Rabbi Keilah Lebell

Rabbi Keilah Lebell recently moved from Los Angeles to Chattanooga with her husband, Rabbi Sam Rotenberg, and their three children. They are eager to get involved with and serve the Jewish and multifaith communities here. Rabbi Lebell is affiliated with the Conservative Jewish movement and was ordained at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2018. Most recently she has been working as an assistant rabbi at IKAR, a nondenominational, progressive and social justice-focused community in Los Angeles (www.ikar.org). She specializes in individual and communal pastoral care, guiding individuals and families through lifecycle transitions, challenges and losses. She also launched a Hevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society) at IKAR, organizing community volunteers to sit with the deceased before burial and to perform tahara, the ritual washing of the deceased before burial. Rabbi Lebell is passionate about spiritual counseling, helping individuals cultivate spiritual strength and a sense of purpose, and transforming the way we relate to illness and death in the United States today.

Bishop Kevin L. Adams, Sr.

Bishop Kevin L. Adams is a visionary man of God, an international humanitarian, trusted community advisor and leader. A man of considerable action, he knows no limitations when it comes to fighting injustices, poverty and violence. Adams exhibits tremendous advocacy for youth and community. His life work includes the installation of 15 water wells in Ghana for a humanitarian effort hosted by Project Compassion, the implementation of a number of ministries that teach economic self-sufficiency and programs that address building local capacity to prevent and reduce community violence.

Rev. Brad Whitaker

The Rev. Brad Whitaker is a native of Atlanta, GA. He is a graduate of Young Harris College, the University of Georgia, and The General Theological Seminary. Brad was ordained as a priest in 1990 and was on staff at St. Peter’s in Rome, GA and at Holy Innocents’ in Atlanta. He has served as the Rector of Christ Church in Newton, NJ and at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe, MI. Recently he served as the transitional priest for Trinity Church in Farmington Hills, MI and St. Andrew’s, Waterford, MI. Brad also served as the Chief Operating Officer of a human service agency in Detroit that serves homeless and high risk girls.

Brad has been married to his wife, Harriett - a middle school teacher - for 26 years, and they have three children: Sarah, Robert and Henry. Brad loves to play golf (just ask about his 2008 sabbatical in Scotland and Burundi), hike and fish.

Rev. Dr. Doug Jacobs (Moderator)

Douglas Jacobs joined the School of Religion at Southern Adventist University in May of 2002. Before coming to Southern, he served for almost seven years as senior pastor of Walker Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church in Avon Park, Florida. Dr. Jacobs has conducted several "Discover Jesus" evangelistic series in Florida, the Philippines, and Pakistan and has developed a series of biblically based health features for his evangelistic meetings. His doctoral studies focused on the relationship between health and spirituality, with special emphasis on the role of the doctrine of health in the message and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In addition to his work in public evangelism and health ministry, Jacobs has been involved in a wide variety of other evangelistic and community outreach programs. While a pastor, he was involved in several radio ministries and developed and hosted "Faces of Faith," a half-hour television program.

Dr. Jacobs' wife, Lanell, is a Director of Oncology Services at Gordon Hospital, and they have two daughters, Janell and Katie. Doug's hobbies include bicycling, golf, water sports, kite-flying, wooden boat building, travel, and reading.