James Wheeler
Founding Pastor
Vision pioneer and founder of Ark and Altar, James has a passion and the call of God on his life to be an apostolic shepherd of presence driven multigenerational regional transformation. He has a Masters Degree in Worship Studies from ORU and over 30 years of pastoral ministry under his belt as well as leading and developing worship teams and ministering to the nations with Global Music Missions teams. He lives with his wife of 32 years and his teenage daughter in Beachwood, New Jersey.
Christine Wheeler
Women's Pastor
Christine is the pastor over women's ministry at Ark and Altar church. She has a unique anointing of carrying both a sweet motherly disposition as well as the power and authority to speak the truth of God's Word in love. She has a powerful gift to worship and minister in song and has more than 30 years of worship ministry experience. Christine is a highly effective teacher and educator teaching English as a second language as well as homeschooling her 14-year-old daughter, Allegra. She is called to help lead Ark and Altar church alongside her husband, Pastor James, bringing presence driven, multigenerational, regional transformation to Berkeley Township and the surrounding region.
Kami Kaiser
Creative Vision Pastor
Kami loves God and loves others. It is more than a motto, it’s the motivating force behind who she is and what she does. Her desire is for everyone to know God and experience His unconditional love.
By the grace of God, Kami graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Church Ministries and a minor in Music. Kami is a member of Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies/Theology. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys reading and studying the Bible and theology.
Creativity is one of her highest values and she enjoys seeing the handiwork of our creative God in all aspects of life. She approaches everything in light of the creative expression that God has given her. Kami is a visionary who sees beyond what is and is gifted to strategize how to bring the vision to reality. Kami has a deep legacy of faith and ministry through generations of her family. Since her youth, she has personally served in ministry, including teaching and leading in kids ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, production, and creative arts. Kami brings her love of organizing, design, efficiency, and problem-solving into all facets of her ministry.
Although she has many hobbies, of singular importance to her is spending time with the people she loves. Kami is a native of the Jersey shore. It’s no surprise that her favorite place is the ocean, so you will most likely find her at the beach delighting in the beauty of God’s amazing creation.
By the grace of God, Kami graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Church Ministries and a minor in Music. Kami is a member of Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies/Theology. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys reading and studying the Bible and theology.
Creativity is one of her highest values and she enjoys seeing the handiwork of our creative God in all aspects of life. She approaches everything in light of the creative expression that God has given her. Kami is a visionary who sees beyond what is and is gifted to strategize how to bring the vision to reality. Kami has a deep legacy of faith and ministry through generations of her family. Since her youth, she has personally served in ministry, including teaching and leading in kids ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, production, and creative arts. Kami brings her love of organizing, design, efficiency, and problem-solving into all facets of her ministry.
Although she has many hobbies, of singular importance to her is spending time with the people she loves. Kami is a native of the Jersey shore. It’s no surprise that her favorite place is the ocean, so you will most likely find her at the beach delighting in the beauty of God’s amazing creation.
charlanakelly.com
Charlana Kelly
Apostolic Advisor
Charlana has pioneered Kingdom work and nurtured emerging leaders for almost twenty-five years. Leaders who ultimately went on to establish worldwide ministries that proclaim the Gospel, bring hope and healing to the hurting, and advocate for cultural change that revives and restores the least among us.
For Charlana, her work is not a job. It's a profound reflection of her deep passion for Jesus and people. A passion that is the driving force behind everything she does, as she fosters deep connections with her audience and her mission.
Charlana can be heard coast-to-coast on the radio/TV program Unshakable with Charlana Kelly and around the world on Grace TV. Best known for her biblical insight and perspective on personal and professional leadership, many remark about the wisdom Charlana releases from God’s Word that has made an eternal difference in their lives.
Charlana is the founder and director of SpeakTruth Media Group and its nonprofit counterpart, SpeakTruth GO. Her visionary leadership guides these organizations toward their mission of spreading the gospel truth, empowering believers, and raising up leaders to advance the kingdom of God as they influence every part of society both in and out of the Church.
Charlana and her husband of almost 40 years, Charles, live on the King’s Highway in East Texas where they enjoy country living and building lives together.
For Charlana, her work is not a job. It's a profound reflection of her deep passion for Jesus and people. A passion that is the driving force behind everything she does, as she fosters deep connections with her audience and her mission.
