Dr. Steven M. Hays brings over twenty years experience as a professor in higher education and more than fifteen years experience in leadership management, development, and coaching to his role as a church planter coach. Dr. Hays is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA and also teaches at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. He holds the designation of Certified Medical Practice Executive from the American College of Medical Practice Executives, and he is also a Certified Facilitator for Lead Like Jesus and a Faculty Evaluator for the American Council on Education where he consults with the US military on healthcare, leadership, and communications training courses. Dr. Hays is a ruling elder at Watershed Fellowship (PCA) in Lexington,SC and takes part  (along with his wife) in yearly mission trips to Glasgow, Scotland and Helensburgh, Scotland. He and his wife Karin enjoy spending their free time together in the North Carolina mountains and at the South Carolina coast with their two grown sons, their daughter-in-law and grandchildren, and their miniature schnauzer, Gracie.

Kirk van der Swaagh is currently serving with MTW in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1979, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to New York City after having completed an MFA in acting. They had an eye on a career in the theatre but the Lord had other plans. Kirk assumed the pastorate of a church in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of NYC, a church that he served for 35 years. During that time he developed and was the director of The All Things Project, an interdisciplinary effort that sought to demonstrate the truth of Romans 11:36: "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Retirement from the church led to the ministry he is now doing: coaching, preaching, and serving as an Interim Minister for a church in transition.

Phil began with MTW in the ministry of church planting in Scotland. Currently, he serves MTW as the Director of Coaching Church Planters in the region of Europe. Trained in multiple models of coaching and having coached church planters and pastors for the last 10 years, he brings both experience as a church planter, and encouragement for the church planter’s obstacles & opportunities in their mission to launch new churches. Phil’s vision is that every church planter will have a coach who comes alongside them, like Paul to Timothy, to equip, encourage, and pray for a fruitful church plant. Phil has a love for sailing and a dream that one day he will have sailed all the waters that the Apostle Paul sailed to carry the gospel of grace into Europe.

Gordon started working cross-culturally with international university students 55 years ago as an undergrad. He has worked in Brussels, Belgium for eight years with IFES and then for twenty years with MTW and Langham Preaching International doing pastor training courses in Francophone Africa and the Caribbean. He and Marilyn are currently helping with an international church plant in metro Atlanta, Georgia.