our staff

Dr. Dan Bouchelle

President

Dan has served as the president of MRN since August 2010. Before taking the lead of this international missions ministry, Dan served in congregational ministry for over two decades with three different churches in Texas and Oklahoma. He also served on the boards of Great Cities Missions and Christian Relief Fund, as well as other community service and para-church boards.

Dan has worked with churches on six continents and congregations throughout the US. He has also spoken at colleges, lectureships, workshops, and seminars around the globe. He has published several articles and has written four books: The Gospel UnleashedThe Gospel Unhindered, When God Seems Absent and We’re on a Mission from God: OK, Now What Do We Do?

In preparation for ministry, Dan acquired a BS in Psychology from the University of Houston—Clear Lake, an MA, MDiv, and DMin from Abilene Christian University.  

Dan married his wife Amy in 1987 and God blessed them with three children, now grown, and two grandchildren.

dan.bouchelle@mrnet.org

 

Initiate Team

Through the Initiate Team, we help you follow God's lead by establishing or extending new movements of disciples among unreached people groups.

Caleb Southerland

Vice President

Caleb has focused on catalyzing Disciple Making Movements since 2013. The first decade of his ministry he spent in traditional church plants and church revitalization. While on staff at a church in Irving, TX, he felt called to plant and pastor a church in the Las Colinas area of Irving, TX reaching a transient and post-churched community.

After a short stint in the corporate world in Mortgage and Wealth Management, he returned to full-time vocational ministry. Caleb has focused on catalyzing Disciple Making Movements through various positions including a Field Missionary with Cityteam, co-founding Contagious Disciple Making, and Vice President of DMM of the Americas for Cityteam.

Caleb graduated with a BBA in Business Administration from Texas Tech University and has a MTh from Dallas Theological Seminary. His passion is to empower, equip, and mobilize believers to step into their God-given calling to transform their community, city, or country!

Caleb and his wife Lindsey live in Hurst, TX with their four boys: Jaxon, Ayden, Grayson, and Hudson.

caleb.southerland@mrnet.org

David Allen

Director of Bengal Initiative

David was born and raised in South Korea where both his parents and grandparents were long-term missionaries. He moved to Georgia at 16 where he developed interests in grilling and math. After graduating from Texas A&M, David worked as a network engineer in Dallas before going back to school to study theology. 

David and his wife, Michelle, were part of a mission team that served in northern Thailand for 25 years. Their primary works among the Buddhist people were evangelism, discipleship and church planting. 

David holds a BA from Texas A&M University and a MA from Abilene Christian University. At MRN, David is a trainer, coach, and mentor helping to build relationships with Asian partners to empower disciple making movements. 

David and Michelle have two wonderful girls, Brianna and Brielle, who are both graduates of Texas A&M. David enjoys cooking, walks with his wife, and college football. 

david.allen@mrnet.org

 

Mark Hooper

Director of Recruiting and Training

 

Mark and his wife Debbie were missionaries in Mumbai (Bombay), India, from 1985-1990, where they were active in church planting, personal evangelism, city-wide evangelistic campaigns, and leadership training. Before coming to MRN, Mark served for 16 years as Assistant Professor of Bible and Missions at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. During his time there, he directed FHU's Mission Studies Program and coordinated Spring Break and summer campaigns to India, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Africa, and South America.

Mark received his BA from Harding University and a MTh in Missions from Harding University Graduate School of Religion. While in India, Mark obtained an MA and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Mumbai.

Mark has served as the pulpit minister for congregations in Arkansas and Tennessee. He and his wife have two children, Kyle and Kristen. Both are serving in Asia as missionaries.

mark.hooper@mrnet.org

 
 

Empower Team

Through the Empower Team, we connect and equip you in your existing ministries and churches, in order to expand your impact by providing re-visioning, training, networking, coaching, and care.

