Our Team

Rachel Johnson, Director

Rachel Johnson is an Associate with the Eleison Group, a consulting firm that specializes in faith-based outreach for Democrats and progressives. She also serves as Programs Director for the American Values Network, a faith-based non-profit advocacy group. Prior to Eleison, Rachel worked as Mississippi field director for Common Good Strategies doing faith outreach for Democratic candidates. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a MAR in Theology from Yale Divinity School. The daughter of two ministers, Rachel is an active member and deacon in her church in Washington, D.C.

Eric Sapp, Publisher

Eric Sapp has spent much of his career focused on the intersection of faith and politics. He is a founding partner of the Eleison Group, the primary political consulting firm working with Democrats and the progressive faith community on outreach and communication to faith, veteran, and values voters. Eleison was one of the lead consultants on the DCCC’s ’08 “Red to Blue” program and has received numerous awards for its work on a number of successful Democratic and progressive campaigns.

Eric also serves as Executive Director of the American Values Network, a faith and values based non-profit that has received significant recognition the last few years for its successful media campaigns targeting faith, veteran, and independent voters on climate, national security, and economic justice issues.

Prior to founding Eleison, Eric was Senior Partner at Common Good Strategies (CGS), a firm that rose to national prominence following the success in ’06 of its new approach to faith outreach and messaging for the DSCC, US Senators Casey and Brown, Governors Strickland, Granholm, and Sebelius, Rep. Shuler, and the Michigan, Kansas, and Oregon state Democratic Parties.

Before joining CGS, Eric worked as a legislative aid for Representative David Price and Senator Edward Kennedy on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

Eric is a regular speaker on faith and politics on television and radio shows, most often providing a Democratic perspective on conservative broadcast programs.

He was born in Durham, NC and grew up in south Florida. He graduated with honors from Davidson College and received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Public Policy from Duke University. Eric has served for five years in the parish, and lives in northern VA with his wife and high school sweetheart, Julie.

Burns Strider, Publisher

Burns Strider, a native of Grenada County, Mississippi, served in an array of positions, prior to founding Eleison and The American Values Network, including Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Outreach to the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton and her campaign for President, Director of Policy for the U. S. House Democratic Caucus, Advisor to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) , Director of the U. S. House Democratic Faith Working Group and Rural Working Group and regional Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Strider is one of the 12 most influential Democrats in the nation on faith and values politics and issues according to Religion News Service.

In the mid-90’s he spent two years in Hong Kong as youth minister at International Baptist Church.

Strider has worked on more than 100 campaigns, managing or general consulting 15 of them. He has developed communications plans used in over 150 congressional and statewide races as well as a teaching tool for the National Democratic Institute in their work with progressive political parties in foreign countries.

He has been a commentator for National Public Radio and has taught and lectured at various universities and workshops around the nation including Princeton, Harvard, Trinity College, University of Virginia, Georgetown, Delta State University and Camp Wellstone. He is a contributing blogger on Huffington Post and Business Insider.

Strider and his wife, Karen, live in Washington, DC. They raise two nearly perfect boys, Will (9) and Pete (7).