Leadership

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Staff

April Baker

Rev. April (she/her) recently retired after more than two decades as pastor of Alliance congregational partner Glendale Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where she served from 2002 until 2026. She has been part of the Alliance since its founding, serving on the Board of Directors and on various committees and task groups. She and her wife, Deborah, find great joy in the outdoors. When indoors, April is often at one of her many looms. April recently relocated to the mountains of North Carolina.

Email April.

interim director

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Amy Canosa

Rev. Amy (she/her) is a CPE Program Manager and ACPE Educator at Duke Raleigh and Duke Regional Hospitals and has been connected to the Alliance since 2000, with endorsement beginning in 2013. She brings deep institutional knowledge and longstanding relationships within this community, having previously served on both the Alliance Board and the Endorsement Council.

Email Amy.

interim endorser

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Stephanie Cooper

strategic communications and clergy engagement

Rev. Stephanie Cooper (she/her). She is a graduate of Georgetown College ('07), Louisville Seminary ('10), and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Brite Divinity School. She is a writer, preacher, and creative type. She resides in Austin, Texas, with her wife, Ashley, and their five-year-old daughter. Stephanie finds joy spending time with her family and with dirt under her fingernails, scattering native wildflower seeds and slowly returning their small patch of land to the Texas prairie.

Email Stephanie.

Mary Kate Deal (she/her) lives in Forest, VA with her husband and 10-year-old twin daughters. She graduated from McAfee School of Theology with a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and has spent the majority of her time in the years since doing church and non-profit communications work. She loves the Blue Ridge Mountains, being a really loud and supportive soccer mom, and supporting social justice causes.

Email Mary Kate.

visual communications, social media and graphic design

Mary Kate Deal

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Brett Harris

Rev. Brett Harris (he/him) is an ordained pastor and creator of the podcast God Knows Where, a search for God beyond the beaten paths of our tradition. From 2018-2022, he served Alliance partner congregation University Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, MS. He’s also worked in K12 and Higher Education in Mississippi. A graduate of Wake Forest University (BA) and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University (MDiv), Brett lives in Laurel, MS, with his wife, Biz, and their two sons.

Email Brett.

development

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Kristy Arnesen Pullen (she/her) began serving on the Alliance Board in 2002 and in various other volunteer roles afterward before joining the staff part-time in 2014. She had a long career in publishing with Judson Press of the American Baptist Churches USA before being welcomed by the Alliance. She has an MA in Religion from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer). She lives in Coatesville, Pennsylvania with her husband Larry and their two rescue kitties.

Email Kristy.

organizational support

Kristy Pullen

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Alexis Tardy

congregational relations and organizing manager, THRIVE coordinator

Rev. Alexis Tardy (she/her) joined the Alliance staff in 2023 to support the THRIVE cohort. A preacher, educator, and community organizer, Alexis's ministry was profoundly shaped by the Ferguson protests following the death of Michael Brown Jr. She has devoted her career to advancing racial justice and equipping communities for transformational change. Alexis holds degrees from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Eden Theological Seminary, and Memphis Theological Seminary, and lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her family and dog, KoKo.

Email Alexis.

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Lily White

hospitality and LGBTQIA+ ministry partner relations

Rev. Lily White (she/her) is passionate about cultivating spaces of connection, celebration, and belonging rooted in justice and beloved community. She earned her Master of Divinity with a Baptist specialization from Perkins School of Theology, where she was recognized as a Baugh Scholar and participated in L@s Seminaristas, an ecumenical Latiné student group rooted in justice and community-building. Lily lives in Austin, Texas, with her wife, Kris, and their two cats, Maeve and Nina. She loves to travel and read.

Email Lily.

Board of Directors