Buck, his wife Beth, and their six kids live in Chaska, MN. They are busy with a host of activities and when they have the time, love to watch college football (Go Hogs!).
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469.669.0629
Greg Allen is the Co-founder and President of Shepherd Staff, a leading church staffing firm dedicated to helping churches attract, engage, and select key staff members while guiding pastors nationwide in navigating their ministry careers.
With a heart for ministry and a deep understanding of church leadership, Greg has set a high standard of exceptional service and care, ensuring that Shepherd Staff stands out in the increasingly crowded church staffing landscape.
Since 2006, Greg’s unique combination of expertise, spirit, and genuine care has shaped Shepherd Staff into a trusted partner for churches and pastors alike. His commitment to providing personal, thoughtful guidance in every search reflects his desire to see both churches and candidates thrive. His hands-on approach and strategic insights are key reasons Shepherd Staff continues to lead in its field.
Under Greg’s leadership, his team has successfully facilitated hundreds of staff searches, working closely with thousands of pastors throughout the process. Greg also has particular expertise in coaching candidates for more effective interviews, drawing from a rich background of experience that includes training with the largest executive search firm in Dallas.
His deep church involvement—as a former worship pastor and elder—gives him a unique perspective in understanding the needs of both churches and pastoral candidates.
Outside of work, Greg and his wife Marla enjoy spending time with their large family, including their seven children and four grandchildren, creating a home filled with love, laughter, and faith.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
615.616.8166
Brian is a seasoned ministry leader with over 30 years of experience, having served churches in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Delaware. His diverse roles throughout his career—ranging from Student Ministry Pastor to Associate Pastor, Pastor of Assimilation, Executive Pastor, and Intentional Interim Pastor—have given him a comprehensive understanding of church leadership.
Often balancing multiple responsibilities at once, Brian excels in managing complexity, thinking strategically, and developing innovative solutions for the challenges churches face.
As the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator for the National Network of Youth Ministries, Brian led nearly 250 youth ministry networks across eight densely populated states. This experience sharpened his abilities in strategic planning, network-building, and organizational leadership. His capacity to manage large-scale initiatives while maintaining a clear, forward-thinking vision speaks to his strength in leading teams and projects toward meaningful outcomes.
In addition to his broad ministry background, Brian was regularly a top producer at Shepherd Staff, consistently delivering results and helping churches find exceptional leaders who align with their mission and values. His ability to quickly assess the ‘DNA’ of both client churches and potential candidates has been instrumental in his success. His strong performance led to taking on greater operational responsibilities within the firm, where he applied his leadership and strategic planning skills to improve processes and team performance.
In 2024, Brian earned the title of Chief Executive Officer, a reflection of his exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to the mission of Shepherd Staff.
Now based in Nashville, TN, Brian continues to bring his wealth of experience, guiding churches toward long-term success by connecting them with leaders who can help them thrive. Together with his wife, he is excited to embrace this new chapter and continue making a lasting impact in church ministry.
SR. SEARCH CONSULTANT
813.934.6464
SR. SEARCH CONSULTANT
980.999.3929
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936.297.5150
Mike has over 30 years of ministry experience and loves seeing the Lord use people in special ways. Twenty plus years of his experience was in student ministry in Texas and Alabama. He also pastored a church for ten years in the Houston area.
Through their involvement in the church’s small group ministry they became great friends with Brian and Jill Coday. Mike and Brian had many conversations about Shepherd Staff and the help that this firm offers. Eventually, they realized it would be a great fit for Mike and he joined the team.
Mike loves to work with wood and ride his motorcycle. Sports are also a passion for him and since his running days have taken a toll on his knees, golf is a great fit now. He loves the outdoors and traveling with his sweetheart. Together he and Michelle have a passion to love people well through business and life.
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830.455.0277
John has had the pleasure of serving in vocational ministry for over 20 years. He has founded a ministry, served as a college pastor, served as a youth pastor and worked for multiple churches as their worship leader, worship director or worship pastor.
John loves relationships and understands their importance in effective ministry.
Treating people with dignity and care highlight how he interacts with those around him. He enjoys conversations with people from various theological backgrounds and connecting with people inside and outside of the four walls of the church.
John is excited to meet with churches, find out their unique ministry ‘DNA’ and then connect them with candidates who can best support, create and lead in their church and community. John knows first hand the importance of hiring the right fit for any ministry role and desires to help churches and candidates find the best match for their ministry needs so that both can flourish and as a result the Gospel can be proclaimed effectively, boldly and clearly.
