JHJones470x615 The Rev. Canon Jessica H. Jones, PhD

Provincial Canon for Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI)

Canon Jessica Jones was raised in the parish and diocesan ministry and was ordained in 2017. She has served in a variety of positions, including as a worship leader, as a Director for Christian Formation, and as an Executive Pastor. Jessica's educational experience has set her up to blend education, worship, and theology; she holds a PhD, a Specialist's degree, and a Master's degree, all in Educational Leadership, a Doctorate in Worship Studies, and her undergraduate degree is in Music Education. Jessica is the Associate Academic Dean, Thesis Director, and Professor at the Webber Institute for Worship Studies. She currently serves as the Canon for Next Generation Discipleship in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. Her areas of interest include education, leadership development, worship and liturgy, catechesis, family ministry, and ministry to women.

Melanie JohnsonMelanie Johnson

Director of NGLI Communications

Melanie is the parish administrator at Trinity Anglican Church in Thomasville. She became an Anglican when she married her husband Loys and shortly afterwards quit her professional job to eventually become a stay-at-home mom and homeschooler of their three boys. In the early days of the Anglican Mission, Melanie launched a freelance web and graphic design business from home and helped new church plants establish an online presence. She has worked professionally as a writer and editor, landing at Microsoft after authoring the first Frommer’s Guide to Montana and Wyoming, and co-founding Grammar Nerds Club, a digital grammar curriculum company for classical homeschoolers. Melanie is thrilled to be coming alongside each of her fellow teammates as they work to discover, develop, and deploy the next generation of ACNA leaders.

Connect with Melanie Johnson

BSims470x615 pxThe Rev. Bryan Sims, PhD

Leadership and Organizational Change Coach

Bryan is an Anglican priest and has worked since 2001 as a Leadership and Organizational Change Coach with SLI. He has trained and coached leaders, teams, churches, and organizations over extended periods of time to bring spiritual awakening and missional effectiveness. He has coached in Anglican, Methodist, Free Methodist, Wesleyan, Baptist, Presbyterian, and non-denominational settings. Bryan has also been a professor of Leadership and Lay Equipping at Asbury Theological Seminary since 2011. His teaching expertise relates to team leadership, equipping, leading change, adaptive spiritual leadership, and the link between leadership and discipleship. Bryan is a graduate of West Texas A&M University (1998) and Asbury Theological Seminary (M.Div., 2003) and has a Ph. D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University (2009). He is the author of Leading Together: Embodying Kenosis through our Greatest Challenges (100M Publishing, 2021) and has authored a chapter in Leadership the Wesleyan Way (Emeth Press, 2016). He and his wife MyLinda have been happily married since 1997 and have four children: Isaiah, Luke, Silas, and Lydia.

Meg Greto 470x615The Rev. Canon Megan Greto

Director of NGLI Family Leadership Network

The Rev. Canon Megan Greto serves as a Deacon in the Triangle Deanery and was ordained to the Diaconate in July 2020. In September, she joined the Diocese as Canon for Ethics and Protection. Her role will be to support the Bishop with policies, training, and resources to foster safeguarding in each of our churches. Meg also serves as the Family Ministry Leadership Network Director for the ACNA with the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI). She was most recently the Family Ministry Director at All Saints for 5.5 years.

Megan and Michael, her husband, and their 3 children live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She hikes, trail runs, and is often outside with their family dog, Gnocchi. As a family, they love to camp, hike, bike, host family and friends on the patio, grill out and COOK!

AaronB470x615The Rev. Aaron Buttery

Director of NGLI Student Leadership Network

Rev. Aaron Buttery is deeply committed to the raising of generations of spiritual leaders and followers of Jesus. As a 20+ year Next Generation ministry leader, a two-time Church Planter, and currently an Executive Leadership Coach with Spiritual Leadership Inc., he has also served in various other student ministry and diocesan leadership positions. He is particularly focused and passionate about the relationships and systems that empower young people to follow Jesus and lead others to him. Aaron currently leads as Associate Rector of International Anglican Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Next Generation Leadership for the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO).

PeterL470x615Mr. Peter Lebhar

Director of NGLI Campus Leadership Network

Mr. Peter Lebhar serves as the Team Leader for InterVarsity Tallahassee, overseeing the ministry at Florida State University, Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, and Tallahassee Community College. Peter is a diligent servant-leader in the Anglican church.  He works to equip churches to reach college campuses through strengthening partnerships with national para-church ministries such as Cru, CCO (formerly the Coalition for Christian Outreach), and InterVarsity, and through connecting Anglicans who are seeking to reach their local college campus. Peter longs for Church unity, both denominationally and culturally. He also has a deep love for the ACNA and the global Anglican communion.

TIshii470x615The Rev. Taylor Ishii

Director of NGLI Antioch Leadership Network

Rev. Taylor Ishii grew up in the church but has called the Anglican Church his home since college. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary. Taylor has worked at Anglican churches of all sizes, from church plants to large congregations and everything in between. He currently serves as the Director of Student Ministry and Assisting Clergy at Church of the Apostles in Fairhope, Alabama. Taylor is passionate about equipping the next generation of ethnically diverse leaders for the Anglican Church and coming alongside dioceses and congregations who want to reach all nations and people groups in their community with the gospel. Taylor is a leader in the Anglican Multiethnic Network (AMEN) and a leader in a local group of churches working towards Christ-centered racial reconciliation through the church in South Alabama.

DReece470x615The Rev. Canon Diane Reece

Director of NGLI Women's Leadership Network

The Rev. Canon Diane Reece is a vocational deacon, community chaplain, and the registrar for the Jurisdiction of Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC). She also is a member of the Standing Committee for the JAFC. Diane earned her bachelor's degree in Operations Management, focusing on Human Resource Management, from Campbell University. She also graduated with a Master of Divinity from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. Before her vocational shift to ministry, Canon Diane served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, managing operations in various Air Force wings and squadrons worldwide. With a background in training/consulting and over twenty-five years of experience in Ops and Customer Service Management, she has served and utilized her expertise in various roles at the diocesan and Provincial levels of the Anglican church. Diane is the founder and CEO of The Deacon Doula, LLC. She is a professional life coach, retreat leader, and certified doula. Canon Diane loves God and has the heart of a servant-leader. She is the proud wife of Fr. Lamar D. Reece and mom of three beautiful children.

KathyAyresKathy Ayres

Coordinator for Access Leadership Network

Kathy Ayres grew up in a strong Christian family and has been actively volunteering in ministry since her teen years. Kathy and her husband Bob have six adult children who came to them through adoption (two of whom are deaf) and a dozen delightful grandchildren! Together in 2000, Bob and Kathy established Deaf Teen Quest (DTQ), which now is a national ministry of Youth For Christ USA. After a 35-year career in Occupational Therapy, Kathy sensed a call to ministry with people affected by disabilities and is in the ordination process to serve as a vocational deacon. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Religion with a focus on Catechesis & Christian Formation at Trinity School for Ministry. Kathy has a passion to help churches become more accessible, creating communities of belonging for growth and service for individuals with and without disabilities. Kathy and Bob live in Gainesville, Florida, and serve at Servants of Christ Anglican Church. They enjoy riding their electric bikes, exploring small towns and classic architecture, as well as good food and fellowship with family and friends near and far.