I’m mom to five children (including a set of twins) and grandmother to 21 (including a set of quadruplets!). My husband, John, and I have been married 52 years. We live in Falls Church, Virginia, a Washington D.C. suburb where John served as the Senior Pastor of The Falls Church Anglican for 40 years before retirement.

I’ve written 16 books and speak on the subjects of marriage, parenting, faith issues, and women’s issues. My books include And Then I Had Kids: Encouragement for Mothers of Young Children; Raising Kids with Values That Last (with my husband John); and Barbara and Susan’s Guide to the Empty Nest (with my friend Barbara Rainey). My latest books are Cousin Camp, Risky Faith, Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God who is Bigger Than Your World and the One (Devotional) Book. 

Ginger Pape, a former Wall Street executive and corporate officer of a Fortune 500 company, is an entrepreneur and repotting consultant. Long an advocate for women’s issues, she helped found both the National Women’s Business Center (WBC), which trains women to start and/or expand their own businesses, and the National “Race for the Cure” in Washington, D.C. for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Prior to the launch of Repotting LLC with Diana Holman, Ginger founded and ran two government relations consulting businesses, which focused on financial, technology and health issues. Her clients included the American Stock Exchange, Scripps League Newspapers, Inc., and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Over the past 15 years, Ginger has advised women from all walks of life on their repotting process. She is a well-known speaker on this topic.

Elizabeth (Betsey) Mulloy, a native Texan, received a BA from Stephens College and an MA in English Literature from the University of Missouri where she also taught. Moving to the Washington, DC area in 1972, she freelanced for the federal government, the American Institute of Architects, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, writing a history of the Trust and co-authoring America’s Forgotten Architecture.

Although she had grown up in church, Betsey recommitted her life to Jesus Christ in 1973; she began serious study of the Bible, and soon after began teaching the Bible. Her articles have appeared in Today’s Christian Woman, the Catholic Digest, and The Hidden Hand of God, a Guidepost anthology. Her book, Your Secret Name (Chosen 1988), encourages readers to acquire their true identities from God rather than from the culture around them. Divine Love Song: Discovering God’s Passion for You in the Song of Solomon, was published by Baker House in 2003.

Betsey and Michael have been married for 43 years and have two grown daughters.  All the Mulloys love to travel and have been on many missions to Africa and to Central and South America.

A native Georgian (and intense SEC fan) Heidi leads prayer at National Community Church and pastors our leadership team and small group leaders at GTWBS.  At NCC she oversees the prayer teams, directs leadership and prayer ministries trainings and serves to share with everyone that “history belongs to the intercessors.”  Heidi has been involved in our group for many years and has a tremendous passion for telling others about Christ.  She served as the regional director for Alpha USA before launching her own interior design business.  Heidi and her favorite person in the world, John Scanlon – who just happens to be married to her – live in Georgetown and have two wonderful children, Anna and Andrew.

Melissa is and dynamic teacher who believes God is constantly communicating truths about Himself.  As the Founder not only of GTWBS, but Something Greater Ministries she seeks to serve God by creating opportunities for people to encounter God through prayer, scripture, study, community and teaching.  She is presently serving on the board of Walking With Purpose Catholic Women’s Bible Study as their Marketing and Communications chair.  Her conversion to Catholicism was published in her book, Metamorphosis of a Soul, Her second book, Born to Soar, Unleashing God’s Word in Your Life is a scripture based study and prayer journal which draws on the miraculous life cycle of the Monarch butterfly.  Melissa is very excited to bring her love for scripture and women plus her passion for marketing and design together for Walking With Purpose. Melissa has a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and Communication Design from The University of Texas, Austin. She lives in Washington DC with her husband Dale and four daughters.  Follow her daily videos at https://www.melissaovermyer.com

Janet Whitmore is excited about this year at GWBS. Even virtually, God is so at work in our Bible Study. She is a chemical engineer with an MBA who worked at Mobil Oil for 23 years before leaving to do consulting work, Janet has been active in GTWBS for many years and is also active in Community Bible Study (CBS) in Mclean, Va as well as in Brentwood, TN, where she recently moved. She thanks God for his provision of technology in these times of Covid, in progressing His ministry and community, even when we can’t meet in person. Janet has two children: Quinn (whose wedding to Stephen Owen was broadcast to 200+ on zoom in April, 2020) is a third year medical school student at Virgina Tech; and, Benton, who has been on the University of Iowa’s men’s golf team thru his undergrad years and now as a graduate student (thanks to extended NCAA eligibility given the covid cancellations). Janet’s prayer for GTWBS is that we, as a community, experience life together and grow in our lives together as we live in Jesus’ promises and grace, among which are our focus on living an abundant life (John 10:10) in Jesus’ grace where death has “no sting” (Hosea 13:14 and 1 Corinthians 15:55)

Kathryn grew up in the Washington area and studied Economics and Marketing at  GWU. She briefly worked for an internet start-up in California where she became a Mac girl and never went back.  She was a core leader for CBS and came on board to help coordinate GTWBS to let Melissa and Heidi concentrate on teaching and discipleship.  Kathryn is the ED of the Hanley Foundation and serves on the boards of the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing and BGCGW.

Kathryn has three daughters in SF and a son in Maui.  She is most proud of her new title – “Gammi to grandson, Lee.  Kathryn is very pleased with our new GTWBS app and is an occasional teacher.

