TEAM
Dan Wolf, Senior Pastor
Dan has been married to the love of his life and best friend Carrie for 14 years. They cherish many adventures with their 7-year-old son, Coen, and 5-year-old daughter, Imogen, and 2-year-old, Phoebe.
Dan grew up in Charleston, SC and came to faith on a mission trip at 15. This adolescent experience led him to pastor youth for 7 years in Columbia, SC. During this time, he studied philosophy at University of South Carolina and received his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dan went on to serve as the associate pastor of an Anglican church in Jacksonville, FL for 6 years.
Dan and Carrie fell in love with the natural beauty and culture of Maine, especially since Carrie had been spending every summer here since she was 7. They spent two years praying and discerning God’s call to start a church in Portland and are excited to be home.
Dan is passionate about Gospel identity and walking alongside others as they discover the adventure of following Jesus on mission. He loves good beer, coffee, and conversations. In his free time he enjoys hiking, training for Spartan races, and exploring islands in their old Whaler on the Maine Coast.
Zach Ashley, Assistant Pastor
Zach is originally from Western, NY. After discerning a call to enter into the Military Chaplaincy during his freshman year of college, Zach enrolled in Army ROTC and transferred to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. Following his graduation from college, Zach enrolled in the Army's Chaplain Candidate Program and completed a Masters in Divinity at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY.
Zach's primary ministry has been with the military. He has served both as a Chaplain in the Army Reserve and is currently serving as a Chaplain in the Air National Guard. Throughout his ministry, Zach has also assisted numerous churches throughout the Northeast.
Zach lives in Saco Maine, with his wife Emily, and son, Nathaniel. If you spend any time in the Wilds of Maine or New Hampshire you may encounter the Ashleys hiking a mountain, XC skiing, snowshoeing, hanging out by the river, or at Bayview Beach.
Dan Wells, Director of Worship and the Arts
Dan Wells was raised in Topsham, Maine. He earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Springfield College and a master's degree in Biblical Studies from Ashland Theological Seminary.. He has been in pastoral ministry since 1994, the most recent of which has been at a church he founded with his wife Lisa in Topsham, Maine in 2004. Dan is the founder and owner of Opening to God, a practice devoted to teaching people how to experience Jesus through scripture meditation, and is co-founder and President of Anoigo Retreats.
Dan has a passion for music and helping people understand and experience the story of the bible and the world in which it is set. He looks forward to building a music and A/V program that has multiple teams and works weekly to harmoniously accompany the liturgy and sermon contant. Dan is excited to be a part of a worshipping community that values the arts as a whole and looks forward to working together with the Rise staff to create a community that not only celebrates art but creates art to the glory of God.
In his spare time Dan plays guitar in a blues trio that gigs in the mid-coast region, enjoys reading, watching the Bruins and Celtics, and hosting large friends and family gatherings at his home. Dan has been married to his best friend, Lisa, since 1996. Dan and Lisa have three wonderful daughters and live in Richmond, Maine.
Sarah Bohnhoff, Children’s Formation Coordinator
Sarah grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the University of New Mexico she learned about Psychology, Political Science, - and Jesus. Sarah spent her 20s in Pittsburgh, where she worked as a nanny, then preschool teacher, and had two children of her own with her husband, James. In 2022, Sarah and her family moved to the Portland area. Sarah didn't bring nearly enough cold-weather clothes to Maine, but she did bring her passion for early childhood education.
Sarah believes strongly in supporting children's social-emotional development. In her role as Children's Formation Coordinator she aims to create a safe, supportive and enriching environment in which the children of Rise can grow.
Carrie Wolf, Communications Director
When Carrie is not working as a pediatric nurse at Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, she is partnered with her husband Dan in church ministry. This dual calling was born out of her lifelong desire to be a part of Jesus’ mission to invite all people to explore the deeper questions of life, faith, and meaning.
In her spare time, Carrie likes watching movies, exploring small towns, trying new restaurants, expressing her artistic side through restoring old things, and cruising around Casco Bay in the Wolfs’ old Whaler. She enjoys connecting with new people while out trail running or while taking the kids on various nature adventures around Portland. Carrie oversees hospitality and maintains social media for Rise Church.
Jan Dubois, Parish Administrator
“I wasn’t born in Maine, but I got here as fast as I could.” That sentence describes Jan, a lover of lakes and the ocean. In 2013, she moved to Portland, having retired in Scranton, Pennsylvania, from her role as the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Business at the University of Scranton. With her expertise as an early childhood educator and later as an administrator, Jan jumped right back into work in Portland serving as a Parish Administrator since 2013.
Jan has two grown children, Amy and Alex. They lived through her many years of teaching elementary school in New York, Connecticut, California and Pennsylvania. Now Amy and John live in Pittston, ME. Jan’s grandchildren, Veda (9) and SunRa (7) are doing their part to keep her invigorated. Alex and Natalie live in Charlestown, SC.
