Staff

CoachJill Altom was in the first graduating class of CYMT in 2008 and has served in Youth Ministry in primarily Episcopal churches for 17 years and has been coaching residents since 2019. Jill graduated from Sewanee with a B.A. in Psychology and completed her M.A. in Youth Ministry in 2012 through Memphis Theological Seminary. She is passionate about community building, sabbath, and story telling. Jill is married to Clayton and has three sons.

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Rev. Stacie Ballard is the Family Life and Children’s Ministry Pastor for the Cathedral of the Rockies. Stacie has been in pastoral ministry since 2008 serving children, youth, and their families and is passionate about partnering with families in the spiritual formation of their children. Stacie and her husband Brad have two daughters, Canyon and Karleigh.

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Courtney is a CYMT alum (Class of ‘12) and has been in youth ministry for 12+ years. She is currently the Director of Youth Ministries at the United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd in Yukon, OK. Courtney graduated from Oklahoma City University with a B.A. in Religion/Youth Ministry and completed her M.A. in youth ministry in 2012. Courtney is married to a United Methodist pastor, Brandon, and they have two daughters, Elsie and Cece. Courtney loves all things Disney, enjoys running, hiking, and playing with her family.

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​​Katie Brown is on the discipleship staff at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston. Katie desires for everyone to know the love of Jesus and recognize their gifts as they further the Kingdom. Katie obtained a B.A. degree in Elementary Education from The University of Texas at Austin and a M.A. in Youth Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary through CYMT. During her time in college, Katie helped plant LiveOak Church where she felt a call to ministry. Katie has worked in youth ministry. Katie is a formation leader for the Houston residents, CYMT Coach, and to serve on the National Board of CYMT.

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Savannah Burch is an Associate Director of Student Ministries at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston, where she’s been serving in ministry for 11 years. Before that, she volunteered at Methodist conference youth camps during college, where she answered the call to youth ministry. Savannah has a B.A. in English Literature from Texas A&M. She loves introducing students to the hope found in Jesus and helping families follow and serve him together. Savannah especially enjoys equipping students to have “aha!” faith moments through studying scripture and pointing them to where God is already at work in their lives. In her free time, Savannah enjoys reading, going on food tours in new cities, and watching old movies with friends.

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Lesleigh holds a B.S. from Auburn University and a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University Divinity School. For 18 years, Lesleigh served on CYMT’s program staff, first as the Director of Coaching and then as our Sr. Director of the Graduate Residency. She is back doing what she loves as a CYMT coach. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Lesleigh also serves as a lead consultant with Ministry Architects.

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​​Alex is the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at St. Martin’s in the Fields Episcopal Church in Columbia, South Carolina. She is a recent graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and CYMT with her Master’s of Arts degree in Youth Ministry. She has been in student and camp ministry for over eight years and is passionate about equipping and empowering youth ministers. She has a heart for creating safe, inclusive spaces for children and youth, and walking alongside them on their faith journeys. She enjoys spending time with her wife and their dog, Sprout.

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Kristen Crawford is the Youth Minister at W.R. Cannon United Methodist Church in Snellville, GA. She has been serving in youth ministry for the last 15 years in United Methodist Churches in North GA. She earned a M.Div at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 2022. Kristen graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011 with an MSW (Master in Social Work) and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a B.S. in Sociology and a Minor in Religious Studies. She is also a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Over the past few years, Kristen took a short hiatus from youth ministry and began providing trauma therapy with primarily children and teenagers, but has returned to youth ministry. Kristen lives in Lawrenceville, GA, with her husband, Kevin and two huskies, Kiba and Luna. She loves traveling, the beach, scuba diving, and a good cup of coffee. She is passionate about supporting other youth pastors as we all work to build communities for our youth to belong. Church is a place where youth learn and grow in the intersection of God’s love and the complexity of the world. There, in that confluence of God, youth, and the world she has found a home where her “passion meets a great need in the world”.

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​​Meg DeHaven is a wife, mom of 3, and follower of Jesus Christ. She currently serves as the Director of Mobilization at InFaith and was a youth, children & family director for 14 years. She is passionate about young people and encouraging them in their faith journey.

