The Readers

Chris Sigall

Jack Althouse

Jack and his wife Diane have been active members of Tabor United Methodist Church since 1982 and have been heavily involved in the Christian camping program at Pocono Plateau United Methodist Church Camp. They were also involved in the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries; A United Methodist Renewal Movement. Jack served on the Allentown District Church Location and Building Board. Jack and Diane also participated in short-term Missions Church work in adoption programs for older children. Jack volunteers at several schools, guest lecturing about ancient architecture, the profession of architecture, and the importance of giving back to the community. Jack is a published author, submitting archeological material for Discovery Channel and National Geographic. He wrote and published Second Sight and the sequel Second Birth; fictional stories based on his archeological explorations.

Chris Sigall

Fr. Matthew Biedrzycki

Father Matthew Biedrzycki is a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus in Human Resource Management from Temple University in May 2010. In May 2016 he attained a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and was ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. He currently serves the Parish community of the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to that, he served as Parochial Vicar at Robert Bellarmine Parish in Warrington, PA. He is an avid student of the Lives of the Saints.

Chris Sigall

Min. Lorenzo Biggs, Sr.

Minister Lorenzo Biggs Sr. is a Philadelphia native and currently services the Lord as an associate minister at Greater Saint Matthew Independent Church in West Philadelphia. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord in June of 1987 at the former Christian Chapel Church of Philadelphia (West Phila.) where, several years later, he was officially ordained to preach the “Good News” of the Gospel. His heart desires that all would come to see their need for Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. (John 12:32). Lorenzo is retired from a career in journalism where he worked for 42 years for the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. During that time, he served as the Public Editor for the Daily News and was the editor of the paper’s weekly Faith column, which invited local religious leaders to share faith. He and his wife, Sherry, have three sons – one born on his birthday and another on his wife’s – and five grandchildren.

Eddie Caiazzo

Eddie Caiazzo

Eddie Caiazzo is an award-winning radio and TV producer who began his career in 2007 producing St. Joseph’s basketball, UPenn and Penn State football for Newstalk 990, WNTP in Philadelphia.  When handed production duties for the show GolfTalk Live with Tony Leodora in 2008, his life in “the biz” took an unexpected turn where he wrote, produced, and spent time behind the microphone covering golf near-and-far, providing live coverage for Majors like the U.S. Open at Merion in 2013, the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 2016 and the U.S. Women’s Open at Trump Bedminster in 2017. In 2019, a new chapter began when Newstalk 990 re-branded as Philadelphia’s AM 990 The Answer, launching a brand-new live morning show with Chris Stigall — of whom Caiazzo was a big fan. Caiazzo began producing the newly launched Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall, where he was promoted to executive producer.

Chris Sigall

Mary Cantell

www.marycantell.com

When Mary Cantell's third-grade teacher told her parents their child would never become a mathematician, the eight-year-old adopted the self-fulfilling prophecy and began to pursue a natural love of language. With a desire to follow in the footsteps of journalist Barbara Walters, Mary eventually achieved a radio/TV career spanning over fifteen years as a broadcast reporter of traffic and news in the Delaware Valley. This led to voiceover work, including corporate video narration, online e-learning tutorials, medical/educational training tapes, and commercials. She's the author of four inspirational novels of contemporary fiction. Her latest, Hope Another Way, is due to release in June 2022. Mary and her husband attend Grace Bible in Phoenixville, PA. 

Chris Sigall

Pr. Byron Craig

Pastor Byron L. Craig is native to Philadelphia.  He accepted Jesus Christ on July 14, 1975 and has since been a servant of Jesus Christ, called to live and share the Gospel.  He was ordained in July 1988 at Philadelphia’s Beulah Baptist, having been called in 1987 to Philly’s Victory Baptist and thence to Norristown’s Macedonia Baptist in 1992, where he has since served as under-shepherd.  Pastor Craig has a passion for souls, a quality quite evident in the life of his fellowship. He is often called upon to speak to issues in the community and is involved with numerous service organizations. He has been married to his beloved wife Miriam for 35 years, raising two children and being the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

Min. Lorenzo Biggs, Sr.

Min. Christopher C. Davis

I am a child of God who was born and raised in Norristown, PA., and who is married to my lovely wife of 25 years, Margot. Our union created a loving blended family that includes three adult children, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren.

