Meet Our People
Bob Allums (M.Div), A Praying Life Director for seeJesus, has taught over 100 prayer seminars around the world in countries including Morocco, Turkey, England, Spain, and Australia. Bob, who served in pastoral ministry for 14 years, gauges the success of a conference not by comments such as, “That was great!” but by declarations like, “I can actually do this now!” Bob is co-presenter, along with Paul Miller, on seeJesus’ Launch Into Prayer Cards course. Anyone who has worked, worshipped, or even been in the same room with Bob for long knows that his one-of-a-kind laugh is nearly 100% contagious. Bob and his wife, Helen, have three married children and one grandson and live in central Florida.
After reading A Praying Life years ago, Adam Barker began to see a new chapter unfolding in God’s story. He engaged in a Pastor’s Cohort and continued to grow in his realization that coming to God helpless was freeing. It changed the way, not just how he prayed, but how he did ministry, how he saw people, and how he poured into leaders. After 22 years of being a pastor, he now serves full-time with A Praying Life Ministries as the Southwest Coordinator and loves to pour into people and pastors. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Mandy, and they love sharing life with their three teenagers and one needy golden retriever in Texas.
Lifelong Winter Haven, Florida, resident Drew Bennett planted a church in the community he loves in 2008. Redeemer City Church (PCA), now a multi-congregational church, is seeking to make Jesus’ invisible kingdom visible throughout Polk County.
seeJesus has been an ongoing part of Drew’s ministry—both in Winter Haven and around the world. For the past 12 years, he has been leading local Person of Jesus studies in small groups with both Christians and non-Christians attending. Drew became a trainer for seeJesus in 2006 and has led Person of Jesus studies in the US as well as India and Uganda.
Drew and his wife Ashley live in Winter Haven with their four children—Canaan, Isaac, Abigail, and Sarah.
Shortly after his conversion from agnosticism, Ross Burns was eagerly discipled in his local church with seeJesus materials. This discipleship radically changed who he was as a person and caused him to share the studies with his family, seeing tremendous growth in their lives.
Ross then pursued a MDiv at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, gained valuable evangelistic and preaching experience, and became a volunteer trainer with seeJesus before joining the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a Religious Affairs Specialist.
In 2021, when Paul Miller asked Ross if he would consider pioneering an outreach and discipleship ministry to the military community, Ross understood how God had long been preparing him for the work he does as seeJesus’ Military Trainer today.
Currently, Ross lives with his wife Angela and their two young children, Geneva and Tyndale, outside of Philadelphia, PA. He is a member of Ridgeline Community Church in Telford, PA, where he preaches occasionally and teaches Sunday school.
Lyle Caswell teaches toward hope. Whether preaching at the church he planted (Christ Community Presbyterian Church), leading a seeJesus seminar, speaking at a national Mission to North America (MNA) event, or hosting a men’s retreat, Lyle eagerly watches for the moment when people begin to hope again in Christ. He loves exposing people to the seeJesus materials—including Person of Jesus and A Praying Life—that have made such an impact on his life. Lyle has been married to Luchrysta for 21 years. They have four children and live in Lakeland, FL.
Julie Courtney led her first Person of Jesus study over 20 years ago with women from all backgrounds, including a Muslim woman who gave her life to Jesus. She moved to Philadelphia in 2004 and worked for seeJesus for twelve years, training small group leaders, leading women's retreats, mentoring and encouraging women as they grew in their understanding of Jesus. Her passion is teaching people about Jesus. Julie currently lives in Columbus, OH, and she is a huge Ohio State football fan.
Debbie Ellington taught her first Person of Jesus lesson around 2001, and she’s been a passionate teacher and advocate for the material ever since. For Debbie, it’s all about Jesus: “As I continue teaching, I increasingly adore Jesus and grasp that God's love—manifested in Jesus' life, death and resurrection—is truly our source of hope and strength in this world of trials and messy, often painful relationships.”
Debbie has led studies with both Christians and non-Christians, with other women, college students and, most recently, the elderly. She's led studies in homes, churches, a student center, a coffee house, and an assisted living facility. She loves discovering how the powerful lessons of Person of Jesus—lessons like “love always moves toward others,” “love begins with looking” and "love is not demanding"—apply to all relationships.
Besides leading groups, Debbie enjoys training, supporting, and encouraging leaders of this and other seeJesus studies. She and her husband Ned have been married for 36 years, have two grown children and three grandchildren, and live in Miramar Beach, FL.
