Michael has a long-standing interest in the oft-times contentious intersection of faith and culture and how both thrive best when rooted in worship. Since 2011, Michael has been leading The Colossian Forum and helping Christian leaders transform conflict into opportunities for deeper discipleship and a more beautiful witness.
The Colossian Forum has equipped hundreds of church leaders and thousands of laypeople in transformative Christian practices that harness the energy of everyday conflicts for positive spiritual formation.
A native of West Michigan, Michael studied philosophy and theology at Calvin College, has a divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and is an ordained Mennonite pastor. Before joining The Colossian Forum, he served as pastor of Christ Community Church in Des Moines, Iowa. Michael and his wife, Jodie, have two children.
Tanner has been leading teams of staff since 2008. He loves to co-create healthy cultures where team members experience fulfillment, belonging, and accomplishment. Tanner completed his doctorate in Mission and Leadership in 2016 from Luther Seminary and is an ordained minister in The Reformed Church in America. He is a lifelong learner, pursuing many interests and seeking opportunities to grow and expand his world. Tanner spends as much time as possible outdoors with his wife and 3 children.
Dr. Stacey Wieland earned her PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and she has previously worked with The Colossian Forum to conduct an in-depth study of the transformation done in Colossian Way small groups. A specialist in organizational communication, her qualitative research focuses on identity, culture, and discourse. Stacey has published in journals such as Communication Monographs, Management Communication Quarterly, Communication Theory, and The Journal of Applied Communication Research.
With his Bachelor’s in Marketing and Business from Central Michigan University 2009 and his Master’s of Divinity from Moody Theological Seminary in 2016, Kevin has a wide range of ministry and business experience. He started a digital marketing company in 2011, then transitioned into a Director Of Pastoral Care role in 2012. In 2017, he became the Director of Marketing for Trauma Based Christian Parenting and, most recently, was a Co-pastor for a growing church plant in the heart of New York City. Kevin’s knowledge and experience of being a pastor in the midst of one the most diverse places on earth has given him extensive experience with conflict. He is passionate about utilizing the knowledge gained from his marketing and pastoring experience to bring the transformative power of The Colossian Forum to as many organizations that he can.
Jess has a deep hope about the ways facilitating Christian conflict transformation effectively in Christian organizations is pivotal for such a time as this. Previously, she served as Lead Pastor of Standale Reformed Church. Jess is ordained in the Reformed Church in America earning her MDiv from Western Theological Seminary and Bachelor of Arts from Nothwestern College. Her decade long work as a faculty member with Churches Learning Change is narrated in Learning Change, Congregational Renewal Fueled by Personal Renewal, in which she wrote the chapter, “Courage: Stepping off the Sidelines.” When not working, you can find Jess cheering on her boys at their high school sporting events or enjoying a walk with a friend.
Matt has a commitment and desire to connect with people about how God is moving and what God might be inviting them into. He sees people as faithful friends and partners, as fellow disciples on the way. He is passionate about connecting with people to invite them into the transformative work of The Colossian Forum.
Previously, Matt worked as a pastor at Calvin University and with InterVarsity at Grand Valley State University. He earned his M.Div from Calvin Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Dordt College. When he’s not working, you can find Matt roasting coffee, learning more about fly fishing, or enjoying time with his family.
Monica thrives in places filled with genuine connection, bulleted lists, and warm hospitality. She has served in a variety of roles at The Colossian Forum since joining the team in 2018, including: leading and coaching Colossian Way groups, managing conferences and training events, coordinating customer care, speaking at conferences, and training WayFinder leadership teams.
Monica earned her BA in Strategic Communication from Cornerstone University and is currently working on her MA in Character Education from the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham (UK). Her work at The Colossian Forum centers on walking with those who are seeking to love God and their neighbor in the midst of deep disagreement and hurt, and helping them identify Colossian Forum resources and practices that can best equip them to seek after God in a polarized world.
