The Team

Jay McSwain, President and Founder Email: jay@placeministries.org Jay's passion for local churches, and the ministers and their families who faithfully serve them, drive him daily. Whether traveling or at home in our Atlanta office, Jay is in continuous contact with them, helping and encouraging them both personally and professionally. You can find Jay facilitating our workshops, consulting with pastors and churches, at conferences and conventions, or at a local bookstore taking in the latest on leadership, management, or politics. It's also his favorite environment to work on his laptop, developing new and innovative resources for the ministry. Jay is committed to his local church as both a PLACE Facilitator and PLACE Consultant, and as a friend to the ministers and the staff. Jay is a loving and attentive husband and father. Back To Top
Ginger McSwain, Co-Founder Email: ginger@placeministries.org Ginger continues to be involved in many aspects of PLACE Ministries since the birth of her and Jay's first child in September 2000 and their second child in 2002. Her 13 years of corporate experience prior to co-founding PLACE Ministries with Jay brings a welcomed perspective to new projects and materials. She enjoys traveling and representing the ministry at conventions, workshops, and to churches. She facilitates our Adult PLACE Workshops and our Consultation Training. She serves as both a PLACE Facilitator and PLACE Consultant in her local church. She loves to "piddle around" and provide a loving and nurturing environment for her family and friends. Back To Top
Kraig Kelsey, Executive Director Email: kraig@placeministries.org Kraig became the Executive Director of PLACE Ministries in December of 2000. He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and brings with him over 10 years of ministry experience and 8 years of corporate management. Kraig leads our organization by overseeing all areas of ministry and has played an important role in the development of our PLACE product line and our marketing endeavors. He is a "listening ear" to all our customers and enjoys hearing how PLACE is being implemented across the nation. Through this, he continually gleans innovative ideas and suggestions for improving our ministry. Kraig facilitates our PLACE and Student PLACE Workshops both on the road and in his local church where he also serves as a PLACE Consultant and Facilitator. His creative and positive attitude, as well as his shared passion for the ministries of PLACE, is truly a blessing to our team. Kraig, and his wife Missy, have been married for over 20 years and have three sons: Koby, Klay, and Kyler. Back To Top
Brad Sargent, Ministry Strategist Email: brad@placeministries.org Brad’s business card says, “Superhero Sidekick: I help people identify, validate, amplify, and activate their superpowers.” He enjoys developing resources that equip everyday disciples, and in the late 1990s, he helped Jay conceptualize and write the initial assessments used by PLACE Ministries. In 2007, he joined the mobilyzr team. Brad brings to this role extensive experience in non-profit work, mentoring next generation leaders, and pioneering new churches, agencies, and networks. He blends skills in cultural research, paradigm analysis, and discipleship systems for a unique perspective on current ministries and future possibilities. Since the mid-1990s, Brad has addressed such technical strategy topics as contextualization, sustainable/organic systems, learning styles and creativity, biblical leadership in emerging cultural edges, recovery from spiritual abuse, and holistic discipleship. He blogs at http://futuristguy.wordpress.com. Back To Top
Missy Kelsey, Ministry Assistant Email: missy@placeministries.org Missy is a Ministry Assistant at PLACE. You may have spoken to Missy when placing an order or checking on a shipment. She leads in the fulfillment needs of our ministry, maintains the product inventory, and is responsible for all shipping. Missy also manages our customer contact information, assists with all inquiries including internet response, and assures all preparations for PLACE National Training Workshops. Missy is the wife of Kraig (Executive Director) and the proud mother of their three sons. She enjoys reading and researching, along with being an active soccer mom. Back To Top
Denise Mathias , Ministry Assistant Email: denise@placeministries.org Denise is a full-time Ministry Consultant, fulfilling various needs of PLACE Ministries. You may have spoken to Denise after ordering PLACE product or seen her creative side in the design of many of our products, brochures, and emails. Back To Top
Barbara Valerioti, Online Database Specialist Email: barbara@placeministries.org Barbara comes to PLACE Ministries with a client services and administration background in Human Resources and Training and Development. She guides our customers in utilizing the online database and assists our churches in getting the most out of the PLACE process with this tool. Barbara and her husband have been married over 20 years, live in Alpharetta, and have two children. Back To Top