Dax Gibson was introduced to seeJesus and A Praying Life ten years ago. Since that time he has developed a passion to help people find hope in seeing Jesus and connecting to God in prayer. Dax currently serves as an Associate Pastor and Director of Community Groups at Christ Community Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, Florida. The seeJesus materials have been instrumental in helping Dax and his church taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8)! He and his wife Michelle have five children ages 17 to 7...lots of opportunities for prayer!
A Praying Life Mid-Atlantic Coordinator, Bruce Goldsmith, was a senior pastor for 20 years before joining the seeJesus staff. His first experience with seeJesus was when he attended a J-Curve Seminar conducted by Paul Miller and was inspired to connect with other pastors in a prayer cohort. Since then, Bruce has completed several seeJesus trainings and been a part of several cohorts, including a three-year cohort that is still going on today! He loves teaching others about Jesus and is passionate about helping them know Him personally through prayer. Bruce and his wife live in Charlottesville, VA as empty-nesters with their five children and five grandchildren spread throughout the country. In his free time, he enjoys fixing boats and boat motors.
Christian Graham grew up on a farm in Annapolis, Maryland. Since 1976, Christian has been involved in youth ministry as a volunteer and youth pastor. For the last 21 years, he has worked as director of youth ministries—middle school, high school, and college—at Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church in Maryland. During his time at Safe Harbor, Christian has been involved in missions, leading over 60 trips to El Salvador and West Virginia. His time there has given him a passion for his students to know, to love, to enjoy and to walk Jesus.
Christian is an avid backpacker, photographer, and coffee enthusiast. He also enjoys magic, having once been a professional magician. Christian has been married 38 years to a patient wife and they have three children and 5 grandchildren. His two oldest work in youth ministry themselves. Gianna is assistant youth director at New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, TN, and Eric works in university and high school ministry in Bogotá, Colombia at United Church of Bogotá. Christian’s youngest, Elise, is an aspiring artist at Delaware College of Art and Design.
Felicia Grandinette completed three years of study in Special Education before starting her family. When she returned to the classroom eighteen years later, the world of education had changed—and so had Felicia. She finished her degree in Adult and Organizational Development, unsure of where the Lord was leading.
As she had done for years, Felicia continued to serve in her church’s disability ministry—never dreaming it would lead to her vocation. As she reflects on her journey to Bethesda, Felicia explains, “Now I feel that I am exactly where God has called me to be.”
Felicia has led or spoken at youth retreats, women’s events, and a wide variety of disability ministry trainings. She treasures each opportunity to speak on behalf of those with special needs. “Knowing we are a part of bringing people to God who have been forgotten, marginalized, and shunned is surely a blessing,” she reflects. Felicia and her husband Brian have five children, one granddaughter, and live in Perkasie, PA, where they are known for their bountiful summer garden and luminous winter Christmas lights.
Pastor Keith Grant used to spend his lunch break devouring A Praying Life in the parking lot of Home Depot. Keith’s enthusiasm for the book quickly spilled over from that parking lot and into the church he pastors in the form of an A Praying Life Seminar. Still hungry for more of Jesus, Keith took a deeper dive into Person of Jesus, A Loving Life, and The Love Course. Keith—who, in addition to pastoring at Riverside Community Church (Horsham, PA), has served as an actor, spokesperson, and corporate trainer—has discovered a happy marriage of his teaching gifts and his passion for Jesus in becoming an A Praying Life trainer. “I get to lead people to the feet of Christ and watch their eyes light up as they see him in new ways.“Where has God been at work in Keith’s life lately? Keith reflects, “God is turning me into a lover of people by giving me three ladies who remind me all the time that I’m a servant leader!” Those three ladies are his wife, Melissa, and their two daughters Arden (7) and Adalind (2). Keith and his family live in West Chester, PA, where Keith also serves seeJesus as a Development Officer.
Over the course of nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry, church planting pastor Jon has been on a mission to experience and express the Father’s heart. When he read A Praying Life In 2009 and then hosted his first seeJesus training, he knew he’d discovered an invaluable tool. "SeeJesus changed everything about the way we do ministry!" he explains.
Now seeJesus’ Regional Director for the West Coast and East Asia, Jon has led more than 20 seminars—in places near and far. Watching people discover the depth of God’s love for them and seeing them fall deeper in love with Jesus keeps Jon teaching, preaching, traveling, and praying through it all.
