Santa Monica, CA – GSN (formerly Game Show Network) announced the lineup of competitors for its brand-new original series THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE. Jeff Foxworthy hosts this one-hour game show in which faith-filled players compete to demonstrate their superior knowledge of scripture. THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE will premiere Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 8 pm ET/PT on GSN.
The tournament starts with 18 three-person teams—three teams in each of the first six episodes. The winning teams from each of those six episodes will advance to play in two semi-final games. During the final round, one team will be named champions of THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE.
The 18 teams who will kick off THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE are below.
THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
Charity: Oasis USA, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking
Team Members: Drew Vinson (student); Sam Altis (student); Matthew Blanton (student). These buddies and neighbors may like to joke around, but when it comes to their weekly trivia events, they are serious competitors. Each grew up as a Christian, but didn’t come to the full realization of his faith until adulthood.
TEAM COURAGEOUS CHICKS
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Charity: Shriner’s Hospital for Children, a hospital that has treated Diane’s son at no charge
Team Members: Andrea Goeke (self-employed); Robin Long (substitute teacher); Diana Marshall (office manager). Close friends and co-workers, these three women have each felt God working in their lives—as in Andrea’s husband’s battle with leukemia and Diane’s 2-year-old son’s treatment for infantile scoliosis, a severe curvature of the spine.
TEAM DRAMA MAMAS
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Charity: Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis
Team Members: Crystal Evans (private caregiver); Amber Marsh (stay-at-home mom); Deborah Odehnal (student/office manager). These drama-loving women put on plays for their Sacramento church. As a missionary’s daughter growing up in Papua New Guinea, Amber would stay up all night reading the Bible. Amber finds her creative outlet in the church plays. Debbie is a breast cancer survivor and mother of nine who does mission work around the world.
TEAM FIREFIGHTERS
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Charity: The Saint Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers
Team Members: Eric Nagao (firefighter); Ryan Shook (firefighter); Frank Evaro (firefighter). After spending countless hours with one another, this group of firefighters has grown very close; they share a passion for competition and for their faith. Being in such a dangerous occupation, they have to rely on their faith quite often. They frequently gather after a long day of work to reflect and pray together.
THE FOOD FIGHTERS
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Charity: Foodlink Inc., an organization that feeds the hungry in Sacramento
Team Members: Stephen Law (student); Michael Chen (assistant industrial hygienist); Ed Law (business owner). These three call themselves “the Jeremy Lins of Bible trivia.” Ed, who owns a window cleaning business, has always taught his six kids to lead a Christian life. His son Stephen is a high school sophomore who is passionate about knowing God. Michael is Stephen’s youth pastor and fellow competitor in bizarre eating contests.
TEAM GEORGIA’S GRACE GIRLS
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Charity: Hope Center, a charity that provided Samantha with a free sonogram
Team Members: Samantha Jesse (waitress); Samantha’s mom, Mae Lynn Biggs (nanny); Lesley Hill (event planner). This is a feisty group of women who love God and have each found their faith tested. Mae Lynn helped her daughter Samantha with her pregnancy in college and Mae Lynn’s best friend, Lesley, provides support to the family and is a sympathetic shoulder whenever they need it.
TEAM GOSPEL GEEZERS
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Charity: Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham’s ministry providing relief after global disasters
Team Members: Roger Tench (retired fire captain); Bill Henderson (realtor); Chris Kidd (nuclear security maintenance specialist). Each of these longtime friends has been saved for decades and has found his faith put into play in different ways. From the time Roger’s wife was diagnosed with cancer to the time when Bill helped his community during the housing crisis by selling homes for no charge.
THE HORNS OF JERICHO
Hometown: Sleepy Hollow, IL
Charity: The American Cancer Society
Team Members: Jonathan Horn (music teacher); Blase Horn (student); Adam Horn (student). These young brothers come from a large Italian-American Catholic family, many of whom live on the same street in Chicago. Each has found his faith tested when their grandfather died of cancer, a disease that has also struck several of their aunts and uncles.
TEAM JOSHUA’S PLACE
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Charity: Joshua’s Place Church, the only integrated church in their county in Georgia
Team Members: Olivia Moncrief (student); Katlyn Moncrief (executive assistant); Patsy “Memaw” Burnette (writer). These two sisters and their adventure-loving grandmother love playing Bible trivia. Olivia is a modern-day hippie who wants to work with kids; Katlyn used her faith to overcome low self-esteem; and Memaw watches over her granddaughters — when she’s not planning her upcoming skydiving trip.
