Instructor Bios

A word about our instructors...

Perspectives instructors serve primarily to introduce you to readings in the Perspectives texts, an anthology of 120 articles, significantly revised in time for last year's classes. Over 40 articles are either new, or significantly updated. You are the second year of classes to use the new 4th edition Perspectives Reader and Study Guide! We're glad you are thinking of joining us this semester!

A favorite aspect of organizing MetroAtlanta Perspectives is to see how God confirms the selection of our instructors. With 200 sites running nationally, and instructors traveling the world, no semesters line-up is identical. This year, our instructors boast degrees from: Asia Center for Cultural Studies, Beirut Theological Sem, Briarcrest Bible College, Cal Baptist Univ., CIU, Dallas Sem, Denver Sem, Discipleship Training Center (Singapore), Emory Medical School, Fuller Sem, GA Tech, GordonConwell Sem, Lancaster Bible School, Liberty Univ., Loma Linda Univ., New Life Bible School (Switz.), Syracuse Univ., Trinity Int'l Univ., Westminster Sem, Univ. Ark, and UGA.

Our instructors cover the globe in their ministries, putting their roots deep in the soil of China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, So. Asia, and in urban Atlanta. Where else can you get this kind of ground-level, global expertise, for under $250?!

This Spring we'll welcome back both local favorites and several who are new to MetroAtlanta. Here's a partial list from our line-up, with a few of these listed are invited, but unconfirmed:

Dr. M. C.
Founder and President, GPFD

Dr. C. came to the Lord while in the jungles of Ecuador as a Peace Corps worker. He's invested 40 years of his life in a long obedience in the same direction: biblical development among the least reached peoples.

Years of ministry with Wycliffe Bible Translators, InterVarsity at CalTech, and directing World Vision's work in Asia, were rounded out by advanced degrees from Gordon Conwell and the Fuller School of World Mission, where he earned a PhD, essentially on the content of Perspectives. On a global scale, Dr. Coke is invested in transformative development in South Asia, where he has given leadership to a massive movement of Jesus followers within Islam.

Kimberly Fleek
Physicians Assistant and Global Medical Worker

Kimberly Fleek, an Atlanta native, is recently home from 2 1/2 years in Indonesia running a flourishing medical clinic in Aceh. As a medical practitioner, she loves to see God's healing power touching lives through both medicine and prayer. She now splits her time serving patients in South Decatur, writing a book, and growing metroAtlanta Perspectives.

Kimberly became a Jesus-follower thru Wesleyan Fellowship at UGA. Her medical studies were at Emory's School of Medicine, where she regularly returns to train students. 10 years of focused globetrotting persuades her that she belongs among the poor. While the Lord has brought her back to Atlanta for this season, she delights in encouraging others to capture His heart for the world.

Holly H.
Spiritual Entrepreneur and Church Planting Trainer

Holly has planted churches and trained leaders from over 16 nations, but has a special place in her heart for China. She and her husband, Dennis, raised their children in China and launched several churches and ministries there including the first Biblical Counseling center. Currently she is a Life Coach with Life Purpose Coaching Centers, is a Corporate Chaplain bringing the life of Christ to hospital staffs and their families, and is a Team Coach using the Leadership Grip/Birkman tool to help missional teams move from "I to We".

Rev. Al LaCour
Campus Minister for Internationals (GA Tech) and Coordinator of RUF Int'l

Al graduated from Georgia Tech and Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. After 30 years as a church planter and senior minister of four churches, Al now equips Atlanta Christians and churches to welcome students from around the world. Al and his wife Elaine have been married over 30 years and have two married children, Rachel and Jonathan.

Joanna Marshall
Refugee Resettlement, Durham, NC

Joanna Marshall serves God by growing church investment with Refugee families in Durham, NC. She has also worked with the Perspectives Global Desk to see the 15 week Perspectives course translated and contextualized to meet the training and mobilization needs of believers in the Global South.

She has spent 4 years in Southeast Asia involved in disaster relief and curriculum development and has just finished her Masters of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University.

Dr. Gary Maxey
Founder and Chancellor, West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria

Gary Maxey has invested 35 years in developing theological education for Western Africa. He earned his PhD in Missiology from Trinity Int'l University. Gary and Emma live in metroAtlanta when they are not in Nigeria.

David and Connie McBride
Director of Church Outreach Initiatives and Member Care, Operation Mobilization

In early years, David backpacked into the Nepal mountains distributing Christian literature and showing the Jesus film. After his 4-month imprisonment and subsequent return to Nepal, the McBrides became field leaders. They mapped out a strategy, recruited, equipped and financially secured the ministry which had closed down the previous year, pioneering an evangelism and discipleship program for Nepalis, and restarted the trekking ministry.