John supports his local church denomination by developing, supporting and encouraging their church’s worship leaders and pastors through a program he developed called the Worship Leader Cohort. He has worked with over 10 churches to help raise up 40 plus worship leaders since 2019. Raising up theologically rich, well trained and effective worship leaders is one of John’s many passions for the church.
John is an avid reader, sports enthusiast, song writer, history buff and most importantly a family man. He has three sons and has been married to his wonderful wife for almost 20 years! They currently reside in the beautiful Texas hill country a little north of San Antonio.
SEARCH CONSULTANT
205.707.1999
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463.243.1543
Justin has over 15 years experience serving on different ministry teams in various church positions. He has served in both lay and vocational leadership. Justin has experienced many different levels of ministry leadership from church maintenance, to co-leading a church as the primary teaching pastor. Over the past 10 years Justin’s focus in ministry has been Worship and Youth Ministries.
Justin is a musician, an author, and has led a group of adults and students through an 18 month film development process. This process culminated in a Dove approved, nationally distributed full length feature film titled “Two Steps from Hope.” Of which, Justin acted as the Producer, Screenplay Writer, and Editor. Currently, Justin is mentoring other pastors in the area, and assisting area churches in Worship Ministry and Pulpit fill.
Justin’s many experiences give him the ability to relate to different aspects of the ministry, as well as interpret and understand multiple viewpoints of church leadership. He uses his experiences to help create stories that encapsulate the ideas of others and communicate them to the public in creative and passionate ways. Justin enjoys the company of others, and has a heart to use his gifts to create environments where Ministry leaders can thrive.
Justin and his bride, Brittney have three children, and enjoy spending time together doing outdoor activities. Justin and his family currently live in the small town of Berne, Indiana, and enjoy the simplicity of small town living.
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262.267.6550
SR. SEARCH CONSULTANT
515.516.0911
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864.874.6061
For over 20 years Wes has been involved in church leadership roles in Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Denver. This diversity of experience allows Wes to serve organizations and help them identify the leader that is the right fit for their needs and vision. Wes has been married to his wife, Alexandra for 12 years and together they have 4 children: Wynter, Charlotte, Everleigh, and Forrest. Wes is honored to serve with Shepherd’s Staff and partner with churches to see the Kingdom of God continue to advance.
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Byron has been in church ministry for over 20 years and brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience to our team. He received his B.A. in Music and Worship Arts from Hope University in Fullerton, CA. Byron then spent some time traveling as a Christian artist and performed with numerous musicians, worship leaders, and groups, such as Paul Baloche, Tommy Walker, Larnelle Harris, Maranatha Music, Promise Keepers, and Gospel Music workshops.
In time, Byron’s love for worship leading and church ministry drew him into full-time pastoral leadership. He has served in numerous churches of differing denominations, sizes, and cultures and has been instrumental in helping churches across the county grow and expand their ministries. He has also coached and mentored many leaders within the sphere of worship, tech and creative arts. This experience has uniquely positioned him with the ability to understand the needs of the local church as well as assist candidates in finding an exceptional ministry fit.
Byron has been married to his beautiful wife Brenda for 21 wonderful years and has two beautifully talented daughters, Anya and Alexis. They currently attend and serve their local church in Akron, Oh.
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Joe began serving in ministry in the early 2000’s after graduating from Ohio Christian University. Over the years, he’s led various ministry roles including Students, Family, Campus Director/Pastor, and Lead Pastor.
Currently, Joe is coming off a year-long transformative journey with Rock House Center based out of Brentwood, TN and has joined their team as well as Shepherd Staff, to help candidates and clients discover their next steps.
What motivates Joe most in his life is helping others experience the fullness of God’s love, his amazing wife Michelle, and his children, Gage and Jozie.
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Wade is a native Texan with 15 years of ministry experience. From working for one of the largest churches in the nation, as well as serving a key role in a re-plant of a church from the ground up, he has experienced all seasons and growth points of churches.
Throughout his time on church staff, Wade has lead Student, Mission and Recreation Ministries, overseen administrative and pastoral staff, headed up multiple staffing initiatives and overseen building projects and contracts. Having been fully immersed in all aspects of the church, partnered with his deep love for the local church, allow him a thorough understanding of how to meet the need of filling leadership positions.
