Meet Our Faculty

School of Planting Instructors
School of Discipleship Instructors

School of Planting Instructors

Dr. Rich Kao

FSI Founder & Team leader
Rich Kao has been in pastoral and church planting ministry for 34 years. He was Senior Pastor of City Hill Fellowship in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before founding Five Stones Church in Vancouver, British Columbia. His present focus is leading Five Stones Impact, a global church planting initiative.

Rich has been involved in a variety of start-ups, humanitarian ventures, leadership organizations, and business concerns. He is a member of the Cabinet of Canadians, and has served Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau on issues of religious freedom and human rights.

Prior to being in ministry, Rich worked in the diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries, holding research positions at Kallestad Labs (Sanofi S.A.) and 3M Co. He is currently a Director with Measurement Technology Laboratories in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a high-tech company specializing in air quality measurement.

Rich has a BA in biology from Carleton College, an MS in immunology from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in strategic leadership (D.SL) from Regent University. 
Courses offered:
  • FSI DNA: The Joy of Planting Churches
  • Church Planting: Twelve Keys from the Life of Jesus
  • The FSI Church Planting Engine
  • 21 Steps to Ordination

Pastor Chuck Porta

Instructor
For 50 years, Charles (Chuck) Porta has devoted his life to full-time ministry, impacting churches and believers across the United States and beyond. After encountering and being saved by Jesus in 1970 during the Jesus Movement revival, Chuck has served as a pastor, itinerant minister, and spiritual overseer since 1975. In whichever area of calling, he has brought, and continues to bring, a timely and prophetic message to encourage the Body of Christ. Faithfully pouring into churches and leaders, Chuck has held gatherings for times of worship, Biblical teaching, equipping and personal ministry.

With his consistent preaching on the Gospel of grace and the work of Jesus on the cross, Chuck encourages the Church to walk in a faithful covenant relationship with the Lord. Chuck’s message of be a voice, not an echo for the Lord is a regular exhortation for each to hear and follow Jesus closely, as he equips pastors and believers to walk in their divine callings.

Since 1984, Chuck has been studying, developing, and delivering an in-depth seminar on The Life of Paul, his ministry and its relevance today. Now in book form, the apostle’s journey and Biblical teachings are unpacked in a compelling, powerful way that will both challenge and transform.

Chuck and his wife, Kitty, reside in Eden Prairie, MN. They have been blessed with four children and eight grandchildren, who are a source of joy in their lives. Through his life and ministry, Chuck continues to be a voice calling the Church to greater faithfulness, purpose and power in Christ.
Course offered:
  • Paul Apostle of Grace

Dr. Clem Ferris

FSI Leader & instructor
Dr. Clem Ferris travels full time in ministry and missions from his home base, Grace Church, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he serves as a governing elder. He holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and an M.A. and Th.D. from Jacksonville Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Mary Jane, have four children and five grandchildren.

For over 30 years, he has traveled nationally and internationally equipping believers through a strong combination of teaching and prophetic ministry. He currently serves on the oversight teams of ten churches and as a consultant to pastors and church leaders. Clem serves on the Board of Manna University www.manna.edu, and is affiliated with mPact Churches.

Clem continues to cross-pollinate among a variety of churches and apostolic streams, both in the US and internationally. He has ministered in over 45 foreign nations and carries a particular burden for the British Isles, where he has had input for over 35 years. Part of Clem’s calling is to be a runner between networks and to pioneer prophetic ministry into new spheres and regions.
Course offered:
  • The Prophetic Church: Prophetic Development in the Local Church

School of Discipleship Instructors

Michael Natt

instructor & FSI board member
Michael grew up in a Conservative Jewish home in New York City. He came to faith in the Messiah in Eugene, Oregon in 1970 during the time of the Jesus Movement. He worked in business for 40 years, including 28 years as a systems engineer and project manager with IBM.

During this time, Michael served as an elder and teaching leader in Minnesota, Arizona, and New York. He earned a B.A. from Bethel University, and an M.A. in Human Resource Development from the University of St. Thomas.

He is the author of five books and is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). He has also completed 15 marathons and 60 half-marathons.

His passions are prayer and sharing God’s word. He engages in global prayer for Israel and serves on the leadership team of Five Stones Impact, an international church planting and development network. He lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his wife Cheryl. They have been married for 51 years and have two adult daughters and a granddaughter.
Courses offered:
  • Old Testament Survey courses
  • New Testament Survey courses

Dr. Tim Miller

Instructor
Tim Miller and his wife, Emily, have been married for twenty-five years, during which time they have served Jesus through parenting, homeschooling, Bible teaching, missions training, mentoring, networking, and resource development. They are blessed with five amazing children. Over the years their ministry has taken them to many places both in the U.S. and internationally. Tim is currently serving as the pastor of Grace Gospel Church just north of Cambridge, MN.

Tim has a BA from Georgetown College, an MA from the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, and a PhD from Columbia International University. His dissertation is currently being prepared for publication through Pickwick (an imprint of Wipf & Stock Publishers) as part of the American Society of Missiology Monograph series. His English translation of the New Testament, The Blessed Hope, is also presently being prepared for publication through Wipf & Stock. He is a member of the Evangelical Missiological Society.

In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Tim has also written songs, children’s books, Bible study materials, and a book on disciple-making.
Course offered:
  • Followership: A Life Filled with the Word

Pastor Daniel Cheung

Instructor
Since the Church of Zion’s founding in 1982, Daniel and Lucy have served faithfully as co-pastors alongside Gideon and May. Having immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1972, Daniel was ordained as a minister in 1985. Married since 1974, Daniel and Lucy have raised three wonderful children—Rebecca, Ruth, and David—and are proud grandparents to five.

Their enduring marriage and shared life experiences have become a powerful testimony, enabling them to reach others with warmth, humor, and authenticity. Together, they are passionate about equipping couples to cultivate strong, Christ-centered marriages through premarital and marital counselling. Their insight and encouragement inspire couples to deepen their relationship with God.

Their ministry also extends to leadership and service, with Daniel lending his expertise to national ministry boards, helping organizations achieve financial stability, while Lucy blesses others through her gifts in prayer, children’s ministry, and hospitality. Both Daniel and Lucy are devoted to building and releasing team ministries, empowering people to reach their full spiritual potential. Whether traveling or meeting new people, they find joy in sharing the love of Christ wherever they go.
Course offered:
  • Followership: A Life Filled with Obedience and Purpose