LEAD PASTOR
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While attending the University of Minnesota, Jim Bradford was called on to lead a small group of students in a weekly bible study. As he worked his way through his undergraduate and graduate degrees, this small group grew. By the time Jim was set to defend his doctoral thesis, he felt increasingly drawn to full-time pastoral ministry. Armed with a bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, a master’s degree and Phd in Aerospace Engineering, Jim bypassed a career at NASA in favor of the opportunity to pursue God’s call on his life into vocational ministry. What started as a small bible study at the University of Minnesota had grown into a full-fledged congregation of young believers.

Through the years, Pastor Jim’s ministry has taken him to pastor churches in Costa Mesa, Ca., Vancouver, British Columbia, and Central Assembly in Springfield, MO. For eight years, he also served as one of the four executives who led the Assemblies of God National Office. He is a highly sought after teacher who is called on to speak around the world. But home for him is the pulpit at Central Assembly. Every week, we are lovingly challenged by Pastor Jim to pursue Jesus and open ourselves up to the heart-shaping work of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Jim and Sandi have two daughters, Meredith (married to Danny Sebastian) and Angeline (married to Michael Bradford), as well as a pretty perfect grandson, Paxton Sebastian.

EXECUTIVE PASTOR
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Carter McDaniel first volunteered at Central during his time as a Mathematics major at Evangel University. Due to his proficiency, expertise, and commitment to Central, Carter was eventually hired as Information Technology Director.

Through that role, it became obvious that Carter understood far more than just the technological needs of the church… he understood what was necessary to capably run the ministries of a church Central’s size. In 2011 Carter was asked to serve Central as business administrator. In this role, Carter successfully led a restructuring of the church that became instrumental in helping Central improve its facilities and overall financial health. Carter’s steady, trustworthy leadership saw Central through the difficult but necessary financial challenge of tackling much needed maintenance projects.

Pastor Carter was licensed and named as Executive Pastor in 2017. In this role, Pastor Carter continues to give capable oversight to the financial and budgetary needs of the church, and also works closely with Pastor Jim to lead the staff of Central Assembly and the day-to-day operations of the church.

Pastor Carter and wife, Jill, are both licensed ministers with the Assemblies of God, and have three children: Carter T., Martha, and Eleanor.

FAMILY MINISTRIES PASTOR
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Josh Seaman is our Family Ministries Pastor. Josh is a licensed minister and also holds a Master’s degree as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

For approximately 15 years Josh was a counselor at Pipkin Middle School. His education, coupled with his experience as a middle school counselor, is a powerful combination for understanding both the great joys and occasional challenges families can run into. He is routinely called on to lead workshops for parents who are grappling with the developmental changes that their children face.

In addition to his education and experience, what you immediately notice about Josh is his deep love for Jesus and his steady approach in shepherding and leading those around him.

Josh and wife, Jennifer, have two children: Lily and Garrett.

ADULT MINISTRIES PASTOR
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Central’s mission is to help people connect to God, others and to their purpose in life. That is at the core of Pastor Anthony Matrone’s mission.

Serving as our Connections Pastor, he is responsible for helping people connect with one another, as well as connecting with the various ministries and activities of the church. He has been key to the ongoing development of small group ministries at Central, and can be heard leading discussions with top group ministry minds on the Central Group Leadership Podcast.

Pastor Anthony hosts the Meet the Pastor reception that introduces our pastoral staff to new attendees. He also led the development of an innovative StrenghFinders-based Serve Class designed to help people identify and customize ways in which they can serve others. Anthony can often be found at the Central Hub counter in the foyer helping people connect with each other and the ministries of Central Assembly.

Anthony and his wife, Cynthia, have three children: Annabelle, Alex, and August.

WORSHIP PASTOR
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Although he took piano lessons at age 4, Pastor Josh Shaffer’s love for worship and music of the church truly began a few years later. As he traveled with his father, who was a minister in Pennsylvania, he would often be asked to help lead worship at the piano.

This led Josh to pursue a degree in Church Music through the University of Valley Forge. In his final year of school, he was invited to join the staff of The Bridge Church in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, where he spent 12 years leading their music community while simultaneously serving as the PennDel district worship leader.

As Worship Pastor at Central, Josh oversees all aspects of Central Worship, which includes our worship team, band, orchestra, and the Central Worship Choir. Josh brings a humble and genuine pursuit of God’s presence to our services—always marrying excellence with anointing—as we praise God together through music.

Josh and his wife, Keena, have two children, Maverick and Sarina.

