Our Team

Eric D. Barreto is Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained Baptist minister. He is the author of Ethnic Negotiations: The Function of Race and Ethnicity in Acts 16 (Mohr Siebeck, 2010), the co-author of Exploring the Bible (Fortress Press, 2016), and editor of Reading Theologically (Fortress Press, 2014). For more, go to ericbarreto.com and follow him on Twitter (@ericbarreto).

Dustin D. Benac, ThD, is an educator, practical theologian and organizational strategist. He teaches at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary as the Co-Founding Director for the Program for the Future Church. He has supported and studied communities of faith who are navigating transition and uncertainty across North America. Prior to his appointment at Baylor, Dustin was a Postdoctoral Associate with Kate Bowler and the Everything Happens Project at Duke University.

Dustin is the author or editor of multiple books and articles. His latest book, Adaptive Church: Collaboration and Community in a Changing World, explores what it takes for communities of faith to navigate organizational change. He is the co-editor of Crisis and Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy and the Associate Editor of Practical Theology, an international and interdisciplinary journal. His writing has been published by Faith & Leadership, Christianity Today, The World Council of Churches, Ecclesial Futures.

An accomplished speaker, teacher, and fundraiser, he has worked with congregations and researchers across Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the United States. He is a graduate of Duke University, with Doctor of Theology (ThD) and Master of Divinity (MDiv) degrees, and Whitworth University.

Dustin lives in Waco, TX with his wife, Casey, their three kids, and a lab, Lila. To join the conversation, go to dustindbenac.com or follow him on Twitter @dustindbenac.

Rev. Dr. Angela Williams Gorrell helps people and teams at top organizations have deep, life-changing experiences. She speaks and writes about joy, meaning, finding the life worth living, and the intersection of spiritual and mental health. Dr. Angela is the author of always on: practicing faith in a new media landscape and The Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found. Media sources such as the New York Times, NPR, and Christianity Today have highlighted her research. She has taught at several schools including Yale University, Baylor University, and Fuller and McCormick Seminary. Angela is a consultant and thought leader for numerous organizations including the US Army, the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, and Luther Seminary’s Faith + Lead platform. She utilizes her expertise to help create collaborative communities of prevention specifically working to lower suicide and addiction rates. She has 14 years of ministry experience and is ordained in the Mennonite Church USA. You can find her on her website angelagorrell.com as well as twitter and Instagram @angelagorrell. Angela and her sister, Stef, co-host The Grief Sisters podcast and The Grief Sisters support group on Facebook. You can learn more about their work together on griefresource.org. You may feel lonely, but you’re not alone!

Rev. Christian Peele, Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Planning at ImpactAssets impact investment firm, has worked at the intersection of social justice and strategic operations for more than a decade, in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Her speciality is building organizational systems that help achieve equity, access, and safety for those who need it most.

Christian served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Management and Administration for Personnel in the Biden White House, leading personnel strategy. She also worked in the Obama White House as the administration’s first African American White House Deputy Director for Operations. In addition, she was formerly Executive Minister of Institutional Advancement at The Riverside Church, a historic church and social services agency in New York City, where she led innovative developments in fundraising.

Christian has degrees from Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA and Duke University Divinity School. Christian’s writings have been featured in Faith & Leadership and the Huffington Post.

Patrick B. Reyes, Ph.D. is the best-selling author of the award-winning books The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive, and Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood. He is the host of the Sound of the Genuine podcast. A Chicano educator, writer, futurist, and cultural change strategist, he is the Senior Director of Learning Design at the Forum for Theological Exploration. He is President of the Religious Education Association. He serves on three boards in higher education and several in the non-profit sector supporting the next generation of Black, Indigenous, and Chicano leaders and educators. Before FTE, he was an academic administrator, faculty member, and director at an international performance-based logistics firm. Patrick holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts from Claremont School of Theology, and a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. He is proud to be a graduate of the California State education system, California State University at Sacramento (Sac State).

Erin Weber-Johnson is Senior Consultant at Vandersall Collective, a faith based, woman-led consulting firm and Primary Faculty of Project Resource. In 2017 she co-founded the Collective Foundation, which worked to address the gap in giving characteristics in faith communities of color.

Previously, Erin worked as the Senior Program Director at the Episcopal Church Foundation, as a grants officer at Trinity Wall Street in New York City, and served as a missionary for the Episcopal Church. She holds a BS from Greenville University, a Masters of Public Administration for NYU and is currently completing a second masters in Religion and Theology from United Theological Seminary.

A published author, she strives to root her work in practical theology while utilizing her experience in the nonprofit sector. Her co-edited book, Crisis and Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy is available through Cascade Books.