Cecily Johnson, Ministry Account Manager Email: cjohnson@mccarhomes.com Cecily joined our ministry team in May of 2006, and comes with much experience in the accounting field. She manages and maintains the overall function of the ministry budget, and is responsible for accounts payable and payroll. Cecily also balances product inventory and provides information to our Founders and Executive Director as they lead our ministry into the future. Back To Top
Quentine Lofton, Georgia Field Representative Email: quentine@placeministries.org Quentine works with many churches in the Southeastern section of Georgia. He is a PLACE Facilitator and personal development/time management trainer. He has over 25 years experience in several key positions including Vice President of sales for AT-A-GLANCE, the leading American manufacturer of planners. His unique interactive teaching approach takes you on a visual journey through the PLACE Workshop. He continues to visit and guide churches, as well as facilitate PLACE Workshops and other PLACE trainings throughout Southeast Georgia. He and his wife Sharon reside in Social Circle, Georgia. Back To Top
LaJoyce Lawton, West Coast Field Representative LaJoyce works with many churches in the West Coast area. She is a PLACE Facilitator. LaJoyce has over 20 years experience in several key ministry positions, including facilitating and instructing within the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She continues to visit and guide churches, as well as facilitate PLACE Workshops and other PLACE trainings throughout the West Coast region. Back To Top
Blake and Susan Paul, PLACE Representatives Blake and Susan Paul have been involved as volunteers and staff members in ministry with the Assemblies of God for over 20 years. They have served in many ministry positions, including Youth Ministers, Teachers, Small Group Leaders, Executive Pastor, and Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries. They have been on staff of several churches ranging in size from 300 to 1,000. Both have degrees in Education, and Blake also has a degree in Business Administration. Susan spent 15 years as a public school educator. In June 2006 Blake and Susan began serving on staff with the Arkansas District Assemblies of God. They are involved in helping churches in areas of Business, Leadership, Team Building, Ministry Development, and, of course. the implementation of PLACE. Blake and Susan are passionate about the use of PLACE as a God-given tool to help pastors and leaders discover the treasury of gifts that are sitting in each congregation. Blake and Susan have two boys, Cale and Joshua. They are all actively involved within their local church, Malvern First Assembly of God. Back To Top
Jim Baker, PLACE Representative Jim Baker is Associate Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. In this role, he is committed to developing and and called her to be in order to make disciples of Jesus Christequipping the church to become all God has uniquely gifted. In his 35-plus years of ministry experience, Jim has led the church to determine and implement its mission, vision, and strategies by maximizing its human, financial, physical, and spiritual resources. Jim is a graduate of Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He is an accomplished author and speaker, and serves on the Board of Directors for PLACE Ministries. Back To Top
Lisa Baker, PLACE Representative Lisa Baker is the PLACE Coordinator at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. She regularly teaches PLACE classes and individually consults with participants, helping them understand who they are and why they are here. Lisa leads people to discover ministries in which they would be effective, but also guides them to determine how to be spiritually productive in their everyday lives. Lisa is creative in the visual arts and in problem solving. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with an emphasis in painting, from the University of Memphis. Her more recent degree is that of PURPOSE from the school of life experiences and many years of personal study in the area of temperaments and gifting. Lisa is intrigued by the uniquenesses of individuals. She is passionate about helping them understand the connections of how God has wired them, how He has shown up in their lives in the past, and how He can use them for His glory. Back To Top
John Rushing, PLACE Representative Holding a deep conviction that spiritual growth and ministry never ends in the lives of people, John is committed to an adult ministry environment in which men and women experience the ongoing power of life change through Christ. Authentic, Christ-honoring relationships with Jesus and with others demonstrate the abundant, full life Jesus talked about in John 10:10. As we model authentic Christianity to those coming after us, we’re still becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ today! John and his wife, Wanda, have two children, Amanda and Michael. Back To Top