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Connor Fowkes graduated from CYMT and Memphis Theological Seminary in 2020. After the program he moved to Memphis and got married to another CYMT Alum! Following his passion for working with youth Connor spent 10 months working with Youth Villages until he transition to his current role. He is currently working at the Memphis Jewish Community Center as the Associate Director of Youth, Camp and Family services.

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Adrienne has been in ministry since 2004. She loves working with young people and giving them a safe place to discover who God created them to be and reminding them of how loved they are. She is currently the Director of Family Ministries at Moody Methodist Church. She has been married since 2006 to her husband that she met through church camp acquaintances. She has been a Mom since 2010 to her son that she can’t believe is now old enough to be in youth group! She has also been a Foster Mom since 2020, hoping to grow her family through adoption.

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​​Samantha has a Masters of Arts in Youth Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Bethel University. She has been serving youth through the Cumberland Presbyterian Church since 2001, serving churches in TN & KY. She is currently serving the Dyersburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church as the Associate Pastor for Youth & Christian Education. Samantha loves sarcasm, books, laughing, making lists, being outside and her three kids – not necessarily all in that order.

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Ray has served in student and children’s ministry for over 25 years in volunteer and vocational roles and is currently the Director of Next Generation Ministries at Long’s Chapel UMC in Waynesville, NC. He and Michelle were married in 2005 and they have three children. Ray is a graduate of Solano Community College and William Jessup University and is currently an MDiv student through Duke Divinity School.

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Christian, a CYMT alum, lives outside of Philadelphia with his wife Jessica, their twin girls Everly and Whitley, and their adorable boxer puppy, Belle. Christian serves as a student pastor and tech director at the Christian Life Center in New London, PA. Christian loves guitar, karaoke, long-boarding, short walks on the beach, and french toast. Lastly, he is passionate about journeying alongside young people as we all discern how God is actively working in our world and in our lives.

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​​Jim is the Executive Minister at Sycamore View Church of Christ, Memphis, TN. He spent 25 years in full-time youth ministry before changing to his current role and has been serving in Memphis since 2005. Jim has had the opportunity to adjunct at several universities and seminaries, and he’s passionate about connecting people from different backgrounds. Jim lives intentionally in an inner city neighborhood in the heart of Memphis. He and his wife, Stacy, have seven children – 4 “bios”, 2 bonus, and 1 adopted.

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Chad Kennington has been in youth ministry for 15 years. He is from Tuscumbia, Alabama where he serves at Tuscumbia First Methodist Church. He began in youth ministry while working to received his bachelors in Music and Education at The University of North Alabama. He continued on to receive his Master of Arts in Youth Ministry with CYMT. He is passionate about students and music, and he loves spending time with his wife, Grace, and their three sons, Jack, Jon, & Jude.

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Michael was born in Boston but was raised in Polk County. He served in youth ministry for ten years and is a graduate of Iliff School of Theology. He is passionate about people and helping them know Jesus. Michael believes the church is how the world will change and he can’t wait to see it happen.

Michael is married to Amanda and they have a daughter who loves princesses and riding her bike.

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​​Kris Lott was in the first graduating class of CYMT and served as the Director of Youth Ministry at Calvary United Methodist Church for 18 years. Kris is a graduate of University of Tennessee and has a Masters from Trevecca Nazarene University. Kris is a licensed Marriage and family therapist and practices at Brentwood Counseling Associates. Kris is married to Allison and has three daughters, Jenny, Claire, and Molly. When not in school or working, Kris enjoys coaching his daughters’ different teams, playing sports, and relaxing at the lake.

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Cynthia was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. As a lifelong Episcopalian, she was involved in EYC, served on the Diocesan Youth Commission, and was the Diocesan representative for the Province VII Youth Commission. After earning a B.S. in Health Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Cynthia moved to Memphis and worked as the Aquatics Director at the Olive Branch Family YMCA.
In 2007, Cynthia was called back to Little Rock and served at the Director of Youth and Young Adult ministries at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church. During this time, she earned a Masters in Education in Middle Childhood Education. Upon moving back to the Memphis area in 2011, Cynthia worked for four years as a middle school teacher for Shelby County Schools.

