To raise up an army of influential leaders who execute their God given purpose by engaging in cultural change actions.
THE PINNACLE FORUM STORY
He Is Our Why
In the midst of times when the culture shifts away from a biblical worldview, God remains our hope and stronghold. He is always at work and shows Himself strong even in the darkest of times. His work is done through those who obey His call. They will partner with Him in both restoring and sustaining our nation’s founding Judeo/Christian values in the culture. It is a great privilege to work for God’s glory and to extend His Kingdom from heaven to earth.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling…” Ephesians 1:18
Our History
Pinnacle Forum was inspired by Dr. Bill Bright, Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, who challenged a handful of leaders in 1995 in Phoenix, Arizona saying, “I believe the only way we can change our culture is to find a way to network our high influence leaders and inspire them to use their influence for God.”
Three of these leaders (Merrill Oster, Terry Hamlin and Bill Dodder) later hiked up Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale, Arizona and prayed that God would raise up leaders who would respond to this challenge and steward their influence accordingly. Their prayers were answered, and they began convening small peer groups around the city that aimed to encourage one another spiritually, share Christ with their peers, and challenge each other to use their leadership position and resources in strategic ways for the glory of God. In 2001, Pinnacle Forum began to replicate this model throughout the United States, now providing inspiration and the networking mechanism for leaders across America to magnify Christ.
INFLUENCING CULTURE
In 1975, Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission, had lunch together. God simultaneously gave each of them a message to give to the other:
“The culture is shaped by seven mind-molders, or mountains, in society. If we can influence each of these areas for Christ, we will win the culture of our nation.”
There is a new trumpet call going out to men and women of influence who are recognizing the negative influences in their culture as a wake-up call for action. They are being used by God to influence the Seven Mountains of Culture: Arts & Entertainment, Business, Education, Family, Government & Military, Media and Religion.
Read About Each Mountain
Religion Sphere
In the churches, mission, evangelism, ministries and “city transformation” initiatives.
Arts & Entertainment Sphere
In film-making, various productions, music, writing, dance and more.
Business Sphere
In the marketplace, advancing the biblical philosophy of “faith and work” to change the business climate.
Education Sphere
In institutions and education models…in curriculum to advance biblical values and principles, integrity of student advancement, true history and science…and more.
Family Sphere
In initiatives that build up and support the family…upholding God’s design for His creation.
Government & Military Sphere
In state and federally held offices…in our justice and national security systems…in citizen initiatives that support the election of godly candidates…upholding religious and other liberties inherent by God’s design.
Media Sphere
In integrity of reporting and story telling…through news outlets, radio shows, podcasting…being a light in the midst of boundless information.
OUR FOUR “E” STRATEGY
As Forum Partners invest in each other’s lives and apply Pinnacle Forum’s distinctive Four “E” Strategy – Encourage, Equip, Engage, Execute — they walk a rich and exciting journey toward finding and fulfilling their unique Christ-calling for cultural transformation.
- ENCOURAGE
“Encourage one another and build each other up…” I Thess. 5:11
- EQUIP
“We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
- ENGAGE
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
- EXECUTE
“For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
How Do We Encourage?
How Do We Equip?
How Do We Engage?
How Do We Execute?
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
We Believe In
THE INERRANCY AND AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God, without error in the original manuscripts.
THE TRIUNE GOD
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
THE DEITY AND LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning death for our sins on the cross at Calvary, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension to the right hand of God the Father, and His final return in power and glory.
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
We believe that God offers us the unfathomable gift of a personal relationship with Him, made possible through Christ’s atoning death and sacrifice for us, that all have sinned and are lost apart from repentance and faith in that atoning sacrifice, and that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works on our part.
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life.
THE RESURRECTION OF ALL
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the saved to eternal life with God and the lost to eternal separation from God.
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT
We believe that the supreme goal of the life of faith is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
We believe that we are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and action, with the goal of making disciples among all nations. To that end, we acknowledge that God has entrusted to us time, talents, treasure and influence for us to faithfully steward for the advancement of His kingdom.
THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LORD’S PRAYER
We believe in both praying for and living for the accomplishment of Jesus’ exhortation, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven,” and that we are commanded to be salt and light in the world for the purposes of making disciples, which includes the objective of transforming culture.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Connor Hillard, CEO
Connor Hillard was born and raised in Central Illinois, in the small town of Mahomet, IL. He has served on staff with Pinnacle Forum for the last several years and founded Pinnacle Forum’s Young Successful Leader (YSL) initiative.
