About Us

Our mission is to “Lead people all over the world into a transformational relationship with Jesus.” We achieve this by creating powerful media resources and study trips to help people understand the Bible in its original context. As people experience the original context, it transforms their understanding of the Bible, and in turn, has a life-changing impact on their relationship with Jesus.

We’re also creating a groundbreaking original series called The Sacred Thread where we’re taking the audience on a worldwide adventure to uncover the original context of the Bible.

We believe context is everything, and in order to understand the Bible well, we must read it through the lenses of its original context (historical, cultural, geographical, visual, linguistic, and literary). Only when we first understand what it meant for the people back then can we truly understand and apply what it means for us today. By engaging the Text (Bible) in context and walking it out, the Bible comes alive in ways many haven’t experienced, and it compels them to passionately live out the way of Jesus more intentionally in their lives.

Walking The Text (WTT) is a crowdfunded, 501c3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors.

Our Team

Brad Gray

Board President & CEO

Brad Gray is the Founder of Walking The Text and the Host for the forthcoming television show, The Sacred Thread. He is a national speaker, study trip leader, and Bible expert whose lifework has centered on helping people understand the original context of the Bible. He is the author of Make Your Mark: Getting Right What Samson Got Wrong, and a former teaching pastor with over a decade of experience serving the local church. He has traveled extensively to the Bible Lands of Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and Greece, and has been leading study trips to Israel and Turkey since 2010. Brad has a Business Management degree from Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan), a Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan), and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College (Jerusalem, Israel). He and his wife, Shallon, live with their four kids in the Greater Nashville Area.

Brad Nelson

Content Director

Brad Nelson is the Content Director at Walking The Text where he curates The Teaching Series, a bi-weekly podcast and video series, leads trips to Bible Lands, and serves as a faculty member for the Infusion Bible Conference. He is a national speaker, writer, and communication specialist. Prior to joining Walking The Text, Brad spent 17 years in pastoral ministry serving the local church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and planting Brick City Church in Ocala, Florida. Brad has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and a Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan) and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College (Jerusalem, Israel). He and his wife Trisha live with their three daughters in Ocala, Florida.

Marc Naugler

Creative Director

Marc Naugler is the Creative Director at Walking The Text where he does everything from presentation design to studio set construction to filming and editing to overseeing social media, and much more. Prior to joining Walking The Text, Marc served in local church for over 20 years in multiple leadership roles as Worship Pastor, Creative Arts Pastor and Communications Director. Additionally, his professional work has included. A graduate from Johnson University (formerly Florida Christian College) with a Bachelors degree in Christian Leadership, Marc is passionate about expanding the creative reach of the Bible. He and his wife, Tanya, have eight children and have been married for over 25 years. They moved to the Greater Nashville Area in 2020 to join Walking The Text.

Shallon Gray

Finance Manager

Shallon Gray has served as the Finance Manager at Walking The Text since its inception in 2017. A former college athlete, personal trainer, and business owner, Shallon’s drive, diligence, and commitment to excellence have helped Walking The Text transition from a non-profit start-up to an established organization with a growing team and budget. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bethel College (now Bethel University, Mishawaka, IN) and holds a BA in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and International Business. She is married to Brad Gray and is the mother of their four children and therefore a Jedi master at loving others with patience and skill.

April Gaddis

Executive Assistant

In addition to serving as Brad Gray’s Executive Assistant since 2019, April Gaddis has spent the last five years as a virtual assistant for multiple high-performing executives across the United States. Her skill sets in project management, event planning, and media communication have made her an invaluable asset to the Walking The Text team. April is a graduate of Mid America Christian University where she studied Behavioral Health and Biblical Studies. She and her husband Zachary live in Oklahoma and have been married since 2013. They’ve spent the last five years as part-time singer/songwriters in their band From A to Z.

