Meet the GLOBAL Significant Marriage team
Clint & Amanda Knox
California Clint and Amanda have been married since 1999 and reside in Orange County, California. From the very beginning, they have felt called to minister to the people in their community and have been involved in youth and marriage ministries for over 15 years. They are the parents of four boys and enjoy homeschooling, nature study, sports and taking road trips together. Clint works as director of sustainability for an investment company and Amanda teaches part-time at a charter school. They met Dave and Mary at their church, Redeemer Presbyterian, and were able to participate in TSM's pilot weekend in Newport Beach in 2011. They have been involved in leading follow-up groups ever since and also help encourage and equip other facilitators to prepare and lead groups. They are excited to see the Lord do His redemptive work in so many hearts and lives, restore marriages, create vision, and truly make all things new. |
Chris & Lindsay Hall
California Chris and Lindsay jumped right into marriage ministry after their wedding in 2006. Witnessing the struggles of couples in their small group to uphold their marriage vows, Chris and Lindsay learned the importance early of having an intentional marriage and a strong community to help them do so. They have become proactive in strengthening their own relationship as well as those around them. Chris' financial planning background and analytical mind pairs well with Lindsay's teaching and writing background allowing them to empathize and communicate well with couples in need of encouragement and strategy. They led a Young Married group at their church, and Lindsay writes for the digital marriage resources Start Marriage Right and GrowthTrac and has published a book, The Purposed Bride, to equip Christian brides in their engagement. Additionally, Chris and Lindsay have attended, organized and led marriage retreats of their own. With their thumb on the pulse of marriage ministry, The Significant Marriage was the most meaningful marriage resource they had encountered, so they knew they wanted to get on board. Outside of marriage ministry, the Halls love to travel around the world and to spend time with their daughter. |
Steve & Gwynne Watson
California Steve and Gwynne met at a singles activity through their church. They were both in their mid-30’s and had never been married! Gwynne was waiting for God to send the right man into her life, and Steve was a confirmed bachelor! However, after dating 14 months, Steve was (finally) convinced it was time to give up the single life! On November 7, 1987, they married and then God blessed them with a baby girl, Katie, born in 1990, and then Greg, born in 1993. They home schooled Greg through 6th grade and Katie all the way through high school. Katie and Greg have brought much joy into the lives of the Watson's. They are grateful to God that at 24 and 21, they are wonderful, successful young adults and committed Christians! Like most marriages, there were some rough spots, and they attended various marriage retreats and seminars in order to enhance their marriage. The first time, however, they attended The Significant Marriage the Watson's knew they wanted to help out in any way needed as they were so impressed with Dave and Mary as well as the quality of the material taught and how many aspects of marriage the seminar covered. Steve and Gwynne live in California and are involved in teaching Bible and encouraging marriages at their church. Steve is currently working on a second theological degree. God has also opened doors of ministry in Malawi, Africa, and they visit there three to four weeks each spring, teaching on Bible and marriage with a tribal chief’s ministry and in a seminary. |
Ryan & Amy Wormald
California Ryan and Amy’s involvement in marriage ministry began before they were even married! After becoming engaged in 2009, Dave and Mary began mentoring the Wormalds, which eventually led them to partner together to form the first marriage ministry at their church specifically for young couples. Even prior to their engagement, Ryan and had a hearty appetite for the study of marriages, consuming a number of marriage books as well as pestering more mature married couples with pertinent questions. Perhaps it is her love for teaching second graders, or her infectious personality, but Amy’s love of learning and teaching is contagious. She will always leave you with a smile and a new appreciation for the good in life! On the other hand, Ryan who is a broadcast engineer operates more like an absent-minded professor, reading an eclectic mix of books at any given time ranging from business, to marriage, to theology. Together their separate interests and gifts create quite the team enabling them to organize TSM weekends in Orange County, write the TSM newsletter, as well as teach whenever needed. Considering the current statistics on divorce, Ryan and Amy are committed to protecting and growing their marriage and seek others with the same passion. Their desire to be both life learners and educators drives them to share insights and knowledge in hope of encouraging other marriages. Thus, they are committed to the tools provided by TSM. Upon any given night of the week, one might find the Wormald’s hosting a game night in their Orange County home, enjoying a cultural event in the city, or simply enjoying the local shops and eating ice cream while on a date night. |
