After life took unexpected turns, Crystal found herself rebuilding in Newaygo, MI. "I was lost, fearing a wrathful God and struggling to find purpose. Then I discovered Growing Hope (a…
A mother and son, facing homelessness, sought resources at Love INC of Oceana County, MI. They were regular visitors for years, but only recently joined their Transformational Ministry (TM) classes,…
The last year of my life has been one of the most challenging, most difficult, most rewarding and most beautiful of my life. I thank God for shining His light…
Three years ago, I walked into the Love INC of Heartland store feeling alone, overwhelmed, depressed, and scared. I was in a very difficult place in my life trying to…
Brian currently serves as a missions and community outreach pastor. In addition to serving on the Love INC National Board, Brian has served on his local Love INC board. He also serves Love INC Kenya, assisting with training and guidance for Kenya’s National Board and affiliates.
Brian and his wife, Debbie, live in Brighton, MI. They have four adult children and three grandchildren.
Gerad Strong serves as Director of Discovery and Development for the Church Multiplication Network-leading church planting and multiplication for the Assemblies of God. Prior to his current role, Gerad was the Lead Pastor of a rural multisite church in South Dakota. In this role, Gerad led the church through a season of revitalization and planted seven campuses within just a few years. After his time in South Dakota, Gerad served on the executive team at Northplace Church in Dallas, Texas overseeing church planting and their multisite strategy. Recently, Gerad authored “The Forgotten Field”, a book focused on rural revitalization and multiplication. Gerad has a passion for church health and multiplication in every context. Today, Gerad lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife Melanie and two kids, Eli and Hannah.
Gerad Strong serves as Director of Discovery and Development for the Church Multiplication Network-leading church planting and multiplication for the Assemblies of God. Prior to his current role, Gerad was the Lead Pastor of a rural multisite church in South Dakota. In this role, Gerad led the church through a season of revitalization and planted seven campuses within just a few years. After his time in South Dakota, Gerad served on the executive team at Northplace Church in Dallas, Texas overseeing church planting and their multisite strategy. Recently, Gerad authored “The Forgotten Field”, a book focused on rural revitalization and multiplication. Gerad has a passion for church health and multiplication in every context. Today, Gerad lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife Melanie and two kids, Eli and Hannah.
Kirk Vander Molen has been a part of the Love INC Movement since 2002. He first served as the Executive Director for the Love INC of NW Allegan County, MI before joining the Love INC National Movement as the Director of Missional Integrity, and now serving as the National Executive Director. Kirk has a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences from Western Michigan University with a research focus on religious problem-solving styles in the context of experiencing poverty. He holds masters’ degrees in divinity (Western Theological Seminary) and social work (Grand Valley State University). He did his undergraduate studies in business at Hope College.
Kathryn is the Executive Director at Love INC of Littleton in Colorado and is inspired by the work God does to transform lives through relationships. She has a heart for reaching the most vulnerable in our world, organizing her local CROP Hunger Walk since 1996 and previously serving on the national board of Church World Service. Kathryn celebrates the opportunity to join her calling and her career through the Love INC Movement.
Kathryn and her husband, David, have three grown children, eight “acquired” children from around the world and an 11-year-old foster son. She enjoys gathering with family and friends, traveling, exploring the Colorado Rockies, and reading great novels.
Passionate about community development, reconciliation, and justice, our new Developing New Affiliates Interim Director, Dan Walker is also a pastor, consultant, speaker, and co-founder of CaminoRoad, an intercultural and leadership development company that provides praxis-oriented consulting to churches, non-profits, and higher education institutions across the United States. Dan received his MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and is a doctoral candidate in Urban Ministry Leadership at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Dan previously served as an executive director and national trainer for Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) and resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and four children.
John is an entrepreneur and currently serves as the CFO and COO of Cavallo, a software company based out of Grand Rapids, MI. Previously he served as president of a global distribution company as well as president of an automotive manufacturer. He started his career with Ernst & Young after graduating from the University of Michigan. Upon selling the distribution business, John served as executive director of Love INC of Northeast Ottawa Michigan for 2+ years and then served on the local Love INC board for 3 years. His passion for Love INC led to him joining the National board in January 2023. John and his wife, Mary, have been married for 34 years and have 4 boys (young men) along with 2 grandchildren.In their spare time, they enjoy spending time together as a family as well skiing, golfing, and scuba diving. After losing one of their children to cancer, they formed a small charitable organization and work with Make-A-Wish and other research and support organizations to help in the fight against childhood cancer.