Jay McSwain, President and Founder
Email: jay@placeministries.org

Jay's passion for local churches, and the ministers and their families who faithfully serve them, drive him daily. Whether traveling or at home in our Atlanta office, Jay is in continuous contact with them, helping and encouraging them both personally and professionally. You can find Jay facilitating our workshops, consulting with pastors and churches, at conferences and conventions, or at a local bookstore taking in the latest on leadership, management, or politics. It's also his favorite environment to work on his laptop, developing new and innovative resources for the ministry. Jay is committed to his local church as both a PLACE Facilitator and PLACE Consultant, and as a friend to the ministers and the staff. Jay is a loving and attentive husband and father.

Ginger McSwain, Co-Founder
Email: ginger@placeministries.org

Ginger continues to be involved in many aspects of PLACE Ministries since the birth of her and Jay's first child in September 2000 and their second child in 2002. Her 13 years of corporate experience prior to co-founding PLACE Ministries with Jay brings a welcomed perspective to new projects and materials. She enjoys traveling and representing the ministry at conventions, workshops, and to churches. She facilitates our Adult PLACE Workshops and our Consultation Training. She serves as both a PLACE Facilitator and PLACE Consultant in her local church. She loves to "piddle around" and provide a loving and nurturing environment for her family and friends.

Kraig Kelsey, Executive Director
Email: kraig@placeministries.org

Kraig became the Executive Director of PLACE Ministries in December of 2000. He is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and brings with him over 10 years of ministry experience and 8 years of corporate management. Kraig leads our organization by overseeing all areas of ministry and has played an important role in the development of our PLACE product line and our marketing endeavors. He is a "listening ear" to all our customers and enjoys hearing how PLACE is being implemented across the nation. Through this, he continually gleans innovative ideas and suggestions for improving our ministry. Kraig facilitates our PLACE and Student PLACE Workshops both on the road and in his local church where he also serves as a PLACE Consultant and Facilitator. His creative and positive attitude, as well as his shared passion for the ministries of PLACE, is truly a blessing to our team. Kraig, and his wife Missy, have been married for over 20 years and have three sons: Koby, Klay, and Kyler.

Brad Sargent, Ministry Strategist
Email: brad@placeministries.org

Brad’s business card says, “Superhero Sidekick: I help people identify, validate, amplify, and activate their superpowers.” He enjoys developing resources that equip everyday disciples, and in the late 1990s, he helped Jay conceptualize and write the initial assessments used by PLACE Ministries. In 2007, he joined the mobilyzr team. Brad brings to this role extensive experience in non-profit work, mentoring next generation leaders, and pioneering new churches, agencies, and networks. He blends skills in cultural research, paradigm analysis, and discipleship systems for a unique perspective on current ministries and future possibilities. Since the mid-1990s, Brad has addressed such technical strategy topics as contextualization, sustainable/organic systems, learning styles and creativity, biblical leadership in emerging cultural edges, recovery from spiritual abuse, and holistic discipleship. He blogs at http://futuristguy.wordpress.com.

Missy Kelsey, Ministry Assistant
Email: missy@placeministries.org

Missy is a Ministry Assistant at PLACE. You may have spoken to Missy when placing an order or checking on a shipment. She leads in the fulfillment needs of our ministry, maintains the product inventory, and is responsible for all shipping. Missy also manages our customer contact information, assists with all inquiries including internet response, and assures all preparations for PLACE National Training Workshops. Missy is the wife of Kraig (Executive Director) and the proud mother of their three sons. She enjoys reading and researching, along with being an active soccer mom.

Denise Mathias , Ministry Assistant
Email: denise@placeministries.org

Denise is a full-time Ministry Consultant, fulfilling various needs of PLACE Ministries. You may have spoken to Denise after ordering PLACE product or seen her creative side in the design of many of our products, brochures, and emails.

