Our Team

Brandon serves as the Matthew 5:9 Program Director. He views the pursuit of unity as an integral part of his life. For years, he has spoken to diverse groups around the country on various topics, which are often inherently divisive, seeking to bring clarity, compassion, and peace to these conversations. Ultimately, Brandon has sought to engage cultural questions and concerns within the context of Christian hope.

Brandon served as co-chapter director for the Wayne State Ratio Christi chapter. He served on the Stephen Ministry leadership team at Kensington Community Church and occasionally serves alongside Inner City Detroit Cru and Serve the City-Detroit.
Brandon graduated from Michigan State University with a major in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. He completed a Master’s in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and a Master’s of Divinity in Interdisciplinary Studies through Moody Theological Seminary.

Brandon enjoys playing various sports, reading, and writing, but mostly spending time with his three sons, daughter, and his wonderful wife.

Tom is the Pastoral Senior Advisor of the One America Movement and Matthew 5:9 Fellowship. He is a Teaching Pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America and previously served as the Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church in Charlottesville, VA. There he led the church’s efforts in adult discipleship and community engagement.

God fixes broken things, so Tom is passionate about the work of reconciliation. That healing starts with building relationships across divides. But, when he’s not pursuing such lofty goals, he likes watching superhero movies, training martial arts, and hanging out with his dog.

Tom holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary – Washington, D.C., and is currently pursuing a Th.M. in Historical and Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary.

April serves as the Senior Content Manager for One America Movement. She is a lifelong learner and an avid observer of people. A proud living kidney donor and a passionate fan of God and her family, she loves the power of a well-written word.

April loves to hear the story behind the story. If you have the time, she has the questions, because she sincerely believes your life has a purpose. She is a peacemaker at heart, and that mindset is what drew her to the One America Movement, where she is excited to be working with an amazing staff who are like-minded and see the hope in purposeful work.

April and her husband Michael live in northeast Mississippi near Tupelo in a tiny house they are renovating themselves. They are active members of Lawndale Presbyterian Church, also in Tupelo.

April holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Faulkner University and a Master’s in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.

Dean Kuest

Dean Kuest was one of the original pastors who met in 2018 to dream the dream that has become the
Matthew 5:9 Fellowship. He is on a life-long journey of discovering how his passions for loving Jesus and
teaching the simplicity of the Gospel can best be used for leading others to be peacemakers in an
increasingly polarized world.

Dean has spent the past thirty-three years pastoring within the local church in the greater Phoenix area and planting a church in Seattle, WA. He longs to have the heart of Jesus, supporting pastors and congregations to pursue the Gospel and place their identity in Christ above all other partisan and societal divisions. He also coaches pastors and leaders through PastorServe.org, believing that when leaders are healthy and thriving behind the scenes, the church and its people become healthier as well.

He and his wife, Leslie, have been married for thirty-two years, and they have five sons, four daughters-in-law, and
four grandchildren. If you can’t find him, he may have disappeared into a local baseball card hobby shop.

Gina Watkins