OUR TEAM
Get to know us.
Scott Kaczoworski
Doctrinal Editor (M.div, Biblical Theological Studies)
Scott serves as the doctrinal editor at Thistlebend Ministries. He holds an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a B.S. in Secondary Education in Integrated Language Arts from Kent State University. After graduating from college, Scott traveled to Korea to teach English as Second Language and met Ms. Ahn In-ok. By the grace of God, Scott somehow convinced her to leave her country, her family, and her language and come to America to be his wife. She traded the family name Ahn for Kaczorowski. Scott and In-ok now live in Wisconsin Rapids, WI and Scott is the Senior Pastor of River Cities Church. Scott has a passion for the preaching of the Word, pastoral ministry, and international missions. Some would say (perhaps his wife) that he likes books a little too much.
Susan Sampson
VP/Director of Weekly Discipleship Studies
Susan joined the Thistlebend team in 2007 after taking several life-changing Bible studies written by Laurie Aker—Falling in Love Again with Your Lord, Husband and Children, and At His Feet. She has served as an Abigail, as the director of Thistlebend’s Going Beyond the Gate outreach ministry, and currently as the Director of Weekly Discipleship Studies. Susan has a BA in History and Philosophy from Trinity University in San Antonio and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston. She served as a family counselor for Children’s Protective Services in Houston, TX, until getting married and moving to Louisville in 1996. She and her husband, Jeff, have three children. They are members at Throne of Grace Community Church. In her free time, Susan loves to read books on theology, go on date nights with her husband, and travel with her family.
Chelsey Adkinson
Women’s Ministry Advisor
Chelsey has been involved with Thistlebend since 2012. The Lord brought her to Louisville for a job after graduating from the University of Kentucky; it was then that she was introduced to Thistlebend studies and the Lord began to draw her heart to himself. She testifies the Lord has used Thistlebend to greatly impact her walk with Him. For the past two years Chelsey and her family have been members of Fellowship Church in Louisville where she has served on their women’s ministry team and specifically with their mentoring ministry. She and her husband, Cory, have also served as Gospel Community Group leaders in their church. Chelsey and Cory have been married for five years, and they have two boys that she has the privilege of staying home with, Kipton and Jaxton.
Amy Page
Online Participant Co-ordinator
Amy has been an active part of Thistlebend since 2005. Over the years, she has served in various roles with the ministry. Currently, Amy serves as an Abigail for our online studies.
A Louisville native, Amy & her husband, Chris, have five boys and a lovely daughter-in-law. Thistlebend has been instrumental in Amy’s spiritual growth and understanding of God’s Word, giving her real-life applications which have profoundly impacted her marriage and parenting.
Anna Koke
Staff Editor and Social Media Specialist
Anna joined Thistlebend in 2021 after working in communications for several missions organizations. She received her B.A. in Communications from Anderson University (SC) and is currently working on her M.Div. at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Previously, she oversaw the external communications and story writing for World Mission Centre before working in curriculum development with the International Mission Board.
Originally from South Carolina, Anna and her husband, Ben, moved to Louisville two years ago and are now members of Fellowship Church Louisville. They look forward to welcoming their first child in September of this year.
Jessica Moore
Staff Editor
Jessica joined in 2019 after teaching middle school writing and Latin in the inner city of Indianapolis. She received a degree in English and minored in Biblical Studies and Classical Education, which furthered her desire to read, write, and teach. She was introduced to Thistlebend through a mutual friend in Louisville and has a special love for the city. After moving frequently as a pastor’s daughter, she and her husband Gabriel settled down in Indy, and she cherishes staying home with their first child, Hadassah.
Kevin Purslow
Ministry Assistant
Kevin has been a ministry assistant with Thistlebend since 2004 when he moved from Boston to Louisville. He is a hard-working, dedicated, faithful servant of the Lord and has a desire to serve others in every capacity. He loves reading, movies, and sci-fi...and lasagna! He is an active member of Third Avenue Baptist Church.
Greg Gilbert
Executive Advisor to the Director
Greg Gilbert is the Senior Pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. He earned his B.A. from Yale University and his M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of "What Is the Gospel?" and the co-author of "What Is the Mission of the Church?" and "Who Is Jesus?," among others. Greg is married to Moriah and they have three children: Justin, Jack, and Juliet.
Kevin Brown
Advancement Advisor
Kevin is the Senior Vice President for Advancement and Chief Operating Officer for The King‘s College in New York. He manages fundraising, resourcing, and coordinating the President’s Cabinet as they pursue daily operations at the College. Prior to this, Kevin worked in the Office of the President at Focus on the Family. At Thistlebend, we are thrilled to have Kevin’s experience and expertise in business and advancement and are grateful for his friendship and partnership in the gospel. He and his wife Lauren have three daughters: Emma, Lillian, and Blake.
Ed Dunnington
Advisor
Ed is a Financial Planning Advisor for PCA Retirement & Benefits (RBI). He joined RBI in March 2015. Ed planted and served as Pastor of Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, VA for nine years. Prior to serving in Roanoke, Ed served as a Campus Minister for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at the University of Washington for eight years after graduating from Covenant Theological Seminary. Ed is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). Ed is married to Stefanie and they have four children. In his free time, Ed enjoys running, swimming, going on dates with Stefanie and hanging out with his family.
Eric Miller
Church Partnership Advisor
Eric is the Lead Pastor of Capital City Grace Church in downtown Columbus, Ohio. He became Lead Pastor in 2014 after helping start the church in 2009. He is also the owner of The Design Refinery, a web design company based in Columbus, Ohio. Eric has been doing web design since 2008. He designed Thistlebend’s website. Eric and his wife Julie have been married since 2006. They live in downtown Columbus and have two young sons.
Jon Deedrick
Resources Consultant
Jon regularly travels abroad to train pastors and leaders. He is married to Lindsay and they have two children. The Deedricks reside in Louisville, KY, and belong to Third Avenue Baptist Church, where Jon serves as an elder. He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his role as Resources Consultant for Thistlebend, Jon reviews Thistlebend‘s discipleship materials for their biblical and theological content, training methods, and impact.
OUR ADVISORS
Matt Dorn
Doug Kaczorowski
Rev. Edward Morris
OUR GOVERNING BOARD
Kevin Aker, Founder/President
Janet Price
Ben Thornley
Doug Donaldson
Jeff Sampson
Shawn Sizemore