Cynthia is married to Chris and has two sons, Alex, 13, and Sam, . They live in Germantown and have called Holy Apostles their church home for the last 8 years. Cynthia has served as Director of Children and Youth Ministry for the past 6 years.

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My name is Natalie Moon and I have been working in youth ministry with my husband, Seth, for the last 17 years. After graduating from the University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), we spent 14 years at Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover, AL. We are currently a part of the staff at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL.

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William Parker serves as the Director of Programs at Harvest Hands Community Development. As a Center for Youth Ministry alum, he holds a Masters of Arts in Youth Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary. William has a passion for youth development and empowering those who have been marginalized from popular culture. When he is not investing in youth, William enjoys basketball, running, and making music.

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The Rev. Eric Peltz is a husband to Ellen and father of 4 children age 11 and under. He has served churches in Washington D.C., rural Ohio, central Illinois, southern New Jersey, and he’s now proud to be the Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Hampton, Virginia. He also worked as the Performance Director at the technology education start-up Data Protocol. He is Chair of the board of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary and serves as Vice-Moderator on the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia’s Congregational Vitality Team. In his “free” time, he’s usually hauling his family to a museum, festival, zoo or splashpad. When the silence creeps into his home around 9:00pm, he reads about organizational behavior, gets passionate about the newest podcast, and dreams about starting a social enterprise.

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Kevin serves as Pastor of Medina Valley United Methodist Church in Castroville, TX. Kevin is an ordained elder in the Rio Texas Annual Conference. He studied Psychology and Business at UT-Austin before earning a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School in 2015. Kevin is passionate about seeing the greater Church support new people in ministry and he is excited to partner with CYMT. Kevin is married to Allie, a nurse, and they have two children, Harper and Spencer, and a crazy springer spaniel named River. Kevin likes to play golf, explore nature, solve crossword puzzles, and cheer on teams at UT, Duke and Medina Valley.

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Maddie Ridgeway is a youth and young adult director at Paoli Presbyterian Church. She has been in that role since 2021, but it no stranger to Paoli. She attended there as a college student and intern. After a few years she came back to work their part time and has continued her ministry journey there since. She studied youth ministry at Eastern University and plans to begin her masters in Practical Theology at Palmer Theological Seminary in the fall. Over this time, she has overseen multiple interns from Eastern University as well as high school students in Paoli.

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​​Whitney Robinson currently serves as the Missioner for Children and Youth Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. She has just over 15 years experience serving as the director of formation ministries of both children and youth in the Episcopal and United Methodist Churches. She holds a B.A. in Religion from Sewanee: The University of the South, is a graduate of the Education for Ministry (EfM) program, and recently became a Licensed Lay Catechist. She and her husband, Chris, who is an Episcopal priest, live on the MS Gulf Coast with their Boston Terrier, Sweet Pea.

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Shelby holds a B.S. in Church Vocations from Martin Methodist College and a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her ministry experience includes both churches and non-profit organizations throughout Tennessee and the Chicagoland area. Shelby has been serving in both youth ministry and children’s ministry for 9 years. She is married to Austin Teegarden, who is also a youth minister. They also have a sweet puppy named Snips.

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Sarah is the Director of Children’s Ministry at Marvin Methodist Church in Tyler, TX. She has experience in music education with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Wayland Baptist University. She earned her Children’s Ministry Certification from SMU Perkins School of Theology and served as an instructor for the program in 2023. She leads conferences and workshops and enjoys serving with others in ministry. She has been in children’s ministry and education for 20 years and loves working with kids and families! Sarah also enjoys team building and equipping volunteers. Sarah is married to her high school sweetheart, Lance, and they have one fantastic little boy and two dogs, Henry and Digby!

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​​Jeremiah Stone has been serving at Vestavia Hills Methodist Church as the Pastor of Students since 2017. He is an alumni of CYMT and Memphis Theological Seminary. When Jeremiah isn’t serving the church and hanging out with students he can be found dancing and singing just about anywhere. He and his wife, Allison (who works in administration at the Vestavia Day School!), were actually set up by a former co-worker at VHMC and were married at the church in 2019. Most of his students think they just live at the church.They are expecting their first child, Cash, in May 2023!

