Synergos: Co-Laborers in Christ
Meet Our Congregational Consultants
Synergos: Congregations in Transition program offers live Zoom consultant support and training for PC(USA) congregational lay leadership in the Synod of the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about our consultants here!
Questions? Let us know! You can reach us at synergos@opsf-omaha.org.
Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett
About Greg:
Greg Allen-Pickett served as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hastings in Central Nebraska for over nine years and currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Lake Grove Presbyterian church in Oregon. He brings over two decades of experience in congregational leadership, community engagement, and mission-focused ministry, as well as a background in business and non-profit operations.
Greg grew up in a small church in Flagstaff, AZ, an experience that shaped his love for close-knit congregations and the unique role churches play in small-town communities. During his ministry in Hastings, Nebraska, he helped lead significant congregational growth, community partnerships, capital improvements, and innovative ministries focused on hospitality, bridge-building, and discipleship in a politically diverse context.
As a Synergos consultant, Greg is passionate about helping churches clarify their mission, strengthen congregational vitality, navigate change and transition, and discover practical ways to serve their communities with creativity, courage, and hope. Using an asset-based community development approach, he works with churches on identifying the resources that are present in their community as well as their budgets and finance, balancing dollars and cents with a theological and missional approach. Greg especially enjoys helping congregations build relationships across differences and uncover the gifts already present within their communities.
Greg and his wife Jessica are the proud parents of a high school-aged daughter, Esther, and two lovable—but frequently ridiculous—dogs who keep life entertaining.
Rev. Courtney Arntzen
About Courtney:
With over two decades of ordained ministry, Courtney has extensive experience leading rural and college-town congregations, most recently specializing as a Bridge Pastor for communities in transition. These days, Courtney designs and facilitates courageous conversations that integrate mind, body, and spirit.
She guides individuals and groups in exploring complex topics with vulnerability and authenticity, addressing secondary trauma, cultivating holistic well-being, and deepening spiritual connection through dialogue and experiential practices. Courtney and her husband, Alec, are the proud parents of two sons, Ezra and Elias, who keep them on their toes.
Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn
About Trace:
Trace Haythorn lives in Decatur, Georgia, with his wife, a PC(USA) pastor. They have two adult children: a son who serves on the staff of a U.S. Senator, and a daughter with Down syndrome who serves as an aide in the Georgia State Senate. As a family, they enjoy community life, travel, and the power of a good metaphor.
Trace brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience to the church and faith-based nonprofit sectors. He served nearly a decade as Executive Director and CEO of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). His previous leadership roles include positions with The Fund for Theological Education, The Frazier Center, and Hastings College. Currently, he works with Synergos and continues to support the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab and the George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health.
As an ordained minister and ICF Master Certified Coach, Trace founded Haythorn Coaching & Consulting. He also serves as a coach with Fruehling Coaching and Facilitation and is a Principal Consultant with Tecker International. Much of his work focuses on congregations and their leaders.
He partners with pastors, church boards, and faith-based organizations to navigate:
- Strategic planning
- Leadership transitions
- Organizational redesign
- Governance challenges
He utilizes somatic and presence-based approaches in both individual and group coaching. These methods help leaders sustain themselves, deepen self-awareness, and discern their calling. At the heart of his work is a deep belief in the church’s capacity to heal, transform lives, and fully embody its mission.
Jessica Lovelace
About Jessica:
Jessica Lovelace is a people-first HR and operations leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organizations strengthen their teams, improve processes, and navigate complex workforce challenges. Known for being calm, practical, and solutions oriented, she brings a steady, strategic presence to leaders who need clarity, structure, and trusted guidance.
Throughout her career, Jessica has led large-scale HR functions, overseen multi-million-dollar budgets, guided organizational restructuring, and supported teams across diverse and demanding environments. Her background spans employee relations, recruiting, policy development, workforce planning, procurement, IT oversight, and organizational management — reflecting her ability to solve problems from both a people and operational perspective.
In her spare time, Jessica likes to spend time with her two children, husband and golden retriever. She dreams of traveling to places other than baseball and lacrosse fields but has yet to see this dream realized.
Rev. Dr. Charles Wiley
About Charles:
Charles Wiley loves to work alongside congregations as they serve Christ’s mission I the world. Charles has served in pastoral roles, as a denominational leader in the Office of Theology and Worship, and as a teacher in seminaries, congregations, and presbyteries.
He currently serves as the Interim Pastor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Lilburn Georgia, after serving as the Bridge Pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian in Stone Mountain. Charles was born in Suriname, South America, where his parents were Pilgrim Holiness missionaries. His love for Reformed theology eventually led him to the Presbyterian Church while in seminary.
As a Synergos consultant, Charles brings the riches of the theological and confessional tradition to bear in church life. How do theology, our worship life, and our lives as disciples shape one another to help us join God’s mission to redeem all things? It is vital that we think the faith, pray the faith, and live the faith within Christian community—loving God with heart, mind, soul, and strength. Charles will engage congregational leaders in shaping their responses to opportunities and challenges with the wisdom of scripture, the confessions, and the theological tradition.
Charles is married to Betsy and has two adult children, Ben who lives in Montreal and is getting married soon, and Anna who lives in Stone Mountain.