Bob & Robyn Julian
Indiana Bob and Robyn have been good friends of Mary and Dave for many years. They serve on the board of Sunshine Kids International that was started by the Gothis in order to support St. Catherine’s School for street children in Mumbai. They participate with the children at St Catherine's as well as coordinate The Significant Marriage in the Riverside, CA, area. Bob and Robyn have a strong belief that God has created the marriage relationship to be not only amazing, but the center of every home. Their hope is to positively impact marriages in order to empower couples to live a life of significance. They firmly believe that when a couple has a strong healthy marriage, you create healthy families. When you have healthy families you will have a healthy world, one couple at a time. |
Ben and Ashlee Haviland
Tennessee Ben and Ashlee have been married since July 2008 and reside in Roanoke, Virginia. Both from Northern Indiana, they met while attending Manchester College also in Indiana. While experiencing many challenges during their first couple of years of marriage, Ben and Ashlee have worked to make their marriage one that is pleasing to God and one that is Significant. They enjoy being able to meet with couples and share their passion for a strong and healthy marriage. After attending The Significant Marriage Seminar, their passion grew to engage couples to grow and expand their marriages into more meaningful and deeper relationships. They admit marriage is tough but with a God centered plan, marriages can be worthwhile and rewarding. They enjoy adventuring together in Roanoke, Virginia! Hiking and exploring the beautiful mountains in the area have grown their love for the outdoors! Ben enjoys football while Ashlee enjoys running. They have a daughter, Kennedy, a high school senior. They also have 2 dogs, Barkley and Stella. Also, one pesky overweight cat, Gus. |
Kathy & Glen Grigg
Sydney, Australia Kathy and Glen have 8 children between them, aged 27- 40. They also have 8 grandchildren and more are definitely expected. Kathy was a physiotherapist, and Glen a mobile phone technology engineer before their retirement and relocation from Sydney to the picturesque south coastal town of Kiama in NSW in 2016. Before meeting Glen, Kathy—in hopes of saving her first marriage--met Dave and Mary at A New Beginning seminar they were leading in LA. The Gothis kept in touch and encouraged Kathy even though her first marriage ended. In 2006, Kathy and Glen met at a Christian support meeting for separated and divorced couples. Recognizing immediately, they were like-minded souls, they fell in love at first sight and married in 2007. They spent much time emailing and Skyping with the Gothis, and Glen finally had the opportunity to meet them in August 2014. The Griggs hosted the first Aussie TSM late 2014 and its success paved the way for many more. The encouragement and enlightenment TSM have brought to their lives as they make a ‘plan’ for a successful and meaningful marriage made it impossible for the Griggs not to share TSM with their church and the people of Australia. |
Hunter & Rebekah Davis
North Carolina Hunter and Rebekah are a cross-cultural couple--Hunter grew up in LA County and Rebekah grew up in India (Yavatmal, MH and New Delhi). They met while on outreach in India when they were 15 and married 5 years later in June 2012. Both graduated from Biola University in 2014 (Hunter received his BA in Cinema and Media Arts and Rebekah her BA in Communication Studies). They live, work and serve in Fullerton and Brea, CA, along with their young son Malachi and daughter Ember, and own a marketing agency called Millennial Pixels. They both love coffee, reading, the California beaches and traveling. Ultimately, their dream is to continue learning about and practicing living out the Kingdom of God through their marriage, relationships, and daily lives. One of their many passions is to see young couples equipped with the tools taught in TSM so they can communicate well and love each other selflessly in order to live out God’s calling on their lives together. |
Norman & Donna Auffhammer
