The Team
Who’s Behind
The Acts 6 Project?
The Acts 6 Project began as a service of the Church Law Institute, a legal nonprofit that was in operation from 2012 until 2017. It was led by four attorneys (Larry Crain, Brian Schuette, Amanda Blakeman, and Josh Hershberger) who were part of the law firm of Crain Schuette Attorneys. In 2017, Crain Schuette began offering the A6 as a legal service of the firm. In 2018, the firm dissolved and the work continued as a service of Schuette Law Group, where Brian Schuette and Amanda Blakeman continue to practice. Larry Crain and Josh Hershberger provide similar services in their separate law firms, Crain Law Group in Brentwood, Tennessee, and Hershberger Law Office in Madison, Indiana. For more biographical information on Brian and Amanda, check out their profiles by clicking on their names.
Brian Schuette
Leader of the Acts 6 Project and is also Lead Attorney at Schuette Law Group
His law practice background is diverse, with a strong emphasis on civil litigation, including injury cases and business disputes. Brian Brian has been practicing law in Kentucky since 1991 and is also licensed in the state and federal courts of Tennessee. He is AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest peer-reviewed rating that an attorney can hold.
Brian is trained as a civil mediator (Rule 31 Listed in Tennessee) and as a Christian conciliator (alternative dispute resolution for churches and church members). His background in dispute resolution has proven to be a valuable tool in his work on behalf of churches. Since 2012, Brian has developed a unique expertise in advising churches on legal issues that range from developing Biblically and legally sound organizational structures to internal investigations. He also provides Biblically-informed legal training for church leaders. As a litigator, Brian offers a useful perspective when helping church leaders analyze risk. More importantly, he approaches the his work on behalf of churches as one who is deeply committed to traditional Christian doctrine and the local church. This commitment is best illustrated by the guiding principles of the Acts 6 Project, which are:
- the priority of Gospel
- the authority of the inerrant Word of God
- the faithful application of New Testament principles of church governance and leadership
(For a more detailed explanation of the Acts 6 Project’s Guiding Principles, see the About section).
Brian is very active in his church, teaching an adult Sunday School class, leading a weekly men’s Bible study in his home and serving as an advisor to his church’s pastoral staff, elders and trustees. Brian is a frequent speaker at Christian training events.
Amanda Blakeman
Acts 6 Project Senior Counsel and Attorney at Schuette Law Group
Amanda graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1999 with a degree in English. She then attended Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, graduating in 2002, Order of the Curia. While in law school, Amanda was an editor for the Northern Kentucky Law Review and a member of the Salmon P. Chase Inn of Court. She was also a member and officer in the Chase Christian Legal Society from 1999-2002. During law school, Amanda clerked with Judge Gregory M. Bartlett, Kenton Circuit Court in Covington, Kentucky.