I am a licensed minister at First Baptist Church-Norristown and am currently working towards completing my candidacy for ordination. I am a Graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, and for the past 28 years have worked as a Professional School Counselor in a local public school district.

My personal statement of Faith is that Faith in God’s ultimate act of mercy as manifested in the life, death, resurrection, and promised second coming of Jesus Christ, empowers me to fulfill the call to proclaim God’s Word in this generation.

Chris Sigall

Fr. Dennis A. Gill

Father Dennis A. Gill was ordained a priest May 21, 1983 for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He is the Rector and Pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, and is the Director of the Office for Divine Worship. Father Gill completed his graduate studies in the Sacred Liturgy at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. and studied at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Saint Anselmo in Rome, where he also served for five years as Director of Liturgy at the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City Rome. He is Professor of the Sacred Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, and lectures throughout the country on the Sacred Liturgy. He is the author of “Music in Catholic Liturgy: A Pastoral and Theological Companion to Sing to the Lord,” and “Ars Celebrandi: An Artful and Careful Celebration of the Eucharist

Chris Sigall

Rev. Chris Hamilton

Rev. Chris Hamilton is currently serving as the Associate Pastor of Youth Ministries & Family Life at First Baptist Church of Lansdale since May 2013.  Chris is a graduate of Eastern University with a bachelor's degree in Youth Ministries. In 2018 he graduated from Missio Seminary (formerly Biblical Theological Seminary) with a Master of Arts in Ministry degree. On October 1, 2020, Chris was ordained through the American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware. His passion is to see people of all ages come to know Jesus through a personal relationship, worship Him, grow in their knowledge of Him, discover God’s will in their lives and accept that calling. Chris is an avid Philadelphia sports fan who resides in Lansdale with his beautiful wife Melissa and their two children. 

Chris Sigall

Fr. Tom Heron

Born John Thomas Heron in Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in Darby, Pa to John “Jack” and Dorothy (Reilly) Heron on Nov. 14, 1952, He attended St. Joseph Grade School in Collingdale and was a member of St. Joseph Parish. He attended Msgr. Bonner High School graduated in June 1970.  He entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Sept of 1970. Ordained in 1978. His priestly ministry has spanned 44 years.  30 years were spent in parish ministry, and 14 years in the educational apostolate.  He is presently the Pastor of St. Matthews in Conshohocken. He is the author of We Are All Called, a story of the ups and downs of 44 years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  As well as a book on spiritual direction, An Introductory Guide to Spiritual Maturity.

Chris Sigall

Rev. Dr. Sherry A. Jones

Rev. Dr. Sherry A. Jones is a lover and teacher of the Word of God who desires to walk in obedience to God's will and way. A native Philadelphian who came to Christ in 1968, Dr. Jones is a retired Professor Emeritus of Lancaster Bible College, who also was Academic Dean at the Center for Urban Theological Studies. She is a staff pastor at Eagles Nest Christian Fellowship in Germantown, urban Missioner for CityNet Ministries, WFIL radio bible teacher, and contributor on Real Change Radio. Dr. Jones also finds the time to direct the Word Endures Forum, a biblical studies school. She is a graduate of Temple University, Princeton, and Missio Theological Seminaries.

Chris Sigall

Rev. Eric Kraihanzel

Rev. Eric Kraihanzel has been the Lead Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Lansdale since December 2016.  Before coming to Lansdale, he was on the faculty at Eastern University as the Online Youth Ministry Degree Program director, where he taught courses in Youth Ministry and Theology.  Eric continues to teach Bible and Theology courses as an adjunct professor at Eastern University and for the Academy of Christian Training and Service.   He is the recipient of the 2017 Luther Wesley Smith Education Award from the American Baptist Home Mission Society.  Eric is entering his 30th year of serving in full-time ministry.  He has been married to his wonderful wife Heather for 29 years, and together they have three sons, Benjamin (wife Jessica), Nathan, and Jacob.

Chris Sigall

Rev. Dan McDowell

Rev. Dan McDowell has been the Lead Pastor at GraceCrossing Community Church in Phoenixville since 2017. It is the sixth church he has served in his ministry that began in 1981, the same year that he married his college sweetheart Terri. They celebrated their 40th-anniversary last year. The hallmark of Pastor Dan's ministry has been community involvement as a Police Chaplain, by writing religion articles for the newspaper, coaching and officiating youth sports, and by facilitating dialogue between clergy and community leaders. He has also been a strong advocate for men's ministry in his churches and as an Ambassador for the Promise Keepers movement. Currently, he serves the Southeast Area of the American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware as their Geographical Pastoral Servant to offer guidance and counsel to the American Baptist Pastors and churches in greater Philadelphia and Delaware.