Rev. Derek McCoy currently serves with Compassion International in the church relations area. He has previously served in executive leadership roles such as Executive Vice President of the CURE which is a non-profit headquartered in Washington, DC. Derek was formerly the President of the Maryland Family Alliance. He continues to be a principle of TMG Management & Consulting which works on issue based projects to impact the culture nationally.
Derek served as an Associate Pastor of the 3,000+ member Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland with the late Bishop Harry Jackson. As the former Sr. Vice President of The High Impact Leadership Coalition (HILC) Derek has worked in broad alliances to educate and equip leaders on issues effecting the culture.
For years Derek McCoy has lead bi-partisan initiatives and has been a consistent advocate in the building of coalitions across denominational and cultural lines. His consistent, proven, and thorough work has allowed him to become a trusted resource for many pastors and leaders. He has a unique ability and grace to bridge racial and denominational gaps. He has been instrumental in conducting educational summits with pastors, community leaders, and citizens.
Derek has served our country in the United States Army Reserve and has served on non-profit boards.
In corporate America, Derek has held management positions and has received regional and national awards from Fortune 500 Companies. McCoy has been a featured on NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, NPR , Gospel Today, Family News in Focus, WYPR, KKLA, WAVA, KQED, and KJLH. He has also been in publications such as Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, New American Media, LA Sentinel, and The Washington Times.
Derek has an Bachelor in Theology and has studied at Kemper Military College, Catholic University, and the University of Maryland in the areas of Global Business and Public Policy. Pastor Derek is married to his “girlfriend” Cathy for 29 years. They have 4 incredible sons and daughters: Monique, Derek Jr., Justin and Cailin.
Brendon is an Investment Consultant with CapTrust in Holland, MI. He and his wife, Rachel, enjoy being a part of the West Michigan culture which embraces family, faith, and a good work ethic. They are proud parents to Brendon Jr. (4) and Keara (2). Brendon and his family love the four seasons that Michigan offers and the beauty of God’s creation that is shown in each. Brendon also serves as a Kid’s Hope Mentor and is a Coach and Advisory Committee Member for the First Tee of West Michigan.
Leslie is the Executive Director of Love INC of the Kenai Peninsula located in Soldotna, Alaska and is dedicated to helping the local church be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. Leslie began her involvement with Love INC as a volunteer in 2007, serving as Church Contact followed by a term on the Board of Directors then taking on the role of Executive Director in 2010. Retiring from the Health Care after 40 years, meeting the physical needs of families in crisis seemed like a good 2nd career path.
Leslie is passionate about education and awareness surrounding the issues of Homelessness, addiction and Mental Health. Her personal mission is to introduce all partner churches, organizations and agencies to the “Mission Field” in their own back yard.
Born and raised in Sacramento California, the migration north started in 1978 with a move to Oregon then on to Alaska in 2006. Widowed in 2014, Leslie has an adult daughter living in Oregon, 4 grandchildren (2 of which she and her late husband adopted after their son’s death in 2009) and 6 great grandchildren. Her home is a “Safe Sanctuary” for homeless youth ages 18-24.
Carley serves as a foster parent trainer at Astor Services for Children & Families in the Hudson Valley, NY. She is an educator and advocates for youth in therapeutic foster care who have been identified as victims of trauma. Carley previously served as the Executive Director of Mid-Hudson Love INC. She passionately led the affiliate on a journey to embrace a vision for the local Body of Christ united and serving people in need with Redemptive Compassion®. Carley treasures the way Love INC unites individuals from various denominations to be ambassadors of hope to a broken world.
Carley resides in Poughkeepsie, NY where she volunteers in many activities that fuel her passion for leadership development and helping people discover their purpose. She continues to serve her local affiliate, teaching Redemptive Compassion® and Affirming Potential classes.
Dana is the Executive Director of Love INC of the Heart of Florida and is passionate about the unified, Christian Church working together to change the world through Redemptive Compassion. Dana has served her local affiliate in several roles (Marketing, Volunteer Coordinator, Clearinghouse Coordinator, and Operations Director) throughout the years and developed a strong team. She is part of the Love INC National Training team and especially loves the National Gatherings.
Dana was born and raised in Ocala, Florida before moving down the road to her home in Belleview. She is married to Richard and they have two teenagers. When Dana is not at Love INC you can find her enjoying tacos at the beach, teaching bible study, or at the soccer fields.
Love INC National’s IT + Data Specialist, John Cochrane attended Central Michigan University where he got a degree in Industrial Engineering Technology, and worked as an engineer from 2016-2021. Excited to switch up his vocation and use his technical skills to support a purpose-filled ministry, John was drawn to Love INC in 2021 because of its mission to empower the church and give them the tools to spread the love of Christ.