Brandi Guel
Children's Catechist
Brandi grew up in the fourth most populous city in America: Houston, TX. After high school, she moved to Waco to attend Baylor University majoring in Special Education. While at Baylor as an undergraduate, she realized how much spiritual formation she received during her childhood catechesis in both the Episcopal and Lutheran church.
Waco grew on her and she and her husband put down roots, adding seven children along the way. After 18 years at a non-denominational church, her family felt a pull to something different. They visited Christ Church in August of 2016 and she immediately felt at home, once again worshipping with the liturgy almost identical to what she grew up with.
Brandi recently finished her Masters of Science in Eduction degree in Educational Psychology in order to use Applied Behavior Analysis to teach children with disabilities. She loves working with children, and takes joy in the fact that even little ones can drink deeply from the wells of theological truth, and that we don’t need to resort to entertaining children in order to keep their attention.
Brandi lives in the peaceful countryside just north of Waco with her husband, Eric, seven children, and roughly 40 chickens.
Paul and Paige Gutacker
Brazos Fellows, Director and Assistant Director
In 2014, Paul and Paige moved to Waco where Paul is a full-time lecturer at Baylor University in History.
Paul's current research explores the cultural and political importance of nineteenth-century American interpretations of church history. He has published articles and book reviews in Crux, Fides et Historia, the Journal of Religious History, and the Journal of Ecclesiastical History. Both his scholarship and his teaching are driven by a desire to see the church recover her historical memory. In his spare time, Paul enjoys reading fiction, running the Waco Riverwalk, cooking, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills.
Paige is passionate about people development and started her own life coaching business, Crossroads Coaching, in 2017. Paige previously worked in the non-profit sector and, together with Paul, co-authored an instructional text on mentoring for Christian educators. In addition to participating in a Spiritual Direction Training Program at Truett Seminary, she currently spends much of her time caring for their two children, James and Marianne, and laughing at the antics of their rescued spaniel mix, Lila.