 

Brad Dixon

Director of Worker Care

Brad served with his family in Greece from 2018 until 2024 with a mission's team serving refugees fleeing the Middle East and North Africa as part of the Med-Rim Initiative work. Their work focused on spiritual transformation, discipleship, leadership development, and prayer ministry as well as leading psychoeducation groups for refugees on trauma and stress. After returning to the USA, Brad started his own private practice in North Richland Hills, TX where he provided Christian Counseling for adults struggling with a range of mental health issues. Brad has been serving as the Director of Worker Care at MRN since July 2025. In his role as Director of Worker Care he utilizes his background in ministry and professional experience as well as his own testimony to provide quality care to workers on the field. As a global worker himself, Brad values good care for workers on the field. Isaiah 61 is his anchor as he aims to provide care that encompasses good news to the poor, comfort for the brokenhearted, captives being released, prisoners being fed and mourners blessed.

Brad is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He completed his Masters of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington in 2015. He received his Bachelors in Social Work from Lubbock Christian University in 2011. Brad received a certificate in Global Mental Health from The Harvard Program for Global Mental Health and Refugee Trauma in 2021. Prior to his experience in ministry, Brad worked in the mental health field. Brad has experience working in intensive outpatient mental health as well as inpatient hospitals and community mental health centers.

Brad currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife Cleria and 3 children: Jeremiah, Isaiah and Sophia.

brad.dixon@mrnet.org

Cleria Dixon

Worker Care Associate and Prayer Director

Cleria was born in Burundi, Africa and lived there until she was 13yrs old. Cleria moved from Burundi to the USA in 2001 as an Asylee due to the civil war that started in 1993 in Burundi.  

 Cleria is a graduated of Lubbock Christian University. She obtained a bachelors in social work in 2010. Cleria went on to work in the social work field for about 5 years. After having her own encounter with the Lord and being discipled by other followers of Christs, Cleria has desired to live out Jesus' command from Matthew 28:18-20 since then. She is passionate about seeing God's children being set free and partnering with the Holy Spirit to restore God's children to Himself.  

Cleria and her family served Muslim background believers in Greece, Europe as a part of the Med-Rim Initiative from 2018-2024.  

Cleria enjoys spending time alone or with others in prayer and worshiping, reading books, going out for a run or a hike, cooking for family and friends and playing games with her family. Cleria and her husband Brad have been married since 2008 and they have 3 children together. 

 

Jay Jarboe

Director of Emerging Leadership Initiative

Jay holds a BA from Texas Tech University in History and Speech Communications. He is also a graduate of the Sunset School of Preaching and Sunset School of Missions. Jay and his wife Sherry served on a church-planting team in Mexico City for six years. The church is still active and growing with its own leadership.

Jay has worked in various roles in Sunset's ministry, including Director of the Adventures in Missions (AIM) internship program, the Dean of Missions in Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI), and as Lead Minister in their church from 2006-2010.

At MRN, Jay equips US and foreign churches in stewarding more effective world missions. His passion is seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ and helping others in the same quest.

Jay and his wife Sherry have been married for more than 25 years and have two children, Meagan and Ryan and two grandchildren. He enjoys reading, playing golf, spending time with his family, and loves Mexican "tacos al pastor."

jay.jarboe@mrnet.org

Alan Howell

Director of Church Relations

Alan Howell and his family served in Mozambique, Africa, from 2003 to 2018 as part of a mission team working among the Makua-Metto people. Their work focused on creating and developing church networks, coordinating community development projects, and discipling and training local and regional leaders. After returning to the U.S.A., he was the Visiting Professor of Missions at Harding University for 4 years, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of biblical studies, cultural competency, theology, and strategy.  Alan joined MRN in 2023 and is excited to partner with churches and walk alongside them as they participate in the Mission of God!

Alan has presented at different academic conferences, lectureships, and gatherings over the years.  He has published over 20 articles in a variety of missions related journals and enjoys using field research and appreciative inquiry to develop plans for helping communities grow and change.  Alan has also seen how discipling, mentoring, and coaching conversations can make a huge impact for the Kingdom of God.

Alan graduated from Harding University with undergraduate degrees in Bible and in Business.  He has a M.Div from Harding School of Theology and a M.A. in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Executive & Workplace Coaching.  