Chris Sigall

Pr. Mark S. McDowell

Abington Baptist Church

Rev. Mark S. McDowell is a Philadelphia native who currently serves Abington Baptist Church. He was officially ordained and installed as the Pastor in 2015 after serving as the Associate Pastor since 2012. Mark has worked in professional ministry for more than 20 years and received his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Mark is privileged to serve on the boards of: The Philadelphia Bible Society; the Central Union Association, ABCUSA; the Coalition for Christian Outreach, Penn State Abington; and the Saint Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia, where he also serves as one of the society chaplains. Mark, along with his wife and daughter and two collies, is proud to call Abington his home.

Chris Sigall

Pr. Brad Lacey

First Baptist Church at Conshohocken

Pastor Brad Lacey has shepherded First Baptist Church at Conshohocken since December 1988. He serves as President of the Philadelphia Bible Society and conducts a weekly radio broadcast entitled The Great Message on Philadelphia’s Talk Radio 1210 WPHT. He has written weekly devotional columns for several local newspapers and The Philadelphia News. He has authored The Beauty of the Lord: Devotional Excursions through Psalm 27 and Poetic Perambulations: Tinkering Thoughts & Meanderings Meditations.  He is also the author of Christ Amidst Cancer: Poetic Consecrations Amidst Corruption, Breathe, Blossom & Build: A Personal Schematic of Christian Life & Ministry, and Lyrical Lines: A Poetry Collection. He was married to his late wife, Peggy for 25 years, who gave him three lovely step-daughters and five fine step-grandchildren. He is a born-&-bred Bostonian of Welsh extraction and has a twin brother who practices law in Boston.

Maurice Lee

Maurice Lee

Maurice Lee is the pastor of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Abington, Pennsylvania, an adjunct lecturer in theology for the North American Lutheran Seminary (NALS), and a member of the North American Lutheran Church’s (NALC) Commission on Theology and Doctrine. He was educated at Wheaton College, the California Institute of Technology, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Yale University. He did postdoctoral work at Harvard University and taught at Westmont College before becoming involved with the NALC. Maurice, his wife Beth, and their daughter Ravinia relocated from California to Pennsylvania in 2022.

Chris Sigall

Dr. John L. Payne

Reverend Dr. John L. Payne is the Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Prior to coming to Ebenezer he was an active member of McKinley Memorial Baptist Church. In Willow Grove, PA.  He served as the Associate Minister where he assisted the pastor with the Missions Ministry, Community Outreach Ministry, and an advisor to the Youth Ministry, Bible Study and Prayer Band and was a member of the Board of Christian Education. Reverend Payne was a member of the First Baptist church of Crestmont his home church for over 30 years.  He served as the Associate Minister for three years, a Deacon for many years where he was elevated to serve as the Vice-Chair and ultimately served as Chair of the Board, and  served on various committees for church projects. He is married to Patricia Simmons Payne and they have three children, John, Jr, Eric and Melany and are blessed with seven grandchildren.

Chris Sigall

Mark Pinto

Mark Pinto is a native of the Roxborough section of Philadelphia and has an undergraduate degree in communications from LaSalle University. He served for seven years as an overnight weekend host for the legendary WFLN during the 1990s. Mark has served for many years as Saturday host on 90.1 WRTI of Temple University, and weekday substitute host. He is a professional librarian, employed as the Adult Services Director for the Phoenixville Public Library since 1997. He is a member of St. Eleanor Catholic Church in Collegeville, PA, where he coordinates the lector program, serves as cantor and sings with the tenor section of the choir. He also sings with various choral groups, including Musica Concordia and Wayne Oratorio Society. He and his wife Donna, an organist and choir director, volunteer with the Chester County Pops Orchestra.  (photo credit: Jessica Schultz, WRTI)
Chris Sigall

Pr. Matthew Raley

Matthew Raley is the lead pastor at Towamencin Mennonite Church and an adjunct professor at Cairn University. He received his Ph.D. (Christianity and the Arts) from Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY in 2017. In addition to studying the Bible, he enjoys writing and playing the violin. Originally from northern California, Matt has led churches, founded non-profit ministries, and performed in orchestras over the last twenty-five years. He has written a novel, Fallen (2008), and a book on evangelism, The Diversity Culture (2009), both available from Kregel. He has been married to Bridget for 30 years. They live with their two sons in Tylersport, north of Philadelphia.

