Plenary Speaker
Dr. Daniel R. Berger II is the lead pastor at Faith Fellowship Church in Clarence, NY (https://faithfellowshipclarence.org), the founder and director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM), and serves as the director of Faith Biblical Counseling Center. When He is not with his family and church family, Daniel continues to write and to speak around the world in churches, organizations, medical communities, and at various counseling and teacher’s conferences. He is also an experienced pastor, counselor, school administrator, and the author of fourteen books, which focus on biblical counseling, biblical phenomenology, practical theology, education, parenting, and the history and philosophy behind the current mental health construct. Daniel earned his B.S. in counseling, an M.S. in counseling/psychology, an M.A. in pastoral studies, and a doctorate in pastoral theology.
Workshop Speakers
Julie Ganschow
Julie has been involved in biblical counseling and discipleship for more than 25 years. She has an MA and a Ph.D., in Biblical Counseling, and is certified through ACBC, and IABC. She is the founder and Director of Reigning Grace Counseling Center and the founder of Biblical Counseling for Women. She is an adjunct professor at SEBI in Brazil, a commissioned member for The Addiction Connection, and teaches internationally for BCMW (formerly OIC). Julie has also authored numerous books and co-authored biblical counseling training course. She makes her home in Kansas City, Missouri, with her wonderful husband, Larry.
Nathan Currey
Nathan Currey has served as the associate pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Overland Park, Kansas since 2002. He loves to see people transformed by the power of the gospel and is passionate to see Biblical principles lived out in the lives of God’s people for His glory. He trains and supervises biblical counselors at Redeeming Grace Biblical Counseling Center and serves as a Fellow in the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. His training for ministry included studies at Moody Bible Institute (B.A.) and Covenant Seminary (M.Div.) and further education in Biblical Counseling.
Larry Ganschow
After struggling with addictions as a teen and young adult, Larry has now enjoyed over three decades of sobriety. With more than 30 years of experience in addictions and substance abuse counseling, Larry brings textbook knowledge, field experience, and personal victories into his counseling. Larry is a credentialed treatment provider for the state of Missouri and is certified in biblical counseling through the FBC He knows as John Calvin has stated, “The heart is an idol factory,” and works tirelessly to lead his counselees to the conviction of sin and to bring them to repentance.
Tony Felich
Tony has been ministering at Redeemer since 1997, becoming the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Overland Park, Kansas in 2001. He grew up in Western New York where he came to Christ as a teen. Tony has a passion for leading worship, preaching Christ through the exposition of Scripture, and leadership training. He is compelled by the call of Colossians 1:28 to help “present everyone as mature in Christ.” In recent years, teaching Church History and pastoral theology at Sangre De Cristo Seminary (Colorado) has been invigorating.
Martin Burch
Marty is the Counseling Pastor at Mill Creek Community Church. He oversees the team managing church business and finances, teaches at our gatherings and in small groups, and helps train discipleship and counseling leaders. Marty is a staff elder on Mill Creek’s elder board. Marty has been serving in pastoral ministry since 1988 and with Mill Creek since 1997. He holds a degree in pastoral studies and a Master’s degree in Counseling. Marty also writes a weekday blog on discipleship and the Bible at disciplethroughthebible.blogspot.com
Mary Paas
Mary currently serves in Christian ministry as a licensed Chaplain, certified Biblical Counselor with ACBC & FBC, and author. After leaving a career in architecture, she now dedicates her time and energy on building others up in Christ, beginning with her husband, daughter, local church, and greater community. She has served on boards and on staff at ministries, including Habitat for Humanity, Joni and Friends, and Reigning Grace. She is a contributing author to the Biblical Counseling for Women blog, the Fallen Soldier’s March newsletter, and author of “Disciple Journal: Daily Pursuit of Christ and His Likeness.” Mary currently enjoys the southwest living in New Mexico.
Stephen Ganschow
Stephen Ganschow (Ph.D., Ed.D.) is the Executive Pastor of Counseling & Family Ministries at Bethel Church and an instructor/consultant with Reigning Grace Institute. He is an experienced counselor, pastor, consultant, and instructor on various counseling disciplines, neuroscience, and theology. Stephen earned his undergraduate work in biblical counseling, his graduate work in theological studies, a Ph.D. in Christian counseling, specializing in neuroplasticity in counseling, and an Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling. He is also certified with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), the International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC), and the Fellowship of Biblical Counselors (FBC), respectively. Stephen has a beautiful wife and two amazing children. In his leisure time, he pursues as much family time as possible and enjoys reading Star Wars novels.
Jonathan Hayashi
Jonathan Hayashi is the founding and lead pastor of Sola Church, where he leads the vision and preaching. Jonathan was called to start a church in the northland of KC. He is passionate about reaching the lost with the Gospel, to see a worldwide impact made for Jesus. Dr. Hayashi graduated from Moody Bible Institute, Moody Theological Seminary, and attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He holds a Bachelor in Pastoral Ministry, a Masters in Congregational Leadership and finally a Doctorate in Biblical Counseling. He is on the Board of Trustee for the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with the Southern Baptist Convention and on the Board of Directors for Pastor’s Hope Network. He is also an endorsed church planter of the Pillar Network. Jonathan is a contributor for the bi-weekly journal, Pathway (Missouri Baptist Convention), and is the author of Ordinary Radicals: A Return to Christ-Centered Discipleship, as well as Making Lemonade: Turning Past Failures into Gospel Opportunities. He is a Level II-certified biblical counselor with the ACBC.
Amy Santarelli
Amy has a heart for teaching and helping others and has found biblical counseling to be a wonderful blend of both. Married to Dave since 1992, they live on a hobby farm in the St. Louis area. Amy enjoys reading, gardening, playing with her grandchildren and serving in their church. In helping others with health issues, she saw how the inner man affected the outer man, and vice versa. Working on her biblical counseling certificate with ACBC provided that much-needed missing link. For Amy, “helping people feel better physically is great, but aiding with issues of the heart is even better.
Jamie Randolph
Jamie has ministered to women as a pastor’s wife and in other various capacities for more than 25 years. She has passion for the Word of God and for ministry to women. For eight years, she served as an advocate counselor at a local pregnancy crisis center. She also has an active Bible teaching ministry in her church. This love for the ministry of the Word and personal discipleship led her to pursue biblical counseling, and she completed her ACBC certification in 2019. Jamie is married to Kelly, and together they have four children and five grandchildren.
Barbara Bridges
Barb became a believer in Christ at an early age. She wanted to serve and help others so she studied psychology and sociology at KU. After graduation, she married her husband Wayne and they have been married for 48 years. They have two married daughters and three grandchildren. After raising children she went back to get a masters in biblical counseling at Calvary College and Seminary. Since then she has worked at Advice and Aid Crisis Pregnancy Center, taught and counseled at Maranatha High School, was on staff as a biblical counsel at Westside Family Church, and now volunteers as a biblical counselor at Millcreek Community Church.
Chad McKinley
Chad McKinley is the Director of Congregational Care at Ascend. He is married to his wife, Maggie, and has five wonderful kids. He serves as an elder and staff member who counsels and trains in the Soul Care ministry. He has a Masters of Biblical Counseling from Baptist Bible College and Graduate School. He has been certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (formerly NANC) since June 2011. He has faithfully provided biblical soul care at Ascend since 2012.