Personal Coach, Coach For You LLC, Macedonia, OH

Ron and his wife Chery live in Macedonia, Ohio. Married 50+ years, they have four children and fourteen grandchildren. Ron has served in many pastoral capacities – a youth pastor, a staff pastor, a solo pastor, a lead pastor with staff, and a church planter (Bowling Green, Macedonia & Twinsburg) – but since 2000 he has been a regional church planting missionary with Grace Brethren North American Missions, GO2, and VisionOhio. Ron graduated from the Ohio State University (1972 BS), Grace Theological Seminary (1978 MDiv), and Ashland Theological Seminary (2014 DMin). He has served on the Charis Fellowship Council twice and currently leads the NEO District leadership team. Ron and Chery have a business, Coach for You LLC (www.coachforyou.us), through which they coach ministry leaders and assess potential church planters.

Staff Elder, Grace Church of Waldorf, MD

Dennis Fay joined the pastoral staff of Grace Church of Waldorf, MD in January 2003 after 25 years of serving in the United States Navy, Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture. He joined the GBC staff as an Assistant Pastor overseeing the small group and discipleship ministries. Since 2003 his job responsibilities have exponentially increased to include the following: overseeing a 17 acre, multi-building complex, church administration, finances, education, assimilation and the front door ministries. His title was changed to Executive Pastor in 2010. Other duties include chairing the Nominating Committee for the past 12 years, overseeing the Finance/Personnel Committee. He is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Grace Christian Academy. Dennis has served as a Trustee for the GBCanada USA team and is currently serving as the Treasurer for the Charis Fellowship Chesapeake District Ministerium.

Lead Pastor at Thrive Church in York, PA

Growing up in Martinsburg, PA Dustin attended the Charis Fellowship church in that town. He was blessed with the opportunity to attend Grace College in Winona Lake and entered ministry following graduation. After serving for 11 years in youth and family ministry at a Charis Fellowship Church in Powell, Ohio, Dustin took on a revitalization work in York, PA. God used the team at Thrive Church to refresh and relaunch the church which has tripled in size in the last 7 years due to God’s faithfulness. Dustin is tremendously bless to do life and ministry with his bride of 19 years and his three children.

Dustin serves on the North Atlantic District leadership team in the Charis Fellowship and is also a board member on Vision USA. His favorite pastimes are watching football, chasing whitetail, and riding motorcycle.

Lead Pastor at Grace Church of Aiken in Aiken, SC

Shannon grew up attending Charis Fellowship churches in Lancaster, PA. He is a graduate of Grace College and Seminary. He previously served at Northwest Chapel in Columbus, OH, and Grace Church at Willow Valley in Lancaster, PA. In 2020, Shannon took on a revitalization work at Grace Church of Aiken, SC with Assist as the pastor of the church. God used the team at the church to refresh and relaunch the church, which is healthy and growing due to God’s guidance and provision. Shannon has been blessed to serve alongside his wife of 29 years, April, and to have three adult children.

Shannon currently also serves on the board of Momentum Ministry Partners. He enjoys the beach, soccer, and exploring God’s creation.

Richard began his ministry journey at Word of Life camps in New York before returning to serve on the pastoral staff of his home church for 11 years. Over the past 40+ years, he has faithfully pastored Charis Fellowship churches in Long Beach and Whittier, California. He is a graduate of BIOLA University and Talbot Seminary.

Richard has held leadership roles across the Charis Fellowship, including serving on the board of CE National (now Momentum Ministries), the Fellowship Council, and as a West Coast representative for Inspire- Charis Pastors Network.

An avid outdoorsman, Richard enjoys hiking, walking, cycling—and cheering on the LA Dodgers in the World Series.

He and his wife, Claudia, have been married for 43 years. They have three married sons and are proud grandparents to seven grandchildren.

Honorary Board Member (deceased)

Pastor Larry Orme served the Penn Valley Church Multi-site Network as the executive pastor and as the campus pastor of the Telford Campus. Larry was also a member of the Fellowship Council, the leadership board of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. On Friday, April 21, 2017 at the age of 55, he went to be with his Savior with his wife and four adult children by his side. Prior to his passing, Larry had expressed his interest in serving on the initial board of Assist Church Expansion. Larry was beloved by many as their Pastor, shepherd, mentor, spiritual father, brother and friend. He lived his life fully as a devout follower of God, leading and guiding others to this same calling. His passion was to develop and coach young men to be authentic, Godly leaders in ministry. He taught and coached pastors and missionaries locally, across the country and in Europe and Nigeria. He was a gifted counselor, believing and committed to a gospel-centered Biblical counseling method. Many lives were touched, changed and enriched by the hours he selflessly poured into their lives.