Pastor Laurel Bunker is someone you should get to know. For roughly 14 years, she served Bethel University (Minneapolis, Minnesota) in several influential roles, with increasing responsibilities, from Dean of Campus Ministries to Vice President of Christian Formation. In having recently transitioned into a new chapter beyond Bethel, she is working on her Ed.D. in Higher Education, researching the struggles and staying power of African American women who navigate predominately White Christian institutions where they aren’t well represented in leadership positions. Pastor Bunker has served in parish life as well as the parachurch sector with Young Life, for example, and is a graduate of Luther Seminary and Hamlin University.

Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau is a New Zealand born Tongan, who since 2019 has served in leadership with the World Evangelical Alliance, as the South Pacific Regional General Secretary. She has worn many hats in her career, from consultant and chairperson to the business owner of FaceNorth Promotions. Her professional background is largely rooted in strategic business management and operations, and advocacy in the community sector.

Dr. Priscilla Kim serves ACTS Seminaries at a Graduate Enrollment Advisor. She is a very cool woman you should get to know, who is multilingual (Mandarin, Korean, and English) and an artful preacher. We were blessed to have her preach on Esther 4:9-14 last fall (2021). Dr. Kim and her husband met in Seoul before eventually immigrating to Canada. She has a Ph.D. from National Taiwan University in political science, and then also master’s degrees in Christian Studies and Education. And not only that, but she is presently working her way through ACTS Seminaries D.Min. program. Dr. Kim is passionate about mentoring students, especially international students.

Dave Dack is a graduate of California State University, Fresno and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and since 2011 has been the pastor of Lemoore Presbyterian Church in Lemoore, California. He and his wife, Melody, have two wonderful boys, who absolutely love to roll and play in, and possibly throw, yes, dirt. In the fall of 2021, TWU was blessed to have Dave preach in chapel, virtually, on Esther 2:1-7 and Esther 2:8-14. Dave is into videography and photography, cycling, chess, and writing, and every so often can be found creating cool YouTube content and talking theology.

Today, The Rev. and Renata celebrate 15 years of marriage. Woo-hoo! Now, we don’t know if they will be singing “It’s Our Anniversary” all day, representing that classic 1993 hit from Tony! Toni! Toné!, but maybe they should. Regardless, in this episode they stop in to chat about, well…marriage, what it is and what it isn’t, and how much hard work, grace, and love it takes to make it through. They are not experts, but are grateful for how God continues sustaining them, despite their many hiccups along the way.

Ty’Ann Brown is affectionately known as the “Sneaker Preacher” in certain circles! She is, well, a preacher, who often enough wear sneakers, with an M.Div. (New York Theological Seminary) and M.B.A. Originally from Harlem, New York, she now lives in Connecticut and works at the Vice President of Outreach Ministries for Guideposts, after a career in marketing, content editing, and broadcast production at companies like Fisher-Price and Song BMG. Ty’Ann has tons of energy, is on fire for Jesus, and humbly desires to reach others by using all that God has given her. Faithfully stewarding those gifts combined with the favor of God have taken her to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Israel, India, Istanbul, and the Dominican Republic.

In this episode, The Rev. has a conversation with Karen Stiller and, wouldn’t you know it (surprise, surprise), his wife, Renata, about their shared experiences being married to pastors. Karen is an accomplished writer, senior editor of Faith Today, and the author of The Minister’s Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness, and More. And she loves to laugh. In Renata’s former career, she worked in the trenches of urban education (earning two master’s degrees along the way), as a Special Education teacher and administrator. She is passionate about authentic Christian community, discipling young women, and ice cream! Oh, and she also loves to laugh.

Dr. Mark Bauerlein matriculated all the way through the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from an undergraduate student to earn his Ph.D. in English in 1988. He would eventually find his footing in Georgia, however, where he is now holds Professor Emeritus statis in the Department of English. In addition to all he has done and continues doing, Dr. Bauerlein is also Senior Editor at First Things.

Dr. Marion Taylor is passionate about the Bible and especially the Old Testament, which is understandable since she is a Professor of Old Testament at Wycliff College in Toronto, Ontario. As someone who absolutely loves teaching and research, she has published extensively through the years, including Let Her Speak for Herself: Nineteenth Century Women Writing on Women in Genesis and Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters. She is working on a book on seeing Paul through the eyes of women from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century and has a book co-authored with Dr. Joy A. Schroeder, Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters through the Centuries, that will be released in 2022.

Greg Strom works in Trinity Western University’s Marketing and Communications department, as the Director of Events and Productions. On any given day, you can find him wearing headsets overseeing the details of an event, training staff on a piece of equipment, or editing something. He knows lots of people, has lived and traveled extensively, and is passionate about being a grace-filled presence. Greg has managed bands worked as an audio engineer and communications director, and even presently serves as the President of Gospel Music Association (GMA) Canada.