Meet the team.

Jason Lee
Lead Pastor
Jason has been the Lead Pastor at Anthem since 2019. He love living in Gainesville with his wife of 16 years and their two elementary aged daughters. When he's not at Disney, he's most likely watching a great movie or Netflix show, having a long conversation over a great cup of coffee or watching football. Jason is passionate about creating irresistible environments for adults, students, and kids and believes the local church is the hope of the world!

Jon Birkmire
Next Gen Pastor
Jon has been on staff since 2015. He and his wife Ashley love Gainesville, exploring the outdoors and playing with their 2 dogs. Ashley is a mental health counselor and splits time between Shands Hospital and her private practice. Jon is passionate about partnering with parents and creating irresistible experiences for the next generation. He is an extrovert and loves a good practical joke so don’t take what he says too seriously!

Daniel Sahmel
Service Programming Director
Daniel is married to Lauren, has two kiddos, and has lived in Gainesville since 2006. He has been at Anthem since 2013, and loves leading amazing teams to create excellent experiences for kids, students and adults. In his spare time, he loves board games, overlanding, working on his Jeep, great puns and short bios.