Craig desires to demonstrate the art of being a scholar and practitioner. As a scholar, Craig is Partnering Adjunct Faculty at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible and Education from Wheaton College; a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Nyack College in New York City; and a Doctorate in Management Leadership and Organizational Change from Walden University. 

As a practitioner, Craig is using his leadership knowledge and gifts as an Elder with The Bridge Network of House Churches in New York City, where he is also a house church leader.

Craig has spent four decades starting, organizing, training and leading small groups, managing small group ministries, and developing small group leadership. As a professor with Nyack's Organization Management program and Alliance Theological Seminary, he combines his passion for teaching and love for small group ministry, and brings to bear his insights into the practical working of organizations.

Craig is a brother of Cherith Fee Nordling, who also serves on the Beacon board.

He supports Beacon in its commitment to helping American Christians learn how to “be the church” rather than “going to church.”

Lisa graduated from Ball State University in 2005 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Family and Child and a minor in social work.

Lisa has served as lead children’s minister, a financial administrator, administrative support, and has connected attendees to volunteer roles and outposts. She also has worked in child care centers, as a nanny, and in children’s ministry.

She enjoys reading, camping, knitting, cooking, and baking.

Lisa joined the Beacon board as part of her passion to see house church become a viable option for people who want to participate in church in a unique way. Beacon enables house church planters to embark on the journey with the support of others who are pursuing the same goals.

Ben and Holly Wangler moved to Indianapolis from the Chicago area in 2016 to plant a church in the suburb of Carmel, then transitioned the church plant to a house church in fall 2018. Ben served as associate senior pastor of The Sanctuary Church in Romeoville, Illinois, for five years.

Having earned a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute in 2009, Ben now is bivocational, through operating a remodeling company in addition to leading the house church. Ben believes house church is the most authentic, rewarding, and challenging ministry avenue. 

He loves fishing, hiking, canoeing, camping, and coaching his kids’ soccer and basketball teams. Ben and Holly have been married for 15 years and are the parents of Micah, 10; Zac, 8; and Bodi, 5.

Ben believes Beacon is helping guide a movement in which God is beginning to move people toward a more authentic way of being the church. 

Cherith is Associate Professor of Theology at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. She speaks and teaches in various other contexts and has authored and contributed to many publications.

She has been a sessional lecturer at Regent College, Wheaton College, Fuller Seminary, Kuyper College and Cornerstone University. She taught for five years at Calvin College and Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while serving as Co-Director of Christian Formation with her husband, Robert.

She is a sister of fellow Beacon board member Craig Fee.

 Cherith is on the board because she wants to support the equipping of house churches to love and serve God and their neighbors in communal ways, allowing God's people to function as the church in and for the world.

Nick is a seasoned pastor who leads a house church in Indianapolis and disciples house church planters around the Midwest. He is passionate about establishing house churches that are scriptural, balanced and healthy.

Nick earned his undergraduate degree from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and his Masters degree from Northern Seminary in the Chicago suburb of Lisle. He has been in full-time ministry since 2005.

His work experience includes staff positions at two church plants in the northeast suburbs of Indianapolis. Both plants grew from 200 to 1,200 people while he was on staff, enabling him to work with dozens of groups and hundreds of volunteers, and to walk with hundreds of individuals on their faith journeys.

His sweet spot was leadership development, benevolence, counseling and discipleship. For three years between the pastoral positions he raised funds for orphans and widows in South Africa and served on a small staff to unified more than 60 pastors in weekly prayer groups.

Nick and his wife, Rachael, have been married for 17 years and have four children ages 13, 11, 9, and 6.