Christoph Schalk,
born 1968, directs NCD Research International. He is the Vice President of the Institute of Natural Church Development International (NCD International) and the author of the NCD Research Blog.

Christoph Schalk studied organizational psychology and theology at the University of Würzburg, Germany. From 1994-1996 he was responsible for organizing a large research project which laid the foundations for the institute’s ministry. Today his involvement at NCD International is threefold: He leads the research department, he is an international trainer, and he works as a coach and consultant for key leaders. He has written several books. He and his wife Annette have three children and live in the South of Germany.

Thomas Fode
has been with NCD International since 2000. As a senior member of staff, he co-directs NCD’s international partner network and NCD Research International. Thomas holds a Master’s degree in advanced theological studies from Trinity International University in Chicago and did his postgraduate studies in statistics, test theory, and diagnostics at the University of Hagen, Germany. He has been involved in revising and updating the NCD Survey and guides NCD Partners as they adapt the NCD Survey to their own particular cultures. He is a contributing editor of the NCD Research Blog. In addition, he manages the constantly growing NCD database and processes database queries as well as custom research requests. He and his wife Elke, along with their three lively kids, live in the greater Stuttgart area, in the southern part of Germany.

Ian Campbell
has been the NCD National Partner for Australia (his native country) and Canada. He is now an independent NCD consultant and a member of NCD International’s Advisory Board.

Ian’s principal research interest is how quality data can be presented so that it will prompt church leaders to make decisions which lead directly to healthier churches. Data may produce interesting information, but effective information has a clearly measurable effect on the potential and capacity for fruitful change. Research should offer a variety of perspectives on the issues of the age which interest today’s leaders, but it must also forge new avenues of thought and approaches which challenge leaders and enable them to confront old problems in fresh ways.

Petr Činčala,
MDiv, MSW, PhD in missions, lives in the Czech Republic. He is married and has three teenage sons. He promotes Natural Church Development principles and pioneers an organic church planting movement in the secular Czech context along with community development projects.

Since 1998 he has been conducting statistical analysis and research for Church Growth Research Center at Andrews University (USA), the North American Division Evangelism Institute (USA), CoachNet International Ministries (USA), the SDA General Conference Headquarters (USA), ADRA International (USA), and the Center for the Study of Latino Religion at Notre Dame (USA). At present he is an external researcher for the Institute of Church Ministry (USA), the Center for Creative Ministry (USA), the Office of Assessment and Program Effectiveness at the SDA General Conference (USA) and works for NCD Research International (Germany).