Meet the Blog Team

                       

Ashley Whitley was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her grandparents, Bishop Billy and Betty McCool, are the founders of First Apostolic Church in Knoxville where Ashley has attended her entire life. Under the direction of her parents, Pastor Mark and Jamie McCool, she was given a love for music and a love for education. Because of this, she is now the Music Minister at FAC Knoxville and a teacher at Apostolic Christian School. Ashley received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in Business Studies in May of 2007. In November of 2009, she met the love of her life, Nate Whitley, while attending an ALJC National Youth Convention. After a whirlwind romance, the two were married in June of 2010. After much prayer, Nate and Ashley felt the Lord leading them to stay in Knoxville, and work full time for FAC, where Nate is now associate pastor. When she is not working for the church Ashley is usually shopping, playing volleyball, or cheering on her Tennessee Vols. She is also madly in love with her Yorkie, Hoosier Neyland Whitley.

Whitney Gothra, age 24, resides in Medora, Indiana. She has been married to the man of her dreams, Timothy, for three wonderful years. Her husband is the Associate Pastor at the greatest church in the world, Medora Pentecostal Church, and Whitney is the Administrative Assistant and Minister of Music. Whitney attended IUPUI where she studied sociology. She has traveled extensively, making several trips to the mission field that includes Ireland, Jamaica, Russia, and Taiwan. Whitney loves to sing, play piano, sew, read, and attempt any and all “DIYs.” Shortly after getting married in 2009, Whitney started a blog - www.becomingwhitney.com - about becoming a wife and living life joyfully.

Lauren Hammond was born on September 12, 1991 to Pastor Kenny and Penny Carpenter, just six years after her sister Fallon and six years before her brother Nolan. Her creative mind drove her as a child all the way through high school as she graduated as salutatorian in 2009 from Apostolic Christian Academy. Lauren begin a small photography business while furthering her education at Pellissippi State College and The Photography Institute. Now at the age of twenty-one she is happily married to Zach Hammond, and they both work full time at Apostolic Christian Academy and First Apostolic Church in Maryville, TN. Lauren teaches art and uses her creative mind and skills to benefit not only the church and school, but her small business known as Shabby-Tiques.

Fallon Erickson graduated from Bethel University in 2012 with her Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and is a certified Kindermusik educator. She has been involved in ministry at First Apostolic Church (FAC) of Maryville, Tennessee since 1997.  She currently serves as music minister, co-director of ACA preschool, marketing director and administrator of Apostolic Christian Academy (Grades K5-12) under the direction of Rev. Kenneth and Penny Carpenter, Lead Pastor.  Fallon is married to Chad Erickson, the Apostolic Crusader’s Youth President and Associate Pastor of First Apostolic Church of Maryville, TN.  Together they have two beautiful girls, Paris and Windsor-Kate.  Chad and Fallon share the passion of leading worship at FAC of Maryville with FAC’s 120-voice adult sanctuary choir.  FAC is currently in a building project that includes constructing an 80,000 square foot facility on 22 beautiful acres on William Blount Drive. When completed it will be one of the largest places of worship in Blount County.  All of FAC’s services are Live Webcast and archived on the church’s website at www.factv.org.