The Team
Belonging House began very small, with six friends who agreed to pray for a house.
Christ John Otto receives a lot of support from a growing team. And over the years the team has begun to support one another. We could not do what we do without the people on this page.
The Belonging House Board
Kaye has been a close friend and has been walking alongside Belonging House since the beginning in 2006. Kaye was the director of Akron Pregnancy Services (APS) for 33 years. APS gave the ministry our first “home.”
Kaye lives in Tallmadge, Ohio with her husband Frank and their dogs Rufus and Rudy.
Jim and Lisa Leach direct the Spirit Wind Center in Stonington, Connecticut. Jim is a master dream interpreter, entrepreneur, and life coach. Lisa is an extraordinary collage artist who pursues growth in art and life. She also teaches, does life coaching, and raises a ruckus. Together they make an amazing team and share the radical gospel lifestyle that Belonging House is committed to. The Leach’s dog is named Ziggy.
Murray Hart is a master woodworker, painter, sculptor and dad. He’s pictured here with his wife Martha. Although Martha is not on our board, she is a key member of the ministry prayer team. Murray and Martha just left their home in Gloucester, Massachusetts for a new adventure in Redding, California.
Mara Coleman handles all the hands on administration for Belonging House. Mara is also a master dream interpreter and prior to joining us, was doing dream interpretation with Jim Driscoll. Mara’s husband is Glenn, and he is a big part of Belonging House as well. Mara has begun a food blog at Willowkeepe.com. She has two big black English Labrador retrievers and a Maine Coon cat.
Mara can be reached at mara@belonginghouse.org.
Andrew Dorton is our advisor for the United Kingdom. Andy has been committed to bringing community transformation and the Christian community together in Hull for over 30 years. Andy and his wife Liz live in North Bransholme, one of the largest public housing projects in the U.K. Their home has also served as Christ Otto’s base when he is working in the North of England. The Dortons have provided incredible support and accountability for Belonging House in the U.K.
You can see Liz in one of our “In the Studio” videos.
The Belonging House Prayer Team
We currently have 35 women and men who have committed to pray for Christ John Otto and Belonging House. Some members of this team have been praying for Christ Otto for 30 years or more. We are truly blessed by this group. Some of the group, Nancy, Andrea, Martha, and Maureen have been involved in onsite prayer initiatives.
Other Key Members of Our Team
Nancy Mari edits my books and helps facilitate prayer for Belonging House. Few people know that Nancy checks every Bible reference and theological statement for accuracy. Wow.
Nancy lives in North Carolina with her husband Lee and is active in a number of 24/7 prayer networks.
Peter Lane proofreads every Friday email. He also gives advice regarding content. Pete and his wife Nancy live in Essex, Massachusetts.
Lyn Silarski has been doing design work for us for 13 years, and our logo, as well as the tag line “Fear not God can be trusted.” are to her credit. Lyn has been doing content editing for the Belonging House Facebook page since we began. Lyn lives in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Dana Ashley handles Christ Otto’s U.S. bookings, calendar, and speaking engagements. She runs the Ashley Agency in Franklin, Tennessee.
Rachel Neikirk handles our Instagram account and is also a key member of our prayer team. Rachel joined Belonging House when she was a student at Gordon College. Since then she has used the arts in ministry in the Middle East, Asia, and is currently teaching in a Christian School near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Belinda Strotheide is a new member to our team. She manages our website, fields tech questions, and tries to keeps our YouTube Channel organized. She and her husband, Mike, live in Tyler, Texas.
Visit Our Friends and Partner Ministries
Ad Deum Dance Company www.addeumdance.org
Artists in Christian Testimony actinternational.org
Barbara Lidfors barbaralidfors.com
Belinda Strotheide godswildestdream.com
Christian Artists Guild www.christianartistsguild.com
Christian Artists Together facebook.com/ChristianArtistsTogether
Diane Fairfield www.dianefairfieldart.com
Eklektos edtuttle.blogspot.com
4Front Theatre www.4front-theatre.com
Hollywood Prayer Network hollywoodprayernetwork.org
Husk Coffee and Creative Space www.huskcoffee.com
Kooroon Gallery www.kooroon.com
Manna Art www.mannaart.com
Marco Cazzulini www.marcocazzulini.com
Masterpiece Christian Fine Arts Foundation www.mcfineartsfoundation.org
Michael David and Zsiporah Moon www.michael-david.org
Milan Art Institute www.milanartinstituteonline.com
My Life in Books www.timwarnes.com
Paul Cleden www.paulcleden.co.uk
Prophetic Artists www.propheticartists.com
Spirit Wind Centre spiritwindcenter.org