Charlana can be heard coast-to-coast on the radio/TV program Unshakable with Charlana Kelly and around the world on Grace TV. Best known for her biblical insight and perspective on personal and professional leadership, many remark about the wisdom Charlana releases from God’s Word that has made an eternal difference in their lives.
Charlana is the founder and director of SpeakTruth Media Group and its nonprofit counterpart, SpeakTruth GO. Her visionary leadership guides these organizations toward their mission of spreading the gospel truth, empowering believers, and raising up leaders to advance the kingdom of God as they influence every part of society both in and out of the Church.
Charlana and her husband of almost 40 years, Charles, live on the King’s Highway in East Texas where they enjoy country living and building lives together.
Benjamin Deitrick
Apostolic Advisor
igniteministriesinternational.com
Benjamin Adam Deitrick has been in full time ministry since the age of 17. For the first 10 years of his ministry, he resided in New York and served alongside Eagles’ Wings Ministries under the direction of Bishop Robert Stearns. During this time, he was involved in conference and itinerant ministry in a variety of capacities including speaking, leading worship and being a part of prayer ministry teams. He also served in very practical ways such as taking out trash, cleaning, painting and other manual labor. He sees this time as extremely formative and what created in him a heart for service unto the Lord when no one is watching. It was during his time in New York that Benjamin met and married the love of his life, Tarrah. Shortly after they were married, Benjamin and Tarrah felt to call to serve Barbara Yoder at Shekinah Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During his 10 and a half years at Shekinah, Benjamin served as associate Pastor, Executive Pastor, Lead Pastor and Visionary Apostle of the church. In January 2022, he and Tarrah’s season at Shekinah came to an end and they felt the call to move to Maricopa, AZ and come into alignment with Patricia King of Patricia King Ministries apostolically and Pastors Francisco and Deserae Arboleda of Shiloh church locally.
It was during a season of prayer and seeking the Lord after their transition from Shekinah that God began to speak to Benjamin and Tarrah about launching Ignite Ministries International. Ignite Ministries International is focused on the moving of the Spirit of God in revival, missions and strategic training, igniting a passion for Jesus and His kingdom in hearts, cities and Nations. Benjamin and Tarrah’s desire is to see an apostolic and prophetic people engulfed in the flames of revival, rise as an army in the earth to fulfill the mandate of the great commission. Over the last 21 years of full-time ministry, Benjamin has had the opportunity to travel to 30 of the 50 states and over 40 nations ministering and preaching the word of God with diverse demonstrations of the glory and power of God. Benjamin and Tarrah have been married since 2010 and have three beautiful girls, Faith, Lily and Sophia.
Ryan & Sara Delling
Apostolic Advisors
thealtar.net
Ryan and Sara Delling are an apostolic/prophetic team who are passionate lovers of Jesus. Our ministry stems from a strong burden to see the Church of Jesus Christ united and mobilized in the nations of the earth that will result in revival, social justice, transformation, and massive end time harvest.
God moved them to the Greater New York City region, where the core of their ministry efforts focus on leading The Altar NJ and uniting churches and houses of prayer in the region through the Ecclesia NYC/NJ network. In addition to both of us being worship leaders, leading together as one team and separately, they have a heart for teaching, discipling, and equipping believers into their calling and function (metron and sphere).
Their core messages include unity in the Body of Christ, living Biblical Christianity vs. Cultural Christianity, God’s purposes for Israel, the House of Prayer/Tabernacle of David, Inner healing/deliverance, and more. They also regularly work with worship teams, musicians, and singers on topics ranging from musicality, prophetic song, flow, stewarding/protecting the anointing, and how personal life translates to public ministry.
God moved them to the Greater New York City region, where the core of their ministry efforts focus on leading The Altar NJ and uniting churches and houses of prayer in the region through the Ecclesia NYC/NJ network. In addition to both of us being worship leaders, leading together as one team and separately, they have a heart for teaching, discipling, and equipping believers into their calling and function (metron and sphere).
Their core messages include unity in the Body of Christ, living Biblical Christianity vs. Cultural Christianity, God’s purposes for Israel, the House of Prayer/Tabernacle of David, Inner healing/deliverance, and more. They also regularly work with worship teams, musicians, and singers on topics ranging from musicality, prophetic song, flow, stewarding/protecting the anointing, and how personal life translates to public ministry.