2015 Faithwalkers Speaker Bios
Dave Blum
Dave Blum is currently pastor of Evergreen Community Church in Manassas, VA, which he
planted with co-pastors Tom Millar and Daniel Hall in 1998. Dave came to Christ in 1975
just before graduation from high school. He connected with the Great Commission campus
ministry in Eau Claire, WI, that fall and met his wife of 36 years, Vanessa, there. They helped
plant and lead churches in Newark, DE, in 1985 and Centreville, VA, in 1993. Dave began his career in
journalism and communications before responding to a call to full-time pastoral ministry in 1990.
Dave and Vanessa have 5 children ages 23-32. Dave’s strongest passions in life are his family,
the church and influencing our culture for Jesus Christ. He also enjoys distance running, reading
about American history and rooting for his favorite football team.
Matt Gordon
Matt put his trust in Christ as a freshman in college. The following year he joined Cypress Church
at the University of Florida where early on he was challenged to spend the rest of his life
wholeheartedly pursing the Great Commission with like-minded believers. Seven years later Matt
was appointed as a pastor in the church. After 29 years as a pastor he is even more excited now than
ever to reach the world for Christ, along with his wife, Jan, and their 14 children (including 3 wonderful
daughters-in-law) and 2 beautiful granddaughters.
Tim Haring
Tim moved to Morgantown, WV, over 30 years ago to help start Chestnut Ridge Church.
Since that time, three additional churches and a campus ministry have been started in
West Virginia. Tim has regional and national responsibilities with Great Commission
Churches (GCC). His education includes degrees from Moody Bible Institute and West
Virginia University. He and his wife of 27 years have 5 children ages 16-26.
John Hopler
John Hopler is the Director for Great Commission Churches. He came to Christ in 1973
while attending Ohio State University. In 1979 he was appointed to be a pastor by the
Great Commission church in Columbus, Ohio. Since 1986, John has been active in
Great Commission in a national role, overseeing church planting and pastoring the pastors.
John and his wife, Sandy, live in the Columbus, Ohio area. They just celebrated their 38th
anniversary and have 8 adult children.
Frank Liu
Frank has been married to his fiery Cuban wife, Gisela, for the past 18 years and is the
proud father of 4 amazing kids…Josiah, Talia, Isabel, and Danielle. In 1997, Frank,
Gisela, and a team of 8 others planted a campus church at the University of North Florida.
After 11 years of reaching college students, that campus church was re-launched in 2008 as
a community church focused on reaching the Next generation. Ordained in 2000, Frank now
joyfully serves as one of the pastors of Awaken Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
Robbie McAlister
Robbie was saved 36 years ago while a student at Clemson University. He has worked
as an engineer in both the public and private sector. He has also served as a church planter,
pastor, and trainer in the USA and for 10 years in Ukraine. He currently serves as a pastor/elder
at Riverbend Church in Lexington, SC. He and his wife Criss have been married 32 years
and have three adult sons, Rob, Rick, and Rustin. In his off time he likes to read, write,
run, and rest along the southern coast of SC.
Tom Short
Tom Short is a full-time campus evangelist ministering both throughout the United States and
around the world. His outdoor presentations of the gospel and apologetics have led many
students to Christ and inspired countless believers to stand firm in their faith while on the college
campus. He has served as a pastor in five different Great Commission Churches and is now
based out of Linworth Road Church in Columbus, OH. Tom and his wife of 38 years, Roz,
have 5 grown children.
Jack Stockdale
One Mayflower Pilgrim and a signer of the Mayflower Compact was Robert Fuller. He and his wife were
among the many pilgrims who perished that first terrible winter in America. As one of Fuller’s 12th
generation grandsons, Jack also possesses a missionary spirit. He and Joan have served in five US
churches (two of which they helped plant) in three states. They established Great Commission
Europe’s work in Poland where they lived for ten years. They now live near Columbus, Ohio.
Berk Wilson
Berk and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 33 years and live in Cary, NC, where they have
raised their 6 sons. Berk has been laboring with Great Commission for 34 years and pastoring since
1988. He and his family have been involved in several church plants including Grace Community
Church at NC State and the Southeast LINC program. LINC stands for "Labors Impacting Nations for
Christ" which is a program that creates environments for maturing believers in Christ to start new church
fellowships here and overseas. Berk enjoys developing laborers and leaders and looks forward to
establishing more church plants throughout North Carolina and the Southeast.