Jacob's Porch Staff
Pr. Grant Eckhart
Grant is an Ohio State Alumnus and ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America who received their masters level education at the G.T.U. in Berkeley, Ca. and Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.
Grant is married to Tammy, has 2 children Grayson and Tobias, and has served this community since 2013.
B.S., M.Div., S.T.M.(ABD)
Sammi Bickerdt
Sammi has been the Pastoral Associate here since 2017. She is a lay minister affiliated with the United Methodist Church and received her Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies in 2016 from Methodist Theological School in Ohio.
They have specializations in Feminist and Womanist Ethics and Church History. Sammi is a queer, pop culture-loving, contemplative follower of Christ.
B.A., M.Div., M.T.S.
Taylor Barner
Taylor joined Jacob's Porch in 2023 and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, receiving his MDiv in 2016.
Taylor loves connecting with others, playing volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and chess, and cheering on the Buckeyes with his wife Annie, dog Lewis, and cat Poppy.
B.A., MDiv.
Darien
Darien has been part of the Porch community since February 2025. He is a lay minister with the Episcopal Church and works at two parishes, in addition to serving as the receptionist at NSI Food Pantry. Darien grew up in London, Ohio, and has lived in Columbus since 2014.
In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, playing the organ, and spending time with his siblings. He is serving as one of our Ministers-in-Residence for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Nine
Nine first attended Jacob’s Porch in 2022 and have been part of the community on and off ever since. Originally from Cleveland, Nine moved to Columbus to study Film & Photography at Columbus College of Art & Design. She serves as a Chess Mentor and Media Director with The Royal Oak Initiative and is passionate about growing deeper in Christ through community.
They are serving as one of our Ministers-in-Residence for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Courtney
Courtney leads our worship band on Sundays and also serves as the Digital Content Manager at Advent Lutheran Church. She recently graduated from Capital University in Spring 2026 with a B.A. in Music Technology. Courtney loves all things music and is always happy to talk about songs, sound, worship, and the ways music brings people together.