meet the team
Our Team.
The National Network of Women Ministers Team is strategically located across the country to better represent local Districts/Networks. Our goal is that women are holistically trained in every aspect of ministry to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Get to know us.
Crystal Martin
National Director
Crystal Martin serves as the National Director of the Assemblies of God Network of Women Ministers—a professional organization mobilizing women to fulfill their ministry call. She is passionate about advocating for, collaborating with, and training women ministers, and believes the image of God is best reflected and the Church of Jesus Christ is healthiest when both men and women are empowered to fulfill their call at every level of ministerial leadership.
In addition to serving with the Network of Women Ministers, Crystal has served with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, U.S.A. for over 20 years. Presently, she serves as the director of Chi Alpha Missions, coordinating Chi Alpha’s cross-cultural initiatives including global missions, international student ministry, diversity initiatives, and compassion ministry partnership. Crystal is the co-creator of the World Missions Summit, a partnership between Chi Alpha and Assemblies of God World Missions designed to launch a missions movement in this generation. The phrase coined by Crystal, “Give a year and pray about a lifetime,” gives students a tangible starting place to fulfill their missionary call. Crystal is also part of the pastoral staff team of Central Assembly of God (Springfield, MO) as an associate pastor.
Crystal and her husband, E. Scott Martin, the Senior National Director of Chi Alpha, reside in Springfield, MO and have two sons and a daughter-in-law.
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Michele Thompson
Network Director
Over the past 25 years Michele has had the opportunity to work with ministries spanning from Illinois to California. With an assortment of job descriptions and a diversity of age groups, Michele has been equipped by this experience and training and feels compelled to pass that on to others. Her passion for developing leaders is what brought her to Ohio in 2006.
Michele is an Ordained Minister in the Assemblies of God and has served in full-time ministry since 1999. She is also a certified Leadership Coach with the John Maxwell team and continues to have a passion to teach, train, and develop leaders of all ages.
In November of 2018, Michele began a new season as lead pastor at Rockside Church in Independence, OH. Michele has a vision to see Rockside Church continue to grow and become a culture of disciple makers.
Michele is married to Charles Thompson who is a Critical Care RN and they have twin daughters, Acelynn and Adrianna.
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Beth Backes
Development Director
Beth is the lead pastor and planter of The Table, a multiethnic church in the Seattle area that serves a community with over 135 different nationalities represented. She holds a Master’s degree in Ministry Leadership from Northwest University and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Southeastern University. Beth enjoys training and equipping the next generation of ministry leaders in her development work.
She enjoys preaching and teaching on leadership development to equip this generation to take the hope of Jesus to the world. Beth lives in Puyallup, Washington with her husband and they have raised two adult children. In her free time, Beth enjoys reading, kayaking, power naps and eating chocolate.
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Denise Ryan
Operations Coordinator
Denise Ryan is the Director for the Network of Women Ministers in Arizona and facilitates the Southwest Region. As a single missionary, she met her husband, Rick Ryan, in Central America. After their marriage, they returned to Costa Rica where their children are born. Their daughter, Giselle, and their son, Theo, with his wife, Madi, serve as full-time pastors. Denise ministers with her husband, Rick, who is Director of Intercultural Ministries for Arizona with multiple language groups. They continue to actively partner with Assemblies of God missionaries throughout the world.
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Nicky Stade
Communications Specialist
Nicky is the Executive Director of Women of SoCal in the SoCal Network, as well as a pastor on staff at RefugeOC in Orange, CA. She also serves as a support and resource to female ministers as the Communications Specialist for the National AG Network of Women Ministers. In this role, she exercises her creative skills to create and maintain the digital communications and design for the NWM, including social media and the website, as well as the production of the NWM podcast. She graduated from the SoCal School of Ministry in 2017, and is currently pursuing a BA in Theology at Vanguard University. Nicky and her husband, Jason, have been married for more than two decades. Together they have raised three kids who are now young adults, and they have an old dog that loves new tricks.
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Saehee Duran
Under40 and Ethnic Relations Specialist
Dr. Saehee Duran, ordained with the Assemblies of God, is the Director of Graduate Programs at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School in Ellendale, ND. As a scholar-practitioner with a heart for all nations, she serves on various leadership tables at local, regional, and national levels to equip those called to vocational ministry. She is the president of the Korean-English Fellowship and a General Presbyter. Prior to her current ministry roles, she served at all levels of ministry starting from a nursery volunteer all the way to a church planter and lead pastor. She particularly enjoyed serving her community as a police chaplain and diversity liaison. Most of all, she is a proud mother of three bi-racial children and a blessed wife of Dr. Damon Duran, her greatest mentor, best friend, and champion! She is an alumna of Central Bible College (2013), the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (2016), and Southeastern University (2022).
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Nichole Schreiber
Lead Pastor Facilitator
Pastor Nichole Schreiber is the Lead Pastor at Erie First Assembly. She is passionate about the local church, unity in the body of Christ, and teaching the word of God with life-specific application. She loves to see people take the next step on their faith journey.
Nichole joined Erie First Assembly as Executive Pastor in October 2016, after previously serving on Erie First’s preaching team. She was named Lead Pastor by the Erie First congregation in February 2017. She previously served with her husband Joel in college ministry with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries for over 10 years. Joel currently directs the Edinboro University Chi Alpha and is the District Chi Alpha Director for Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Nichole is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University in English Education. She then was ordained with the Assemblies of God. Currently, she is pursuing her Masters of Theology at the University of Valley Forge. She is also the Female Lead Pastor Facilitator for the Network of Women’s Ministers with the Assemblies of God.
Nichole is also a published writer and loves reading in her free time. Her family vacations in Myrtle Beach any chance they get. She and Joel are high school sweethearts and have three rambunctious, hilarious, lovely daughters: Cecily, Haley and Mercy.
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Katja Zarns
Universities Facilitator
Katja is the Universities Facilitator for the Network of Women Ministers. She holds a B.A. in Cross Cultural Studies from North Central University, now pursuing a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership. She is ordained with the Assemblies of God, working previously as a youth pastor in Minnesota and as a global worker with AGWM serving in Sweden, with a focus on pioneering and church planting. For 25 years, she has enjoyed mutuality and togetherness with Phil while co-leading in ministry and life. Together they have three wonderfully tenacious TCKs (Third Culture Kids). They are currently local in Minnesota. Katja is a tri-lingual Finn who enjoys meaningful conversations and a good americano with family and friends, new and old.
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JoAnn Butrin
AGWM Facilitator
JoAnn Butrin’s missionary career began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where she lived and worked for 14 years running a small hospital and outpatient clinic. She then worked with and later directed HealthCare Ministries, now named, CompassionLink an International Ministry with the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM).
She earned an MS degree from Penn State and a PhD from the University of Minnesota. She recently retired from the position of Director of International Ministries and the Executive Committee of AGWM. She has authored several books and lectures worldwide on topics of transformational community development, compassion and justice, and best practice in compassion.
She continues in missions with CompassionLink which focuses on finding sustainable solutions for communities in need. She is Team Lead for Health Initiatives.
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Kristi Northup
CMN Facilitator
kristinorthup@saintscommunitychurch.com
Kristi Northup serves as the executive pastor and worship leader at Saints Community Church alongside her husband, lead pastor, Wayne. Kristi is a mom to three kids- Libby (15), Lincoln (11), and Levi (3). She has a passion for women in ministry and for seeing people saved. Serving as the director of CMN Women is a great combination of this work. She is also a columnist for Influence Magazine.