Ben & Anna Graber

The Grabers serve long-term with Mission to the World’s team in Munich, Germany, where they support a German church plant on the city’s drastically under-churched east side as well as Martin Bucer Seminary, a multi-site Reformed seminary based in Germany. Ben serves in preaching, worship, and the church’s leadership team, while Anna helps to lead the children’s Sunday school program and discipleship for women. At the seminary, Ben is an instructor in Old Testament and tutors a number of students through MBS’ guided self-study programs.

Their vision is to see Munich—once a bastion of the German Counter-Reformation and now a highly secular global city—become home to a large, healthy network of Reformed evangelical churches and a launching pad for pastors, church planters, counselors, ministry workers, and missionaries who will bring the gospel throughout German-speaking Europe and build up the Church in the knowledge and love of Christ.

Ben and Anna have five children: Peter (b. 2013), Lucas (b. 2015), Lilias (v. 2017), Owen (b. 2019), and Joseph (b. 2022).

Doug & Masha Shepherd

The Shepherds minister on an international church planting team, seeking to plant church planting churches in L’viv and the western region of Ukraine. This team seeks to raise up the next generation of missionaries from the United States and the Ukraine Presbyterian Church to reach Ukraine and the world.

Doug explains, “Our focus is planting a church planting church via hospitality based, modeling and training in the Ukrainian language. We are seeking to focus on children’s, women’s, men’s, university, orphan, and elderly ministry. We seek to have a worship service that is appropriate for the Ukrainian context that displays the transcendence and immanence of God while providing Reformed teaching that seeks to engage all areas of life with the Gospel.”

The Shepherds have three children: Chas, Nika, and Sophia.

Please pray for the Shepherds as they love God and that they would grow in understanding of humility, forbearance, grace, and love. Also pray for the young believers as they seek to take leadership for the first time in their lives.

Angi & Remy Ngumbu

Rémy and Angi Ngumbu serve with The Seed Company, an affiliate of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Their desire is to help people in central Africa and around the world to have access to the Bible in the language or languages that they understand best. Rémy works in organizational development, helping Bible translation organizations to develop their financial capacity, allowing them to receive international grants and to become more efficient. Angi works as a Project Manager, helping churches and language communities in Congo to plan and develop translation projects and giving them the resources that they need to carry them out. Sometimes she works as a linguist, helping language communities to analyze the grammar of their language before writing it down.

Rémy and Angi have two children: Chloé (b. 2014) and Clara (b. 2017).

José Portillo & Hispanic Leadership Initiative

Hispanic Leadership Initiative (HLI) was officially formed in January 2012 as a network of PCA churches, institutions, and individuals committed to raising up Hispanic leadership for Christ. HLI is committed to preparing Hispanic men and women for ministry in the PCA.

HLI’s vision is: a culturally-diverse, missionally-driven Presbyterian Church in America embracing Hispanic communities with the transformational power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the advancement of His Kingdom. Their mission? By God’s grace and provision, through personal relationships and in active partnership with churches, institutions, and individuals, Hispanic Leadership Initiative will develop a pipeline of Hispanic leadership for Christ’s Church by: Identifying, Encouraging, Supporting, and Facilitating.

José has been married to Anna for six years, and together thay have four children. José is a bilingual, first-generation immigrant to the United States, has been ordained as a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, and is planting Vive Charlotte Church in Charlotte, NC.

Keith Berger
Reformed University Fellowship, Chief Organizational Development Officer

Keith graduated from Duke University in 1990 and spent five years with the U. S. Army after college. After earning his Mdiv from Reformed Theological Seminary, he served as the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) campus minister at Louisiana State University from 1999-2008, area coordinator from 2008-2019, and RUF assistant coordinator from 2019-2020. He presently serves as the Chief Development Officer of RUF. Keith and Paige, a former RUF intern, have been married since 1998 and have lived in Fort Worth since 2008. They have three mostly grown daughters, Louise Anne, Kate, and Anderson, and one mostly grown son, Ward.

Bradford Green
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | Texas Christian University

Bradford Green is the campus minister at TCU. Originally from Murfreesboro, TN, he graduated from Lipscomb University in 2008 and moved to the mountains of East Tennessee. After two years working at a PCA church there — and living in a cabin up a hollow behind Dollywood theme park — Bradford enrolled at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) and received his M.Div and call to RUF in the spring of 2013. He enjoys reading, Tennessee football, smoking meats, and fussing with his beard.

Cristina is a native of Houston, TX and graduated from TCU — where she was active in RUF — in 2008 and from RTS Charlotte in 2013 (ThM). She’s also a Master Gardener, and less formally a master at baking chocolate chip cookies and finding good food in Fort Worth. The Greens met working at Young Life’s Wilderness Ranch in Colorado and were married in 2011. From ’13-‘19 they planted a new RUF work at Hendrix College in Conway, AR. Bradford and Cristina have three kids: Weldon (b. 2013), Rosie (b. 2016), and Wilkes (b. 2019).

Nate Waddell
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | UTA

Originally from Minnesota, Nate holds an undergraduate degree from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and an M.Div from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. Since 2011, he has lived in China, Missouri, Colorado, and spent a summer in Washington State. Nate loves RUF because it’s about creating a community of people on campus who love Jesus and one another. He wants students from all different places and backgrounds to know Jesus.