Monica lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband Cody. In her spare time, you'll catch her playing board games with friends, sipping a Cafe Miel, and exploring city parks.
Ben is a dynamic communicator who has experience editing literary journals, crafting university marketing strategies, and drafting copy for recipes and craft guides. His writing and editorial processes regularly include chamomile tea and superhero movie soundtracks. Through the written word, Ben strives to convey the vision of The Colossian Forum to supporters, donors, constituents, and new audiences.
Andy loves building interpersonal connections and has an overarching passion for story. His particular interest is how story encountered through the arts helps grow understanding and compassion.
Andy has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Wheaton College and completed a diploma in Entertainment Business Management from Vancouver Film School. In his spare time, he seeks sunshine and a city bench to create art of his own in the form of poetry.
Gabbie provides support to the programming, sales, and deployment teams by ensuring administrative tasks are completed with excellence. Gabbie earned her MA in Human Services Counseling – Business from Liberty University and has experiences in human services and elementary education. Outside of work, you can find Gabbie enjoying a cup of coffee on her front porch, scouring the local thrift stores for hidden gems, or sharing a meal with family and friends.
Gene is the Principal and CEO of a healthcare service private consultancy serving health systems, hospitals, global consulting companies, institutional investors, and private equity firms. He has led and served in health system C-Suite and Board roles for 40 years, including (to name a few): Spectrum Health (now Corewell Health), Priority Health, Trinity Health, and Ascension Health.
Mid-career, Gene joined, as CEO, board member, and co-owner, a new private venture associated with Herman Miller (now MillerKnoll MLKN), which was later acquired by MLKN, and he then served as MLKN’s Corporate Chief of Staff and EVP for People Services (CHRO).
Gene also serves as a Calvin University Board of Trustee member and served 3 terms as the Calvin University Alumni Association Board President.
Gene has a B.A. from Calvin University in Philosophy and a M.H.S.A from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Nona, are active members of Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan.
Juli is a mechanical engineer, entrepreneur, and technology commercialization enthusiast, with 17 years of experience working in the high tech and consumer goods industries. She founded River Parkway Labs, a technology commercialization and product marketing consultancy in Portland, OR. Her focus is working with early stage tech companies and startups, universities, and inventors to bring their innovations, IP, and products to market.
Juli also serves on the Engineering Advisory Board for George Fox University, and the Portland State University Venture Fund Committee. She graduated from George Fox University with a B.S. in Engineering and holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Juli and her husband Matthew attend Moreland Presbyterian Church, where Juli serves as an elder.
Kristi served as part of the January Series staff at Calvin University (Grand Rapids, MI) from 1996 to 2022. For the first 11 years, she served as Assistant to the Series founding Director, June Hamersma. She succeeded Hamersma as Director in 2007 and successfully expanded the Series to be available at over 50 remote locations across the U.S. as well as Canada and other sites around the world.
Her work as the January Series Director brought important voices to the Series including John Perkins, Bryan Stevenson, Cokie Roberts, Olympia Snowe, Krista Tippett, Sherry Turkle, Jimmy Wales, N.T. Wright, and many others. The January Series is a yearly fifteen-day free noontime lecture series that curates important conversations about what is happening in the nation and the world and challenges the audience to respond as people of faith to make a positive impact.
Kristi is a graduate of Calvin University and has served as an elder at Calvary Christian Reformed Church (Wyoming, MI). She and her husband Jim are active members in their church and have served as volunteer youth leaders for over 25 years. They have three grown sons and one lovely daughter-in-law. In her free time, Kristi enjoys reading, traveling, and learning about new places.
Mycal X. Brickhouse serves as the Senior Pastor of Cary First Christian Church in Cary, NC and as the Managing Director of Grants at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. Mycal earned a BA in Political Science and a BA in African American Studies from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a MDiv from Duke Divinity School.