Liz Hunt, Board Member
Liz Hunt has a penchant for spicy Thai and bad sci-fi (“Dr. Who” anyone?). But what makes Liz the “Boss Lady” of DayCloud Studios isn’t her love of the off-beat; it’s her absolute “can do” attitude, creative juju, insight on client needs, and kindness to all she meets.
Rev Kevin Wayne Johnson, Board Member
Richmond, Virginia native Kevin Wayne Johnson is the eldest son of a U.S. Marine Corp veteran (father) and a U.S government civil servant (mother), who followed his parent’s service with the federal government as a mid-level and senior-level leader, then retired after 34 years.
Jack Kuykendall, Board Member
Jack M. Kuykendall is attorney at law for The Law Offices of Jack M. Kuykendall, Dallas, Texas and board certified in civil trial law. His primary areas of practice are in jury and non-jury trials, arbitrations, general litigation and appeals. Jack also does appellate work and corporate legal counseling…
John Lochner, Board Member
In 2014, John Lochner and David Sauter, inspired by former national board member Rick Klopcic, restarted Pinnacle Forum in Wisconsin. In six months WI started Forums in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay to help Christian leaders…
Steve Manko, Board Member
Steve Manko, Chief Financial Officer of SkyWater Technology, Inc., utilizes his extensive finance background in working with his team to drive profitability and enhance the value of the organization. He achieves this by collaborating with other leaders in the company to understand…
Tom Okarma, Board Member
Tom Okarma is a top-rated nonprofit leadership author, keynote speaker, and coach focused on leadership, strategic planning, board development, and governance. His life mission statement is to Empower People with Strategies that Honor What God Loves. His 30+ years of business experience….
Harry Plack, Board Chair
CPA/PFS, CVA
Harry Plack, managing member of Plack Group, LLC is responsible for business and profitability planning, tax reduction strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, succession planning, and general business consulting.
Ron Reed, Treasurer
Ron Reed is a former executive with Mars, Inc., serving as Vice President, Central Procurement and Physical Logistics. His 30 years of experience in Supply Management includes senior leadership roles over corporate central procurement, the U.S. finished product distribution system…
Debbie Wuthnow, Board Member
Debbie Wuthnow is the President of iVoterGuide and a member of the Board of Directors. Wuthnow holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Princeton University and was a Systems Engineer at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Debbie grew up in a Christian home in Springfield, Missouri.
Carl Edlund, Forum Developer and Field Director
Carl has worked in the Technology field for over 35 years. He has worked in IT, as a university professor, ran a company doing factory automation systems, and then spent 25 years at Microsoft.
Sabrina Reynolds, Forum Developer for Women’s Forums
Chief Entrepreneurial Officer
Coach, Consultant, Serial Entrepreneur, Wife, Mom, Caretaker, Ministry Leader
Throughout the years, I’ve earned a reputation for being a transparent coach/consultant that cares about my client’s professional and personal success.
Craig Dixon, Field Director
Craig Dixon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University. He met Christ as his personal Savior in 1974 and is spending his life doing his best to serve Him in the context of all the responsibilities of raising a family, supporting a local church, and building a career.
Nathan Montgomery, Forum Developer for Central IL
Nathan Montgomery is co-founder and Executive Director of Salt & Light in Champaign-Urbana, IL. Salt & Light opened its doors in 2004 as a food pantry and clothing closet and quickly grew into the largest emergency food program in the area.
Email: Nathan.Montgomery@pinnacleforum.com
Phone: 217.202.2632
Leigh Gerstenberger, Key Facilitator of Forums
Leigh Gerstenberger is the Founding Member of Strategic-Connecting, LLC a consulting firm dedicated to “inspiring intriguing ideas” that help individuals and organizations exceed their personal and business objectives. Prior to forming his own firm…
Email: hlg123@gmail.com
Bob Parsons, Executive Director for Rapid City, SD Chapter
Bob has been with COIN, a non-profit ministry to coaches, since March 2016. Before that, he was with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) for 14 years (2001-2015). From 1997-2001, Bob and his wife, Lisa, served in Ecuador, South America, with Reach Beyond Ministries;
Email: rparsons@gwtc.net
Phone: 605.517.0798
Candace Dubuc, Director of Communications & Development
Jacque Shaw, Administrative Assistant
Lynn Lockett, Controller
- EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
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Read More
Connor Hillard, CEO
Connor Hillard was born and raised in Central Illinois, in the small town of Mahomet, IL. He has served on staff with Pinnacle Forum for the last several years and founded Pinnacle Forum’s Young Successful Leader (YSL) initiative.
- NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
-
Liz Hunt, Board Member
Liz Hunt has a penchant for spicy Thai and bad sci-fi (“Dr. Who” anyone?). But what makes Liz the “Boss Lady” of DayCloud Studios isn’t her love of the off-beat; it’s her absolute “can do” attitude, creative juju, insight on client needs, and kindness to all she meets.
Rev Kevin Wayne Johnson, Board Member
Richmond, Virginia native Kevin Wayne Johnson is the eldest son of a U.S. Marine Corp veteran (father) and a U.S government civil servant (mother), who followed his parent’s service with the federal government as a mid-level and senior-level leader, then retired after 34 years.
Jack Kuykendall, Board Member
Jack M. Kuykendall is attorney at law for The Law Offices of Jack M. Kuykendall, Dallas, Texas and board certified in civil trial law. His primary areas of practice are in jury and non-jury trials, arbitrations, general litigation and appeals. Jack also does appellate work and corporate legal counseling…
John Lochner, Board Member
In 2014, John Lochner and David Sauter, inspired by former national board member Rick Klopcic, restarted Pinnacle Forum in Wisconsin. In six months WI started Forums in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay to help Christian leaders…
Steve Manko, Board Member
Steve Manko, Chief Financial Officer of SkyWater Technology, Inc., utilizes his extensive finance background in working with his team to drive profitability and enhance the value of the organization. He achieves this by collaborating with other leaders in the company to understand…
Tom Okarma, Board Member
Tom Okarma is a top-rated nonprofit leadership author, keynote speaker, and coach focused on leadership, strategic planning, board development, and governance. His life mission statement is to Empower People with Strategies that Honor What God Loves. His 30+ years of business experience….
Harry Plack, Board Chair
CPA/PFS, CVA
Harry Plack, managing member of Plack Group, LLC is responsible for business and profitability planning, tax reduction strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, succession planning, and general business consulting.
Ron Reed, Treasurer
Ron Reed is a former executive with Mars, Inc., serving as Vice President, Central Procurement and Physical Logistics. His 30 years of experience in Supply Management includes senior leadership roles over corporate central procurement, the U.S. finished product distribution system…
Debbie Wuthnow, Board Member
Debbie Wuthnow is the President of iVoterGuide and a member of the Board of Directors. Wuthnow holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Princeton University and was a Systems Engineer at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Debbie grew up in a Christian home in Springfield, Missouri.
- FIELD STAFF
-
Read More
Carl Edlund, Forum Developer and Field Director
Carl has worked in the Technology field for over 35 years. He has worked in IT, as a university professor, ran a company doing factory automation systems, and then spent 25 years at Microsoft.
Read MoreSabrina Reynolds, Forum Developer for Women’s Forums
Chief Entrepreneurial Officer
Coach, Consultant, Serial Entrepreneur, Wife, Mom, Caretaker, Ministry LeaderThroughout the years, I’ve earned a reputation for being a transparent coach/consultant that cares about my client’s professional and personal success.
Read MoreCraig Dixon, Field Director
Craig Dixon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University. He met Christ as his personal Savior in 1974 and is spending his life doing his best to serve Him in the context of all the responsibilities of raising a family, supporting a local church, and building a career.
Read MoreNathan Montgomery, Forum Developer for Central IL
Nathan Montgomery is co-founder and Executive Director of Salt & Light in Champaign-Urbana, IL. Salt & Light opened its doors in 2004 as a food pantry and clothing closet and quickly grew into the largest emergency food program in the area.
Email: Nathan.Montgomery@pinnacleforum.com
Phone: 217.202.2632Read MoreLeigh Gerstenberger, Key Facilitator of Forums
Leigh Gerstenberger is the Founding Member of Strategic-Connecting, LLC a consulting firm dedicated to “inspiring intriguing ideas” that help individuals and organizations exceed their personal and business objectives. Prior to forming his own firm…
Email: hlg123@gmail.com
Read MoreBob Parsons, Executive Director for Rapid City, SD Chapter
Bob has been with COIN, a non-profit ministry to coaches, since March 2016. Before that, he was with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) for 14 years (2001-2015). From 1997-2001, Bob and his wife, Lisa, served in Ecuador, South America, with Reach Beyond Ministries;
Email: rparsons@gwtc.net
Phone: 605.517.0798 - OPERATIONS STAFF
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Candace Dubuc, Director of Communications & Development
Jacque Shaw, Administrative Assistant
Lynn Lockett, Controller