Chris Sigall

Kile Smith

kilesmith.com

Kile Smith has composed GRAMMY-nominated works, with commissions from The Crossing, Conspirare, Piffaro, Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and from many other chamber ensembles and orchestras. The English Symphony Orchestra premiered The Bremen Town Musicians, releasing it on CD with narrator Gemma Whelan. The Philadelphia Orchestra featured the original version on their chamber series. Kile was Curator of the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music, and at WRTI he was classical host, co-host of Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection, host of Now Is the Time, and a writer, producer, and editor. Kile composes full-time and hosts the Fleisher Discoveries podcast. He and his wife Jackie attend Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Abington, Pa., where Jackie is Music Director and Organist. They have three married daughters and one grandchild.

Chris Sigall

Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer

Lee B. Spitzer is a Historian for the Baptist World Alliance and an Affiliate Professor of Church History at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is the retired General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA —the first person of Jewish descent to hold that office. He pastored three ABC churches and served as the Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor of ABC New Jersey for 14 years. His Ph.D. is from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in association with the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS). He serves on the Committee on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and as an IBTS Research Fellow. He is the author of several books, including Baptists, Jews, and the Holocaust: The Hand of Sincere Friendship (Judson Press, 2017) and Making Friends, Making Disciples: Growing Your Church Through Authentic Relationships (Judson Press 2010).

Chris Sigall

Chris Stigall

chrisstigall.com

Chris Stigall is the host of The Chris Stigall Show, a morning talk program at 990 The Answer in Philadelphia, and host of daily The Chris Stigall Podcast, radio host at Kansas City’s KCMO Talk Radio, and weekly columnist for Townhall. He hails from Missouri, arrived in Philly in 2011, and has worked in the industry for over twenty years, serving in varied capacities, from producer and writer to news anchor and disc jockey. He was a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives, served on the board of the Philadelphia chapter of the USO, and is often a guest on Fox News. Chris is a devoted Christian (having been raised within the Methodist tradition) and married with three children.

Chris Sigall

Pr. Saa Elijah Tonguino

Pastor Saa Elijah Tonguino is one of the founders of House of Prayer in Acts. He received the call to ministry in 1989 and has been serving since that time. Saa also received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior in 1986. He was born in Guinea West Africa but lived in Sierra Leone and Liberia where he also had his primary and secondary education. Pastor Saa is currently a PhD candidate in Christian Ministry and devotes most of his time to prayer, the word of God and evangelism. He is married to Oretha and has two girls, Sia and Kumba.

Chris Sigall

Melinda Whiting

Melinda is an award-winning broadcaster, classical music host, and communications consultant, having worked with NPR, New York’s WQXR, Philly’s WHYY and WFLN, American Public Media, the New York Philharmonic, and St. Louis Symphony. She has hosted, produced, and edited Performance Today, produced a concert series from the Marlboro Music Festival, served as editor-in-chief of Symphony for the League of American Orchestras, sung professionally with various ensembles and choirs, been fully invested with the Curtis Institute of Music, and served with the Presser Foundation and Network for New Music, Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia and the Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of NJ.  Melinda now hosts classical music daily, Monday-Friday, from 10 am-2 pm on Temple University’s WRTI 90.1, as well for The Philadelphia Orchestra, also on WRTI.  She now worships at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont.

Chris Sigall

Jessica Whitfield

No Hungry Bellies

I am a happily married mother of two and have a beautiful granddaughter. I loved the Lord for as long as I can remember. God inspired me to begin a ministry called No Hungry Bellies almost two years ago. Losing my mom put me in a dark place of grief and sadness. The Lord gave me a ministry to give to the homeless and encourage them in Christ. We give food and clothes to the homeless community every two weeks. I also volunteer with Parents of Murdered Children. We give Parents free supportive services to help them along their journey of grief. Ministry isn’t easy but with God’s strength, it’s always beautiful. May He be glorified by all that He does in me and through me. There is nothing I’d rather be doing then to be handing out a hotdog to someone who is hungry when the Lord returns.