Rick Gerhardt

Rick Gerhardt is president and owner of Sage Science, a small ecological research company in Central Oregon.  He has traveled throughout much of North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean both conducting research of owls and hawks and presenting the results of those studies.  He has lived in Central Oregon for the past 17 years with his wife, Dawn, and their four kids, now aged 19 through 12.  Rick has a M.Sc. in Raptor Biology from Boise State University and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from BIOLA.  Rick is a volunteer apologist for Reasons To Believe, Director of Apologetics and an elder at Antioch Church in Bend, and serves on the Board of Directors of Kilns College and of the (Bend) Apologetics Guild.  

Michael Caba

Michael Caba holds an M.A. in Philosophy & Religion, an M.A. in Humanities, a Bachelors Degree in Biblical Education and an Associates Degree in Engineering. He has completed volunteer archaeology work in Israel, and has taught a number of classes for various organizations on Biblical, historical, philosophical and religious topics over the years.

David Jacobsen

David Jacobsen grew up in Southern California, and learned at an early age that words can change the world. In 1999 he graduated from Westmont College with a degree in English literature. Following graduation, David married Christine and moved to Vienna, Austria, to teach English and coach at an international school. In 2004, David moved to Vancouver, BC, where he earned a masters degree in Theology and Art from Regent College. Returning to California in 2006 with his first son, David wrote his first book—Rookie Dad (Zondervan)—and taught creative writing at Westmont College. In 2008, with a second son in tow, the family moved to Bend, Oregon. He is currently earning an MFA in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University. David divides his time between freelance editing, teaching, writing, reading to his boys, hiking with his wife, and appreciating Oregon's craft-brew scene with his friends. Few things excite him as much as sentences.

Brent Hofen

Brent is the lead Pastor at Mission Church in Bend. He has an Bachelor's Degree in Church Music from Southern Nazarene University, and a Master's Degree in Music Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He specializes in helping people find their God given calling in life.

Dr. Derek Brown

Derek Brown is a native Oregonian who has recently moved back to Oregon. After growing up in Portland, he attended the University of Oregon where he majored in Religious Studies. Derek then married Katie and moved to Vancouver, BC, where he continued his education by getting a masters degree in New Testament Studies. With his educational desire still unsatisfied, Derek then had the crazy idea of getting yet another degree, so he and his gracious wife then moved to Edinburgh, Scotland in order for him to work toward a Ph.D., which he completed in fall 2011. Near the end of their time in the UK, Derek and Katie welcomed their first child, a girl. When he is not mulling over the pages of the New Testament, Derek enjoys loitering in coffee shops, reading works of fiction, Ken Burns documentaries, and virtually all sports.

Larry Sharp

Larry W. Sharp is currently Vice President of Strategy, Research and Development for CrossWorld and also the Founder and Director of Strategic Partnership of a Business for Transformation (BAM, B4t) consulting firm, International Business and Education Consultants. He holds degrees in Bible, business, and education and with a PhD (University of Calgary) in comparative sociology of education and administration. He has spent most of his career (39 years) in education and supervisory roles. While in Brazil is served as teacher and headmaster of the Amazon Valley Academy (15 years) and President of the Missao Crista Evangelica do Brasil (MICEB) for six years. Larry travels within North America speaking in conferences, colleges and churches on themes related to Business As Mission (BAM, B4t) and missions. His travels abroad relate to BAM, crisis preparation and management and team building.

Larry and Vicki live in Central Oregon and have been married for 42 years and have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Syd Brestel

Syd has a BA in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and a MA in Old Testament from Western Seminary.  He has been the Senior Pastor of First Baptist of Bend for the past 16 years. 

Ken Wytsma

Ken grew up all over the states, in Holland and finally ended up on the east coast.  He attended Clemson University in South Carolina where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  He went on to pursue graduate studies in California where he received a MA in Philosophy as well as a MA in Biblical Studies from Biola University. Ken planted Antioch Church in Bend, Oregon in 2006 where he serves as the Lead Pastor.  Highly entrepreneurial, Ken helped to co found the World Relief: NEXT project, which is a highly creative and collaborative endeavor in the Northwest serving as a research and development program with World Relief.

Ken is married to Tamara and has four beautiful daughters Mary Joy, Esther, Sara and Ashlin.