Wade, his wife, Sally and their two children (& two rowdy boxers!) live outside of Houston, where their life is full of sports, camping, road trips, all things Texas A&M and movie nights. Wade serves his local church as a Lay Pastor, student ministry volunteer and adult small group leader.
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Will Heath, based just outside of Dallas, TX, lives with his wife, Alix, and their three daughters: Ana, Alix, and Andi. After transitioning from a successful career in banking to local church leadership in 2010, Will expanded his impact by consulting ministries on succession planning starting in 2013. His combination of financial expertise and ministry leadership experience equips him with a strategic, well-rounded perspective on the unique staffing needs of churches.
Over the years, Will has established himself as a trusted authority in succession planning and transition management. His ability to assess leadership dynamics and craft long-term staffing strategies has made him a valuable asset to churches navigating key transitions. He further solidified his expertise by commissioning pivotal studies through the Barna Group in 2010 and 2019, exploring the critical challenges churches face in leadership succession.
Will’s thoughtful, relational approach, combined with his data-driven insights, allows him to provide churches with clear guidance through complex transitions. Known for his calm demeanor and strategic mindset, Will excels in helping churches make healthy, sustainable staffing decisions that prepare them for future growth. His extensive experience and commitment to helping ministries thrive make him an invaluable resource for churches seeking strong leadership and long-term success.
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Jennifer has over 20 years of ministry experience and currently serves as a Family Pastor in West Houston. While she has served mostly in the Children’s and Family Pastor role, she has also had the opportunity to lead in a variety of ministries including Youth Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Disaster Relief and Campus Pastor. Her ministry experience has been at churches ranging from 500-35,000 members in Texas and Oklahoma.
Jennifer and her husband met during seminary and have been married 20 years. They enjoy traveling the world together whenever they have a chance. Scott and Jennifer are raising two teenagers, Sam and Sydney. They lead an adult small group through their church and enjoy opportunities to help other couples through marriage mentoring.
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Drew has spent the last 12 years serving in full-time student and college ministry throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. During this time, he developed a deep passion for guiding young adults in their spiritual journeys, helping them build a solid foundation in their faith. Alongside his wife, Drew is committed to fostering a healthy, thriving church that actively grows the kingdom of God. Together, they envision the church as a place of strong leadership, vibrant community, and equipping others to spread the message of Jesus.
Married for 14 years, Drew and his wife are blessed with four children. As a family, they are passionate outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying activities like hiking, biking, swimming, and exploring nature. Whether it’s a day at the beach or engaging in sports, they prioritize quality family time and seek out active adventures together. Drew’s love for sports is a key aspect of their family life, and it’s something they all enjoy together.
Now residing in the Atlanta, Georgia area, Drew and his family are excited to be part of The Shepherd Staff team. They are eager to partner with churches across the nation, helping them thrive and fulfill their mission of reaching and nurturing communities for Jesus.
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Thilini brings over two decades of senior leadership experience in ministry, non-profit,
education to the Shepherd Staff team. She offers seasoned expertise to organizations and its
teams through the creative blending and balancing of strategy and solutions, with a Kingdom-
inspired, God-centric emphasis at its core.
With a rich upbringing of faith and diversity, Thilini’s broad range of professional experiences
have significantly influenced organizational architecture, administration, staffing, coaching,
discipleship, and development. Led by a high degree of spiritual discernment, integrity, and
excellence, she is uniquely wired to discover the best fit within the context of competency,
culture, and chemistry. Her local and global exposure alongside positions held in various
denominational and socio-cultural settings have added much value to partnerships and
initiatives she has effectively created, implemented, empowered, and propelled into the future.
She is passionate about collaborating and innovating with leadership teams to help them find
key staff who embody and advance the vision toward transformational Kingdom work.
A published writer with a doctoral degree in progress, Thilini lives Austin, TX, and enjoys coffee,
reading, and traveling the world with her teenage son. She attends Cityview Bible Church, and
is involved with Healed In Mercy ministries, helping women find freedom from abuse, abortion,
and loss, as well as Titus Women ministries, mentoring young women. Thilini is grateful to be a
part of the Shepherd Staff team, and looks forward to stewarding and serving all who God
places across her path.
In addition to the full time staff listed on this page, Shepherd Staff also maintains an active ministry partnership with over 100 Search Affiliates spread out over the entire country. These individuals have a deep knowledge of our process and our approach and are eager to help others learn more about what we do. Affiliates are thoroughly vetted, trained, and equipped to help both candidates and prospective churches make informed decisions about their next steps.
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