Nate and wife Gracie have three sons – Liam, Benjamin, and Gabriel – and a golden doodle named Theo. Nate enjoys soccer, movies, gardening, cooking, hiking, reading, music, and coffee.

Justin Smith
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | University of North Texas

Justin Smith is a native Texan originally from Arlington. His introduction to RUF was as an undergrad at Belmont University from which he graduated in 2007. Justin met his wife Kathryn (a Vanderbilt grad and RUF intern) at RUF’s summer conference in 2010. A year later they were married and moved to Atlanta where Justin completed seminary at RTS Atlanta. Justin started with RUF at UNT in 2017, and coming from an extensive musical background UNT has been a great fit. Justin and Kathryn both love RUF and are excited about serving the students at UNT. They also enjoy music, cooking and trying new foods, day hikes, having folks in their home, and the Texas Rangers. They have three great kids: Vivian, Nathaniel, and Eleanor.

Austin McCann
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | Texas A&M University

Austin was born and raised in Memphis, TN. He began attending RUF as a freshman at Mississippi State University. Through the ministry of God’s Word and meaningful friendships, the Lord used RUF to show Austin his deep need for grace in the Gospel and an ever-growing love for Christ and His Church. He also met his wonderful wife, Alex, through RUF. After graduating from MSU, Austin worked as an RUF intern at Auburn University. In 2018, the McCanns moved to Charlotte, NC where Austin attended Reformed Theological Seminary. In 2022, the McCanns moved to Aggieland to begin working with RUF at Texas A&M. They have a son Henry (born 2020) and a daughter Betsy (born 2022). Austin enjoys all things outdoors, reading a good book, hole in the wall restaurants, and watching movies and sports.

Davis Sweatt
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | Texas Tech University

Davis Sweatt is the campus minister at TTU. Originally from Huntsville, AL, Davis graduated from Mississippi State in 2011. After college, he moved to Memphis, TN and met his wife, Valerye (also a graduate of MSU). After being in Memphis for three years, they eventually moved to Saint Louis, MO in 2016 for Davis to pursue his Mdiv and counseling degrees. While in Saint Louis, they had two children, Wynn (born 2019) and Darby (born 2021). They also welcomed their third child, Mattie, in August of 2022! They enjoy hanging outside with their kids and dog, Leo, as well as playing games at their house, watching MSU sports, and eating good food!

JB Wilbanks
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | UT Tyler

JB began serving as the RUF campus minister in Tyler in the Fall of 2017. He grew up in the small town of Linden in East Texas and attended Texas A&M for an undergrad in Psychology. It was at A&M that JB met his wife Allison. JB received his Masters of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. He previously served as the Assistant Pastor and Minister to Students at Christ Church in Mansfield, TX before being called to RUF Tyler. JB and Allison have three children, Lillian (born April 2015), John (born February 2017), and Clara (born April 2020). JB loves reading, hunting, backpacking, golfing, and, above all else, playing with his kids.

Eduardo Ovalle
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Ministry Associate | UTEP

Eduardo grew up in El Paso, Texas, attended both UTEP and El Paso Community College, and has grown to love the community and campuses. He graduated from UTEP with a BA in Communication Studies and will be pursuing an MDiv this summer at Covenant Theological Seminary. Eduardo became a Christian at 19 and from this journey developed a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with college students and young adults. He loves to see what the Lord is doing in the lives of the students of El Paso.

Eduardo recently married Ana who he met at a community college Bible study but is currently working on her Pharm D at the UTEP School of Pharmacy. They have a dog who is a beagle-shepherd mix and both love to read, discover new bookstores and coffee shops, and meet new people.

Cyril Chavis
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Minister | Howard University, Washington DC

Rev. Cyril Chavis, Jr. is from Virginia Beach, VA. During his first year at the University of Virginia, Cyril recognized that he was a sinner who was rebelling against a God who has a glorious design for his life. Soon after recognizing his desperate need and giving his life to Jesus Christ, he experienced the life transforming grace of God and sensed an inward call to ministry. Cyril was first licensed to preach in Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church , became a church planting resident at Portico Church, and graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He holds a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson. After graduating seminary in 2017 and leading RUF at Jackson State for four years, Cyril and his wife, Jenell, started an RUF in DC. When Cyril is not at work in ministry, you can find him hanging out with Jenell, goofing off with his two daughters (Aria and Elise), or laughing way too hard with friends and family!

Laura Straka
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Staff at Emory University

Laura has been serving RUF at Emory University since 2014, first as an intern and then as Campus Staff. She is from the land of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Forest, Virginia, but also has Texas roots – she is the daughter of FWPC’s founding pastor Mike Sharrett. Laura graduated from The University of Virginia in 2014 with a double major in Middle Eastern Studies and Religious Studies. Laura also has a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. She loves cooking Moroccan food, reading a good book, and trees.

Hannah Humphreys
Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Staff at SMU

Hannah grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduating high school, she attended Baylor University and graduated with a degree in Child and Family Studies. As a freshman at Baylor, Hannah immediately found a home with RUF. The RUF community was such a comfort to her when everything about college was brand new. It was truly the best part of her college experience. RUF was the backdrop for her richest friendships, growth in the knowledge of her deep need for Christ, and ultimate hope in God’s unchanging love. Hannah served as an intern at Belhaven University for two years before joining SMU’s Campus Staff in 2022. She hopes to help students rest in the Gospel and build community on the Southern Methodist University campus.