Tennessee Donna and Norm met their senior year in High School and dated four years prior to getting married. Through 40+ years of marriage, they have experienced many challenges including the loss of their firstborn son who died from cancer at only 2 1/2 years old. However, this began their journey of complete commitment to one another. God gave them another son and daughter who are now both married and have blessed Norm and Donna with 7 grandchildren. Norm retired from the US Coast Guard Reserve in 1997 and then from John Deere Co. in 2005. Donna ended her management career with Panera Bread in November 2013. Originally from Syracuse, NY, the families presently all reside in Nashville, TN. Their relationship with Dave Gothi began in 1987 when he moved into their __(MA?)_ neighborhood. They watched with excitement as the Lord brought Mary into his life and the story of their marriage that followed which led to the development of The Significant Marriage. The Gothis have served as mentors to Norm and Donna, providing them with further tools and resources to not only strengthen their own marriage but the marriages of couples around them. The Auffhammers have hosted two TSM weekends in Nashville and coach couples as a result of their passion to help individuals realize God’s purpose for their union. |
David & Lindy Chapman
Texas Lindy met Mary in 1986 while working for a missionary family in Vienna, Austria. She returned to finish college at Auburn University where she met her future husband David. After graduating, she returned to Vienna to work on Young Life staff then back to the US and married David in 1991. They now have 4 kids--Davis, who lives and works in San Diego; Katie, a student at Northeastern; Ashley, at Auburn University; and their youngest Harrison, a high school junior. Their family has moved numerous times throughout the US. In 2010, David’s job took the family to Germany. While living in Frankfurt, they attended a TSM weekend and knew it was a ministry they wanted to establish in the international community. In 2013 and 2014, they hosted weekend retreats with Mary and Dave. As a result, it has since expanded to Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Riga and other cities throughout Europe. In 2014, David and Lindy returned to the US. Currently, David works for a start-up biotech in Dallas and Lindy is building her career in hopes that they can eventually 'retire' and work with TSM full-time. They are the first to admit marriage is challenging! But they love that TSM creates a 'plan' to address these challenges and inspires couples to dream and pursue a purpose beyond their individual pursuits. They have since hosted weekends in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and look forward to training other couples to lead TSM throughout Texas and beyond! |
Patrick & Maya Laurent
London, England Maya and Patrick met in college and were married soon after graduating. Their first several years of marriage were difficult. After joining a small group and having another couple intentionally help them through their struggles, they knew they wanted to help other couples. As they found a purpose together, it changed their marriage. Maya and Patrick serve as missionaries in London, England alongside their three children. They love exploring the city with their children. Together, they run an art business with Patrick's artwork. They also work with Greater Europe Mission serving in a local church and in their community. They have a heart for young adults and helping couples strengthen their marriages. |
Arthur & Katie, Sokolovski
Kyiv, Ukraine Arthur and Katie first met in January 2018, while both in missions with YWAM, and were married by November that same year. They became the worship leaders at their church in Kyiv shortly after they were married and are still in missions and leading there now. Arthur is Ukrainian and Katie is American. They did TSM with Mary and Dave as their premarital, and loved the program. Arthur’s parents have been doing family counseling for years and Katie and him are excited to join them in TSM and help couples in Ukraine grow. |
Dima & Vira Usova
Frankfurt, Germany Dima and Vira had been married for 10 years when they first attended The Significant Marriage. They were already involved in marriage and family ministry in Ukraine, organizing seminars and projects for couples. TSM gave them the opportunity to know many other couples who are involved in family ministry in Ukraine and abroad. During the full-scale invasion of Russia into their country, they fled from Ukraine, and the TSM family, Mary and Dave in particular, helped them to resettle their family safely in Germany with other TSM leaders. They are involved in marriage and family ministry in a German Church, but also minister to international couples and Ukrainians who fled from the war. They have found TSM to be a powerful instrument for helping couples grow in their marriage and to fulfill the God's will for them. |
Lucas & Stefanie Ebert
Berlin, Germany Lucas and Stefanie met in Berlin in 2007 and married in 2012. Lucas is Brazilian and German, and Stefanie is French and German. They attend the International Baptist Church in Berlin, where they are currently involved in music ministry. They also both share the love of composing songs. In addition to serving as the worship leader, Lucas is also a professional Cellist. Lucas and Stefanie have a heart for service and seek to share Christ's love with others and have, thus, been serving as volunteer leaders at Young Life in Berlin for 7 years. They first got in touch with TSM in March of 2015 and are excited to embark on this new journey of sharing TSM with couples in Berlin. |
