About

Bud Houston is a husband and father of five. He has background in the automotive industry specifically writing training curriculum and helping others perfect their craft. His passion for improving the work and lives of others shines through in his unique ministry role as the North American Hub Director for an evangelical mission agency. He holds the Master of Theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is actively launching house church movements in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. As part of the RTL Leadership Team, Bud is a writer, a teacher, a missionary and a coach who produces content and provides strategic leadership to help us navigate into the future.

Dave Cotner is a husband and father of four. He is an Iraq War veteran having served in the U.S. Army as an Intel Analyst from 2006-2010. He currently serves as the lead pastor of a local Baptist church in Southeast Iowa while providing leadership for numerous local and state level evangelical organizations. He holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies from Faith Baptist Bible College, he is a gifted communicator and administrator, and is passionate about preaching the Gospel. As part of the RTL Leadership Team, Dave is a critical thinker, educator, and administrator who produces content and provides leadership in the area of organizational administration to ensure we stay on task, on target, on time.

RTL Founder, Nick Swarthout, is a husband and father of four. He is an Iraq War veteran having served in the U.S. Army as a Communications Operator from 2002-2008. He is an entrepreneur and a pastor currently serving in various roles that blend his passion for missions, evangelism and church planting among young families and international students in East Tennessee. He holds the Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and through his work with families and RTL, he recruits and equips servant leaders to better the world around them by enhancing the quality of their leadership and reproducing themselves in the lives of others. As Founder of Reach Teach Lead, Nick produces content, crafts and casts vision and provides overall direction for the organization. If you’d like to hear Nick’s story, check out the video below.