SENIOR ADULTS & MISSIONS PASTOR
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Greg Johns grew up at Central as a child, where as a member of Central’s youth group he received a calling to be a missionary to South Africa. After receiving a BA in Bible from Central Bible College, an MA in Christian Education from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from Nova University (Ft. Lauderdale), Greg and his wife, Emily, served 25 years as missionaries—and eventually area directors—in South Africa. After completing missionary service, Greg served as Campus Pastor/Director of Spiritual Life at Evangel University for 7 years.

As Central’s Senior Adults & Missions Pastor, Greg builds community with and ministers to senior adults, and facilitates outreach at a local, national, and global level through the administration of Central’s Footprint Fund.

Greg and his wife, Dr. Emily Johns, have two children, Douglas (married to Megan Miller Johns), Audrey (married to Nathaniel Adkins) and one amazing grandson, Isaac.

CARE & COMMUNITY PASTOR
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Each one of us is customized by God with a capacity to love others. This capacity is clearly evident in the life of Pastor David Jayne. Pastor David leads our Pastoral Care Team and is a great example of how we are to love and care for one another. It’s not unusual to see Pastor David arrive at one of the hospitals at 4:30 in the morning for a time of prayer with someone facing surgery.

Pastor David has a Masters Degree from AGTS and has been a credentialed minister for over 45 years. He has helped people work their way through some of life’s most challenging times. He also serves on various community initiatives such as the Mayor’s Task Force on Crisis Sheltering, the Springfield Impacting Poverty Commission, and the CoxHealth Patient Family Advisory Council. Our congregation is truly blessed to have Pastor David Jayne leading our Pastoral Care team.

YOUNG ADULTS PASTOR
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From working in construction as an operations manager to serving on submarines in the United States Navy; from controlling equipment for a Navy Nuclear Power Plant to being commissioned as a Navy Reserve Chaplain… Pastor Craig Grigson has accomplished a lot over the years.

Craig also has extensive background in teaching and training, both in corporate and ministry environments. He received his BS in Church Ministry from Evangel University in 2017, and went on to earn his Master of Divinity from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in 2021. He has served Central in many volunteer capacities, including Small Group Coach, Grief Share Facilitator, Pastoral Care Intern, and as a 5th Grade Wednesday Night teacher for Central Kids.

As our Young Adults Pastor, Craig helps college students and young professionals connect to the life of our church, and he ministers to the specific needs and experiences they face as they build their lives and further their walk with God. Craig and his wife, Jonel, have four children: Jude, Titus, Stella, and Cecilia.

HIGH SCHOOL PASTOR
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Chris Noble was born in Chicago and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Chris brings high-energy and a genuine care, love, and concern for teenagers navigating the sometimes turbulent, often unpredictable, and always critically important years of high school. Chris’ goal is to see students transformed through prayer and God’s word, and his passion is to help that next generation discover and develop the gifts and talents God has given them so they can use them in the world for His glory.

Chris is a former traveling recording artist who enjoys working out and spending time with his family. He and wife, Kiara, were married in 2011 and have three children: Brooklyn, Caleb, and Kota.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PASTOR
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Pastor Casey Wray’s life has been motivated by his desire to impact the lives of kids and teens, help them connect with their Creator, and fully realize their potential in Christ.

Casey brings an extremely relational and practical background to ministry, specifically as it relates to students. He is a licensed professional counselor with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. Casey brings prior experience as a children's pastor, and is currently the President and CEO of the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, a highly regarded nonprofit in southwest Missouri which provides support and care to the foster system and at-risk youth. Casey and Lindsay have three children: Taylor, Coen, and Camden.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PASTOR
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Jill McDaniel has impacted countless families through various ministry roles at Central Assembly.

For six years Jill was our Preschool ministry director, helping coordinate those first moments of teaching and sharing the love of Jesus with young minds and hearts. She has also served as a director of our moms’ group and table host, and was our Women’s Ministry director for 2 years.

Originally from Detroit, Jill moved to Springfield to attend Evangel University, where she was a Social Work and English major. As a writer, Jill has contributed to and developed preschool and elementary curriculum for the Assemblies of God National Office, and has written devotions for the She Reads Truth series, among many other projects.

Jill and husband, Carter, love Springfield and consider it a “happy medium” between Memphis and Detroit. They have three children: Carter T., Martha, and Eleanor.

CONNECTIONS PASTOR
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Liz Wright was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, and graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.

