Category

USA Chapter Directors

California, San Diego- Bill and Michelle Winder

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Bill & Michelle Winder, both native Californians, live in Carlsbad, a beautiful town in north coastal San Diego.  At a God-appointed meeting in Hollywood in 2010, Michelle met Karen Covell. Karen was hosting a meeting for children in ‘The Industry’ and Michelle had been invited up to lead worship. After a short conversation in which Karen explained the vision of Hollywood Prayer Network, she asked Michelle to pray about starting a Chapter in San Diego.

Here is the rest of the story, directly from Michelle:
I immediately declined as my time was already consumed with ministry and Real Estate. Karen continued to ask every few months until one day, while driving on the I-5 I realized it might be God asking- so, as was often my mo, I ‘made a deal’ with God. If He would provide a partner to help, I would do it ‘temporarily’ until someone with a passion for Hollywood stepped up. 12 minutes later I walked into my home and my husband Bill, a true prayer-warrior, said, “Would you start an HPN Chapter if I were to partner with you?” I laughed at how God always calls my bluff.  I agreed and Bill & I began an adventure that we’re still enjoying today, 12 years later! We rally an amazing team of prayer warriors “outside the camp” as God leads. Please pray about joining us!

 

 

 

New Mexico, Las Cruces – Tessa Kennedy

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Tessa Valadez Kennedy was born and raised in the Southwest and lives in Las Cruces, NM working at the university. She has always had a heart for storytelling, especially through film, and has often been compelled to pray for those in the entertainment industry. New Mexico’s recent partnerships with film industry leaders have led Tessa to a greater desire to draw in, and lean into, a community of believers within the entertainment industry in New Mexico, and strengthen the weary hands that hang down.

 

 

 

Tennessee, Dollywood – Gorman Woodfin

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Gorman’s varied production career started as an Associate Producer on two national award shows: The Dove Awards (Nashville) and the A.C.E. Awards (American Cable Excellence Awards, Las Vegas). He hosted his own shopping show on America’s Shopping Channel on Cox Cable for two years. For about 25 years, he was a producer, writer and talent for CBN television. For 14 of those years he was a Celebrity Correspondent for CBN. Some of his interviews included Hugh Jackman, Emma Stone, Morgan Freeman, Bryce Dallas Howard, Peter Jackson and many more.

 

 

 

 

California, Redding – Kate English

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Kate grew up convinced she would be a full time missionary to India, but in the last 10 years God has been shifting her heart to Hollywood. With a passion for community and creativity her favorite thing is to connect like-minded people who can partner with, and encourage, each other. Kate moved to Redding in 2009 to attend Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and then spent time on staff at Bethel Church, as well as working for local production companies, and most recently working for the Upstate California Film Commission. As a costume designer and writer she feels called to build a bridge between Redding and LA to create connections and spiritual support for artists both locally, and in Hollywood.

Memphis, TN – Justin and Ariel Harrison

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Justin and Ariel are Memphis natives that have been married for seven years. They currently (Aug 2022) have one child and a passion for marriage and family. They are a director/writer duo that loves to create film projects. They have a fire for the things of God and a desire to glorify God through film and media. Malia Wofford passed the baton for the Memphis chapter to them in July of 2022.

They desire to build a community in the Memphis Chapter of the Hollywood Prayer Network. The vision for that community is to, above all, pray together for Hollywood as well as network and work together to produce God-glorying projects!

 

 

 

Oklahoma, Oklahoma City – Spencer Folmar

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Spencer Folmar is a producer, director, and writer. He has been making independent feature films for over 15 years. Folmar specializes in film financing, marketing, and distribution. His 2017 theatrical debut “Generational Sins” made worldwide news with his new Hard Faith™ genre. His films and entrepreneurial endeavors have been featured in Variety, New York Times, New York Post, Newsweek, LA Times, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, and more. Spencer has written & directed 4 feature films and produced 8 feature films. Spencer’s life motto in art is “Telling Stories That Liberate”.

 

 

 

Texas, Arlington – Joey Geisel

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

HPN and Joey first connected through a YouVersion devotional that he led as Young Adult Pastor several years ago, and now he is really enjoying praying alongside them as Pastor of Prayer Ministry over the Grace House of Prayer in Arlington, TX. The primary focus of the Arlington chapter is interceding for The Chosen television project about the life of Christ, produced in North Texas: find out more about Pray For The Chosen here: https://linktr.ee/prayforthechosen

Joey grew up watching his dad playing violin in the pit for theatre shows that his mom wrote and/or directed, so his Radio/TV/Film degree and Theatre minor from TCU makes sense to all who know him. The whole Geisel family carries a deep passion for exalting Christ in the arts: Joey and his wife Emma have toured internationally with dance ministry (her) worship ministry (both) and video marketing (him), and both really enjoy stoking fires of prayer-revival in the local church. Contact Joey and find out more at https://linktr.ee/joeygeisel

California, Ventura – Lanie Mabry

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Lanie has been serving the Lord in intercession, including for Hollywood, since 1999 and recently became a chapter director with HPN in March of 2022!

