Transforming Lives

Having gained a degree in Civil Engineering and a Doctorate in numerical analysis, Stephen worked in the Engineering Sector for 20 years. He became Development Director of a leading software company specialising in numerical solutions to engineering problems and gained in-depth experience in the IT industry. Driven by the difficulty of finding appropriate secondary schools for his own children, St...

Jim Spiegel is Executive Director of the Geneva College Center for Faith & Life. Jim earned a B.S. in Biology at Belhaven University (1985). He then turned his interests to Philosophy, earning two graduate degrees—an M.A. at the University of Southern Mississippi (1988) and a Ph. D. at Michigan State University (1993). He has taught at Minnesota State University, Taylor University, and Hillsda...

Matt is a pastor, writer, speaker, and disciple of Jesus. Since 2010, Matt has served as the Senior Pastor at Eastbrook Church, an urban, multiracial church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Matt is married to Kelly, who has served in various ministry roles and operates her own spiritual direction practice, Hills & Valleys. Matt and Kelly are parents of three children, all in college or beyond. Matt re...

Born and raised in India, Dr. Mark has dedicated more than two decades to shaping the future of Christian education. He cofounded his first Christian school at just 27 years of age and has since established multiple schools committed to academic excellence, biblical worldview, and transformational leadership. Today, Dr. Mark serves as the Global Director for South Asia with the Association of Chri...

David Adkins moved to London in 1993 to study Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL. He also holds an MA in Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art, London. David joined Thames Christian School (thameschristianschool.org.uk) as a part-time art teacher in 2003 when the school had been running for three years. He became Deputy Head in 2009 and has since been involved in almost every aspect of t...

Dr. Mark Yarbrough began his tenure as the sixth president of Dallas Theological Seminary on July 1, 2020, continuing a legacy of leadership shaped by decades of service to the institution. Since joining DTS, he has served in numerous leadership and administrative capacities, bringing broad experience and a deep commitment to the seminary’s mission. In addition to his presidential responsibilities...

Amanda Forbes,  VP of Christ-Centered Education Amanda has over 15 years of experience in international development and education, working closely with leaders and students globally. Besides her role at Edify, she advises Baylor University’s Center for School Leadership. Before Edify, Amanda co-founded Trinity Education, a nonprofit dedicated to making Christ-centered higher education accessible w...

Dr. Darren Iselin has over 3 decades of leadership experience in education across Australian and international contexts and has served in a wide range of principal and executive roles across both the K-12 and higher education sectors. His doctoral work on developing sustainable Christian school cultures in second- and next-generation contexts was awarded the Grassie-Basset Prize for Best Thesis in...

Dr. Kevin Cline is a Christ-centered educational leader with nearly 20 years of experience guiding school systems toward academic excellence, spiritual formation, and long-term sustainability. He currently serves as the Superintendent of Lakeway Christian Schools in East Tennessee, providing executive leadership for a multi-campus, PreK–12 community. Throughout his career as a superintendent, admi...

Siebert J. "Seppie" Myburgh is an international educator and leader currently serving as the Director of the International Christian School of Vienna (ICSV) . Originally from South Africa, Siebert completed his graduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch before embarking on a global career in educational leadership. He spent 14 years at Morrison Academy in Taiwan as a campus princ...

John and Agnieszka Crozier have been working in education in Poland for 20 years. Agnieszka came to faith as a student in Poland and has a degree in management of human resources. She is on the board of EurECa (European Educators Christian Association) and the European Alliance for Christian Education.  John is an American and has lived in Poland for 30 years. He graduated with a theological degre...

We're so grateful for your listenership and hope that the Transforming Lives Podcast is an encouragement to you each week. Please enjoy this special edition on rest. We look forward to connecting with you again in August 2026. Connect with us!

Rich and Cherry Smith are graduates of Dayton Christian School and Cedarville University . Before entering full-time ministry, Rich spent 30 years as a business and finance executive, while Cherry worked for many years in Christian education. Their daughters, Bailey and Bradee, were raised in Christian schools and graduated from Grace College, a foundation the Smiths credit with preparing their fa...