Liz joined Central’s team in 2022 as Groups Director. Quickly after taking on this role, Liz helped relaunch small group ministry through the training, equipping, and encouraging of leaders. Liz has a passion for seeing people of all ages connect to God and each other, and brings ministry experience from her previous church where she served both as Director of Children’s Ministries for 11 years and on an ongoing missions leadership team for 7 years.

Liz enjoys traveling, attending Mizzou sporting events when possible, and cheering on her kids in all endeavors. Liz and husband, Sean, have been married since 2004. They have two children, Braden and Bella.

SENIOR DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS
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Collin Wray has been a part of Central Assembly since moving to Springfield as a teenager. He and his wife, Beth, met and began dating as members of Central’s youth group in the late 90’s and served together in Central’s choir for 16 years.

Collin joined the staff as Communications Director in 2019, and by early 2020, the effects of the pandemic had made pre-production of services a necessity for Central. In 2021, Collin’s role was expanded to Senior Director of both online and on-campus services, ensuring consistency for our global and in-person congregation.

Collin and Beth have two sons, Parker and Dawson, who love being involved in Central Kids and “helping” dad wherever possible.

SENIOR DIRECTOR, BUSINESS & FINANCE
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Keith Morgan is a CPA with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. From Marion, Illinois, Keith’s career in public accounting includes 20 years in Salem, Illinois, in income tax, bank, school and municipal auditing. As a resident in the Springfield area since 2001, he has continued in public accounting in tax and audit work, including churches. Keith served as a church administrator in Nixa, Missouri, from 2009-2017, while maintaining a private income tax practice and serving as an affiliate of a local CPA firm. He returned to full-time accounting in tax practice in 2018 and joined Central’s team in August of 2021.

Keith has been a foster parent and mentor to many kids, some with legal and complex issues. He continues to be a mentor and father-figure to those who come his way and maintains lifelong relationships with most of them. Keith is a keyboard musician and enjoys working with kids in music. He is an avid classic car guy and has an extensive collection of model cars.

DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE & FACILITIES
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Chad Shell is the rare jack of all trades who is also master of most. He leads the maintenance team that cares for Central’s facilities, and with over 200,000 square feet of space, that’s a job that never ends. Chad has had extensive experience as a contractor in construction and HVAC, which gives him unique insight and abilities to not only get the work done when possible, but to hire out qualified, trustworthy contractors when necessary.

Chad’s family moved to Springfield when he was 7 years old, so he’s a long-term member of the Central family and a product of Central’s children and youth ministries. Chad also leads both uniformed and non-uniformed members of our security team, and serves as the Assistant Chief for the Ebenezer Fire Protection in north Springfield.

Chad and his wife, Stefanie, have three adult sons: Connor, Brayden, and Taylor.

RESOURCE DIRECTOR
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Melinda Stovall’s famiily ties to Central Assembly go back quite some time, with relatives attending or even serving on staff since the early 1900s. Melinda’s time on Central’s staff began in July of 2005, but she has attended here since 1988. She brings excellence and expertise to her role managing the scheduling, logistics, and upkeep of Central’s facilities.

Melinda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Ministry, and has earned multiple certificates from the Facilities Masters Series on various subjects in the industry.

Melinda and husband, Richard, have been married since 1989 and have three adult sons: Seth, Azariah and Noah. Her hobbies include remodeling and woodworking, reading, taking trips with her two sisters, and walking the woods and creek on her property.

SUNDAY MORNING GROUPS COORDINATOR
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As groups director, Ron Billings helps coordinate the various Bible study or discussion-based classes that meet during our 9:00am and 10:45am services.

Ron was born in Arkansas and spent over 35 years pastoring in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. He leads the Sunday Morning Journey Class discussion and has been the Sunday Morning Groups Director since 2019.

Ron and wife, Sherry, have been married 45 years, and have two grown daughters and six grandchildren.

OFFICE MANAGER, ASSISTANT TO LEAD PASTOR & EXECUTIVE PASTOR
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Sharon Faison serves as office manager and administrative assistant to Lead Pastor Dr. Jim Bradford and Executive Pastor Carter McDaniel. Sharon was born and raised in New York of Italian descent, and if you’ve had her cooking, you know. Sharon and husband, Mark, have been married since 1975, and have two married daughters, Aimee and Annie; two adopted sons[-in-law], and an especially well-loved granddaughter, Olivia.

Sharon and Mark have spent time in various ministry roles throughout their marriage, including 10 years in Alaska. Sharon is now in her 16th year of keeping things on the rails for the staff at Central. Her love for family, people, cooking, and hospitality is obvious to anyone who has ever spent even just a few moments with her, and Central is a better place because of her selfless leadership and servant heart.