About North Alabama Biblical Counseling

Vernon Handley is a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a retired engineer. In 1986 he graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree, moved to Huntsville for his first and only “real” job (at Dynetics), married his high school sweetheart (Tammy), and joined Whitesburg Baptist Church. In 1991 he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from UAH. He and Tammy reared six children and a number of grandchildren. Vernon is the Director of Biblical Counseling at Whitesburg Baptist Church. He also leads a Life Group and serves as a Deacon. Additionally, he volunteers with Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief as a chaplain, chainsaw worker, and ham radio operator. He currently serves as a Board Member, Counselor, and Instructor with NABC.

Vernon’s formal training in biblical counseling began with classes at Whitesburg Heritage Bible College. In 2018 he attended the ACBC Fundamentals training course and in 2019 he attended the ACBC Advanced Track. He received a Certificate of Biblical Counseling from NABC in 2019. Although he has been discipling men for decades his first formal counseling experience was in 2019. Since retiring from Dynetics in 2020 Vernon began counseling more often in formal settings with NABC and Whitesburg Baptist Church. He attended the virtual Biblical Counselor Training Conference at Faith Church in February 2021 and completed Instructor-Guided Online Training in Fall 2022. Most recently he attended virtual training specializing in relationships and conflict. He is currently pursuing certification through ACBC .

Sharon has been an ACBC Certified Biblical Counselor since 2012. She has been a member of Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville, AL since 1982. Sharon has also taught biblical counseling at the Whitesburg Heritage Bible College. She currently serves as as a counselor, instructor, and board member at NABC. Sharon is a disaster relief chaplain with the Southern Baptist Convention. One of the most life altering events in Sharon’s life was teaching biblical counseling principles to lay leaders in Rwanda.

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In 1979, Sharon married Jim Spikes, an engineer with the US Army as a civilian. They have 3 adult children and a number of grandchildren. One of Sharon’s greatest joys is spending time with the grands! She is also a singer whose absolute delight is singing praises to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sharon serves on the prison ministry team at Whitesburg Baptist Church where sharing the gospel with inmates is the highlight of every month.

Kim, a certified bibilcal counselor and nurse practitioner,  practicing in the Huntsville area since 1986. She served as a professor at the UAH College of Nursing for 6 years and has been in practice with Dr. Shashi Kumar at Alabama Asthma and Allergy Clinic for the past 22 years.

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Kim received her ACBC biblical counseling certification in 2012, and she has taught this very subject at Whitesburg Heritage Bible College. She serves as NABC as a counselor, instructor, and board member. Through her position as a disaster relief chaplain with the Southern Baptist Convention she has taught biblical counseling in Uganda, Rwanda, and Nepal with a heart for women’s conferences in Africa. Kim’s lives with her husband, retired from the Army after 27 years of service and they have four adult children and a number of grandchildren. They are active members of their local church.

Bobby Lamar is serving as a certified biblical counselor at NABC. He received his certification from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) in 2017. He is a graduate of East Limestone High School, Athens, AL, class of 1985. Bobby furthered his education at Limestone Technical School, Athens, AL between 1984-1985.

Bobby has been employed throughout his career at a local HVAC company, electrical wholesale with experience in inside sales. Awards include several "Employee of the Year" received throughout his career.

Currently he resides in Lacey’s Spring, AL with his wife, Gena and their dog Opal. His current pastime is spending time with his wife of many years, family and playing golf.
 

His favorite Bible verse for this season of life is “Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.

Gena Lamar currently serves as a certified biblical counselor at NABC, receiving her certification in 2016 through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

Gena is a Graduate of Guntersville High School, the class of 1982. After receiving her Master’s in Elementary Education, she spent 30 years serving in education with local universities and private schools. Retired now, she is blessed to be called “Grammy” and is currently serving her children and grandchildren in care-giving.

Gena resides in Lacey’s Spring, AL with her husband Bobby of twenty-one years, and their dog Opal. Her favorite Bible Verses for this season in her life is: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16.

Audrey is a sinner, by virtue of being in Adam’s race; a sufferer, by virtue of living in a fallen world; and a saint, by virtue of her union with Jesus Christ. She believes that God has supplied us with everything we need for life and godliness and that hope, and help can be found in the person of Jesus Christ and His living Word. She believes that God is in the transforming business of making all things new, that Christ is our life, and that people can change! She longs for people to “taste and see that the Lord is good”! Her passion is studying, teaching, and counseling the Word of God.

