About Our Team

Thomas McCuddy is a professor of Christian apologetics, pastor, author, and the founder of Families of Virtue. With a deep love for Scripture and a mind sharpened by classical philosophy, Thomas helped launch the ministry in 2021 to reclaim the church’s lost heritage of virtue and equip families to walk in Christlikeness. Drawing from years of teaching, pastoral leadership, and study in thinkers like Aquinas and Aristotle, Thomas helps others grow in wisdom, holiness, and faithful witness.

Through Families of Virtue, he writes curriculum, trains leaders, mentors disciple-makers, and speaks nationally on virtue, logic, and apologetics. His conviction is rooted in 2 Peter 1:5–8 in that the church must recover virtue if it is to be effective and fruitful. He lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he leads his family in the same pursuit of virtue that drives the ministry.

Thomas is a teacher, writer, and curriculum developer who loves helping families practice Christian virtue in everyday life. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Apologetics and has pursued graduate theological studies with a focus on Christian philosophy and apologetics. His thinking is shaped by Augustine, Aquinas, and Kierkegaard, men who sought to unite reason and faith under the lordship of Christ. Beyond formal study, Thomas has spent years reading the classics, philosophy, and pedagogy, then translating that learning into formation for children and parents.

He came to faith in Christ as an adult in 2016, after searching for meaning in lesser things. God called him out of darkness into His marvelous light, and the gospel became more than forgiveness. It became a summons to transformation. Thomas and his wife began again in North Carolina, where Christ rebuilt their life from the ground up. Discipleship since then has meant learning to love obedience and to trust that following Christ is true freedom. God has refined him through Scripture, through suffering, and through the daily responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood. Each has been a classroom for sanctification.

Thomas’s passion for Christian virtue grew as he became convinced that discipleship is incomplete until it shapes character. The church speaks often of faith and grace, yet too rarely of the virtues that grow from them: truthfulness, courage, humility, temperance, and love. Virtue is not moralism. It is the beauty of holiness practiced in ordinary moments. Thomas longs to help the modern church recover that vision.

At Families of Virtue, Thomas crafts lessons, devotionals, and interactive experiences that help parents and children pursue holiness together. He designs resources that blend Socratic dialogue, storytelling, and even physical activity, so that virtue becomes tangible and joyful. He brings theological depth, educational creativity, and family-centered practicality. His background in philosophy and literature frames virtue within the story of redemption, and his life as a father keeps it grounded at the dinner table and the church foyer.

He believes virtue is the missing link between belief and behavior in an age of moral confusion and expressive individualism. The church must reclaim the language of virtue to disciple hearts, not only inform minds. Virtue gives form to faith; it is how grace becomes visible. Through teaching and curriculum design, Thomas aims to help families know God in the habits of the heart. He envisions homes that become small monasteries of prayer, wisdom, and joy, where children develop moral imagination, parents model integrity, and churches celebrate formation as much as conversion.

Thomas lives in North Carolina with his wife, Christine, and their three children, Lucas, Samuel, and Abigail. They learn, teach, hike, read the classics, and build creative projects together, treating each moment as an opportunity to practice virtue and delight in God’s world.

Favorite Scripture: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3). This reminds him that every virtue begins in God’s grace and ends in God’s glory.

A guiding conviction: “Grace does not destroy nature but perfects it.” (Thomas Aquinas). Virtue is grace working through nature, shaping our loves until we love rightly.

Stacey is a teacher, editor, and homeschool advocate with a heart to strengthen families for the good of the church. She earned a Bachelor’s in Education from Middle Tennessee State University and taught in elementary classrooms for seven years before coming home to raise her family and homeschool her children. At Families of Virtue, Stacey serves as editor and homeschool liaison. She is also one of our co-founders and the one who cast the vision for our name, Families of Virtue. Through her early conviction and steady encouragement, this ministry took shape to help families grow in Christlike character so that the church is strengthened one household at a time.

Raised in a Christian home, Stacey understands the need for inward transformation that cultivates tender hearts and lasting habits of godliness. She is passionate about teaching her own children and equipping other moms to pursue what is true, good, and beautiful in daily life. Stacey brings a strong academic background together with the warm, relational personality that has become the tone of our work. Her vision is clear and hopeful: minister to families, help them catch the vision of virtue, and walk with them as they build homes that honor Christ and bless their communities.

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Jesse Garner serves as the English–Spanish translator for Families of Virtue, working to bring the ministry’s resources to the global Spanish-speaking community. With over a decade of experience among native Spanish speakers, including three trips to Honduras and years of immersion, Jesse has refined his skills through real-life engagement and professional translation work in medical, legal, and ministry settings.

Jesse came to faith through the bold witness of a coworker who shared the gospel with him and began discipling him in daily life. Though his early journey of spiritual growth was uneven, the Lord continued to shape him through personal study, online resources, and eventually the very materials he now translates for Families of Virtue. His passion for virtue stems from the pages of Scripture and was reignited after attending a conference where he heard Dr. Thomas McCuddy teach on the subject.

As Director of Spanish Resources, Jesse helps extend the reach of virtue-based discipleship to nearly half a billion native Spanish speakers around the world. His deep conviction is that Scripture always speaks the truth, and when it calls believers to be virtuous, the church must respond. Jesse serves with the prayerful hope that his work will one day be met with the words of Matthew 25:23: “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master.

Nick has been the spiritual shepherd of Cape Fear Baptist Church in Gray's Creek, NC since the end of 2019, bringing a unique blend of theological depth and real-world experience to the pulpit.

