Prior to Luke Alliance, Corey founded and served for 15 years as the Senior Pastor of Trinity Park Church in Cary, NC, a multi-cultural church that is home to Christians from over 25 cultural backgrounds. Corey lived in China from 1998-2005, speaks Mandarin, and has served as an advisor for a large urban house church movement in China for the past 13 years.

He has been instrumental in advocating at the highest levels in Washington, D.C., and globally for arrested Chinese house church leaders, their families, and for others around the world experiencing persecution. He remains deeply connected to the unregistered church movement in China and to constituents in Washington, D.C. and in Europe.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Corey has a B.A. from Auburn University and a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He has been quoted as a human rights advocate by the New York Times and BBC, and his pastoral articles have been highlighted by The Gospel Coalition and published in Christianity Today.

Grace Jin Drexel is the daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, one of China’s largest underground house-church networks. In October 2025, Pastor Jin was arrested at his home in Beihai, Guangxi, as part of a sweeping crackdown on independent Christian worship that also targeted dozens of pastors and church members across China. Grace has since spoken out publicly to advocate for her father’s release and for countless others detained by the CCP for their faith.

Grace was previously a National Security Research Analyst on a Senate leadership committee and a professional staff member at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a commission tasked with documenting human rights abuses in China. She holds an M.A. in human rights and transitional justice from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a B.A. in political science from UCLA.

Corey Thomas is a strategy and operations leader with extensive experience driving transformation across high-growth companies, large-scale operations, and nascent organizations. Prior to Luke Alliance, Corey held several leadership positions in the eCommerce sector. Before his business career, he served as an Army officer with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Corey holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Science, Technology, and International Affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. A missionary- and pastors-kid, Corey has been immersed in international ministry from birth. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two daughters.

Eleanor Rits is a recent graduate of Patrick Henry College with a B.A. in Government: Strategic Intelligence track. Her professional and academic work has largely centered around human rights, including research on anti-trafficking, fair trade, and Asian security issues. Eleanor resides in Maryland with her husband and son.

Sarah E. Makin is a human rights advocate, filmmaker, and former U.S. government official with deep expertise in national security policy and international religious freedom. She served in the first Trump administration as Deputy Assistant to the President, Senior Director on the National Security Council, and the President’s Senior Advisor on International Religious Freedom. Prior to that post, Sarah served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Outreach, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs to Vice President Mike Pence. Prior to her time in the White House, Sarah worked on Capitol Hill as a senior policy and coalitions advisor.

Sarah currently operates her own strategic advising firm in Washington, DC, and is a producer of A Faith Under Siege, a documentary highlighting the persecution of Christians in Russian-occupied Ukraine.

Her work is dedicated to advancing human rights, defending religious minorities, and countering authoritarian repression. She collaborates regularly with international partners, civil society leaders, and faith communities to promote religious freedom and democratic resilience worldwide.