Staff
Our Administration
New Heart Place
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,” 1 Corinthians 1:1 (NIV). Though he was well-schooled, the credential he offered the first-century believers in Corinth was that he was “called to be an apostle by the will of God.”
Each one of our professional and volunteer staff would say – in the spirit of the Apostle Paul – that they are called of God to reach and disciple the broken and hurting; that they are serving in their ministry position by the will of God.
Pastor Ron Brooks
Founder & Executive Director
Pastor Ron serves the Westgate Chapel Community of Faith as the Senior Associate and pastor of New Heart Ministries embracing New Heart Monday Nite, New Heart Place, and the New Heart Network. In addition, Pastor Ron is the founder and executive director of the New Heart Foundation.
Janette Brooks
Administrator
Janette, known to the New Heart Family as “Mumsy,” serves alongside her husband, Pastor Ron, as the primary overseer of the New Heart Ministries budget, program coordination, curriculum acquisition, and special projects manager.
Men’s Home
New Heart Place
Pastor Mike & Rita Miller
Resident Director
Pastor Mike joined the New Heart Place community as the Resident Director in 2009. Pastor Mike and his wife, Rita, relocated from Moreno Valley, California sensing a definitive call of God to become the third resident director of New Heart Place. Having experienced a personal deliverance from a lifestyle of addiction, Pastor Mike brings to the ministry of New Heart Place a keen insight into the hearts of alcoholics and an authentic Holy Spirit for the unique to which he has been called. His wife, Rita, serves New Heart Ministries as the Director of Emergency Services.
Christian Rumberger
Associate Resident Director
Christian is a 2015 graduate of the New Heart Place Men’s Home and serves the community as the Associate Director. In addition, Christian serves as the Emergency Services Logistics Manager. He is a member of the New Heart Place Council.
Charlie & Margie Felzer
assistant resident directors
Charlie and Margie Felzer have served as volunteer Assistant Resident Directors from the birth of New Heart Place in 2006 to the present. As members of the New Heart Place Council, Charlie has overseen the repairs, maintenance, and capital development for the five acre Echo Lake campus. Margie is the Intercession Team Leader and food acquisition manager for the Men’s Home. Together, they serve the New Heart Place Men’s Home as the weekend directors and overnight supervisors.
Jay Ferris
assistant resident director
Jay Ferris joined the Resident Ministry Team in 2010 as an assistant to Pastor Mike. Jay serves on-site at New Heart Place on Mondays and Tuesdays. Jay serves the brothers at the New Heart Place Men’s Home as an intercessor, counselor, and curriculum guide.
Milton Carnes
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
As a graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary, Milton brings a depth of biblical knowledge invaluable in the discipleship process of the New Heart Place men. He serves on the volunteer staff as a coach for one of the New Heart Place students ministering to him as his primary intercessor, encourager, counselor, confidante, and curriculum guide.
Ben Coombe
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM AND COACH
Ben is a 2021 graduate of the New Heart Place Men’s Home. He serves Pastor Mike and the New Heart Place brothers as the weekend overnight supervisor.
David Cotton
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM AND COACH
David serves on the Westgate Chapel Board of Elders and Deacons and the volunteer staff of New Heart Place. His passion for the Lord and ministry to the broken and hurting have been used powerfully by the Holy Spirit to encourage the men of New Heart Place into an intimate relationship with the Savior and to pursue nothing less than God’s highest and best for their lives.
Michael Talley
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM AND COACH
Michael serves on the volunteer staff of New Heart Place and brings to his coaching ministry a passion for the Lord and commitment to guide each student he coaches to pursue the Father’s destiny for their life. He brings to his ministry a wealth of experience in the arts and a keen business acumen.
Shane Dougherty
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM AND COACH
Shane is a 2009 graduate of New Heart Place and a member of the volunteer staff of New Heart Place. As one who has experienced the transforming power of “a new heart with new and right desires, and a new spirit,” Shane brings to his coaching ministry a first-hand perspective on the New Heart Place program and the Westgate Chapel Community of Faith. In addition, Shane serves as the Associate Director of the New Heart Foundation resourcing pastors and ministry leaders in the development of their ministry to the broken and hurting.
John Toquinto
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM AND COACH
As a member of the volunteer staff of New Heart Place, John brings a fervent commitment to the Savior, and a passion to reach and disciple broken and hurting men. John’s years of walking with the Lord offer the New Heart Place students a wealth of practical experience and insight essential to their spiritual formation.
Women’s Home
New Heart Place
Tamara Walker
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
Description coming soon.
Sharon Longacre
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
Sharon has first-hand, experiential knowledge that God can and will bring freedom from a debilitating addiction, and that He is able to sustain that freedom by His grace and power. Sharon brings to the Resident Ministry a warm, gentle spirit that embraces those privileged to know her.
Charity Aki
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
Description coming soon.
Eilene Hendrickson
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
Having experienced God’s healing grace personally, Eileen brings to the Resident Ministry Team a passion for her supernatural God and fervent desire that each woman who enters New Heart Place would have a palpable understanding of four life-changing truths: “He is able, you are loved, you are accepted and desired, and that He is the answer for your life.”
Briggett Okocha
RESIDENT MINISTRY TEAM
Briggett blends her love for Jesus with a tender heart for broken and hurting women. Her professional experience as a nurses’ aid, mental health assistant, and program assistant for a local mental health facility, Briggett brings to the ministry of New Heart Place a wealth of practical experience and expertise.
Meet Our Coaches
New Heart Place
Each student entering New Heart Place is assigned a Personal Coach for the duration of the 12-18 month program. The coaching staff is prayerfully selected from among the men and women of Westgate Chapel and is trained in the ministry of coaching and the New Heart Place program. Personal coaches are committed to serve as intercessors, confidantes, mentors, encouragers, and partners with Pastor Mike in processing program curricula and taking them on special outings (e.g fishing, kayaking, etc).
Men’s Coaches
Joe Alexander
John Toquinto
Michael Talley
Milton Carnes
Shane Dougherty
Women’s Coaches – Coming Soon