
Meet the Team
Missouri District NYI Council 2026-2027

NYI President | MAX Coordinator | Quizzing Coordinator
Melissa Jones
Pastor Melissa has been attending Rolla Church of the Nazarene for the last ten years. She has been involved with the youth for the last six years, and has been the youth pastor for the last three of those years. She is a wife to Bryan and mom to seven wonderful kids. She enjoys stumping teens with new knowledge and watching how they grow from it.

Vice President | COG Coordinator | PK Retreat Coordinator
Jon Griggs
Pastor Jon was called to youth ministry when he was in middle school and has actively pursued that calling to this day. On a District level, Jon has been involved with leadership in quizzing, BLAST, and serving on the NYI Council. He has been blessed to be the associate/youth pastor at Bowling Green Church of the Nazarene for the past 5 years, where he has the opportunity to minister to students and watch them grow in their relationship with Christ. Jon and his wife, Jessica, have been married for 10 years and have three wonderful children: Logan, Lexi and Lilly. Beside spending time with family and students, Jon's favorite things to do are golf and film/edit videos.

NYI Secretary | NYC Coordinator | SYE Coordinator | Y&F Coordinator
Kaylha McGee
Pastor Kaylha serves on the team at Harvester Church of the Nazarene. She has been a leader on the district for various NYI events and brings the same high energy to making connections in the St. Peters community. Pastor Kaylha was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in June 2024. Kaylha is married to Ross, and they are parents to Taylor Rae, who is in sixth grade. Pastor Kaylha loves people — all of her friends become family. Any conversation with her will quickly reveal her love for tacos, nachos, tacos, queso, and tacos.

College & Career Representative
Elle Winings
Elle Winings is a junior at the University of Georgia who loves serving both in her church and on campus. She attends Harvester Church of the Nazarene and has helped at Girls Camp, Teen Camp, and in preschool ministry. At UGA, she serves as the Service Chair for her Christian sorority, is involved in campus ministry through Wesley, participates in theater, and helps lead UGA Miracle. Elle is passionate about leading, creating, and making a difference for God’s kingdom wherever she goes.

Sr. High Representative
Elijah Bryant
Elijah will be a senior this year and attends Bowling Green Church of the Nazarene. At church he is involved in quizzing, serves in the children's department and in the sound booth, as well as helping with projects around the church.

Sr. High Representative
Rebecca Hummel
Rebecca will be a senior in high school and is an active member in her church. She has a heart for serving others and making a difference in her community. Rebecca has been involved in a variety of outreach efforts, including the Empower Food Drive, the Empower Christmas Store, and helping sort and organize items at her church’s food pantry. She has also volunteered with Once Upon a Coop, assisting in the distribution of fresh produce, and has taken initiative to care for her community by picking up trash and helping an elderly neighbor. Rebecca’s consistent willingness to serve reflects her compassion, leadership, and commitment to living out her faith in practical ways

Jr. High Representative
Beau Branstetter
Beau Branstetter has attended Bowling Green Church of the Nazarene for seven years and is the son of Pastor Cole and Rachelle Branstetter. He has attended district events for as long as he can remember and has enjoyed going to youth events for the first time this year. Beau faithfully attends and participates in local youth group activities, as well. Some of his most memorable experiences are traveling to Indianapolis for World Quiz, attending M25 in Kansas City, and spending the week at Family Camp each year. Beau is in seventh grade, homeschooled, and enjoys hunting, reading, and playing sports, especially baseball

Jr. High Representative
Keziah Speicher
Keziah Speicher is an 8th grade student from Ferguson Church of the Nazarene. She is actively involved in her church, serving on the Youth Council, helping as a preschool assistant, and playing keyboard for the worship team. Keziah is also highly involved in the arts and athletics, participating in SLCC Concert Choir, St. Louis Opera Theatre, and her school praise team. In addition, she plays volleyball, soccer, and is a member of the swim team. Keziah uses her talents and leadership to serve both her church and community with excellence.

BLAST Coordinator
David Aubuchon
David has been attending Harvester Church of the Nazarene since December of 2020. He serves as a sponsor of the youth group, volunteers as Dr. Digalot for kidzone and bible quizzing, and serves as a musician for the worship team. He is passionate about serving teens and walking alongside them as they pursue Jesus. In his free time, he enjoys watching tv, collecting hockey cards, learning about Disney history, and spending time with his wife, Andrea!

COG Co-Coordinator
Adam Deckard
Pastor Adam has been at Webster Groves Church of the Nazarene since the fall of 2022. He is passionate about sharing the light and love of Jesus with others, specifically students. He seeks to encourage students in their walk of faith and challenge them to embrace the counter-cultural way of life modeled by Jesus. Adam is an avid runner and has a hard time sticking to one hobby, but his interests include drumming, camping/hiking, video games, reading, and more. His favorite thing though is living life with his best friend, Emily, and being a dad to his two beautiful children, Silas and Junia.

SYE Co-Coordinator
Thomas Miller
Husband to Haleigh and father to Eloise and Shepherd.
Pastor Thomas serves as Outreach Pastor at Harvester Church of the Nazarene. He has a deep passion for God, family, music of many kinds, and helping teenagers pursue their own relationship with God. He is a huge fan of all sports, but being from
St. Louis he especially loves the Cardinals, the Blues, City SC, and Jayson Tatum. Thomas enjoys making people laugh, playing video games, crying at every movie he watches, and drinking way too much coffee.
Pray for our council members as they prepare for events on the District