His ministry is anchored by a commitment to the Great Commission, focusing not just on converts, but on making disciples and teaching obedience. This mission is best summarized by Matthew 28:18–20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Stemming from this belief that many in the Christian faith have never been truly discipled, Pastor Nick, along with Pastor Thomas, has led Cape Fear Baptist to emphasize the classical intellectual and theological virtues. This focus is designed to provide the necessary tools for transformation, strengthening the Christian faith, enriching families, and solidifying the home.

Pastor Nick's educational background includes a dual major in apologetics and advanced theological studies from Carolina College of Biblical Studies, where he also earned a minor in biblical counseling.

He is married to Wendy, and they are partners in The Residential Group, a small real estate company. Nick also co-owns the construction company Sozo Brothers LLC with his business partner, Mikey. He considers this entrepreneurial work a crucial part of his calling, as it has enabled him to pursue full-time ministry.

Before his calling to the pastorate, Nick spent 19 years serving as an intelligence officer, beginning in the US Army and completing his service by supporting a special operations unit on Fort Bragg. When he is not pastoring or working with his businesses, Nick enjoys his hands-on hobbies of building and making things as well as riding motorcycles.

Justin Wakefield is a servant-hearted creative who manages the media and technical operations for Families of Virtue. With a professional background in bookkeeping and a lifelong commitment to supporting others, Justin thrives in behind-the-scenes roles that help ministries flourish. He first met Thomas McCuddy while serving at Cape Fear Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and quickly became a key contributor to the growing vision of reclaiming virtue for the church.

Justin’s discipleship journey deepened through his engagement with virtue-based formation. What began in a small group became a personal transformation as he embraced the habits of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice in his own home and walk with Christ. He now serves as producer and editor for the Virtuous Roots podcast, oversees digital content, and supports the ministry’s online presence with excellence and quiet faithfulness.

Justin’s guiding verse is 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Whether editing media or raising his children in virtue, Justin strives to be a worker who honors the Lord in all things.

Merike is a teacher, translator, and disciple-maker with a heart to help believers love Jesus with all they are and, from that love, serve their neighbors. She holds a Bachelor’s in Education (Foundation Phase) from AROS and a Bachelor’s in Theology from SATS, and she is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Southern Evangelical Seminary. Over the past fourteen years she has taught Scripture and theology across ages and contexts, including seasons of service in Madagascar and Switzerland.

Raised in a Christian home, Merike came to personal faith in Christ at a young age when she recognized her need for a Savior and the peace and joy found only in Him. Her discipleship pathway has moved through children’s church, teen ministry, and Bible college, shaped by mentors who taught her to love God and love people. Later she encountered the Christian tradition of virtue, which gave her a clearer vocabulary for examining life before God and responding with wisdom. She has seen this focus transform not only her own life but also her family’s.

At Families of Virtue, Merike serves as curriculum editor and Afrikaans translator. She brings classroom-tested instincts to strengthen lessons for clarity and usability, and she renders our materials into her home language with theological accuracy and cultural warmth. Passionate about serving the South African church, she longs to see sound, virtue-rich teaching available in Afrikaans, where the need is great and interest is growing. Her vision is simple and bold: families grounded in truth, courageous in holiness, and step by step living virtuous lives that bless the wider society and glorify God.

Karla is an emerging theologian and visual storyteller who loves helping people see biblical truth with clarity and joy. She completed her first two years of a Bachelor of Theology at Apologetics SA, where she built a strong foundation in Scripture and doctrine, and she is now finishing her degree through the South African Theological Seminary. While she does not yet have a formal professional post, she has gained practical ministry experience through multiple outreaches during Target Life, a Christian gap year program that strengthened both her faith and her service.

Raised in a Christian home, Karla came to know Christ at a young age through the steady witness of her parents. Over time her faith became deeply personal as she learned to trust and follow the Lord for herself. Her discipleship has been shaped by family, pastors, and teachers who invested in her growth. Target Life helped her practice biblical faithfulness in a secular world, and her first two years of Bible college brought both theological depth and loving mentors who guided her in knowledge and character.

Karla’s passion for Christian virtue took root when Dr. Thomas McCuddy taught on Virtue and Discipleship during her second year of Bible college. The teaching opened her eyes to the beauty and necessity of cultivating Christlike character. She became convinced that even the most mature believer must keep growing in the likeness of Jesus through habits of truthfulness, courage, humility, temperance, and love.

At Families of Virtue, Karla serves as an illustrator, creating artwork that supports the ministry’s message and helps communicate virtue in a way that engages both the mind and the heart. She translates complex biblical ideas into images that are beautiful and meaningful, making abstract concepts tangible for families, churches, and students. She is grateful to be part of a team whose work is already bearing fruit across communities, and she finds joy in contributing to a ministry that strengthens families in Christ.

Karla believes virtue is essential for the church today because it connects faithful belief with faithful living. When Christians cultivate godly habits, they reflect Christ to the world and encourage the church to live honorably before God rather than drawing distraction away from His truth. Through her illustrations, she supports the mission to reclaim virtue for the cause of discipleship by making theological truths accessible, memorable, and practical. She hopes Families of Virtue will help churches and families grow deeper in Scripture and Christian living, renewing how they teach, think, and disciple, and fostering a stronger, more virtuous Christian community.

She comes from a loving Christian family that has encouraged both her faith and her creativity. In her free time she enjoys making art, writing poetry, reading, spending time in nature, and practicing archery with her father. She also cares about health and nutrition. A favorite Scripture that anchors her work is Lamentations 3:21–33. A lighthearted motto that fuels her creative hours: “I drink lots of water! Filtered water. Filtered through coffee grounds. COFFEE. I drink LOTS of coffee.”