Rick Barker is a native of Southwestern Ohio and facilitates a weekly Bible study for former and transitioning SDAs in the Dayton, OH area. Rick graduated from Andrews University in 1987 and received a Masters degree from the University of Dayton. He previously served on the staff of the Thomas Bilney Institute for Biblical Research and is an active member of his local Lutheran church. Rick was a volunteer on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website for 6 years and remains a participant on the discussion boards. Rick and his wife Sheryl formally left the SDA chuch in 2004. Prior to this they had been active in the Miamisburg and Wilmington Ohio churches.
Chris Lee lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife, Carmen, and daughters, Ashlyn and Alyssa. They attend the Lincoln Berean Church. Chris is a self-described “theology junkie” whose mission is to proclaim the unfathomable grace of Christ in a clear, understandable, and Biblical way. He leads a Life Group Bible study for former Adventists at Lincoln Berean.
Kelsie Petersen lives near St. Paul, Alberta, Canada, with her husband Aaron and their three boys, Matthew, Tyler and Colby. Kelsie was born and raised in an Adventist home and received her elementary education degree from Canadian University College (formerly Canadian Union College, now Burman University). She is a life-long lover of music and spends her few spare moments at the piano with favorite praise songs and hymns. Kelsie and Aaron have attended St. Paul Alliance Church since leaving Adventism in 2004 and are thrilled to have found a church that preaches the simple gospel of Jesus week after week.
Dale Ratzlaff founded Life Assurance Ministries in 1999. Dale is author of Sabbath in Christ, The Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists, The Truth About the Seventh-day Adventist Truth, and Adventist to Christian. Dale was an Adventist pastor for 13 years, seven of which he spent teaching Bible at Monterey Bay Academy , La Selva Beach, California. During his doctoral studies at Andrews University in the 1980’s, Dale became convinced that the investigative judgment could not be supported by Scripture. Since he could no longer teach this doctrine, he and his wife Carolyn left the Adventist denomination. Dale and Carolyn host a Former Adventist Fellowship Bible study near Phoenix, Arizona. Dale can be reached via e-mail at Dale@Ratzlaf.com or by phone at 623-377-3090.
Nikki Stevenson lives in Southern California with her husband Carel, and two children Joshua and Abigail. Nikki is a graduate of La Sierra University where she received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She now stays at home with her two small children. Nikki and Carel are working under LAM to help facilitate an outreach for questioning and transitioning Adventist Youth. They are members of Trinity Evangelical-Free church in Redlands, CA where they are richly blessed with the faithful teaching of God’s word every week.
Colleen Tinker, the editor of Proclamation! magazine, and her husband Richard left Adventism in 1998 with their two sons, Roy and Nathanael, who were in grades six and ten. They have co-led the Former Adventist Fellowship Bible study at Trinity Church in Redlands, California, since 1999. Colleen, a graduate of Walla Walla University, is a former high school English teacher and also the former managing editor of Adventist Today magazine. She is also a small-group discussion leader for Trinity Women’s ministries. Colleen became the stepmother of Roy and Nathanael in 1989, and in 2008 she adopted them. Romans 8:15-17 has assumed new depth and significance for her and Richard since she and her sons chose to claim each other legally and permanently. She and Richard share their office with Rocky the sheltie, and they love having a new granddaughter.