They also launched friendship evangelism, school outreaches, ministry to former sex slaves, literature production, business as mission enterprises, and discipleship of Nepali believers, and evangelism of Nepali peoples living in India. Now, David works on the "supply side" of global ministry, encouraging churches to release and stand with their “goers.”

Connie is involved in pre-field interviews of candidates; Facilitating practical services for American missionaries on the field and a counselor and prayer partner. Sometimes she visits their field of service.

Werner Mischke
EVP, MissionONE

Werner is the EVP at MissionONE, a ministry of developing support for indigenous workers. He has 11 years of experience in professional communications and running a graphic design business. In the past few years, Werner has produced an 8-week video based curriculum called "Operation Worldview", which is a distillation of Perspectives course.

Werner and his wife expect their first grandchild the week he teaches our classes. This is Werner's first visit to Atlanta Perspectives.

Dr. Steve Moore
CEO of The Mission Exchange & Keep Growing

Steve has been passionate about global discipleship since his first short-term trip in 1983. Since then he has worked extensively through short-term outreach, training, mobilization and research projects in over 40 countries.

Steve has earned an M.A. from Fuller Seminary. He has more than 15 years of experience developing young leaders in a global context. As the founder of Keep Growing, Inc., Steve has used resources, training and coaching to help leaders realize their potential and maximize their effectiveness.

Steve and his family live in Lawrenceville.

Chuck P.
Founder and Director of Cafe 10/40

Chuck is the founder and director of Cafe 1040, whose mission is to mobilize college students for work in the 10/40 Window. Cafe 1040 is a 3-month long training program based in a country within the 10/40 window, where students study language, culture, history, religion, and technology. This intensive experiential program prepares them for a potential career in mission.

Prior to founding Cafe 1040, Chuck worked in the corporate world, gaining experience in management as well as start-up businesses. He also worked for 6 years in military intelligence, and 2 years as a missionary in the Dominican Republic and Romania. His ministry experience also includes working with Louie Giglio and the 7:22 Singles Ministry at North Point Community Church, Passion Conferences and the OneDay project. He was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by North Point Community Church in 2005.

Chuck and his wife lived in Muslim North Africa for 18 months. They are new parents to Savannah Grace.

Rev. Larry Ragan
Teaching Pastor & Dir. of Global Outreach, North Metro Church, Marietta

Larry served as Minister of World Missions at First Baptist Church of Atlanta for seven years. During this time, he trained and led teams in over forty countries and developed a worldwide missions ministry.

Additionally, Larry and his wife, Karen, served in Eastern Europe for two years with Grace Ministries International. While there, Larry was an itinerant speaker for Campus Crusade for Christ, YWAM, Operation Mobilization, and The Bible Speaks. He and Karen were also involved in national training workshops in the areas of spiritual life and grace based discipleship.

Currently, Larry is Teaching Pastor and Director of Global Outreach for North Metro Church in the Atlanta area. Additionally, he consultants in the areas of short-term team development and training, local church world missions, and cultural sensitivity with CultureLINK. He also speaks for Global Focus, Grace Ministries, ACMC and various local churches.

Dr. Steve Shadrach
Founder and Director, Center for Mission Mobilization

Steve Shadrach was so impacted by Perspectives that he never finished it! Halfway through, and filled with new ideas, he returned to campus ministry at University Baptist Church, Fayetteville, AR, to immediately impliment what he discovered! So it is with "Shad". If you're not putting it to use, take it off your shelf!

Shad is a global discipleship entrepreneur. From the newly minted Center for Mission Mobilization, he leads a team of 34 staff in 3 organizations who are mobilizing thru Perspectives, EveryEthne, a new campus mobilization organization, and The Body Builders, a support-raising training weekend. Shad and his wife, Carol raise their 5 children amid a residential discipleship program of 6 mature college students in annual rotation at their home.

Jamie and Donna Winship
Education and Business Consultants, Amman, Jordan

After serving in metroDCs police department, Jamie and Donna moved to Bandung, Indonesia, to teach in the English department of an international high school. The Winships then moved to Baghdad, where they built a educational consulting business. Jamie is lead instructor for Global Professional Training, a professional development service for Middle Eastern businesses, governments, universities and especially, university students. The Winships have 3 grown sons.

Jamie and Donna are spending this year in Atlanta, while Jamie writes training material.