Housemoot 2025
Speaker Information
TIM MACKIE​
CoFounder, Chief Education Officer at BibleProject
Tim Mackie’s spiritual journey began when he met a group of skateboarders who were creatively communicating the story of the Bible. As a teenager, he participated in a Portland ministry called Skatechurch. Tim went only to skate, but during his last years of high school, he was drawn in by the stories he heard about Jesus.
With his brand-new faith, Tim enrolled at Multnomah University. He became fascinated with the scriptural story of Jesus when he entered the world of biblical studies. Determined to deepen his understanding of Jesus' historical and cultural context, Tim went on to pursue a degree in theology from Western Seminary in Portland and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tim's early research and writing interests focused on the manuscript history of the Bible and the formation of the biblical canon. He loves ancient Greek and Hebrew texts! After years of ministry as a local church pastor and as a professor at Western Seminary, Tim now serves as a lead research scholar and creative director at BibleProject
Currently, Tim resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, and two rambunctious and amazing boys. In all of his work, whether as a pastor or as a co-founder of BibleProject, he loves helping people understand how the overall biblical story works together and leads us to Jesus.
JON COLLINS​
CoFounder, Chief Creative Officer, Board Chair at BibleProject
Jon was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and is fortunate to call Portland home. He has been married for over 20 years to Tristen Collins with their two boys.
Jon received a BA in Bible and Theology at Multnomah University. After working overseas in Christian ministry and then serving for a year as a pastor, Jon stepped into the marketplace to explore digital communication. Before BibleProject, Jon started two digital communication companies and worked with clients ranging from Google and P&G to Silicon Valley start-ups and nonprofits. In 2009, Jon’s first company, Epipheo, introduced the business world to “explainer videos.” Jon has a long history of creating shareable videos that spread messages organically on the internet.
In early 2016, Jon ended his participation in former business ventures to work exclusively on BibleProject, which he has helped grow over 100 employees and reach 200 million people.
KATE GASTON​
An Alabama native, Kate Gaston was homeschooled before it was even remotely considered normal. She completed her undergraduate degree at Bryan College and went on to graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. For eight years, Kate worked as a PA in a trauma and burn ICU before ping-ponging across the nation for her husband’s medical training. She and her family are currently putting down roots in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, Kate enjoys homeschooling her daughter and tutoring in her local classical homeschool community. She also finds deep satisfaction in long, meandering conversations at coffee shops, oil painting, writing, and gazing pensively into the middle distance. You can read more of her work at her Substack, That Middle Distance.
MARTY SOLOMON
Marty Solomon grew up in the Reformed tradition before attending Boise Bible College and getting his B.A. in Christian Ministries. In 2008 he studied in Israel with Ray Vander Laan and was challenged to grapple with his own Jewish heritage. As he learned more about the wider conversation surrounding the Bible, especially through a Jewish context, he began to develop BEMA Discipleship as a way to share his experience with others. He found his way into Impact Campus Ministries, seeing college students as in the perfect stage of life to experiment with the methods he saw in Jesus. Marty began leading trips of his own to Israel and Turkey in 2014. After a few iterations of his BEMA material, The BEMA Podcast was launched in 2016, making it accessible to a global audience. He and his wife, Becky, currently live in Cincinnati; they are committed to the work of ministry together and of raising their two kids, Abigail and Ezekiel.
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Check out the BEMA Discipleship Podcast to dive in to Marty's teaching.
SHARLENE PROVILUS
Sharlene Provilus (aka Shar) is a spoken word poet, Bible teacher, and artist passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with God. She is the co-founder of The Guild Creative Arts Conference, an event that equips Christian artists to use their gifts for God’s glory. Through this conference and her creative work, Shar creates spaces for artists to encounter God, build their faith, and live out their calling through the arts.
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Shar is also the Founder and CEO of Write Speak Inspire™, an organization dedicated to empowering young people and the leaders who serve them to grow in identity, purpose, leadership, and expression. Through her work, Shar empowers students to overcome barriers to faith and step into their true identity and purpose in Christ.
Having shared the stage with artists such as Ezekiel Azonwu, Jess Ray, and The Verses Project, Shar is committed to using her platform to inspire and challenge others through her poetry, spoken word, and teaching. Whether through art, poetry, or Bible teaching, Shar encourages others to embrace their creative calling and use their gifts for God’s kingdom. For more information, visit www.sharleneprovilus.com and follow Shar on social media @sharlenealicep.
ANNA A. FRIEDRICH
Anna A. Friedrich is a poet and arts pastor in Boston, Massachusetts. She shares an original poem every Wednesday morning at annaafriedrich.substack.com, and her first collection of poetry, Under the Terebinth, is now available from Wipf & Stock.
KEVAN CHANDLER
Kevan Chandler is the founder of a nonprofit organization called We Carry Kevan, and speaks worldwide about friendship and disability. He and his wife, Katie, enjoy growing vegetables and reading to each other.
TOMMY SHELTON
Tommy Shelton grew up the son of a pastor and followed in his father’s shepherding footsteps. He loves his wife and six children. He also loves to preach the Bible, pray over people, and build things. He serves at Live Oaks Bible Church in Palm Harbor, Florida.
BRIAN BROWN
Brian Brown is the founder and executive director of the Anselm Society, a Colorado-based organization promoting a renaissance of the Christian imagination. As a writer, teacher, and podcaster, he equips Christians to integrate a heavenly perspective into their lives and work. He is the co-editor of Why We Create: Reflections on the Creator, the Creation, and Creating (2023) and has contributed to books like Why Place Matters and Faithful Creativity (forthcoming). Brian and his wife and two children feast regularly at their home in Colorado Springs, where Brian loves to experiment with new cuisines and foist the outcomes on his family and neighbors.
SARAH HOWELL
Sarah Howell is the managing editor of the Anselm Society and co-host of the Imagination Redeemed podcast. She is an artist and philosopher whose work explores the deep connection between these two disciplines, revealing their relevance in everyday life. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, she discovered her passion for art through a teacher who inspired her to pursue truth-telling through beauty. She trained for four years under a Master Artist in the classical tradition with impressionist influences. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Biola University’s Torrey Honors College. Sarah continues to study and celebrate God’s creative wonders. Her artwork can be found at www.sfghowell.com.
CHRISTINA BROWN
Christina Brown is a writer, podcast host, and gardening columnist for Cultivating magazine. She directs the Anselm Society Arts Guild, and serves as a contributing member of the Jubilee Arts Collective. Several years ago, she took on the laborious (but rewarding) task of nurturing a garden in the dismal soils of the Rocky Mountain foothills, and has eagerly employed her spade (alongside her pen) as a tool to cultivate and curate the beauty around her. She has two little gardeners-in-training who embody all these marvels and more in their merry little faces. Her creative work can be found at LiveBeautiful.today and on Instagram.