Kent Austell lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife, Jenni, and their three daughters. A former collegiate track and field athlete, Kent holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Biomechanics, a master’s in Business Administration, a master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration, and is currently a PhD candidate at Columbia International University . After 16 years in education...

Billy Hutchinson (M.Div., Christian Apologetics) is the Director of Colson Educators at the Colson Center. Before joining the Colson Center, he spent over a decade in Christian education as both a classroom teacher and an administrator, focusing on academic excellence, digital education, and the worldview formation of teachers and students. He is passionate about equipping others to engage and sha...

Chad Dirkse is in his third year as Head of School at Annapolis Area Christian School (AACS) in Severn, Maryland. Before joining AACS, he served for 14 years as President of Chattanooga Christian School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and for five years as Superintendent of Westminster Christian School in Illinois. Across more than three decades in Christian education, Chad has served in a wide range o...

Dr. Lynn E. Swaner is the President, US, for Cardus . A public scholar and organizational strategist, Lynn joined Cardus after two decades of executive leadership in non-profits and educational institutions. Lynn holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University , and a diploma in strategy and innovation from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School ....

Becky Hansard serves as the head of school at Silverdale Baptist Academy , a PreK-12 school in Chattanooga, TN. She has been in this role for over 25 years and has been instrumental in the school's leadership for nearly its entire 26-year history, guiding the institution from its early years to its current status with approximately 1,300 students. She is a graduate of the University of Tennes...

Dr. S. L. (“Doc”) Sherrill founded North Raleigh Christian Academy in 1996, serving as its only Superintendent for 22 years and assisting Dr. Kevin Mathes for 2 years. He stepped down in 2018, honored as Superintendent Emeritus. Under his leadership, NRCA grew to 1478 students, over 1400 for 12 years, and now nearly 1600 under Dr. Mathes. Doc’s 55-year Christian education career began in 1971 as Y...

Stephanie Shafer is the CEO and Head of School at NorthStar Academy , a global online Christian school serving students in grades 4 through 12 in over 80 countries. She is passionate about helping students be known, supported, and launched with purpose, integrating faith, learning, and real-world impact. Stephanie has been part of the NorthStar community for over 16 years and now leads the school...

Paul Matthews is a third-generation educator on a mission to bless others through education. He serves as the Head of History and Christian Studies at Calvin Christian School in Tasmania, Australia, and is also a Fellow at Baylor University . Paul works with schools and organisations across Australia and North America, helping leaders and teachers navigate AI wisely through training, speaking, and...

Dr. Kevin Brown began serving as Asbury University’s 18th president on July 1, 2019, bringing to the role a deep commitment to Christ-centered higher education, academic excellence, and faithful institutional stewardship. His leadership reflects both a long-standing connection to the Asbury community and a clear vision for guiding the University in a rapidly changing cultural and educational envir...

Maggie Novak is a 2004 alumna of Covenant Christian High School and a 2008 graduate of Gordon College (Wenham, MA). She later also pursued both associate’s and bachelor's degrees in nursing. Maggie began her career as a fellow in the office of then-Governor Mitch Daniels, where she developed a passion for delivering health and social supports. For the past decade, she has been working as a pu...

This is Mike’s 13th year working at Covenant Christian High School and eighth year as department head. He grew up in Northern Kentucky and went to undergrad at Cincinnati Christian University. Then he went on to do a dual Master's at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. He has been married to his wife, Kim, for 17 years, and they have two kids, Leo and Remy, who are 12 a...

David Pfeifer A Hendricks County native, David returned to his roots after a successful collegiate career. A graduate of Tri-West ('09), where he played both soccer and basketball, David went on to play and coach soccer at Taylor University while earning his degree in Exercise Science. It was during his time at Taylor that he first connected with the academic advising team at CCHS, a providen...