Our Team

Leah Payne (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is a professor of American Religious History at George Fox University and Portland Seminary. She is also a senior fellow at the Louisville Institute and a faculty fellow in the George Fox University Honors Program.

Her first book, Gender and Pentecostal Revivalism: Making a Female Ministry in the Early Twentieth Century (Palgrave, 2015) won the 2016 Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies Book Award. Her second book explores the development of political theology in American Charismatic Christianity. In 2015, she and three other colleagues received a Lilly Endowment, Inc. High School Youth Theology Initiative grant to co-found Theologia: The George Fox University Summer Theology Institute, which began in 2017.

In 2017, she and four additional colleagues received a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to create an the Center Thriving at Portland Seminary, which began in 2018. She currently serves the Foursquare Church as a commissioner on the Foursquare Education Commission. Her work analyzing religion and popular culture has appeared in The Washington Post and Christianity Today.

Hannah Stuckey is the director for the Center for Thriving at Portland Seminary, where she also earned a Masters in Ministry Leadership. Hannah served as a pastor in Southeast Portland and now partners with organizations to help leaders grow in personal and organizational wellness.

She partners with Companioning Center as a blog contributor and workshop facilitator. Hannah is certified in Narrative Focused Trauma Care through the Allender Center. She and her husband, Mark, live in Portland with his son, Sawyer, their dog, Teva, and six delightful chickens.

Ashley serves as pastor of outreach and discipleship at Cedar Mill Bible Church. She also serves on the church’s lead and teaching teams. She holds a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Multnomah University, as well as an MEd in educational leadership. She’s also certified through the Cultural Intelligence Center as a CQ facilitator and is part of TogetherPDX, serving as a member of the ServePDX team.

Ashley believes that a vital part of becoming effective teachers and preachers involves being a discerning disciple of Jesus, committed to the integrity of Scripture. She is passionate about communicating truth in compelling ways that help churches and their surrounding communities navigate societal realities in their context. Ashley loves the church, and adores her family and friends.

Brooke Nolte Shellman serves as the program coordinator for the Center for Thriving. In addition to her part-time work at George Fox, she works as a medical case manager for Multnomah County in Portland, supporting folks navigating complex medical systems, health needs, and social needs.

Previously, she was a licensed master social worker at Austin State Hospital in Austin, Texas, supporting people navigating the criminal legal system while living with severe and persistent mental health issues. Before that, Brooke worked at two churches in the Portland area – Bridgetown Church (2018-21) and Westside: A Jesus Church (2015-18) – as the director of justice and manager of communities and Alpha, respectively.

She earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas in 2023 and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from George Fox in 2014. Brooke lives in Portland with her husband Derek and their two cats, Carmelo and Coco. She attends Pearl Church. She enjoys distance running, live music, camping, and watching squirrels with her cats.