Our leadership
We are excited about our church's future and all the steps being made towards that future.
May God use The Gathering for His purposes and glory!
On October 8, 2023, The Gathering’s Elders were affirmed.
Alan Bias
Alan has been walking with Jesus since he was a teen. He’s a devout husband, proud father of three, seasoned pastor, public speaker, and author of the book, “Walking with God in a World Gone Busy”.
Alan grew up in Indiana and is well traveled nationally and internationally. During the 30+ years since bible school and ordination, he served as President of the Denton Gospel Mission Homeless Shelter, founded The Salvation Army Women and Children's Shelter as well as The Second Step Program, a Christ-centered drug/alcohol rehabilitation home, and was a pastor at Sojourn Church, Heritage Family Church, and Fully Awakening Community Church.
Alan, now an elder at The Gathering Church, at over 60 years old is an empty nester with his wife of more than 30 years, has a heart to preach the gospel the Apostles preached, counsel/disciple his peers, and mentor/disciple youth and young adults.
Schedule Alan for pastoral counseling, encouragement, and mentoring
Lance Otey
Lance surrendered to Christ in 2004. He was called into ministry shortly thereafter, completed a degree in Ministry & Leadership at Dallas Christian College, and was later ordained. As an evangelist, he has led teams, churches, and organizations in pursuing the Great Commission, and has spent time as a local missionary to DFW. Currently, in addition to his role as an elder, he is an independent insurance broker.
Lance is passionate about following Jesus, friendship with God, and spending time with his wife and family. He also enjoys cooking, fitness, and games.
Lance’s heart for The Gathering Church is that we pursue loving one another, continue being doers of the Word, persevere in calling our community into relationship with God, and remain on the journey to know and enjoy our Father forever.
Jason Kelley
Jason married his childhood sweetheart in 1998 and has six amazing children. He's now excited to be in the next season of life by being blessed with grandchildren.
Jason has been a follower of Christ since he was thirteen years old. Over the years, the Lord has allowed Jason to work as a jailer, police officer, executive director of a non-profit for the homeless, counselor, and case manager outside the church. Within the church, Jason was ordained, has led worship since 2004, writes songs, and as an elder helps with pastoral counseling, preaching, and teaching. He also leads the Mission TC community outreach program every weekend.
Jason wants to impact The Colony with the love of God in such a powerful way that our city and surrounding areas will never be the same.
Ryan Sifford
Ryan is a child of Christ by His grace alone. The Lord saved him out of darkness and despair and into His marvelous light when he was 16 years old. His adoption into God’s family provided meaning and purpose by glorifying Him through serving others. That service has spanned local ministries including youth, automotive, construction/repair, and general ministry just helping others. He has witnessed the Lord’s work by being involved in short term missions and spending a summer in inner city Houston. His family even relocated to a bush hospital in Sanyati, Zimbabwe for six months to experience God pouring His love out to the area.
Ryan is blessed with a beautiful wife and three wonderful girls. Together, they are blessed to be part of The Gathering Church. By trade, he is a systems engineer working in the aerospace industry and holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Ryan is very excited about serving The Gathering Church in The Colony as an elder and looks forward to witnessing what the Lord has planned for us in our community, region, and the world.
Please pray for these men and our church as we move forward.
Then they all prayed, "O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men You have chosen"
Acts 1:24 NLT
The Biblical qualifications of Elders are listed in:
1The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.