David’s greatest honor in life is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.
Ruth Haley Barton
Ruth is founding president/CEO of the Transforming Center. A teacher, author and seasoned spiritual director (Shalem Institute and the Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies), she holds a Doctor or Divinity from Northern Seminary. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches, and the author of spiritual formation books and resources, including Pursuing God's Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (June, 2012), Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Sacred Rhythms and Invitation to Solitude and Silence.
Phaedra D. Blocker
An Affiliate Professor in Leadership & Formation at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University, Phaedra holds a Master of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Transformation from Northern Seminary in partnership with the Transforming Center. She is Director of Programs at New Baptist Covenant.
Biz Gainey
Biz serves as the founding pastor of Pillar Community Church, in Vero Beach, Fl. Pillar Community Church began in 2011 and is committed to an intentional pathway of growth by means of spiritual practices and sacred rhythms designed to foster personal and communal formation. He and several elders and key leaders have participated in the 2-year Transforming Community experience which has helped them clarify their vision and practices for guiding Pillar in becoming a Transforming Church. Biz received a BA in Religious Studies from Warner University and MDiv from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
David Hughes
David Hughes serves as Ambassador for the Transforming Center, representing the TC on many fronts, including fundraising, academic partnerships, Transforming Communities, and the Transforming Church Network. As our resident theologian, David holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he comes to TC after 36 years of ordained pastoral ministry—22 of which were spent at First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, NC.
Phil Jackson
For more than thirty years, Phil has served God full-time on the front lines of urban youth ministry in the North Lawndale area of Chicago for over 20 years as youth pastor and associate paster. He has been a church planter and founder of urban ministries reaching young people in the area in wholistic way. An entrepreneur and author, he holds a BA from Trinity International University and a MDiv from Northern Theological Seminary with an emphasis in Christian community development.
Clare and Scott Loughrige
Clare and Scott Loughrige are founding co-lead pastors at Crossroads Church since 1991 and they have been community with the Transforming Center since Transforming Community 1. Clare, a spiritual director and Scott, a spiritual coach, and are the authors of several books on Christianity and the Enneagram. In addition to their conviction that spiritual formation is central to Crossroads Mission, they have served on boards for social justice and missions organizations. They are currently sitting on the Executive Board for the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration of over 130 governmental, faith-based and other non-profit agencies. Their church houses a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Child Advocacy Center for 3 counties and a Local Human Trafficking Task Force. The TC has helped them discover and maintain sacred rhythms as individuals and as a church so that they can do the work of justice with joy for the long-haul. They’re still practicing…
Scottie May
Scottie May is Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry Emerita at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. Scottie is coauthor of Children Matter (Eerdmans), and Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey (Baker). She has a PhD in educational ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. The Christian formation of children is an area of passion for Scottie. She has researched ways children come to faith and how the local church shapes that process. Other areas of interest are “authentic” experiential learning, the implications of the church being “the family of God,” and intergenerational worship and learning experiences. Scottie has three adult children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. (One of her sons is the creator of VeggieTales as well as the DVD series “What’s in the Bible”).
Aaron Niequist
Aaron Niequist is a liturgist, writer, and pastor who recently graduated from General Theological Seminary in NYC. After leading worship at Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, MI) and Willow Creek Church (Barrington, IL), he created A New Liturgy - a collection of modern liturgical worship recordings. He then curated a discipleship-focused, formational, ecumenical, practice-based community at Willow Creek called “The Practice”. Aaron released a book called The Eternal Current: How a Practice-based Faith can Save us from Drowning, and continues to create resources to help others flesh it out. But that’s just job stuff. The best part of his life is his wife Shauna, and their sons Henry and Mac. www.aaronniequist.com
Rory Noland
Rory is the Director of Heart of the Artist Ministries and also serves as worship leader for the Transforming Center. He served for 20 years as music director at Willow Creek Community Church and is a composer, song writer, speaker, and author of several books on worship and the arts, including The Worshiping Artist, Thriving as an Artist in the Church, The Heart of the Artist, and Worship on Earth as It Is in Heaven. Rory holds a Doctorate in Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.
Sibyl Towner
Sibyl is the co-founder and spiritual director of OneLifeMaps; a co-author of Listen to My Life visual maps that help people recognize and respond to God in their stories; a master teacher for Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction Formation; a spiritual director with Transforming Center; and co-director of The Springs Retreat Center in Oldenburg, IN.
B.J. Woodworth
B.J. is a spiritual director, coach and retreat leader. For 17 years he was founding pastor of The Open Door, a missional community in Pittsburgh, PA, and now serves part time at East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh as Director of Spiritual Life Ministries and Taize Minister. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. B.J. is married to Katrina and has four children.