Growing up, her dad was a pastor, but in her teens she got pulled into the ways of the world. In her thirties, after watching “Stigmata”, she devoted her life to Jesus and has not turned back! In 2018, she was diagnosed with cancer and was told that she only had months to live, but she sees her life as a living example of Psalm 23 in God’s faithfulness to be with us at all times as our Rock! She is joyfully a wife, mother and grandmother.

She looks forward to gathering people together in person for prayer and sharing prayer requests online with her chapter. She has a heart for entertainers to know God, and through knowing Him, to be a part of what God is doing in Hollywood!

Tennessee, Nashville – Michael Blanton

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Michael Blanton, of Brentwood, Tennessee, has had a celebrated career in the music industry and continues to be involved in several areas of IP development and branding. A native of Amarillo, Texas, Blanton got his start in music as an A&R representative at Word Records in Waco, Texas, moving to Nashville in 1978 to open the company’s office on Music Row. He and business partner Dan Harrell launched Blanton/Harrell Production and Management in 1980 with Amy Grant as their first client. In 1981 with friend Brown Bannister (’75), they created Reunion Records and Reunion Publishing and soon launched the careers of artists including Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins. Blanton served as executive producer for some of Grant’s biggest hits, including the albums Unguarded (1985), Lead Me On (1988), and the multi-platinum Heart in Motion (1992), which sold more than ten million copies and received five Pop Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year. He also executive produced hits for Smith including his debut, Michael W. Smith Project (1983) featuring the song “Friends,” The Big Picture (1986), i 2 (EYE) (1988) and Change Your World (1992). Blanton and Harrell worked with authors including Frank Peretti, helping him release his multimillion selling This Present Darkness in 1986 and Piercing the Darkness in 1989. Beginning in 1997, Blanton and Harrell served as co-presidents of Gaylord’s Idea Entertainment, leaving in 2000 and forming Blanton Harrell Cooke & Corzine in 2001. There they signed acclaimed Christian artists such as Point of Grace and Bebo Norman and Joy Williams.

In 2011, Blanton launched Be Music and Entertainment to develop and manage new artists, such as Zane Williams (’99), Dave Barnes, Ginny Owens and All Sons and Daughters. In 2018, he partnered with Vertigo Media to help with their new technology branding. Technology that connects Spotify and Apple into one artist music activation app.

Also, in 2018 Blanton partnered with Gary Glover to form a new consulting and branding team, and they have helped to launch the new on-line digital songwriting venture, called Songwriting University, where anyone around the world can co-write with Nashville songwriters. And finally in 2020 Terry Benedict (producer of Hacksaw Ridge) and Blanton have formed a new film production company named Beacon Hawk Entertainment, planning to move into production of new film projects in 2022.

Blanton is a member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Gospel Music Association, the Country Music Association, and the Americana Music Association, and he serves as board chair of Lipscomb’s College of Entertainment and Arts. The team of Blanton & Harrell was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

Blanton and his wife, Paula, have three grown children all married and living in Nashville – Carter and Molly Blanton, Chelsea and Heath Drimmel and Boothe and Conor Farley – and six grandchildren.

Canada, Ontario, Ottawa – Karen Bourgon

By Global Local Chapter Directors, USA Chapter Directors

Karen is a wife and mother of six children, proud grandmother of two grandchildren, and has an extensive background in Administration and Fitness Consulting.  She is the Founder and Director of two ministries – Sister†Hood, a faith based ministry for women, and The Deliverance Network, with its associated Youtube Channel, The Deliverance Network.  With a profound spiritual journey that began with an ‘angel experience’ in 1999, Karen seeks to spread the experiences and ‘words’ she has received over the years, in answer to God’s call, and believes deeply in the power of prayer to change our world.

Karen is passionate about witnessing to the faith and helping women in healing, growth, faith and community, and is particularly passionate about spiritual warfare. Karen is excited at the addition of an HPN Chapter as part of Sister†Hood’s network of powerhouse prayer warriors, and believes it offers strongly targeted spiritual warfare in an area of great influence in our culture.

 

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