TEAM JUDSON’S LEGACY
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Charity: Hunter’s Hope, an organization that raises awareness of Krabbe Disease, an illness that Cristina’s firstborn son battled
Team Members: Drake Levasheff (college administrator); Christina Levasheff (author); Dean Bobar (pastoral assistant). This highly spirited team consists of married couple Drake and Christina and their dear friend Dean who they met during a very life changing time. They have been rock solid friends ever since, and share a very unique and special bond.
TEAM MINNIE’S FOOD PANTRY
Hometown: Plano, TX
Charity: Minnie’s Food Pantry, a charity that provides healthy food for families in need
Team Members: Lanett Patt (stay-at-home mom); Cheryl Jackson (President, Minnie’s Food Pantry); Lynette Shofner (small-business owner). Sisters Cheryl and Lynette are pastor’s kids, and Minnie’s Food Pantry, which provides healthy food for families in need, is named after their mother. Sister-in-law Lanett works with Lynette on Sisters of Savings (SOS), a subscription coupon list that enables people to save and donate their extra food.
THE POWER TEAM
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Charity: The Power Team, a group that spreads the word of God through strength and martial arts skills
Team Members: Jamie Morrison (Power Team speaker); Dallas Morrison (stay-at-home mom); Matt Dopson (Power Team speaker). Jamie, formerly a troubled kid who turned to God, and Matt, who never drank and saved himself for marriage, work with the Power Team. Jamie’s wife, Dallas, is the former road manager for the Power Team, but now stays home to raise the kids.
TEAM REBORN
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Charity: The Black AIDS Institute, an organization which focuses on AIDS in the black community
Team Members: Daryl Vinson (business owner); Roderick Leak Sr. (biology teacher); Aaron Anderson (motivational teacher). Daryl credits God with his miraculous recovery from heart failure. Aaron found God after going to church to attract a girl’s attention. Roderick grew up going to church. Now these longtime friends spread the word of God through “holy hip-hop.”
TEAM REESE’S PIECES
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Charity: Created Treasures Performing Arts Academy, a school that uses the arts to teach and heal
Team Members: Daniel Reese (student); Susan Marie Reese (teacher); Derrek Reese (high school social worker). Having survived personal crises earlier in their lives, Derrek and Susan Marie have been married several years and created a healthy home for Daniel and his sister where they enjoy playing Bible trivia, Bible Pictionary and Bible Outburst.
TEAM SACRED FLAME
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Charity: Eve’s Angels, a group that provides assistance to victims of human sex trafficking
Team Members: Faith Coons (self-employed); Eric Wang (police officer); Amy Wiener (Bible school administrator). Longtime church friends, each member of the team has struggled with adversity, anger and doubt. Each has been saved by their faith in God.
TEAM SIZZLING SEELEYS
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Charity: Royal Family Kids Camp, a summer camp for kids in foster care
Team Members: Joe Seeley (insurance salesman); wife Shelby Seeley (event planner); Ken Seeley (iron worker). Shelby is the daughter of missionaries. Joe followed “hot girl” Shelby to church and became a Christian, then persuaded his twin brother Ken to come to church too.
THE SUBURBAN SAINTS
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Charity: City Crossroads, a nonprofit serving the Sacramento community
Team Members: Ron Milton (deputy sheriff); Ned Schaut (health insurance broker); Ricky Borba (media production). These rambunctious young best friends are Bible-study buddies. Ron is a Purple Heart-awarded Iraq War vet who ministers to prison inmates; Ned wants to build a skate park to minister to teens; and Ricky hopes to make Christian films and TV more mainstream.
TEAM VICTORIOUS SECRET
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Charity: Masters Commission Atlanta, a faith-based leadership training program for recent high school graduates
Team Members: Adam Hulme (teacher); Bethany Shay (executive assistant); Jordan Marcon (school director). These longtime friends met through their work at the non-profit Masters Commission. Both Adam and Bethany had their faith strengthened during serious health crises; Jordan found his faith after a troubled high school career, when he joined Masters Commission.
