meet our staff
Eric Ludy
President, Ellerslie Mission Society
Lead Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Eric Ludy is a pastor and bestselling author who has been laboring on the frontlines of Christian leadership for more than twenty-five years. He is the president of Ellerslie Mission Society and the lead instructor for Ellerslie Discipleship Training. Eric, along with his wife Leslie, have authored twenty-eight books including When God Writes Your Love Story, Wrestling Prayer, and The Bravehearted Gospel. Eric’s weekly sermons and podcasts are heard by thousands of listeners around the world. Eric and Leslie have been married twenty-five years and have six children. The Ludys live in Windsor, Colorado.
Leslie Ludy
Director, Set Apart Girl Ministries
Adjunct Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Leslie Ludy is a bestselling author and speaker with a passion for helping women become set apart for Christ. Leslie has spoken to hundreds of thousands of women over the past twenty-five years, inspiring her listeners to pursue passionate devotion to Christ in every area of life. Leslie’s weekly Set Apart Podcast is heard by thousands around the world. She is the founder and director of Set Apart Girl Ministries and Set Apart Magazine. Leslie and her husband Eric had authored twenty-eight books. Her books for women include Authentic Beauty, Set Apart Femininity, Set Apart Motherhood and The Set Apart Woman. Leslie and Eric live in Windsor, Colorado with their six children.
Nathan Johnson
Program Director and Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Nathan received his Masters of Divinity in 2008 and has been in full-time Christian ministry for over fifteen years. He has spent time “in the trenches” of inner city work, ministering to the homeless, the elderly, and underprivileged children. Nathan has a passion for biblical training and discipleship, and has been a guest speaker at many churches, youth retreats, and Christian conferences around the country over the past decade. He has taught college-level classes on various books of the Bible, biblical concepts and themes, and how to study the Bible. Nathan has a love for missions and has also mentored many young men in the areas of godly masculinity, purity, biblical truth, victory and freedom over sin, and daily Christian living.
Sarah Guthrie
Director of Women's Ministries, Ellerslie Training
After attending Ellerslie as a student several years ago Sarah stayed on to join the Ellerslie staff, bringing excellence and servant-hearted joy to a variety of roles such as hospitality, special events, student activities, administrative help, assisting in women’s ministry, and mentoring. She currently serves as Ellerslie’s Director of Women’s Ministries, offering spiritual strength and encouragement to our female students. Sarah also functions in variety of administrative and leadership roles within the Ellerslie world. In other words, she’s pretty invaluable around here! In addition to discipling young women and serving at Ellerslie, she is a regular writer and managing editor for Set Apart Magazine.
Philip H.
Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Philip has been part of the team since 2011. He is deeply passionate about prayer, discipleship, and evangelism. At Ellerslie he has served as the director of Ellerslie’s Weeklong Intensive Training and 5-Week Discipleship Training, and has spent considerable time discipling young men and pointing them toward Jesus Christ. Philip currently serves as one of Ellerslie’s teaching staff and plays a key leadership role within the Ellerslie staff. He is married to his lovely wife, Emily, and they live in Windsor with their daughters, Sabina and Lydia. Philip desires by the grace of God to live a faithful life as a husband, father, and preacher of the Gospel. Whether on the Ellerslie Campus, at home, or overseas, his passion is that his life may proclaim one thing, “Worthy is the Lamb to receive the reward of His suffering!”
Dan McConnaughey
Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Dan has taught and discipled Christians for over forty years. His widely diversified background in both ministry and military roles make him uniquely qualified to train and equip this generation of up-and-coming leaders and missionaries for effective front-lines service. He has served in a wide variety of ministry positions, including youth pastor, church planter and Bible teacher, and speaker at churches and missions events. He has served with the Navigators, The Truth Project, and completed Prison Fellowship’s Centurion Program. Dan has also been a flight instructor, aviation mechanic, corporate pilot, air traffic controller, and classical guitar instructor during his varied career. He and his most excellent wife have been married longer than all the rest of the staff combined.
Sandi McConnaughey
Instructor, Ellerslie Training
Sandi has served in a wide variety of ministries for over forty years — leading women’s Bible studies, counseling in a crisis pregnancy center, as well as in many other discipleship positions. She also spent several years working as a registered nurse and serving in hospital ministry as a counselor. Since Ellerslie began, Sandi has served in many roles including Director of Women’s Ministries, providing spiritual leadership to female students, teaching classes on the Gospel, being the campus nurse, and serving Eric Ludy as his executive assistant. Sandi has been happily married to her husband, Dan, for nearly fifty years. They have 6 children (one an adopted daughter from Haiti) and 23 grandchildren. Around Ellerslie, she’s affectionately known as “Mama Sandi” and her chocolate chip cookies are legendary!
Grace McConnaughey
Administrative Support, Ellerslie
Grace has faithfully served in many different capacities at Ellerslie over the past ten years, including roles in administration, student life, campus management, and hospitality. She has spent time on the mission field in Africa and has a passion for vulnerable children. She is known around our campus for maintaining a sense of humor and a heavenly perspective, even in the midst of difficulty. Currently, Grace serves as the Ellerslie Registrar, helping our incoming students feel comfortable, informed, welcomed, and taken care of! When she’s not busy helping students prepare for their season of training at Ellerslie, Grace loves cultivating her passion for creating beauty and inspiration through painting and writing.
annie Wesche
Creative Director
Annie has been in ministry alongside Eric and Leslie Ludy since 2005, and currently serves as Creative Director for both Ellerslie and Set Apart Girl. She is the designer of Set Apart Magazine and a regular contributor through her With Love column. Annie has a deep passion for orphan care and adoption and lived in Haiti for over two-and-a-half years caring for vulnerable children. A warm and engaging storyteller, Annie delights in sharing of God’s faithfulness and the enabling grace of Jesus through her personal testimonies, with a desire to see others encouraged to trust in the Lord with all their heart.
Key VOlunteers and Support Team
Nate Mockler
Nick Mockler
Mallorie Rast
Preston Yoder