Jon admits to an obsession with coffee, which has led him to amass a considerable collection of coffee mugs from around the world. His wife of 19 years, Sonia, has recently capped his collection (although he occasionally manages to sneak in a new one). Jon and Sonia have four kids and live in San Bernadino County, CA.
For 17 years, Justin enthusiastically taught high school chemistry. But over time, he found himself drawn to sparking a new kind of reaction: between Jesus and the church. Justin’s journey with seeJesus began when he attended his first A Praying Life seminar in 2005, a few months after marrying his wife, Gretchen. Since that time, prayer and a love for becoming like Jesus have become a central theme in Justin’s personal life, marriage, and family. The Bethesda material has especially captured his children’s hearts. Justin’s family loves to see God answer big prayers and watch for ways to love like Jesus. Four years of foster care and adoption have given them many opportunities to pray and love - and brought two delightful little boys into their family! Justin, Gretchen, and their five children live on a three hundred-year-old farm in Pennsylvania. When he’s not working, homeschooling, or doing house projects, you can find Justin outside tending the garden.
Steve Kirsch, formerly the CFO for a mid-size global manufacturing company, is good at data analysis. But he didn’t need to crunch numbers to recognize that individuals with disabilities are not being cared for in the vast majority of evangelical churches. “There is so much loneliness and separation experienced by families with disabilities,” explains Steve, now the director of seeJesus’ Bethesda ministry. “They need the church to embrace them.”
Steve, who once led financial training seminars around the world, now leads in a very different setting: by teaching churches and individuals across the US how to minister to adults with various disabilities, using seeJesus’ Bethesda materials. Steve—who also serves as a volunteer for Joni and Friends and leads a small Bethesda group at his local church—encourages and empowers people to overcome their fears and proactively reach out to people who are affected by disabilities.
Steve, who earned the nickname “Crash Kirsch” after crashing a car, a bicycle, and a motorcycle in one day, has been married to Claudia for 32 years. They have four adult children and live in Bucks County, PA, where they are eagerly awaiting grandchildren.
Bob Loker loves witnessing the “aha” moment (el ¡ajá! momento), whether he’s leading an A Praying Life Seminar in Purcellville, VA or teaching Person of Jesus to Mayan children in Guatemala. Bob—who speaks English and Spanish—grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and spent seventeen years working for the U.S. Government at embassies in Ecuador, Uruguay, and Panama before settling in Virginia with his wife, Becky. Bob recently retired after twenty years as president and co-owner of Shaia Oriental Rugs of Williamsburg.
Bob and Becky, who met in high school, were married for 47 years and had three daughters and nine grandchildren. After a courageous battle with cancer, Becky—herself a huge supporter of seeJesus—passed away in 2009. Bob, who has now led groups through seeJesus materials in Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and the US, reflects: “Becky would have loved to be doing what I am doing now.”
Bob loves biking and kayaking and lives in Purcellville, VA, with a daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.
European Coordinator Colin Millar spent 15 years in full-time pastoral ministry in Northern Ireland before joining the staff of seeJesus. His desire for himself and others is to see, know, love, enjoy and reflect Jesus and to live in the ultimate and personal reality of His promise: "You will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you" (John 14:20). Colin's vision for ministry is to see the life-changing truth of our Union with Christ restored to Christian living and disciple making. Colin and his wife Christine live with their sons Paul and David in County Antrim, close to the mountain where Saint Patrick is thought to have tended sheep as a slave. Colin loves spending time with his family and enjoys playing and watching soccer with his boys, walking, reading, film and music.
Adaptive Curriculum Writer Jill Miller has a passion to expand the horizons of individuals with disabilities. After her daughter Kim was born with multiple disabilities, Jill employed her training as an educator—including a BA in Elementary and Special Education and a Master’s equivalency as a Reading Specialist—to design teaching tools to effectively convey the gospel message to Kim and her friends. From her labor of love, an entire series of Bethesda interactive Bible studies were born and, most recently, a family devotional—Finding Jesus on Upside Down Days—was released.
Through the years, Jill has started two businesses aimed at employing individuals affected by disability. At a fundamental level, Jill believes that individuals with disabilities can thrive, learn God's Word, and know his amazing love for them. Jill is a mother of six, wife of Paul Miller, grandmother of many, and lives with Kim and Paul (not to mention two dogs, two sweet donkeys, and a few goats) on farm property in rural Pennsylvania.