Over the course of his ministry, Mycal has served as an Associate Minister at St. Luke A.M.E. Church in Fayetteville, NC, St. Joseph A.M.E Church in Durham, NC, and the chaplain intern at St. Augustine’s University Chapel. At Duke Divinity School, Mycal devotes himself to evaluating, reimagining, and creating new alumni programs and opportunities in order to create meaningful engagement for our broad array of 7,000+ alumni constituents—across denominations, generations, and sectors, as well as across Duke University.
Mycal is an active volunteer in the community and currently serves as a member of the Cary Coalition of Wake County Habitat for Humanity, and the Chairperson of the Western Regional Community Advisory Committee of Wake County Human Services. Rev. Mycal Brickhouse is married to the lovely Kristin McCullough Brickhouse.
Patricia is currently CEO of Duthler Holdings, LLC where she manages a portfolio of commercial real estate investments. Formally, she was CEO and Dealer Principal of Duthler Automotive Group and Duthler Truck Center. She has also served as the Executive Director of GROW (Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women), and as a senior consultant with Greystone Global of Chicago where she advised organizational leaders on strategic change management. Patricia has expertise as a project manager and program planner with a number of non-profit organizations; she also worked as a computer systems analyst with international for-profit corporations.
A graduate of Calvin College and Aquinas College with a BA in Secondary Education from the former and a BS in International Business from the latter. She has also earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University as well as a Master Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University. While Patricia has been a long-time resident of West Michigan, she currently shares her time between Michigan and Virginia.
Christine has served as the Head of School at Lexington Christian Academy since 2017. Prior to that, she served as the Head of School for Mustard Seed School in Hoboken, New Jersey for 11 years. She earned her B.A. in Education from Calvin College, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Covenant College and was a fellow in the inaugural cohort of the VanLunen Center for Executive Management.
The majority of Christine’s nearly 30-year career centers in senior leadership experience in non-profits, managing organizations of 40-80 people and budgets of $2M to $10M. This includes more than two decades of running faith-based schools across the United States and several years as teaching faculty at the VanLunen Center. In addition to consulting for several non-profits and serving as the managing director of Fellowship for Performing Arts, a theater company in NYC, she also has nine years of experience with board governance in higher education. She held the positions of Board Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee for the Calvin University Board of Trustees.
She is passionate about helping individuals and organizations flourish by identifying and leveraging areas of strength, building capacity in individuals, teams, boards, and infrastructure, and creating conditions to promote a healthy, vibrant culture.
Christine enjoys people. Specifically, she enjoys hiking, traveling, learning new things, making connections, holding space, and exploring possibilities with them.
Tru is a celebrated author, an engaging speaker, a committed community leader, and an award-winning marketing executive with close to 20 years of experience at the nation’s top advertising & marketing agencies.
Tru founded Tru Access (www.tru-access.com) to serve as an inspiration and empowerment consultancy to help individuals and organizations bridge gaps across areas that cause division, dysfunction, and separation.
As a part of his bridge building efforts, he founded Barbershop Rap Sessions, which is a platform that leverages barbershops across the country as a trusted venue for hosting facilitated dialogue between Law Enforcement and communities of color. He also serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and has spent time working with brands such as Nike, Hennessy, Unilever, and Ford.
Most recently, Tru joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as their first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer where he oversees all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts including setting the strategic vision across four franchises—the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, Iowa Wolves, and T-Wolves Gaming.
Perrin is an experienced trial attorney and partner at Varnum Law who seeks out complex and challenging assignments. He has served with Varnum Law since 1985 where he has successfully prosecuted and defended a wide variety of business and commercial disputes, ERISA cases, employment cases, product liability and personal injury cases, health care fraud and tax matters. He has conducted more than three dozen jury and bench trials in federal and state courts around the country, as well as contested matters before administrative tribunals and arbitrators, and has resolved disputes as a facilitative mediator.
Perrin earned his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. in History from Calvin University. Along with his work at Varnum, he currently serves on the Calvin University Board of Trustees.
