Rev. Heather Wachendorf is proud to be an Iowa native who grew up in Adel and currently lives in the Lower Beaver Neighborhood. She has lived in California and Illinois and loves to travel, but her roots are in the Midwestern soil. Heather is married to Mark and they have two adult children who also live in Des Moines.

The call to ministry began early for Heather, but she resisted the call until later in life. When the spirit first whispered in her ear on the holy ground of the Christian Conference Center in Newton, she dismissed it believing that only perfect people are ministers. Turns out, pastors are people, too — imperfect works in progress. Once she figured that out, she entered and completed the Upper Midwest commissioned ministry program. A few years later she entered seminary, completed her Master of Divinity at Lexington Theological Seminary, and became an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ.

In college, Heather was an art major and went on to earn a Master of Fine Art in sculpture. She creates art for her own enjoyment and incorporates it into her ministry when possible. Heather also enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and kayaking, or just sitting in nature listening to the conversation of the trees and songs of the birds. She frequently wears the evidence of her pack — 3 dogs and 2 cats — who shed quite amazingly and love completely. And although she has never been blessed to own one, she is obsessed with llamas.

Heather's biggest pet peeve is waste — wasted resources, wasted potential, wasted time. She believes justice work helps us ensure that resources are distributed equitably, people are able to thrive and use their gifts, and communities dedicate themselves to projects and processes that affirm and celebrate the importance of all people. Heather believes the church has a responsibility to care for all of God's creation by living sustainably and working for the equitable treatment of all people.

Jason has served as NBCC's Community Ministry Organizer since March 2022. He is also a part-time United Methodist Church (UMC) pastor for a rural congregation north of Ames. Jason has been involved in ministry since 2019 when he was hired as an executive pastor for a UMC church in Iowa City. Previously, Jason worked in public education and management. He is working on a Doctor of Ministry degree through a United Methodist seminary in Kansas City, with plans to graduate in spring 2024. Jason is also completing a graduate certification in spiritual direction. He enjoys being involved in a variety of ministry roles.

Jason lives in Ames with his wife and five children. His hobbies include attending his children’s events, reading, writing, and watching the Iowa State Cyclones.

Michael Terrell earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Drake University in 2015 and his Master of Education in 2019, also through Drake. Michael works as an elementary orchestra teacher for the West Des Moines Community School District where he has the pleasure of teaching 4th–6th grade small group lessons and ensembles.

Michael has maintained a studio of private cello students since 2014, which grew to include the cello studio of the Drake University Community School of Music in 2022. There he teaches private lessons and leads a cello choir comprised of his very talented students.

In his free time, Michael enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially his wife (and coworker), Heidi, who is an orchestra teacher in Indianola, Iowa.