Leadership

Jim & Chris Sharp -- Abba House Founders
Jim & Chris founded Abba House a residential ministry to emotionally wounded Women. Abba House began as a city of refuge for twenty women and children seeking help from life-controlling issues and has been in ministry to hurting and abused women and their children for over fifteen years.

Jim and Chris have completed:

Living Waters training to help those who suffer from sexual and relational brokenness.

The Institute for Marriage and Family Intimacy. They
completed the course to be Intimate Encounters Marriage Group Leaders.

Jim developed the "Prayer Ministry Group" Christian group therapeutic model of ministering to the chemically dependent.

Jim worked with The Refuge, a Christian Psychiatric Program in Charter Lake Psychiatric Hospital, Macon, GA.

Jim has been the directors of The Women's Ministry of Faith Farm: one of the largest therapeutic Christian women's ministries in the United States.

Jim has written “Being Made Whole” and presented and led “Being Made Whole” conferences to bring emotional healing to those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Jim Sharp has completed:

The Net Training Institute - State Accredited Certified Addiction Professional training for addiction counseling.

Chaplain Intern: Charter Lake Hospital, psychiatric hospital, Macon, GA

Clinical Pastoral Education – American Pastoral Accreditation Association

Grace Fellowship International – Counselor Training School – Atlanta, GA

Institute For Biblical Preaching – Course in Expository Preaching - Memphis, TN

Jim has studied at Elijah House, He graduated from their Advanced School for Christian Counselors.

Chris has completed the S.A.L.T training to minister to the Sexually Abused. She also has been a speaker at many women's meetings in the South Florida area.

Barbara Coyne, Director
Barbara was a registered nurse for 17 years before coming to Abba House. For the last two years of her nursing career she worked in a state mental health facility in Ohio, where she was in charge of the unit and lead counseling sessions. She also completed Ohio’s SAMI training in substance abuse mental illness. Barbara came to Abba House in January of 2005 and continues to be involved with the organization as Director of Student Affairs. She handles most of the student matters and needs. She is using many of the skills she learned as a nurse at Abba House as she supervises the women, leads groups, charts and documents on students, and directs and organizes much of the day-to-day operations of Abba House.

Teresa Rowland
In 1996 she graduated from Faith Farm in Florida. After graduation she went to work for a landscaping company starting out as a file clerk and eventually becoming the office manager. Her duties consisted of payroll, billing, and accounts receiving and payable. During her two-year employment there she worked very hard and pushed herself by working overtime and teaching herself many of the organizational and accounting skills she has today. She then went to work for Auto Nation, a car dealership, for two years. She was an accounts receivable clerk. She also helped with car deals and developed stronger organizational skills. In 2003, Teresa moved from Florida to Georgia to help Abba House with mainly office work and bookkeeping. She later became and currently is the store manager of Abba House’s thrift store. Her job consists of overseeing the operations and organization of the store. She acts as a consultant to the student leaders who have managerial roles at the thrift store. She is also in charge of intake for Abba House. She handles all communication and paperwork involved in receiving new students at Abba House.

Linda Rule
Linda has held a variety of jobs. Many of her jobs involved learning counseling and instructing skills. She has been a swim instructor, assistant dorm director, and assistant live in director at a battered women’s shelter. She has also learned sales and customer service skills by working at an office supply store and later at a kitchen supply store as a sales clerk and stocker. Linda has been a receptionist for various offices, including Abba House, where she has learned computer and phone skills, and improved her customer service skills. She has been a part of Abba House since she graduated from Faith Farm in 1996, a ministry Abba House merged with. Linda is currently the community outreach coordinator for Abba House. She does most of the public relations for the ministry. She solicits donations and raises money for Abba House and its activities. One of her primary jobs is to network with those in the community to inform them about Abba House’s purpose and its needs. She also co-teaches two days a week for the ministry.

Laurie McCafferty
Laurie is a board member of Abba House. Laurie has been a teacher throughout most of her professional life. She has worked in an adult education, pre-K, and kindergarten as a teacher. She also held jobs at the National Data Corporation as a senior marketing analyst and as a member of the project management and implementations division. Laurie became involved with Abba House in 2004. She is currently the volunteer coordinator for Abba House. She organizes volunteer workdays and also individual volunteer efforts by communicating with the volunteers and arranging projects for them to work on. She corresponds with volunteers and potential volunteers on a regular basis to let them know of the ministry’s needs. Laurie is also responsible for sending out thank you notes to large monetary contributors as well as to monthly supporters. She manages the ministry’s food pantry—where once a week food is given out to those in the community who are in need. The Atlanta Food Bank supplies much of Abba House’s food and Laurie completes the monthly ordering from the organization. She is in charge of completing the required monthly reporting and record keeping for both the food pantry and food bank. Laurie also leads class once a week for the ministry.

Howard McCafferty
Howard worked for the National Data Corporation for many years and recently retired as the Manager of Telecommunications Administration. During his career at the corporation he worked with the finances and accounts payable departments. He became involved with Abba House in 2004 as his wife became the volunteer coordinator for the ministry. He currently does the bookkeeping and finances for Abba House.

Rachel Bullington
Rachel is the overseer of Abba House’s yard crew and children’s ministry. She assigns jobs for the yard crew and coordinates and consults with the yard crew leader. As overseer of the children’s ministry Rachel consults with the mothers of children at Abba House regarding the discipline methods, rules, and medical treatment for children. She organizes the daily activities and schedules of the children. She acts as Abba House’s liaison to the daycare academy attended by children under 5 Monday through Wednesday. Rachel also leads group once a week.