Thought Leader Connect was created for you. After nearly three decades in production and fourteen blessed years of service in the Worship Tech Community, I know what it takes to develop into the leader you want to be for your ministry — and it takes a community.

Without the support and guidance of mentors, friends, and peers, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Sharing experiences, asking questions, and connecting for a greater purpose, all happen when you choose to connect and grow, both as an individual and an industry leader.

I truly hope you join us in Thought Leader Connect today we can take you and your ability to serve The Great Commission, to the next level, together.

See you inside!

— Daryl Sutton, Director of Thought Leader

Chris’s hometown of Branson, MO was the ideal place for his passion for live sound reinforcement to flourish. His time spent in these environments allowed Chris to cross-train in other disciplines, including lighting and video–knowledge which has given him the ability to adapt and problem-solve in many different aspects of live production. His insatiable desire to know more propels Chris to continue to learn, explore new solutions, and deepen his understanding of new technologies.

Chris lives in Tulsa, OK with his bride of 20 years and their three children. They love camping, hiking, and Geocaching as a family.

— Mentor Leader

Christina Pendleton has been on staff at the Grove Community Church in Riverside, CA since 2007. She currently serves as the Worship Producer, passionately working behind the scenes to communicate the Gospel and create beautiful spaces for people to worship Christ. She also loves building community with women in production and giving them a safe space to share their experiences, learn, and be encouraged. When she’s not working, she enjoys exploring art museums, Disney dates, foodie adventures, and family beach days with her husband and two daughters.

— Mentor Leader

Sweet Pete has two decades of production experience with the majority of that time spent as a TD/Director in Broadcast News. He is currently leading the Production Team and Director of Youth Ministry at Sun Grove Church in Elk Grove, CA. His main purpose in life is to encourage others to be leaders in their community of influence by reaching them where they are. During his free time, he enjoys sports, Disney and traveling with his wife.

— Mentor Leader

Growing up in Houston, setting up gigs with family and portable churches, Walter Wilson landed at Church Unlimited in 2010. Through his years at Church Unlimited, Walter has been a Lighting Programmer, Stage Manager, Video Engineer, Integrator, Volunteer Coordinator and more. Currently leading as the Central Production Director for Church Unlimited, Walter oversees all aspects of Production and Church Online. Walter has a love for the church, reaching people, and solving complicated problems, tech and otherwise. He lives with his wife and daughter in Corpus Christi, TX and takes advantage of the beautiful water right in their backyard. They love to fish, boat and spend time in the outdoors when they are not serving the church.

— Mentor Leader

Griffin McCravy is the Broadcast Lighting Director for Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. Griffin spent many years in the theater world doing audio, video, and lighting before eventually joining the staff of the multi-site, Alabama based church, Church of the Highlands, in 2017. Griffin spent several years as a Lighting Assistant, with a focus in volunteers and gear repair and replacement, before eventually taking on the role of Broadcast Lighting Director in 2019. Griffin has a hand in the operation and programming of the main broadcast location, while continuing to be the point of contact and communication for lighting at the campuses spread around the state of Alabama.

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Brandon Charlton is an experienced Broadcast Director & Producer of 12+ years. Driven by the desire to grow himself as leader he values the development of those that surround him. As the Production Director of Potential Church since 2018, his goals include developing a culture that teaches the foundational principles of production, empowers the next man/woman up and guides others to operate in their own brilliance.

— Mentor Leader

Daniel has been serving with Fellowship Church since 1998. He joined the staff as a Video Producer before transitioning to live production as a Lighting Designer. He now serves as the Production Designer overseeing the live design and engineering teams.

— Mentor Leader

Brian is the Creative Director of Experiences for Church of the Highlands with more than 20 campuses in Alabama and Georgia. He spends most days doing production design for the broadcast locations and special events, like MOTION Student Conference, with Vectorworks and Capture. Brian is happily married with three great kids and a fluffy dog. When not at work, dreaming of his next Disney adventure, or playing Spot-it with the kids, you can find Brian on the back porch smoking delicious food on his Big Green Egg.

— Mentor Leader

Neil is the Production Engineering Director at Christ Fellowship Church in South Florida. He is a tenacious problem solver that likes to leave no stone unturned when it comes to examining a problem or designing a system. One of his biggest passions is to help resource his teammates to leverage technology effectively in order to reach people with the gospel message. In addition to his time at Christ Fellowship, Neil has worked as a Broadcast Engineer in many corners of the industry supporting large sporting events, concerts, news outlets, and a number of TV and radio stations. In his spare time, Neil likes to cook and is constantly looking for new recipes. He also enjoys spending time on the water riding his paddle board.

— Mentor Leader

Lara Rodriguez has served as the Production Director for Church Unlimited’s Broadcast location in Corpus Christi, TX for six years. She has a passion for meeting people where they are and helping them develop their talents to serve the church. Lara loves creating environments where people can encounter the glory of God for their first or thousandth time. She has 10 years of experience in lighting, stage design, and volunteer management and consults locally on AVL equipment use and stage design. Outside of work, you can find her with her nose stuck in a book, gaming with her husband, or spending quality time with their black lab, Sketch.

— Mentor Leader

Tone has been in the live production industry since 2001, getting his start as a musician in the church in the 90’s which led to opportunities in audio. After starting a family in 2010 he found a passion for serving the church. In 2014 he took a full-time position at Worship Center church in Lancaster, PA, where he remained on staff as the audio director until 2020. Now he provides training and support to churches around the Central PA region. With a degree in business, investing in others is second nature to Tone.

— Mentor Leader

Jacob has been serving in live production for over 9 years and is currently the lighting designer at Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC. He is also a freelance live event technician. Jacob does most things relating to live production but specializes in lighting, LED walls, and rigging. In his free time, Jacob enjoys exploring the outdoors and riding his motorcycle.

— Mentor Leader