Noni Milici grew up in Kenya and moved to the USA for her graduate studies. After working with a couple of international organizations with a focus on empowerment of women in various sectors, Noni was called to led a faith-based leadership centre in the Washington DC area.

She teaches and trains women in biblically grounded leadership principles. Women are equipped with tools that enable them to be agents of change within their spheres of influence. Noni is also a Fellow and serves as a mentor at the C.S. Lewis Institute.

Noni received her Masters of Public Policy from Johns Hopkins (SAIS), Masters of Science in Global Economic Development from Eastern University (PA) and Bachelor of Arts in Business and Communication from Messiah College (PA).

Beth Kelley, a lifelong Washingtonian, has enjoyed being part of GTWBS for over a decade.  Her attendance is sometimes sporadic due to her work as a non-profit consultant.  Beth has stepped up to run our email list and send out the weekly announcements to all our members.  Beth attends McLean Presbyterian with her husband, Peter.

Liz started coming to GTWBS in 2007 and quickly found a welcome in this community, although her work keeps her busy most Wednesdays elsewhere – she pops back periodically to visit or teach. Liz is the Rector at Incarnation Anglican Church in South Arlington, VA.

Born in South Africa, she immigrated with her family to the UK as a teen. She lived in London for many years with her husband Simon and raised three kids Adam, David and Fiona. Liz, Simon and Fiona moved to DC in 2007 . Now her sons are in the UK and her daughter is at grad school in Seattle: so she lives with her heart in many places, and her feet in Arlington. She loves Jesus and loves to teach. It is always a treat to hear from Liz.

A native Alabamian, Heather Zempel currently leads the discipleship efforts at National Community Church in Washington, DC where she oversees small groups, directs leadership development training, and serves on the weekend teaching team.  She is an amazing teacher and has written several books, Sacred Roads, Community is Messy, and Amazed and Confused.

Holly is a popular guest speaker whose quick wit and enthusiasm make her lessons from the scriptures come alive. Shehas led bible studies and prayer groups for over 30 years. Holly speaks at various retreats and conferences all over the United States. She and her husband, Jerry, are missionaries in the Washington, D.C. area, where they have the opportunity to share the love of Christ, with mean and women of all walks of life. Presently, she is teaching director for the McClean CBS class where she leads 450 women in an in depth bible study. Women of all ages and denominations gather together to study God’s word. Holly has a real passion for God’s word and for the people to be transformed by it. Her messages to encourage, equip, and inspire women of all ages to “Grow in the grace and understanding of our master and rescuer, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
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Sue is trained as a Clinical Social Worker and practiced as a therapist for abused children and families until her own two sons, Jack and Scott were born. Feeling extremely blessed to be able to stay home and be a mommy, in 1998 she started a home based floral and gift business which then morphed into White Magnolia Floral Designs for weddings and events. Sue has been married to Bill for 23 years.

As a member and eventually the administrator of GWBS, Sue occasionally teaches the study and is a group leader. After being introduced to the Alpha course (a foundational course that explores the Christian faith and life’s big questions), Sue began teaching Youth Alpha in the area, and assists with Alpha in the Workplace, and adult Alpha courses at her church.

Hope Foster Britt was born and raised in Northern Virginia, and holds degrees from Gordon College (BA History) and Asbury Theological Seminary (MA Spiritual Formation), with a particular focus on Celtic Christianity and spiritual community development.

Hope is part of the founding faculty of a training program for spiritual directors in Northern Virginia, has been increasingly involved as a retreat speaker and discipleship teacher, and is a certified MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) Practitioner.

In 2013, a life-long dream was realized with the founding of Caol Ait [‘kweel awtch’], which is the Celtic term for “thin places.” Caol Ait is a community that serves to promote the development of an ecumenical lifestyle of spiritual formation, operates a day retreat center, and encourages wholehearted pursuit of a relationship with the living Triune God. An integral part of this ministry is retreat leadership, with which Hope has been involved for over three decades.

Maribeth Harper Spent six years working with adolescent girls in Catholic faith formation programs and eight years as the co-chair and business manager of the largest fashion show on the East coast – Pure Fashion, which promotes modesty among high school girls. She is a certified Spiritual Guide and accompanies women in person and via zoom. She speaks to women at retreats and bible studies on topics of prayer and family life. She has four grown children, ten grandchildren, and lives in Maryland with her husband of almost 40 years, Denis.

It is Maribeth’s ardent wish that the stories shared by people of faith in these books will help those of us with college-aged young adults—individuals and Praying College Moms– to grow in our relationship with God through prayer, and thereby provide the most effective and fruitful help to our children and your families.

I grew up in Georgia and married a Presbyterian minister who happens to be Scottish.

We have been in six different churches all over the country, including National Presbyterian here in DC where we were for 12 years and from where my husband David retired.

I am a librarian, and in all these places, I have also been blessed to find great library jobs, especially in schools.  I have retired, too, but spend lots of time subbing in the DCPS libraries.

We have three children and five grandchildren, two who live here in DC and the others in Louisiana which is only a Southwest fight away!

Sharon Brooke has been a member of the Georgetown Women’s Bible Study for more than 25 years!  She has been serving as a small group leader since the study first started having them.  Sharon grew up in suburban Chicago and attended Duke University where she met her husband, Francis.  She is a mother of three adult children and has three grandchildren with one more due any minute.  She has served as an Elder at two different Presbyterian Churches and as a Deacon twice.  She currently works part time at Horace Mann Elementary school in administration and is in charge of the after school enrichment program there.