Alan and Rachel live in Arizona and enjoy hanging out and hiking with their three daughters: Abby, Ellie, and Katie.

alan.howell@mrnet.org

 
 

Atlantic Bridge Initiative

Catalyzing African and African American leaders for a transformative collaboration that transcends borders and transforms communities.

 

Ian Nickerson

Director of Atlantic Bridge Initiative

 

Ian served as an evangelist for churches in Abilene (TX), Denver (CO), and Big Springs (TX) before coming to MRN. To further equip himself for the work of ministry, Ian earned a BA in the Biblical Text and a MDiv from Abilene Christian University. In addition to his ministry roles, Ian served as board Chair for the Community Foundation of Abilene, and on the boards of Abilene Christian School and Meals on Wheels, Inc. Ian has been involved with missions in Ghana for over 15 years and served as MRN’s country coordinator for Ghana before taking leadership of the Atlantic Bridge Initiative.

Ian is married to his eighth grade girlfriend, Sherita and they have three children.

ian.nickerson@mrnet.org

 
 

Administration Team

The Administration Team manages the day-to-day and year-to-year business that empowers us to serve you well.

Amy Cecil

Financial Specialist and HR Coordinator

Amy joined MRN in March 2022, using her online accounting knowledge to enhance the financial operations of the organization. She took on the additional role of HR Coordinator in March of 2024, utilizing her administrative and organizational gifts to serve the team even further. She is excited to use her gifts as a member of MRN to help further the mission of sharing Jesus Christ with the world.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she earned her Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of North Texas where she met her husband, David, through their participation in Campus Crusade for Christ. In her free time, Amy enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction books, spending time with friends, taking long walks, and experiencing new places. Amy and David have three children: two are graduates of their homeschool and attending college, and one more still to go! She and her family serve their church and home community in the Eagle Mountain/Saginaw area of Fort Worth.

amy.cecil@mrnet.org

DaShea Lee

Office Manager

DaShea is a seasoned professional with a diverse background which includes hotels and hospitality, banking, and administration. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, she now calls Dallas, Texas, home, where she resides with her seven-year-old son. Passionate about cooking and exploring new destinations, DaShea brings her enthusiasm for life into her role as an office assistant at Mission Resource Network. With her wealth of experience and dedication to excellence, she excels in supporting the organization's mission and operations.

dashea.lee@mrnet.org

 

Advancement Team

With the President, the Advancement Team provides you with inspiring missions stories, events, news, and exceptional opportunities to partner in what God is doing around the world.

Hallie Beth Hale

Advancement Coordinator

Hallie Beth serves as the Advancement Coordinator and is passionate about supporting the organization's mission to see the Kingdom grow. She graduated from Harding University in 2022 with a degree in Marketing.

Originally from Madison, Alabama, Hallie Beth now resides in Oklahoma City with her husband, Zach. They were married on June 2, 2023, and love spending time outdoors, cooking together, and ending the day with a movie and popcorn. You’ll often find them on a disc golf course, with Zach playing and Hallie Beth and their Yorkie, Solo, cheering him on.

Hallie Beth brings strong organizational skills and a background in marketing to her role at MRN. She feels truly blessed to be part of the MRN team and is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside people who are dedicated to serving the Lord.

hallie.hale@mrnet.org

Alan Wan

Director of Donor Engagement

Alan is dedicated to facilitating connections between Kingdom-minded people and Kingdom-building opportunities.

With over a decade of experience in donor engagement and non-profit fundraising, Alan loves meeting with friends old and new to share how they can join what God is doing through MRN. He holds two BA degrees in English and in Bible and Intercultural Studies. He has an MA degree in English as well.

Alan and his beautiful wife Jenny love traveling together to visit and serve donors and ministry partners all over the world. When they’re not on the go, you can find them hosting friends, trying out new recipes, and taking their dogs Pumpkin and Lazarus for walks. 

He is grateful to be part of the MRN team and to connect with people who share the same passion for multiplying healthy leaders to disciple the unreached and under-served people groups of the world.

alan.wan@mrnet.org