Our Team
Lance Hurley
Ignite’s Executive Director
Lance Hurley is the Executive Director of Ignite Church Planting. His church planting journey began in Manteno, IL with the Christian Church of Manteno, which he served as a church planter and pastor for 19 years.
In 2000, he began working with Ignite. Since 2001,47 churches have started in and around Chicagoland. These churches have been started in multiple towns and cities. The past 3 years Ignite has emphasized multi-cultural planting launching a Farsi speaking church and two Latino churches.
Lance lives in Bourbonnais, IL with his wife, Darla. They have three children and four grandchildren. Lance enjoys reading, hunting and riding motorcycles.
Contact him at Lance@ignitethriving.org.
Dave Rudin
Ignite Thriving Churches Co-Director
With over 30 years of leadership experience as a pastor, church planter, business and executive leader, and as a leadership speaker, trainer and coach, Dave has dedicated his life to sharing hope that better is possible; adding value to our most appreciable asset, people; and growing influence through the application of proven leadership principles, believing that when you train and develop leaders in a community, you give hope to that community.
Having trained internationally with The John Maxwell Team, Dave is the Founder of Advance Leadership, and is currently one of the program directors for Ignite Thriving Churches.
Contact him at Dave@ignitethriving.org.
Matt Wright, PhD
Ignite Thriving Churches Co-Director
Matt Wright is one of the co-directors of the Ignite Thriving Churches program.
He grew up in Ocala, Florida, raised in a ministry home; his father and brother both serve in ministry. He served at two churches in Florida before being called to plant Cornerstone Christian Church in Glen Ellyn, IL in 2005. He has worked at Ignite Church Planting since 2022.
Matt received a BA from Florida Christian College (now Johnson University Florida) and then an MA in historical and systematic theology from Wheaton College. He received a Ph.D. in the philosophy and theology of leadership from Johnson University.
Email him at Matt@ignitethriving.org.
Darla Hurley
Ignite Thriving Churches Administrative Assistant
Darla Hurley is the Administrative Assistant for Ignite Thriving Churches. In this role she is responsible for payroll and billing with ITC while working with the churches participating in the ITC process.. She has worked for the past 35 years in municipal government in various roles and is currently the Deputy Village Clerk with the Village of Manteno.
Darla lives in Bourbonnais, IL with her husband of 42 years, Lance Hurley. They have 3 sons and 4 grandchildren. She enjoys time with family, especially the grandchildren. She also enjoys taking walks and creating cards.
Email her at Darla@ignitethriving.org.