Ekklesia Global is a nonprofit ministry founded on Easter Sunday, 2019, in Spartanburg,
South Carolina, by Rev. Michelle King Beech, a lifelong member (“cradle Disciple”) of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Rooted in the values of the Stone-Campbell Movement,
Ekklesia Global exists as a post-denominational spiritual community with both in-person and
online programs offering spiritual belonging for those who identify as “Spiritual but Not
Religious,” de-churched, or religiously traumatized. The name Ekklesia (Greek: ἐκκλησία) was
intentionally selected to reflect both historical Christian identity and new post-denominational
expressions of gathering including new models stretching beyond traditional congregational life.
The organization emphasizes that it is shaped by Stone–Campbell values: unity, inquiry,
liberty of conscience, and openness at the Lord’s Table. 1 Participation is not measured by
membership, but by active or passive engagement, reflecting a model of belonging rather than
institutional affiliation. Its programs include spiritual retreats, theological reflection
groups/conversation circles, interfaith dialogue, personal development, subscription devotionals,
and pastoral accompaniment for individuals experiencing religious trauma or disaffiliation from
institutional church life.
Relationship to the Stone-Campbell Movement
Ekklesia Global may be understood as a contemporary expression within the Stone-
Campbell heritage—embodying the tradition’s values while experimenting with new forms of
belonging. It represents a post-denominational ecclesial model that maintains the restorationist
impulse emphasizing unity, scripture, freedom of conscience, and table fellowship—while
exploring new ways the Spirit may gather people in post-denominational contexts. For those who
identify as “Spiritual but Not Religious,” de-churched, or who have experienced religious harm,
Ekklesia Global offers both continuity and adaptation within the Disciples tradition.
Rather than departing from the Stone-Campbell movement, Ekklesia Global remains in
conversation with it, asking whether the Spirit still gathers people in ways that transcend
recognized structures. Its structure, language of “companions,” trauma-informed pastoral care,
and hybrid online/in-person gatherings reflect an expansion of Stone-Campbell ecclesial
imagination for the present age. Its existence raises a vital question: If the Stone-Campbell
Movement began as a response to fragmentation and spiritual hunger, should its future not also
be shaped by the needs of those still searching for a place to gather and for a table at which to be
fed?
Although recently established, Ekklesia Global follows a historical pattern within the Stone-
Campbell Movement. From its beginnings, the movement has generated new expressions of church shaped not only by institutional design but by context, biography, and the Spirit’s leading.
As with Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell, Beech’s ministry did not emerge from an
institutional blueprint but from lived experience, communal longing, and a call to gather those
who no longer felt at home in traditional structures. 2
History and Origins
Ekklesia Global emerged from a pastoral question: Where might spiritual belonging be
found by those who no longer feel at home within institutional church structures? In response,
Rev. Beech began gathering the spiritually curious, the de-churched, and persons navigating
religious trauma into judgment-free community. These early gatherings developed into a ministry
shaped by worship, study, self-reflection, community care, trauma awareness, and inclusive table
theology. 3
Ekklesia Global’s Founder, Rev. Michelle King Beech, is a lifelong Disciple and daughter
of Rev. Roy L. King, an ordained DOC minister and former Regional Moderator in the Northern
California–Nevada Region. She was spiritually formed across twelve DOC congregations in
California, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada, and South Carolina. Her upbringing
within the Stone-Campbell/Disciples tradition shaped her understanding of faith as communal
and ecumenical. Ekklesia Global thus reflects a key ethos of the Stone-Campbell Movement:
Church can be formed not only through institutions but through Spirit-led gatherings grounded in
relationship, scripture, hospitality, and reasoned inquiry.
Beech’s ministry reflects a multi-generational lineage of church planters, pastors,
evangelists and revitalizers. Her father led Hillside Christian Church (Kansas City, Mo.), the
fastest-growing DOC congregation in the United States between 1970–1974. Ekklesia Global
was therefore not an institutional departure, but an extension of spiritual imagination: What if the
traditional church is not the only place where the Church can be born? Instead of forming as a
congregation, the organization maintains a partnership with the Christian Church (DOC) in
North Carolina, as well as grant-supported ministries through Disciples Women’s Ministries and
local congregational support. Beech is on the ordination track under care of the North Carolina
region and the leadership of Bishop Valerie Melvin, Regional Minister.
Beech holds more than 30 years of professional communication, brand identity, and
leadership experience, alongside lifelong immersion in congregational ministry. She is currently
pursuing her Master of Divinity degree at Brite Divinity School (2024–present) while remaining
under regional care for ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her leadership
includes:
- Board Chairperson, Elder, and Leadership Developer in multiple DOC congregations
- Church Growth Commission Member – North Carolina DOC Region (2020–present)
- New Church Ministry Tactical Teams Member (National DOC), 2020–2022
- Regional Assembly Planning Team – NC Region, 2022–2023
- Co-Founder of Lead Integrity, a multi-faith leadership development initiative
(2024–present) - Member of Responsible Leaders’ Summit – United Nations, New York (2019–present)
These roles reflect the Stone-Campbell ethos of adaptive leadership, ecumenical engagement,
and the democratization of ministry.
Organizational Identity
Founding: Easter Sunday, 2019. Gained 501(c)(3) status, November 27, 2020.
Location: Headquartered in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Founder: Rev. Michelle King Beech
Denominational Relationship: Rooted in the values of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ);
not formally instituted as a DOC congregation but partnered with DOC ministries and leaders.
Structure: Non-membership community; participants categorized as active, passive, and inactive;
primarily lay-led with advisory clergy support.
Guiding Emphases: Inclusive faith community, Healing from religious trauma, Ecumenical and
interfaith dialogue, Spiritual formation rooted in restorationist heritage
Digital Presence: Includes online conversation groups, social media under the name
@EkklesiaLove, and hybrid ministry models connecting participants across multiple U.S. states.
Organizational Partners:
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – North Carolina Region
Church Growth Commission / New & Emerging Church Life (CCNC Region)
New Church Ministry (National DOC), Tactical Teams Member, 2020–2022
Lead Integrity (Multifaith Leadership Consultancy) – Founding Partner, 2024–present
Programs and Ministries
Ekklesia Global operates through a hybrid ministry model, offering online and local gatherings.
Its programs prioritize connection over conversion and welcome participants across gender
identities, generations, and faith traditions. Each ministry seeks to cultivate spiritual belonging,
inquiry, healing, and formation.
Type of Ministry Description (Word Table/chart available)
Retreats Spiritual formation gatherings with contemplative, experiential, and
theological elements. Retreats have included participants of all
genders, multi-faith backgrounds, and generations.
Interfaith Conversation Circles Structured dialogues across traditions that explore shared wisdom
and spiritual curiosity beyond doctrinal boundaries.
Theological Reflection Groups Study-based sessions engaging scripture and contemporary
theology for spiritually curious participants.
Online Ministry Digital gatherings via video platforms, daily emailed devotionals, and a
social media presence at @EkklesiaLove.
Pastoral Support Accompaniment for individuals experiencing spiritual transition,
deconstruction, religious disaffiliation, or harm.
These ministries reflect core commitments:
- Hybrid online/local structure
- Spiritual belonging for the de-churched and spiritually curious
- Trauma-informed and relational ministry
- Ecumenical and multi-faith engagement
- Formation through study, experience, and community care
Citations
1 Douglas Foster, A Life of Alexander Campbell (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2020), 83-90.
2 D. Newell Williams, Douglas Foster, Paul Blowers, eds., The Stone-Campbell Movement: A Global
History (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2013), 233.
3 Ekklesia Global, Website. https://EkklesiaLove.com/