Ronan & Michele Moris
Berlin, Germany Ronan and Michele are both Brazilian living in Berlin. Ronan is a trumpet player and Michele a missionary with Cru. We are passionate about seeing people grow in their faith in Jesus! We took part at TSM at our church and quickly decided to be part of it as it fits our dream to see people grow in their walk in Jesus and in their marriage! |
Juris & Kristine Bekeri-Brivkalni
YWAM - Latvia Juris and Kristine Bekeri-Brivkalni are missionaries who live and serve in the YWAM family ministry of Latvia. Married since 2000, they have 4 kids- Katrina, Karlis, Rudolfs and Klavs-Martins. They joined YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in 2003 working with children, youth and the arts. In 2013 they received training for family ministries and have pioneered family ministry for YWAM Latvia. This includes education, camps, and retreats for families because they believe that strong families=strong nations! God gave them a dream to make a safe place for families and since 2015 they started a family retreat center called "the Cave." Their heart is not only for families in Latvia, but to teach and equip families across the world, working with family schools in New Zealand and Norway . In 2016 they where looking for new tools which could compliment their work in Latvia. After attending a TSM seminar, they found that it was helpful for themselves, but also a good tool for families they work with. They joined the TSM leadership team in 2017 and since then have been involved with seminars in Latvia. “It brings us joy to see how it impacts families in our country, but also since we travel and staff different family schools, we can use this tool across the globe as well. We love it and enjoy seeing it multiply!” They became certified TSM marriage coaches, joining a coaching network and now work with couples globally. “As we work more often with one couple (family) at a time we can see changes and the impact it brings. Our daily life as a family includes a lot of adventures through creativity, sports, arts, travel...but as a parents our greatest hope and dream is to see that our house serves Lord in any possible, creative way." |
Varis & Ieva Karkls
Riga, Latvia Ieva has known Mary for since 1993. Mary mentored her while she was in high school and ever since then they have kept in contact despite time and distance separating them. Mary and Dave opened their home in the LA area to Ieva in the fall of 2002, while she was going through a difficult time in her life. Ieva and Varis met in the summer of 2005, while Ieva was visiting her home country Latvia and serving on the Via de Cristo weekend, a spiritual renewal weekend for the Lutheran church. They were married in June of 2006 and have made Latvia their home. They have 3 children – Karlina, Jekabs and Izabella. Varis and Ieva are active members of the St. Gertrude’s Lutheran congregation in Riga, where they lead a couples’ ministry. Previously they were on the leadership team of an ecumenical couples’ ministry called Cana International. Varis is a self-employed physical therapist and Ieva is a therapist, currently working for a personality development company in Riga, while going for her Masters in Clinical Psychology. While keeping busy with taking care of their 3 young children and their jobs, they are committed to marriage ministry. They have a passion for couples to build a strong foundation for their marriage and find a new purpose in building God’s Kingdom together as a couple. After Ieva experienced The Significant Marriage weekend in Frankfurt in January of 2014, she came back to Latvia, inspired to see TSM brought to her home country. The 1st TSM weekend in Latvia will take place in October of 2015! Varis and Ieva are excited to be a part of making this weekend happen and see TSM grow in Latvia! |
Serguei & Sonia Ouattara
Ivory Coast & Belgium Serguei & Sonia have been married since 2005 and have four children. Serguei and Sonia were always passionate about the Marriage Ministry and led a group for couples at their home in 2005 for 6 years. Then they faced challenges in their own marriage which harmed their passion for the ministry. In 2017 they attended the first ever TSM seminar in Belgium. That was the turning point in their marriage and brought true healing and revival for their call . They officially joined the TSM leadership team in 2017, eventually hosting 2 seminars in Belgium. In 2019, they achieved one of the goals they had committed to in their TSM Design Book: they hosted their first TSM seminar with the vision to reach the French-speaking communities in Africa and also Europe. In 2024, they brought TSM to the Ivory Coast where it will continue under their leadership. Serguei works as a consultant with the European Commission and Sonia is the Executive Director of the EU-Africa Chamber of Commerce. Incredibly gifted entrepreneurs and leaders, they are responsible for the development of TSM in all French-speaking countries around the world. |