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She has been a biblical counselor since 2002 and certified by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors in 2010. She serves in Women’s Ministry at Whitesburg Baptist Church as a Bible teacher for the Early Bird Bible Study Group. She works for NABC as an instructor, counselor, and board member. She volunteers as a Chaplain for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. She is a student at Southern Seminary, and in her spare time, she enjoys reading, learning to sew, traveling, and just spending time with people.

Audrey is the daughter of Ron and Dianne Queen and grew up as a military child. In 1979, she married Jerry Henley, an engineer by trade and a lover of God and family by heart. Jerry and Audrey live in Alabama, where together they have brought up six children who are now scattered all over the world. There are two grandchildren, Emma and Anna Joy, that bring a smile to Audrey’s face every time they are mentioned and if you ask, she’ll be sure to tell you the latest “grand-story”!

Dane is a seasoned counselor and minister with 20+ years of experience in counseling and discipleship ministries, having served in a variety churches and parachurch organizations. Originally from Birmingham, AL, Dane holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from UAB and a Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary, focusing on biblical counseling, theology, and great-commission ministry.

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Since 2017, Dane has been actively involved with NABC, where he has worked as a counselor, instructor, and board member. He has also written articles on life and ministry for organizations like The Gospel Coalition and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a member of the Association of Biblical Counselors where he is pursing advanced certification. 

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Dane’s counseling interests include anxiety, burnout, and marriage. He lives in Decatur, AL with his wife and their two daughters. Dane enjoys music, history, and good coffee. He is also the founder of Dane Hays Ministries, focusing on coaching and consulting for Christian leaders. 

Riley graduated from NABC’s certificate program in 2020, joining in service as an NABC counselor in 2021. His role as counselor provides him the opportunity to share the hope of the gospel of Christ through the perfect and sufficient Word of God. Riley believes that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose and that Christ meets us in our weakness and suffering to show us the love with which He has for us. His hope is that by walking alongside fellow sinners and saints to diligently seek Christ, study and meditate on His Word, and sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs, he can help others find comfort in the only true place of comfort — Jesus.

Riley married his wife, Rebecca, in 2019 whom he serves alongside at their local church in Huntsville, AL. Active in ministry, Riley has served in a variety of roles including the office of elder.  He has traveled to Ukraine and Dubai on short-term mission trips and believes that one day, God will provide him and his wife the opportunity to travel to the ends of the Earth to share the gospel with all peoples and nations. In his free time, Riley enjoys reading, studying, and discussing theology with saints and sinners alike to the glory of God.

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Rebecca graduated from NABC's training program in 2020, receiving a certificate of biblical counseling. She continued her studies online at Boyce College in Louisville, KY and graduated in May 2024 with her bachelor’s degree in biblical and theological studies. Rebecca has the desire to continue her studies in the future at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but she trusts God’s sovereignty over both her studies and career no matter what path the Lord leads her down.

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Rebecca has a heart for missions and a desire to see all people come to know Christ. At the age of twelve, she went on her first mission trip to Honduras. There, her love for missions developed and has only grown over the years. She has since gone on several short-term mission trips to both Ukraine and Dubai.

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Rebecca married her husband, Riley, in 2019. They serve as members of their local church in Huntsville, AL. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys reading, cooking, photography, being crafty, and watching The Office with her husband.

Candy Thigpen is a Certified Biblical Counselor and Registered Nurse with a deep passion for helping others know God through His Word. She loves teaching people how to study the Bible inductively, believing that truly knowing God and His Word leads to peace and victorious living in a broken world. Having walked through seasons of great loss, chronic illness, and ongoing pain, Candy has experienced firsthand the sufficiency of Scripture for every circumstance of life.

Her ministry background includes serving women in crisis pregnancies, teaching children to study the Bible for themselves, and leading in church music ministry. Candy also has a heart for missions and reaching the lost for Christ. In her free time, she enjoys painting, playing piano, singing, and planting flowers. After nine years of limited physical activity due to illness, she has found joy in playing pickleball—a hobby that has brought her new friends and opportunities to share God’s grace.