Center for Christian Coaching

	Jerry Essary jessary@tnbaptist.org Jerry Essary, ACC, serves as Director of the Center for Christian Coaching for the Executive Board Ministries of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Jerry has been involved in coaching church leaders and teams as they work through change, transition, and transformation. Through coaching Jerry is determined to help others reach their God given potential. He has written The Evangelism Tackle Box: Building Intentional Strategies for Evangelism and is a frequent contributor to The Baptist and Reflector, the state paper of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and www.caministries.wordpress.com a blog for coaches. Jerry and his wife Nancy have two incredible children and live in Smyrna, Tennessee.
	Diana Cox dcox@tnbaptist.org Diana is the Administrative Assistant to the Center for Christian Coaching and to the Anglo and Black Church Planting Team of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. She also leads a bible study Sunday evenings at the Tennessee Prison for Women. Her passion is to encourage the development of the whole person by walking alongside someone as they discover the calling that God has placed on their life. She is an avid believer that coaching is the ideal channel revealing how life experiences, both good and bad, creates a mosaic of an individual’s life positioning them to be an inspiration to their circle of influence and moving them forward in life with intentionality in everything they do. Diana is married to Louie Cox and they have a beautiful but spoiled Golden Retriever.
	Shelia Darden sdarden@tnbaptist.org Shelia Darden serves as the Human Resources Manager for the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. She has over 25 years experience in Human Resources and Management with Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Unum Insurance Company, The HR Group and currently the TBC. Shelia desires to help individuals discover their own hidden potential and move to the next level in their spiritual, personal and professional lives through coaching. Shelia and her husband, Art, live in Franklin, TN with their two children, where they serve together at Clearview Baptist Church.
	Donna Gandy dgandy_1@yahoo.com Donna Gandy, is a professional personal coach certified by Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching, and affiliated with the International Coach Federation. Donna's God-given passion is to help ministry assistants thrive in their personal and vocational calling to serve in church, denominational, and other Christian offices. Her resume includes serving as a church and associational secretary, an 11-year ministry as LifeWay's national consultant to church secretaries, and 10 years in management roles in LifeWay's Church Resources Division. These experiences have given her a real-world understanding of ministry office dynamics, and enables her to comfortably relate to administrative staff and their spiritual, personal, and work-related issues and transitions. She has also authored books, manuals, and articles in the areas of church administration and vocational guidance. A graduate of Southern Seminary, Donna is a coach, writer, conference leader, and speaker who also enjoys reading, sewing, and long lunches with friends. She and her husband, Bill, like to travel and have served on several short-term international missions teams. They have three terrific sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and five amazing grandchildren. The Gandy's live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
	Steve Holt sholt@tnbaptist.org Steve Holt serves as a ministry strategist in the Church Health Group of the Tennessee Baptist Convention's Executive Board office in Brentwood, Tennessee. Prior to coming to this position, Steve served for over 17 years as a pastor in East Tennessee. He has been trained as a coach and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree in Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Steve is married to Donna Parton Holt and has three sons.
	Lisa Huddleston lisahuddleston@live.com Lisa is a lifelong learner who is called to act on the truths God reveals and to encourage others to do the same. Passionate about discovering God-given strengths and building on them to do good works (Eph. 2:10), she is a veteran home school teacher, a freelance writer and editor, a personal coach for Next Steps, a coaching ministry of First Baptist Church Lebanon, TN, and an affiliate coach with Jerry Essary Coaching and the Tennessee Baptist Convention Christian Coaching Center. Lisa, Chuck, their 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 cats live on a century farm in Wilson County where her favorite pastime is visiting with friends over a cup of strong, black coffee.
	Willie McLaurin wmclaurin@tnbaptist.org Willie McLaurin serves as Ministry Strategist with the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Willie is passionate about developing existing and emerging leaders to the glory of God. Willie is a certified coach and a Master Trainer for Next Level Leadership Network. Prior to becoming a Ministry Strategist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention, he served eight years as Pastor in Tennessee. In addition Willie served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army and worked as a Vice President in corporate America. Willie is married to Antonia. They are the proud parents of one daughter, Sierra Danielle, 6 years olds.
	Mark Miller mmiller@tnbaptist.org Mark Miller serves as Coach/Ministry Strategist for the Executive Board Ministries of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Mark has been a certified coach with Valwood Christian Coaching since 2006. He enjoys coaching church leaders to explore current realities and solutions to personal and ministry concerns. Through coaching Mark believes leaders will discover excellence and fulfillment. He has written a dissertation on Coaching Associational Leaders and authors a blog for Sunday School leaders at www.equippinguanytime.org. Mark has a Doctors in Education Ministry degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Union University. Mark and his wife Pat have three children and live in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
	Shawnah Shingleton shawnahss@hotmail.com Shawnah has been coaching and counseling individuals and families, informally, for the past several years. She is currently receiving her Coach training through the Center for Christian Coaching of the TBC. She enjoys sharing stories from her life journey at conferences, retreats, and in everyday life. Shawnah is married to Kent Shingleton, Youth Evangelism Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention and is mom to three teenagers, Jared 18, Maci 16, and Molly 14. Shawnah is passionate about helping people move forward to experience the life that God has uniquely designed for every individual. Oh yeah, Shawnah loves to laugh too!
	Becky Sumrall bsumrall@cwjcmiddletn.org “Coaching is a tool which has personally assisted me in developing joy and balance to my complex life.” As a graduate of Southern Seminary in Religious Education/ Social Work, Becky has ministered for thirty three (33) years to individuals and families through faith based community ministries. She is an affiliate coach with the Tennessee Baptist Convention Christian Coaching Center and in presently fulfilling requirements for certification with Valwood Christian Coaching Center. As the Executive Director of CWJC of Middle TN, and a national CWJC/CMJC trainer she coaches staff and ministry leaders around the country. She is married to Rev. Robert (Rusty) Sumrall and lives in Nashville TN with their golden retriever, Carmie. She and Rusty are proud parents of two incredible daughters and son in laws who serve the Lord around the world. Grandparenting is a new role they gladly assumed in December 2009.
	Archer Thorpe athorpe@tnbaptist.org Archer joined the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Executive Board Staff in 1990. He currently serves as the Ministry Strategy Specialist for the Metro Associations. He also leads as a certified coach, developer of stewardship materials for churches and consultant for church architecture. Archer is a widely published author and frequent conference leader. He has earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He has pastored churches in Oklahoma, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Archer is the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He is married and has three daughters.