get to know
After receiving his MA from the University of Western Michigan, Ted served as a Director of Counseling in Michigan and later as the Academic Principal at Woodstock, an international boarding school in Mussoorie, Northern India. Upon returning to the United States of America, Ted became the Directer of a Career and Technical Center.
During retirement, Ted and his wife, Eleanor, have conducted training seminars in Niger West Africa on the topic of “Teaching with a Christian Worldview”. Ted now dutifully serves as the President of Transforming Leaders in Asia.
Lee earned his BA from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and his MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business. He also attended the Western Theological Seminary based in Holland, Michigan.
He retired from Words of Hope, an international media ministry based in Grand Rapids, MI, where he served for 33 years as the Vice President for International Ministries. He has also served as an Elder and Vice President of the Consistory at Hager Park Reformed Church in Jenison, MI. He is active in the worship and prayer teams, IT team, and occasionally preaches at the Reformed Church in America. Lee has served as the President of the General Synod, Moderator of the General Synod Council, Commission on Nominations, and the President of the South Grand Rapids Classis. He currently serves on the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes Executive Committee.
As an Illinois native, Lee great up in the southern suburbs of Chicago. He and his wife, Sheri, have resided in Jenison Michigan since 1985. They have been blessed with four children and 30 grandchildren.
Renee Pitts has lived her entire life in Birmingham, AL and holds degrees from Samford University and Beeson Divinity School. She has served on staff with Greater Europe Mission since 2023 with the GEM Personnel team with both application/orientation services and appointee services. Before joining GEM, Renee served as a campus minister and mission mobilizer at Samford University. Throughout this season, the Lord cultivated in Renee a heart for missionary development and care, a passion that has focused her ministry goals and placement in recent years.
In addition to her ministry, Renee enjoys time with her family (husband Brian and sons Cooper and Owen) and friends. She loves days at the lake, watching movies, reading (especially good magazine articles), and cooking. Renee hopes to one day have a permanent address in the United Kingdom.
Dr. AK, a trained veterinary physician, transitioned from clinical practice to ministry, serving as a campus minister for eight years. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Trinity International University. Committed to theological education and cross-cultural ministry, Dr. AK has dedicated his life to missionary service in India, focusing on teaching and equipping others for ministry.
Dr. Asangla Ao serves on the board of the TLA Educational Trust, where she contributes significantly to the organization’s mission through her work in teaching, training, and counseling.
She previously worked as a medical doctor in India before pursuing theological and counseling studies in the United States, earning a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Trinity International University. With her unique combination of medical experience, theological insight, and counseling expertise, Dr. Ao is deeply committed to holistic ministry and leadership development. She and her husband are proud parents of three wonderful children.
Eleanor is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has extensive experience teaching upper elementary students. She and her husband, Ted, have four children and spent five years serving at Woodstock International School in India. Together, they have also completed three short-term missions in Niger, West Africa, focused on advancing Christian education in the region.
In addition to their international service, Eleanor and Ted have been actively deployed with the Red Cross Disaster Relief Teams on numerous occasions. Eleanor is also deeply involved in ministry, having led and participated in various Bible studies and women’s groups.
Scott Gregory Davis, Jr. is a 1994 graduate of Bibb County High School. He continued his education at Auburn University receiving a Bachelors of Science in Forest Engineering in 1998. Upon a calling of God to pursue seminary, Dr. Davis received his Masters of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in 2001 and his Doctor of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017.
Scott serves as the Pastor of Fayette First Baptist Church in Fayette, AL. He is married to Nikki and they have four children: Tre(13), Quinn(11), Elizabeth(9), and Micah(5). Nikki is an RN and works at Bevill State Community College.
Scott is passionate about preaching, missions, and workplace ministry. He enjoy hunting, fishing and working with his hands, but mostly spends his extra time supporting his children in their extracurricular activities.
Ray, a graduate of Auburn University, currently serves as a project manager and brings over 30 years of experience in the financial industry. He and his wife, Tiese, are proud parents of twin daughters and delighted grandparents to three grandchildren.
Tiese is a Regional training facility manager for a National Banking institution. They (Tiese & Ray) are blessed with twin daughters and three grandchildren.
Debbie and I have been joyfully serving together in ministry since our marriage in 1977. I am a lifelong member of Spring Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where I’ve served as an elder for over 40 years, along with roles in Sunday School teaching, choir, Men’s Ministry, church treasurer, and now session clerk. I retired in 2020 after a 43½-year career at Protective Life Insurance Company, where I rose to Assistant Vice President of Computer Systems. Debbie, a graduate of Woodlawn High School, worked in various roles including preschool care, church secretary, and choir director, and is fluent in Spanish. She has faithfully served in numerous church ministries including VBS, ESL, music, and teaching. We’ve led multiple short-term mission trips to Guatemala and throughout the southeastern U.S., and supported both local and international outreach efforts for over 25 years.
We are blessed with three children—Matthew, Jennifer, and Sandra (adopted as an adult)—and twelve grandchildren ranging from age 2 to 26. Debbie and I spent over a decade serving in a local Hispanic congregation in addition to our home church. We remain committed to following God’s call wherever it leads and are grateful for every opportunity to serve Him together.
Mr. Bendangmeren Aier is from Mokokchung, Nagaland, and has a heart for serving through digital
and community transformation. He holds a Diploma in Information Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications from Sikkim Manipal University.
Since 2017, he has been faithfully serving with Transforming Leaders in Asia – Educational Trust (TLA-ET) as a Program Manager. In his role, Bendang not only oversees programs but also actively engages
in teaching and mentoring, especially in the area of social media and digital communication, helping young people and communities use technology for positive impact. His commitment to ministry
through media and education reflects his desire to see lives changed and communities uplifted for the
glory of God.
Mr. Ritupam Sharma holds a B.Sc in Information Technology and an MBA in Marketing Management, blending technical expertise with strategic business insight. His professional journey includes impactful roles such as Project Co-ordinator at the District Community Development Programme (DCDP) in Gohpur, Assam, and Agri Marketing Manager at the
Center for Environment and Climate Action Foundation (CECAF) in Guwahati Assam.
Currently, he serves as Project Manager at TLA Educational Trust since 2019, where he continues to drive community-focused initiatives with a commitment to sustainable development
and educational empowerment.