About

Ezra Byer, Founder of TMC

I was born in Montreal and raised around eight hours north of Toronto, Canada in a small town called Cochrane (pretty much in the middle of nowhere!). At fifteen, I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and remained there till I received a BA in Ministerial Studies from God’s Bible School and College and then went on to complete my Master’s Degree in Practical Theology from Ohio Christian University. In the spring of 2022, I completed a PhD in Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University.

In May 2011, after I graduated college, I took my first pastoral position as an associate at Eastlake Community Church in Moneta, Virginia. On June 22, 2012, I married Janan Hunt. Get this, she is from the North Pole…literally…North Pole, Alaska. She loves children and has taught grades 6-8 for nearly ten years.

After spending five years in Toronto, Canada in November of 2019, my wife and I moved to Nampa, Idaho. I am a full-time freelance writer at ezrabyer.com and have authored three books: What’s the Point? What Kind of God Do I Serve? and Walking with a Limp.

Jessica Hartkopf, Daily Devotional Editor

Born in Tennessee, raised in small-town Indiana, and currently residing in Huddleston, VA, I am wife and teammate to David and mom to Mallory, Emma, and Judson. I love a good book and a good cup of coffee, and I am passionate about healthy family culture and community within the body of Christ. Our family enjoys hiking and being outdoors together, finding new foodie places to try, and quoting Calvin and Hobbes.

I have a BA in Elementary Education from God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati. My husband and I met in college, and we have spent most of our adult lives in the Queen City. So much of our story has happened there, and it will always have a special place in our hearts. In 2023, we moved to Virginia where my husband is currently the campus pastor at Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy. I enjoy writing for The Monday Christian from time to time and have recently stepped into the role of TMC editor. 

Diane Ritchey, Daily Devotional Scheduler

Diane Ritchey lives in the Treasure Valley with her husband of 28 years, their very independent 22-year-old son, and their chocolate lab, KJ. She spent her early parenting years as a stay-at-home mom raising their daughter and son. Since then, she has been a nanny for over 15 years, which means she's packed a lot of lunches and sung the same songs more times than she can count. She's also a music teacher who gives piano and voice lessons.

Midlife hasn't slowed her down much. These days, she sometimes flies out to help families short-term, wherever they need an extra set of hands. When she gets a quiet minute, she reads, writes, or learns something new, and she's honestly not much good to anyone before her first cup of coffee.

Her faith is everything to her. It guides every part of her life. She doesn't have it all figured out, but God has been faithful to her, and she loves getting to share that.