Our Board

Nate Young

CHAIR

(Former SVP Design & Innovation, Newell Brands)

Nate Young formerly served as the Senior Vice President of Design and Innovation at Newell Brands where he brought over thirty-five years of experience to teams both locally and internationally, facilitating a culture of intense creativity and idea-sharing. After receiving his undergraduate education in Automotive and Product Design from Art Center College of Design, Nate began working for Prince Corporation, an automotive interiors company, where he led the integration and development of its first design team. Later, with Johnson Controls, he became Group Vice President, a role that expanded his responsibilities to include Advanced Engineering, Market Research and Design and included over 375 staff members internationally.

In 2000, Nate used this collaborative experience as a catalyst to co-found TWISThink, a consultancy that helped companies connect manufacturing to new product development.  Later, Nate returned to his alma mater to become Executive Vice President and Provost of Art Center College of Design, where he launched Graduate Studies, Entertainment Design, International Studies and the Corporate Partnership Program. In 2009, he founded the NewNorth Center for Design in Business, a non-profit focused on teaching Design Thinking and dedicated to revitalizing innovation within their clients’ organizations.

Nate is on the Board of Southwest Michigan First and has served on the advisory board of Design Management Institute and Art Center Board of Trustees.

Rick Lyons

TREASURER

(President, Kintsugi Advisors & Former Executive VP of Mastercard)

Rick Lyons, Jr. is President of Kintsugi Advisors, serving leaders who seek to realize their full potential and calling. He serves as a confidante, guide, mentor, organization, and strategy consultant. From 2002-2010, he served as Executive Vice President and Global Product Group Executive for MasterCard Worldwide (2002-2010) managing the MasterCard global debit, prepaid, and ATM businesses. Having served on numerous payment organization boards of directors, Rick has been a significant leader in the consolidation of the U.S. debit payments industry.

He is vice chair of Movement.org in New York City, chairperson of The Mission Collective in Charleston, SC, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. Before relocating to West Michigan in late 2013, he served four years as Executive Director of Trinity Church in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Rick majored in management studies at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD and business administration at Marywood College in Scranton, PA. He and his wife, Mary, have two adult daughters, four grandchildren, and two English Cream Golden Retrievers.

Hala Saad

VICE-CHAIR

(CEO of Vision Communications International)

Hala Saad launched Vision Communications International (VCI) in 2003 as a multi-media ministry that produces Christian television and radio programs, as well as targeted social media campaigns, to reach Arabic-speaking people all over the world. VCI has created over one hundred long-running series for distribution on satellite television and multiple social media platforms. In addition, the ministry established four Internet radio channels, mobile apps, websites, and its own library of thousands of original Christian praise and worship songs. VCI’s content has been watched and listened to nearly one billion times to date.

Hala founded Global Bounty (2012), a humanitarian organization that focuses on making nutritious food, education and work opportunities available to underprivileged women in Egypt. She also founded an advertising company (1993) and has served as a marketing consultant, strategic development planner, and creative director, overseeing advertising and branding campaigns for national and international corporations.

Hala is a speaker, writer, curriculum developer and film producer. She finds great joy in mentoring the next generation of women leaders in Egypt and the MENA region. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the American University in Cairo. She and her husband, Greg, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.

Dr. Gary Gray

SECRETARY

(CEO & Chief Content Creator, Gray Institute)

Dr. Gary Gray PT, FAFS is a sought after physical therapist, athletic trainer, personal trainer, and strength and conditioning coach. Recognizing that transformational environments are critical to enhancing the lives of others, Gary developed the discipline of Applied Functional Science®. AFS is a groundbreaking and innovative approach to human movement that combines the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences. The Gray Institute offers online courses, certifications, mentorship and CEU’s for movement professionals

Gary has consulted with numerous high school, collegiate, and professional sports teams and personnel across the country. Gary founded Free2Play® a movement literacy program designed to develop young people through physical activity while also expanding their capacity to contribute to the well-being of others. He has been married to his 7th grade sweetheart (Cindi) since 1976 and has been blessed with two sons and daughter-in-loves (Brad and Shallon, Doug and Valerie) and six grandchildren.

New Board Member