Ecclesia Staff

Chris has served as National Director of the Ecclesia Network since our founding in 2007. He brings a deep passion for connecting the timeless truths of the Christian faith that have sustained the church for centuries with the realities of the mission field facing the church today.

For more than two decades, Chris has been involved in starting and leading missional ventures across North America. He served as the Founding and Senior Director of Fresh Expressions North America, the Founding Director of Missio Alliance, and currently also serves as the Senior Director of the Ascent Movement. 

Chris previously served as Lead Pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship, one of the largest university congregations in the country during his tenure. He has also been involved in planting several congregations in both Maryland and Virginia. He is often sought after by ministry leaders to help them understand the future shape of mission in North America and how organizations can adapt and respond faithfully.

Chris completed his doctoral work at Fuller Theological Seminary, focusing on the future of denominationalism in North America. He graduated summa cum laude from both the School of Divinity at Liberty University (M.Div) and the School of Bible and Theology at Cairn University (B.S.).

Chris is married to his high school sweetheart, Rachel, and they live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with their two teenage children.

Dr. J.R. Briggs lives with a clear and focused calling: to serve, guide, and equip hungry leaders who want to grow healthier and thrive.

In 2011, he started Kairos Partnerships, an organization committed to serving hungry kingdom leaders through leadership coaching, consulting, speaking, and teaching. He loves investing in the KP team of equippers so Kairos Partnerships can invest in all leaders who desire care and equipping.

For more than 15 years, J.R. served in pastoral roles in mega-churches, church plants, and house church networks.

In addition to coaching leaders and consulting with businesses, organizations, universities, and non-profits, he also speaks and teaches.

He has written or co-written thirteen books on a wide variety of topics and served as one of the contributors to the Abide Bible. He has written over 50 published articles, both online and in print, with Christianity Today, Huffington Post, Preaching Today, American Bible Society, N.T. Wright Online, Missio Alliance, Boundless.org and Relevant Magazine, and several others.

Bob Hyatt is a pastor, author, and spiritual coach known for his leadership in church planting and ministry development. He is the founding pastor of The Evergreen Community, a church established in Portland, Oregon, in 2004. He currently serves as the Director of Equipping and Spiritual Formation for the Ecclesia Network, where he mentors and trains pastors and church planters.

A graduate of Western Seminary with a Master of Arts in Exegetical Theology and a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary, Hyatt has a deep passion for helping others grow in their relationship with God.

He is also a co-author of two influential books: Eldership and the Mission of God: Equipping Teams for Faithful Church Leadership and Ministry Mantras: Language for Cultivating Kingdom Culture. Both works focus on building effective, mission-oriented church leadership teams.

In addition to his ministry work, Bob provides coaching for leaders, emphasizing personal and spiritual formation. He lives with his wife, Amy, and their three children in Boise, Idaho.

Jane is the Administrator for Ecc;esia. She holds a BA in Political Science and History from Virginia Tech. Her passion is around organization and supporting leaders with their ministry. She also enjoys serving at her local church, The Chapel in Richmond, Virginia. Jane and her husband Brandon have been married for 15 years and have three children.