Meet the Staff
Dr. Don Hicks – FOUNDER/PRESIDENT OF CHURCH HEALTH SOLUTIONS, LLC
Dr. Hicks is an author, pastor, professor, and conference speaker and has hosted and appeared on radio and television. He has been in the ministry for over forty- five years as a senior pastor of various churches of various sizes, church planter, bi-vocational pastor, transitional pastor, and university and seminary professor. He has coached and ministered to over a thousand pastors (including pastors’ wives and children) who have experienced a personal or professional crisis.
show moreWith over 100 churches in conflict and crisis, Dr. Hicks’s experience uniquely qualifies him as one of the leading authorities on complex church conflict mediation and resolution, Christian conciliation, church health, pastor termination, complex church crisis, and the transitional pastor ministry.
Dr. Adrian Rogers ordained Don to the ministry at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, and was also his mentor/friend. Don served for two years as a pastoral intern at Bellevue Baptist Church. He has served in the Southern Baptist Convention, Associational, State Conventions, and Seminaries and on local, state, and national SBC committees. He served as a Church/Minister Relations Director for the SBCMRAA for five years. Expert consultant for Lifeway Research Project, Why Pastors Leave the Ministry Before Retirement- National Study by Lifeway Research. https://lifewayresearch.com
He holds a B.S. degree from Liberty University, an M.Div. from Mid-Western Baptist Theological Seminary, and a
D. Min from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary, with additional training at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Diploma Pastoral Counseling Institute Liberty University.
He has taught at Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity and Liberty Theological Seminary for over 17 years as an assistant professor of homiletics, pastoral leadership, and practical studies. Courses he has taught are Preventing Ministry Failure, Homiletics, Pastoral Theology, Pastoral Leadership, Team Leadership and Conflict Resolution, Transitional Pastor, Healthy Church, Resiliency, Evangelism, Church Planting, Church Revitalization, Church Growth, The Pastor: Navigating and Resolving Church Conflict, and Community Chaplaincy, among others (undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels). He serves as a doctoral mentor and Subject Matter Expert, Former Director of the Office of Church Health and Church Relations at Liberty University, and former Associate Dean of Liberty University Home Bible Institute. https://www.liberty.edu/aboutliberty/.
https://www.liberty.edu/online/divinity/masters/divinity/.
Dr. Hicks’ dissertation has been downloaded over 34,000 times in 161 countries. Donald Quentin Hicks (2010) “A Study of the Conflicts within Churches that Lead to the Termination of Pastors within the Southern Baptist Convention, Accompanied by a Proposal of Preventive and Interventional Solutions.” Click Here.
He has preached and taught across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Fiji Islands, American and Western Samoa, Greece, and Germany. Mission trips to minister to Syrian Refugees in Greece and Germany with SBC of Virginia and the International Mission Board. Taught Iranian church leaders in Biblical Discipleship and ministry. He has preached in several churches in Germany. He taught “The Pastor Navigating Church Conflict,” a one-week intensive course as a visiting professor in Bonn, Germany, at Biel seminar www.bsb-online.de. You may click the following links to find the preaching and teaching of Dr. Hicks.https://vimeo.com/user57224413. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7XlzsDpytl8Aqp-wvTZVUQ
He is a certified SBC Transitional Pastor and has served 17 churches in this capacity and has trained over 100 (Certified by Lifeway) SBC Transitional Pastors; he was the former Director of The Peaceful Church Institutive Church Law Institute, a certified Christian Conciliator/mediator (Institute for Christian Conciliation, Peacemakers Ministries), certified in Managing Church Conflict (Peacemakers Ministries).
Don is taking steps to become a certified RW360 Advanced RW Conciliator. Ken Sande has included Don on the list of Christian Conciliation providers https://rw360.org/directory/49058-2/.Don recommends that every pastor, elder, deacon, church member, and Christian sign up for the course on Relational Wisdom: https://rw360.org/discoverrw/ Don has been married to his high school sweetheart, Tricia, for 46 years. They have three adult children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson. They make their home in Virginia.
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George Shaffer – DEACON & LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT
It is with deep sorrow and Christian hope that we announce the passing of George Richard Shaffer, Sr., Director of Deacon and Leadership Training, who entered the presence of the Lord on August 19, 2026.
George faithfully dedicated his life to serving Christ, strengthening churches, mentoring leaders, and equipping deacons and pastors for effective biblical ministry. His wisdom, encouragement, and servant leadership impacted countless individuals and congregations across the nation.
We thank God for George’s legacy of faith, integrity, and leadership. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him.
As a tribute to his life and ministry, we invite you to listen to a special episode of Church Leadership in Focus Episode 100:
show moreGeorge Shaffer has extensive experience in the practice of management and leadership in industrial and academic settings. As Senior Director of Executive Education at the Darden School of Business, at UVA, he was the principal Darden executive responsible for developing corporate universities and education programs for Fortune 500 companies. including United Technologies Corporation. George served as the Chairman of the Deacons at First Baptist Church Charlottesville, VA.
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Rob Narwid – Director of IT and Media Production
Rob is a seasoned Information Technology and Media Production professional with more than 30 years of experience delivering technology solutions across corporate and small business environments. His career has included extensive work in enterprise IT, and he currently serves as the owner of Techknow Computer Center, LLC, where he provides computer consulting, technical support, and technology solutions for businesses and individuals.
show moreIn addition to his IT expertise, Rob has dedicated many years to volunteer leadership in church media ministries. His experience includes live media production, video production, podcast recording and editing, and the implementation and support of media technologies that help organizations effectively communicate their message.
As Director of IT and Media Productions, Rob combines technical expertise with creative problem-solving to develop reliable technology systems and engaging media experiences. His passion for both technology and storytelling enables him to bridge the gap between complex technical solutions and impactful communication.
Outside of work, Rob enjoys photography, studying history, hiking, camping, and exploring a variety of other outdoor and creative pursuits.
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