The ministry of the Gathering is dreamed, planned and executed by Gathering leaders, nearly 98% of whom are volunteers, working with a small staff out of the ELCA churchwide organization. These individuals pour their energy into the ministry of the Gathering (and two smaller, concurrent events, the tAble and the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event) so that congregations can experience this life-changing faith formation experience.
Are you doing youth ministry in your community or looking for regional support to attend the Gathering? Connect with our regional representatives, youth ministry professionals who have attended the Gathering and are here to help.
Gathering Staff
Deacon Jess Liles (she/her)
Director, ELCA Youth Gathering, ELCA Youth Ministry
Justin Wilson (he/him)
Manager, Engagement and Resources
Deacon Beth Hartfiel (she/her)
Coordinator, Event Logistics and Administration
Gathering Team Leaders
Our Gathering team leaders serve in a volunteer capacity, so we ask that you not contact them directly. If you have questions about the ministry of the Gathering, contact the Gathering office (gathering@elca.org).
Catherine Slabaugh (she/her)
Communications
The Rev. Cassie Overcash (she/her)
Community Life
Dannica Olsen (she/her)
ENGAGE
The Rev. Chris Marien (he/him)
Mass Gathering
The Rev. Nicolette Faison (she/her)
Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE)
The Rev. Kim Adams (she/her)
Operations
The Rev. Shawn Hannon (he/him)
Safety and Security
Kris Bjorke (she/her)
SERVE
Jonathan Zitelman (he/him)
Technology
The Rev. Jonathan Vehar (he/him)
the tAble
The Rev. Jennifer Schultz (she/her)
Volunteers
The Rev. Tony Ampanado (he/him)
Worship and Chaplains
Young Adult Gathering
If you have questions about logistics related to the Young Adult Gathering, email gathering@elca.org. If you have questions about the programming of the event, contact young.adults@elca.org.
Daniel Kirschbaum (they/he)
Senior Director, Young Adult Communities
Deacon Kayla Zopfi (they/them)
Young Adult Networks Coordinator