Amanda Morgan, Student Ministries Trainer and Assistant South East, watched her husband, Brian, transform before her eyes when he immersed himself in The Person of Jesus study. Brian began facilitating an intergenerational Person of Jesus class which was Amanda’s first experience with the study. She got to know Jesus’ humanity – something she was never exposed to or taught before.
Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, Amanda worked in the public school system as a school psychologist for 13 years. After a brief role as a Mental Health Coordinator at a local charter school, God called her to leave the education system and join seeJesus and her husband Brian in ministry. They have two children and love seeing how their kids implement what they have learned from The Person of Jesus study. They truly try to see people, have compassion, and then act. seeJesus has been a conduit to transformation in her marriage and family!
At the age of twenty-four Brian stumbled, half-drunk, into First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, FL on a Sunday morning. At the end of that service, a man named Kenny asked if he wanted to meet for coffee later that week, and then invited him to meet once a week for a year for “intentional discipleship.” Brian recalls, “I wasn’t sure what that meant, but Kenny seemed cool and I was homeless, so my schedule was wide open!” Brian met Jesus through Kenny, and it radically changed his life.
Fast-forward a few years, and Brian was serving as a youth pastor in the same community where he’d once been homeless. Timo Strawbridge, a seeJesus trainer and Director of Spiritual Life at a nearby church, held a weekly discipleship group for youth pastors in the area. Their discussions quickly began to impact Brian’s life, and he asked Timo where he could go for more. Timo invited him to a Person of Jesus study and Brian dove in. “I was in seminary, but there were all these things about Jesus I’d never seen before. Watching Jesus led to such a softening of my character – my wife saw me changing, listening better and showing more compassion.” Brian eventually became an apprentice and then a seeJesus trainer.
In September 2021, Brian joined seeJesus full-time, working with Robert Row on the Student Person of Jesus team and continuing to pursue opportunities to share the beauty of Jesus with others in Central Florida. Brian and his wife Amanda have two children and live in Lakeland, FL.
A Praying Life Trainer Will Peycke is Pastor of Family Ministry at Kossuth Street Baptist Church in Lafayette, IN. His ministry training includes a BA, MA, and MDiv from Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary. Will and his wife Kay have been married since 2006 and have four children. Will has taught the A Praying Life seminar on numerous occasions, and enjoys encouraging pastors through A Praying Life Pastors Cohorts.
Débora was born to Guatemalan parents who served for many years at a Christian retreat center in the highlands. “My mother always prayed that I would grow up to preach the word of God,” says Débora. “But I didn’t see how that could happen; as an introvert, it was not my personality. Then, God ‘loosed my tongue’ and gave me words, allowing me to speak truth into a young woman’s life in a time of need. It changed her and it changed me.” Débora received a scholarship to attend college in the United States and later served with World Vision. Débora joined seeJesus as Central American Coordinator in 2018. Her work focuses on developing relationships among churches and missions, teaching seminars, and developing apprentices and leaders in Guatemala and throughout Central America.
Richard volunteered to train leaders in Latin America in 2005, while serving in his church. Today he equips others worldwide. His passion is that they will see, enjoy, and reflect Jesus. His goal is to multiply lovers of Jesus to use Person of Jesus study in discipleship and community ministries. Prior to working at seeJesus, he served in a variety of ministries from New Hampshire to Argentina.
Chilean pastor Miguel Rivera was introduced to seeJesus in 2010, during a period of extended sickness. “It was as if Jesus, through his teaching and the seeJesus trainer, put his eyes on me and gave me rest.”
Seven years later, Miguel has led twenty Spanish seminars for seeJesus in Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, and the United States. Currently the senior pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) church in southern Chile, Miguel has a passion for missions and discipleship. He treasures the opportunity to serve the Lord, to build his kingdom, and to be in relationship with people whom he can show the love of Jesus. His work as a volunteer trainer for seeJesus continues to afford him new opportunities.
Friends jokingly call Miguel “The Boss,” since he’s always dreaming up new ideas, new plans, and new visions for the future. Miguel and his wife, Ivonne, have two grown daughters and live in Villarrica, Chile, on the shores of the lake and near a volcano of the same name. Miguel has also written books on prayer and fasting and hosted a TV show focused on discipleship as well as conferences on leadership and church development.