Barbara Valerioti, Online Database Specialist
Email: barbara@placeministries.org

Barbara comes to PLACE Ministries with a client services and administration background in Human Resources and Training and Development. She guides our customers in utilizing the online database and assists our churches in getting the most out of the PLACE process with this tool. Barbara and her husband have been married over 20 years, live in Alpharetta, and have two children.

Cecily Johnson, Ministry Account Manager
Email: cjohnson@mccarhomes.com

Cecily joined our ministry team in May of 2006, and comes with much experience in the accounting field. She manages and maintains the overall function of the ministry budget, and is responsible for accounts payable and payroll. Cecily also balances product inventory and provides information to our Founders and Executive Director as they lead our ministry into the future.

Quentine Lofton, Georgia Field Representative
Email: quentine@placeministries.org

Quentine works with many churches in the Southeastern section of Georgia. He is a PLACE Facilitator and personal development/time management trainer. He has over 25 years experience in several key positions including Vice President of sales for AT-A-GLANCE, the leading American manufacturer of planners. His unique interactive teaching approach takes you on a visual journey through the PLACE Workshop. He continues to visit and guide churches, as well as facilitate PLACE Workshops and other PLACE trainings throughout Southeast Georgia. He and his wife Sharon reside in Social Circle, Georgia.

LaJoyce Lawton, West Coast Field Representative

LaJoyce works with many churches in the West Coast area. She is a PLACE Facilitator. LaJoyce has over 20 years experience in several key ministry positions, including facilitating and instructing within the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She continues to visit and guide churches, as well as facilitate PLACE Workshops and other PLACE trainings throughout the West Coast region.

Blake and Susan Paul, PLACE Representatives

Blake and Susan Paul have been involved as volunteers and staff members in ministry with the Assemblies of God for over 20 years. They have served in many ministry positions, including Youth Ministers, Teachers, Small Group Leaders, Executive Pastor, and Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries. They have been on staff of several churches ranging in size from 300 to 1,000. Both have degrees in Education, and Blake also has a degree in Business Administration. Susan spent 15 years as a public school educator.

In June 2006 Blake and Susan began serving on staff with the Arkansas District Assemblies of God. They are involved in helping churches in areas of Business, Leadership, Team Building, Ministry Development, and, of course. the implementation of PLACE. Blake and Susan are passionate about the use of PLACE as a God-given tool to help pastors and leaders discover the treasury of gifts that are sitting in each congregation.

Blake and Susan have two boys, Cale and Joshua. They are all actively involved within their local church, Malvern First Assembly of God.

Jim Baker, PLACE Representative

Jim Baker is Associate Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. In this role, he is committed to developing and and called her to be in order to make disciples of Jesus Christequipping the church to become all God has uniquely gifted. In his 35-plus years of ministry experience, Jim has led the church to determine and implement its mission, vision, and strategies by maximizing its human, financial, physical, and spiritual resources. Jim is a graduate of Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He is an accomplished author and speaker, and serves on the Board of Directors for PLACE Ministries.

Lisa Baker, PLACE Representative

Lisa Baker is the PLACE Coordinator at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. She regularly teaches PLACE classes and individually consults with participants, helping them understand who they are and why they are here. Lisa leads people to discover ministries in which they would be effective, but also guides them to determine how to be spiritually productive in their everyday lives. Lisa is creative in the visual arts and in problem solving. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with an emphasis in painting, from the University of Memphis. Her more recent degree is that of PURPOSE from the school of life experiences and many years of personal study in the area of temperaments and gifting. Lisa is intrigued by the uniquenesses of individuals. She is passionate about helping them understand the connections of how God has wired them, how He has shown up in their lives in the past, and how He can use them for His glory.

John Rushing, PLACE Representative

Holding a deep conviction that spiritual growth and ministry never ends in the lives of people, John is committed to an adult ministry environment in which men and women experience the ongoing power of life change through Christ. Authentic, Christ-honoring relationships with Jesus and with others demonstrate the abundant, full life Jesus talked about in John 10:10. As we model authentic Christianity to those coming after us, we’re still becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ today! John and his wife, Wanda, have two children, Amanda and Michael.

testimonies