Chris. Chris is originally from a state on the east coast. As a child, he attended a different type of church than the one he is ordained in at present. He remembers attending a camp as a young person that provided strong guidance and spiritual influence, particularly naming one counselor as quite influential.

Jordan. Jordan is originally from a state from the south. He is the son of a pastor and is affectionately known as a “preacher’s kid” or “PK.” Jordan said while there were “issues with his parents and they occasionally argued,” Jordan, however, “never fell away from the church.” He is married with two children and met his spouse, who is a “PK” too, while in high school.

Lynn. Lynn’s background is that he was the son of college professors and began his upbringing in a different church than he would eventually serve in as a minister. He was from a West Coast State originally and generally sought to follow in his parent’s footsteps in education. His parents were pioneers in higher education for the area. Lynn came to this Northwestern State after college to look for work.

Pat. Pat originally hails from a mid-western State. He was not raised in a church-going family because of a situation that occurred between his father and the local pastor when he was young. Consequently, he was not raised in the church. When he was around 16, he started to go to church primarily influenced by romantic interest. However, after several visits, he was convinced that the leadership and serving in the church was a direction for him.

Riley. Riley is actively serving in the United States military. He is originally from a mid-western State and was a pastor for many years in that state. His influence within church started when he was a young teenager, but he did not know how to proceed with his calling. He was invited by a minister from a different group of churches to go to a special conference with a well-known religious speaker. A counselor at that conference provided Riley with the information he needed to act effectively on the calling he received many years earlier.

Terry. Terry is originally from a state in the deep south. He served in the military for a considerable length of time which brought him and his spouse to the Northwestern State of this study of this study. His experience with the church began with an encounter with a Chaplain at a hospital. Terry and his spouse just lost a baby, and that Chaplain was there to comfort both of them. His appreciation of that chaplain led him and his spouse to attend chapel services and six months later decided to become serious in his faith.