Miguel shares more of his story in this video.
Robert Row serves as Student Ministries Coordinator and helps others discover the person of Jesus. He admits that—despite 20 years of pastoral ministry to children, youth, and families—Jesus was once something of a distant superhero to him. “In 2014, the Lord awakened my heart to the humanity of Christ,” he explains, “and I set out to discover the real Jesus.” Robert’s explorations led him to seeJesus. He loves practical jokes and adventures in the outdoors and was once chased by a moose while working at Yellowstone National Park. (Apparently, there are pictures). Robert and his wife, Rebecca, have five children, one of whom is now with Jesus, and live outside of Chattanooga, TN.
With a law degree from Cornell University, you might expect to find Maggie Snyder holding forth before a court of law. But Maggie, who rests in the fact that Jesus fulfills the perfect law of God, now spends her time pointing people to him. As a seeJesus trainer, Maggie is passionate about leading people deeper into the life of Jesus and seeing them excited and challenged as they learn more about Him and about themselves.
Maggie, who has led or helped to lead women’s Bible studies for over twenty years, views each seeJesus seminar as an opportunity to worship alongside fellow believers. She’s excited to be part of what God is doing through seeJesus to get the words of life and light into people around the globe. Maggie and her late husband, Mike, have three grown children and five grandchildren. Maggie lives in the Philadelphia area.
Monte Starkes has been discipling men for over 25 years and across six continents, and what he has learned from seeJesus has been part of his strategy since he attended his first Person of Jesus seminar in 2004. Monte now travels globally training pastors as Director of Life on Life and Global Outreach at Perimeter Church in Atlanta, GA. Previously a missionary in Japan, Monte has also served at churches in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. He is married to Amy and they have four children: Luke, Charity, Philip, and Anna Grace.
At 6’10,” Timo Strawbridge commands attention when he walks into a room. But the Director of Spiritual Life at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Lakeland actually gets a little uncomfortable when leading a group of over 50 people.
That doesn’t mean that Timo doesn’t love teaching and leading. On the contrary, he has been joyfully facilitating one Person of Jesus study almost continuously since 2002—a record among our trainers. He’s also participated in over 100 seeJesus events, leading 6-8 See Jesus Workshops each year for the past few years. Timo watches for the unique “aha” moment every time he teaches. “Each one is differently worshipful,” he explains.
In addition to his work with Trinity and seeJesus, Timo is also a missionary to his county, Polk County. Timo and his wife, Tina, have been married for 30 years, have one daughter, and live in Lakeland, FL.
Liz Voboril serves as seeJesus’s Communications Director and host of Paul’s podcast, Seeing Jesus with Paul Miller. As a kid, Liz pretended that she was the editor of National Geographic magazine, and she pretty much never grew up. Liz manages a calendar along those same lines in her work at seeJesus (she’s thankful she still gets to cover stories in far off places!). Liz lives in Philadelphia with her husband Ted and their two daughters.
Michele Bennett Walton leads seeJesus’ publishing ministry, helping to produce resources that produce disciples. Having previously served various ministries in roles ranging from publicity and marketing to editing, Michele feels like she’s finally found her place at seeJesus. Michele lives in Upstate South Carolina, where she’s learning from Jesus how to love her husband and 6-year-old son.
Before joining the seeJesus staff as the Uganda Trainer, Jonathan Wanyoto worked with Pastors Discipleship Network (PDN) training and equipping pastors and church leaders. He is particularly passionate about investing in the lives of youth pastors and has been speaking at PDN’s youth fellowships for several years. In 2019, Jonathan attended his first seeJesus training, and it transformed his life. People are always surprised to hear that Jonathan was once a dancer! He still enjoys dancing, and his joy for life and Christ is evident when you meet him.
Jonathan Winfree is a trainer for seeJesus simply because the work helps him to see Jesus. “Seeing him myself and seeing others discover the beauty of Jesus is the most rewarding part,” he explains. Jonathan has led about 20 seeJesus seminars in the US, Uganda, Kenya, India, and the UK.
A teaching elder in the PCA, Jonathan is on staff as associate pastor/director of congregational life at Redeemer Winter Haven. Though Jonathan got to fly in the cockpit of a commercial jet one time, he normally keeps his feet firmly on the ground in Winter Haven, FL, where he lives with his wife and two kids.