God Wrote This Amazing Story and
It Includes YOU! Thank you!
We Appreciate These Partners Who Helped to Make Our First Banquet A Success!
LaValley Foundation
BTW Housing Association
The Klingstedt Brothers Company
Meet Our Banquet Speakers
Robert Brooks
Master of Ceremonies, Athletes in Action Pro Ministry, Director AIA Cleveland
Robert L. Brooks Jr., a follower of Jesus Christ since the age of 18, is an Athletes in Action Pro Senior Staff member who has served the Cleveland Browns Organization for the past 12 years.
He serves as a Board member of Cleveland Pregnancy Center and Open Door Christian Schools.
He and his wife April C. Brooks have been married for twenty-four years and have five children, Trey (‘00), Jasmine (‘02), Caleb (‘05), Micah (‘07) and Olivia (’10).
Keith Simpson
Adoptive Dad, and SOFA's Chaplain
Keith has served as the pastor at the Holland Free Methodist Church in Holland Ohio since 2005.
He and his wife Rachel have six children. They adopted a son 15 years ago through Spirit of Faith Adoptions.
As a family, they have been advocates for foster care and adoption throughout the Toledo area. Keith leads a weekly online prayer gathering for SOFA.
Stacy Knox
Director of SOFA
God lead Stacy Knox to Spirit of Faith Adoptions in 2007, and to serving those who lives have been touched by adoption since 1994.
She became Director in January of 2023. Prior to that time, she and Christa Thomas assisted SOFA Founder, Phillip Wurster to follow God's leading to establish SOFA as one of the only Christ-centered infant adoption agencies in Ohio. SOFA also stands for Support of Families Always, caring for biological parents and adoptive families throughout their lifelong journeys of adoption.
Stacy and Jeff blended their family nine years ago, and they have three adult daughters, Haley, 27, Julia, age 24, and Riley, age 25, who is engaged to Owen. Prior to meeting Jeff, Stacy was a single mom for many years to Riley.
Karen Bogdan
Became "Nana" to a SOFA adopted child
Karen became “Nana” to Eloise Rose in July of 2023. Our family was introduced to SOFA through friends who also adopted through SOFA.
Karen is a retired elementary teacher of 32 years. Since retiring she has volunteered for many organizations including food pantries, Nature’s Nursery animal rehabilitation center and Therapy Dogs of Northwest Ohio.
Currently, she is a volunteer at SOFA and most importantly shares babysitting duties with Eloise’s other grandmother, (Mimi).
Karen is married to Michael Bogdan who is the CFO of Sunshine Communities in Maumee, Ohio. They live in Northwest Ohio with their dog, Redgee. They have a son Jacob who is married to Andrea and a granddaughter, Eloise Rose.
Phillip Wurster
SOFA's Founder, Chief Executive Director and Adoptive Dad
Phillip had a vision to establish a Christian adoption agency (Spirit of Faith Adoptions, ("SOFA") over twenty years ago. Prior to devoting his career to SOFA, Phill worked as an attorney in private practice focusing on municipal law and adoption law. Phill now serves as the Chief Executive Director of SOFA as well as a member of its Board of Directors. In addition to SOFA, Phill has served in various capacities in his local church and as an officer and member of the Board of Directors of “Friends of Russian Orphans”. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of five children, Mary, Adam, Peter, Andy and Sam.
Barb Hargenrader
Became Maggie's Adoptive Mom through SOFA
God introduced Barb to her husband, Craig when their families were neighbors. Barb and Craig were just 5 & 7 years old then. After getting married, they experienced infertility and started pursuing adoption.
As God wrote their family's story, He gave them one biological child, Alex, Maggie, whom they adopted as a newborn through Spirit of Faith Adoptions, and James, Olivia and Thomas, biological siblings who were in foster care, and needed a forever family. The Hargenrader family grew to 7, through the blessing of adoption.
Barb prayed for 12 years for Maggie's birth mom to sit next to her as Maggie walked down the aisle at her wedding. The story God is writing is even better than that....
Maggie Hargenrader
Adoptee, age 13
Maggie is 13 years of age. When you ask her about her adoption story, she will tell you, "I am loved twice!"
She is the 2nd of 5 children in the Hargenrader family, and she is the second born in her birth mother's family.
Maggie and her parents reunited with her birth family in January of 2023, and they will share the story God is writing in their lives of being "loved twice!"
Talia Cole
Singer of "God is in This Story" by Katie Nichole and Big Daddy Weave
Talia was first introduced to Spirit of Faith Adoptions in January when Stacy Knox, Director introduced herself to Talia at CVC Brunswick Church after Talia had led worship.
Talia mentioned that she completed her degree in Social Media Marketing during that first meeting.
God is writing a beautiful story of connection! Talia is now SOFA's social media manager and she aspires to be a professional Christian singer. In addition, she runs LivNew, a Christ-centered retreat for women, ages 16-22 in Northeast Ohio.
Dudley "Bun" Blossom
Adoptive Grandpa, and Champion of SOFA
Bun's first contact with Spirit of Faith Adoptions came in a random letter of inquiry from Phill Wurster seven years ago. He was intrigued by the fact that SOFA places infants only with Christian families. The rest is history.
Bun likes to encourage Christian ministries in their formative years or in new, innovative, and creative initiatives.
He and his beloved bride, Kay have been married almost 49 years and have six grown children, three each from former marriages, and ten grandchildren, one of whom, our Gracie, was adopted.
