Founded in 2015, Illustrated Ministry creates illustrated faith resources for the church and the home. While we initially focused on creating products and resources for children’s ministries and families of young children, we quickly learned that our customers were using them to facilitate intergenerational community within their churches.
We are a growing team here at Illustrated Ministry, and you can read more about the folks who make it all happen below. And if you need to contact us, you can do that here.
Adam Walker Cleaveland – Founder + CEO
Adam is an artist, entrepreneur, pastor, pastor’s spouse, and father of four (two living). Adam graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry. Adam is an ordained Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served churches in Idaho, California, Oregon and Illinois.
After doing youth ministry for over 15 years, Adam founded Illustrated Ministry in 2015, and loves being part of a team that is providing the church and families with progressive, creative, illustrated resources for worship, formation, and more. Adam resides in Racine, Wisconsin with his wife and their two children.
Rebekah Lowe – Director of Product Development
Rebekah, a local of Kansas City, Southern California, and Austin, TX, served as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Brentwood Presbyterian Church (USA) in Los Angeles, California, for over five years. There, she created meaningful worship experiences and developed curricula for children in 5th grade and younger. Her desire to serve the church began in Shawnee, Kansas, eventually bringing her to Southern California to earn a B.A. in Biblical Studies with a minor in Leadership Studies and a minor in Hebrew at Azusa Pacific University. In addition to her work for Illustrated Ministry, she is developing resources for churches on the practice of welcoming children in worship and sharing the Bible with children in a meaningful and formative way. She resides in Austin, TX with her husband and their two daughters.
Jill Vint – Operations & Project Manager
Before becoming a stay-at-home mom six years ago, Jill worked as a special education teacher in the Chicago Public Schools and the Greenwich Council District in Southeast London. While working from home in that capacity, she also served on her children’s preschool board of directors for three years, including in the role of president in her third year. She is involved with the Gift of Adoption Fund—a cause near and dear to her heart—serving on the national board for three years and the investment board for the last two years. When she is not chasing after her two children, Jill enjoys traveling with her family, training for triathlons, and knitting.
Alaina Carlson – Office Manager
As a classical singer, Alaina’s central passions are music, performance, and a well-crafted message. She is currently based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she’s embracing a freelance lifestyle.
Besides singing, performing, and office-assisting, Alaina enjoys yoga, fitness, travel, language learning, and high-quality chocolate.
MAKEESHA FISHER – SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Makeesha is a freelance social media manager and graphic artist and is much better at writing other people’s bios. She grew up in church ministry in the US and has worked with children, youth, college and career, and arts ministries in a variety of contexts. While she herself still often feels like a teenager, she is actually old enough to have a teenage daughter (*gasp) and a pre-teen daughter (who is basically a 30-year-old trapped in a kid body). She lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband David, the family dog Millie, and their cat Vixen. She is a gamer nerd, lover of comic books, knitting, and reading, and tries to stay active with martial arts, swimming, and as much dancing as she can fit into her life.
JESSICA HAUSER BRYDON – WRITER
Jessica is a Social Worker serving Early Childhood Programs in Muskegon County, Michigan, and is an ordained minister in the PC(USA). After earning her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan and Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, Jessica found herself in a variety of work situations that drew on her training in both disciplines. As one half of a clergy couple and parent to three children, Jessica has had both personal and professional experience helping her own family and many church families discover ways to be fully engaged in worship and faith communities. Having been a big fan and supporter of ICM from the beginning, she was excited to have an opportunity to join the writing team.
ARIANNE BRAITHWAITE LEHN – WRITER
Arianne is a mother, one half of a clergy couple, writer, and ordained minister with the PC(USA). As a South Dakota native, Arianne originally planned on Law School until God called her to Taiwan where everything changed. She later graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary (Chicago). She and her family live in Wilmette, IL. Arianne loves creating things – on the page, in the kitchen, out in nature, and in relationships. She blogs at ariannebraithwaitelehn.com.
ERIKA MARKSBURY – WRITER
Erika is Senior Pastor of the creative, welcoming First Baptist Church of McMinnville, Oregon, and mom to two exhausting, inspiring boys. She coordinates Practicing Families, a blog where parents share hilarious/poignant/cringe-worthy/helpful stories of what it’s like to explore faith with kids.
KELLY ERIN O’PHELAN – WRITER
Kelly Erin currently serves as the Children’s Ministry Director at All Saints Church in Pasadena, CA. Before coming to All Saints, Kelly Erin served as the Canon for Children’s and Family Ministries at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle. Before moving to Seattle, she served at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Mo., as a youth minister. Kelly Erin holds a BA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where she studied education, teaching in urban, suburban, and private schools in the Kansas City metro. Kelly Erin splits her spare time between dance aerobics classes and volunteering as a youth crisis counselor in West Hollywood. Kelly Erin lives with her spouse, Haley, in Highland Park with their dog, Luna Tuna.
CORBY ORTMANN – ILLUSTRATOR
Corby is a digital illustrator and animator, whose work includes caricatures, graphic design, children’s books, and animated commercials/music videos. He currently lives in Fargo, ND with his wife and daughter, who help him to step away from the art table every so often. You can find more of his work at www.corbyortmann.com.
KECELYN SANTIAGO – WRITER
Kecelyn is the Director of Children’s Ministry at Kirk in the Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She has worked for over 15 years in children and youth ministry, nurturing and training leaders, developing curriculum for Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and directing children and youth programs. In her free time, Kecelyn loves to collect stories for her journals and is an avid card maker. She is happily married to Rev. Fernando Rodriguez and they have two beautiful children, Matías and Sionely.
TAMISHA A TYLER – WRITER
Tamisha (she/her) is a PhD student studying Theology, Culture and Ethics. Her interests include exploring a theopoetic disposition for ethical concerns and engaging the intersection of theology, ethics, and culture through the work of Octavia Butler. A dynamic speaker and facilitator, she hosts workshops and discussion around diversity, community, art, and liturgy. She currently serves as Director of Operations for ARC. She also co-hosts two podcasts entitled Why We’re Friends and (soon to be released) Progressively Black. She resides in Pasadena and considers herself a “wanna-be” foodie, lover of art and people!
DAVID WIERZBICKI – ILLUSTRATOR
David is an illustrator and designer living in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He studied illustration at the artistically renowned Sheridan College near Toronto and has worked in a variety of artistic mediums for almost 20 years. Along the way, he also served as a pastor in a small rural community in Alberta, Canada. He is a father to two children and often finds himself working on creative projects while his daughter draws alongside him and his son builds wild creations in Minecraft. David’s daily passion is to create something beautiful that will bring joy, purpose, and goodness to the world around him. Learn more about David and his art at Whatever You Art.
LAYTON WILLIAMS – WRITER
Layton is a PC(USA) minister and a writer based in Charleston, SC. She serves as the Director of New Dawn Ministries at Sunrise Church on Sullivan’s Island, and she is the author of Holy Disunity: How What Separates Us Can Save Us. She received her M.Div from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and previously served on staff at Sojourners in D.C. and Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Prior to ministry, Layton worked as a nonprofit educator for middle and high school students.