Dairus Barnes was born in Pueblo, Colorado and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he came to faith at fourteen at CornerStone Christian Fellowship. He graduated from Faith Lutheran High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Boise State University, where he also wrestled and participated in Army ROTC.

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Dairus and his wife Amy have two children, Amayah Sophia and Zekiah Elias. After completing his Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary in 2015, he served on church staffs in Phoenix and Las Vegas before becoming a prison chaplain at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. He was commissioned as an Army officer and has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army for nearly a decade.

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He earned his Doctor of Ministry from Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary in 2023, receiving the David E. Garland Outstanding DMin Student Award — only the second person ever to receive that honor. He is currently completing a Master of Theology in Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School, after which he will serve as an ethics instructor at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg.

John Ragsdale grew up in Jamestown, North Carolina, and earned his degree in Business Administration from UNC Chapel Hill. After fifteen fulfilling years in banking and business, he felt a clear call to ministry — earning his Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary and later his Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

 

John went on to serve several churches in northeast Florida and on the staff of the Presbytery of St. Augustine before retiring from full-time ministry in 2012. He and his wife, Sally, have two sons and make their home in Jacksonville, Florida.

Dr. Gary Chapman is an author, speaker, counselor, and radio host heard on more than 400 stations across the country.

 

His beloved bestseller The 5 Love Languages has sold over 20 million copies and has remained on the New York Times bestseller list since 2007 — a remarkable run by any measure.

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After fifty years as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dr. Chapman recently retired, closing a chapter as quietly faithful as the message he's spent a lifetime sharing.

Kristi Overton Johnson spent 35 years as a professional water skier — falling every day, yet rising to become one of the sport's most decorated female athletes. She held the women's slalom world record from 1992 to 2010 and won over 80 professional world titles.

Through athletics and faith in Jesus Christ, Kristi discovered that falls — on the water or in life — don't define defeat. How we respond does.

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That message of perseverance, hope, and second chances has found a powerful home in an unexpected place: prison. A 2013 visit to an incarcerated friend opened Kristi's eyes to the deep hopelessness behind bars — and the desperate need for inmates to encounter the God of second chances. Since then, she and her ministry team have brought hope to prisoners across the U.S. through Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries and Victorious Living, which includes a magazine, Prison Correspondence Outreach, and on-site prison events.

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Kristi married her best friend, Tim Johnson, in 1994. They have three children — Ty, Dalton, and Ivy — and are based in Central Florida. Her parents and brother call Greenville, North Carolina home, where the family gathers each summer on Figure Eight Island

Rev. Catherine Powell brings 45 years of ordained ministry to Wilmington, having served congregations large and small in Washington, D.C., Boston, and eastern North Carolina. Among her most distinctive roles, she served on the liturgical staff of Washington National Cathedral and as Head Chaplain of the National Cathedral School.

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Catherine has a deep passion for helping children develop their own inner life with God — reflected in her published Sunday School curriculum, her writing on children's spirituality, and her current service on the Board of the Center for Children and Theology.

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In retirement, she is kept happily busy by a very old house, two small but demanding dogs, and a new chapter as a tai chi teacher — after ten years of devoted practice, she's now sharing the gift with others. Her two adult daughters live in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Rev. Dr. Ernest "Ernie" T. Thompson III is a seasoned Presbyterian pastor with deep roots in North Carolina. He earned his M.Div. from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond and his D.Min. from Columbia Theological Seminary. Before serving as Pastor and Head of Staff at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, Ernie spent 15 years as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, and has also served churches in Charlotte, Lancaster (SC), and Colonial Heights (VA).

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Ernie and his wife, Elaine, are both graduates of the University of South Carolina. They have two adult children, Meagan and Richard, who both live in Raleigh, along with three grandsons. The Thompsons are now happily settled in Raleigh to be close to family.

Andy Langford retired in 2018 as Senior Pastor of Central UMC in Concord, closing out 45 years of ordained ministry across seven appointments in North Carolina, Atlanta, and Nashville.

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From 1985–1992, Andy served The United Methodist Church in a national role overseeing worship, music, and preaching — and as General Editor of The United Methodist Book of Worship. He has since published 25 books, including Being United Methodist Christians: Living a Life of Grace and Hope, co-written with his wife and daughter.

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Andy has preached everywhere from Westminster Abbey to small native congregations in Panama, with ministry touching Israel, England, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, and beyond. He has visited all but one U.S. state and more than 40 nations.

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A man of deep roots, Andy is the son of a Methodist systematic theologian and former Duke Provost, and nephew by marriage to Figure Eight Island's own Peggy Young. He and his wife, The Reverend Sally Overby Langford, are retired and enjoy their two children and four grandchildren. When he's not traveling or writing, you'll find him cooking, reading, exploring genealogy, or on the golf course.

Rev. Paul Johansson grew up in East Africa as part of a missionary family — roots that shaped a lifetime of faithful service. He went on to serve in pastoral ministry in Charlotte, Hartford, St. Cloud, and Elk River, Minnesota, before retiring as a Lutheran pastor.

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Paul and his wife, Martha, are the son-in-law and daughter of the late Van and Kay Weatherspoon, cherished long-time homeowners on the island. They are grateful for their growing family: two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Dr. Jim Everett is a native of Fayetteville, and a longtime beloved figure at First Baptist Church in Wilmington, where he served on the ministry team from 1990 until his retirement in 2025 as Associate Pastor Emeritus. He holds a Bachelor's degree from UNC Pembroke, a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. In 2008, he authored A Heritage of Hope: A History of First Baptist Church, 1808–2008.

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Jim and his wife, Lisa, have been married 41 years and are the proud parents of two adult children and five grandchildren — all of whom call Wilmington home. They remain active members of First Baptist, enjoy traveling, and are enthusiastic supporters of UNCW athletics.

Rev. Dr. Dan Lewis has served as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina since 2017, bringing with him a rich academic foundation — Davidson College, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and Columbia Theological Seminary — and nearly two decades of ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church.

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Before coming to Wilmington, Dan served as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Statesboro, Georgia. He and his wife, Susan, herself an ordained minister and practicing psychotherapist, are the proud parents of daughter Elizabeth and son Jeffrey.

Rev. Mike Queen, a native of West Virginia, has given over 45 years of faithful ministry to churches across North Carolina — including 25 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Wilmington. He also served 13 years as co-coordinator of the Center for Healthy Churches–Carolinas region, a national consulting group serving Baptist and Presbyterian congregations.

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Together with colleague Jayne Davis, Mike co-authored Hopeful Imagination, a book guiding traditional churches in discerning God's direction amid a changing world.

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In retirement, Mike and his late wife, Bobbie, served together as interim pastors in four additional North Carolina churches — a shared calling that reflected their 55 years of marriage and ministry side by side.

Rev. Katherine "Katie" Harrington has served as Pastor and Head of Staff at St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington since January 2023 — making history as the first female Head of Staff in the church's over 100-year history.

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A native of Wilmington, Ohio, Katie studied Political Science and English at The College of Wooster before answering a call to ministry. She earned dual degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary — a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry — then spent seventeen years serving churches in Charlotte, most recently at Sardis Presbyterian. Active in the Charlotte Presbytery, she served as its moderator and led several key ministry teams.

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God apparently had other plans when Katie vowed she'd follow His call anywhere but the South! She and her husband Todd are happily settled in Wilmington with their two children, Max and Josie.