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Laurie Strawbridge is a 27 year veteran of Children and Youth Ministries. Laurie attended Asbury Seminary and graduated with her Masters in Christian Education in 2002. Laurie has served United Methodist churches in Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Laurie currently serves as the Director of Children’s Ministries at Palm Valley Luther Church (ELCA). She has served in this position since 2015.

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Susan Suneson is a certified church educator and spiritual director, currently serving in Garland TX. She has been a church educator for thirty years, serving churches in the Dallas area. The ministry questions that currently fascinate her are: how to do ministry in a multicultural context, and how does the church listen to the deconstructed, the spiritual-but-not-religious, and others who are disenchanted with church?

Sue is married to Mark, a geologist, and has two grown children. She enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and keeping up with the adventures of her children and the clatter of tortoises who live in her back yard.

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Joel Timmons is a Youth Minister serving at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, where he’s been since 2018. In the spring of 2022, he completed his Master of Divinity at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He’s currently seeking ordination in the ELCA. When he’s not working, you can find him riding his bike, playing cards with friends, or searching for Austin’s best cheeseburger.

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​​Lisa has over 21 years of experience in youth ministry. She has spent those years in Catholic and UMC churches. She graduated from Vanderbilt with a Masters in Theological Studies. Lisa founded and organized “Servio Deo” a Bay St. Louis, MS Mission Trip with 290+ teens and chaperones in 2012. She is wife to Josh, an outdoor enthusiast, an incredible husband and father, and passionate man of faith. Together we have 4 amazing boys, Clark, Elijah, Jonah Patch, and Graceson. Lisa has a lot of leadership and ministry experience in a variety of intercultural contexts. Overall, Lisa hopes to bring teens, their families, and youth ministry volunteers closer to Christ and aims to help develop infrastructure within the Church that can sustain long term healthy youth ministry.

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Adam Witter has been serving in ministry for almost fifteen years now. Adam grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA, where he heard the call to ministry while in high school after leading middle school students as a student leader. He has worked as a youth pastor at various churches in the Atlanta area and is currently serving as a Children’s & Families Pastor.
He believes there is no better way to lead the next generation to Christ than through the local church. To that end, he feels that it is crucial to disciple the next generation to continue on its legacy. It is his desire that kids & students have a faith that sticks after graduation, and believes this is done best through an authentic gospel presentation, mobilizing young people in the church through service, and a partnership with parents.
Adam holds a B.S. Ed. in Business Education from the University of Georgia, a M.Div. from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and is accredited as a ministry coach through the Center of Advanced Coaching.
Adam his wife Brooks, have two children, Norah age 5 and Judah age 1.

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Jason has been involved in youth ministry for 17+ years. He was in the CYMT Class of 2010. During his time with CYMT he was placed at Winchester FUMC where he has been serving since 2008! Jason also coaches the Cross Country, Track & Field distance athletes at Franklin County High School and coaches Crossfit. He also enjoys Marvel movies, working out, hiking ,and long walks on the beach in what little free time he has!

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In addition to being a coach, Terence is CYMT’s Community Ministry Director. Terence is an accomplished public theologian, educator, and social impact strategist who strives to co-create change through social justice, critical education, and racial equity. His education career spans various institutions and levels, serving as a secondary teacher, instructional lead, and adjunct professor.

In his administrative roles, Terence has significantly contributed to organizational efforts around DEI, anti-racism, and leadership development. He has been a fellow with such institutions as Vanderbilt University’s School of Divinity, Georgetown University, Howard University, and the Institute for Policy Studies. As a Public Theologian, he has worked with organizations such as Bread for the World, Children’s Defense Fund, and the Poor People’s Campaign. Terence holds degrees in Business Administration, Education, and Religion.

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Emily Nelson Dixon is the Director of Youth and Family Ministries at Rolling Hills Church in Overland Park, KS. She has been working in youth and children’s ministries since 2000. Emily is passionate about helping young people understand that they are loved by God, just as they are. She is an ally who is open and affirming.

Emily has been teaching and coaching youth ministers since 2014 and loves helping others hone their God-given strengths in their ministry settings. She was a musical theatre major in her undergrad studies and also went to Columbia Seminary and received a certificate in Youth Leadership. She and her spouse have three children that they think are pretty cool.