Peace Advocates are men and women who have received special training and are prepared to serve Christians and churches facing conflicts and disputes as coaches, mediators and arbitrators. All Peace Advocates are required to conduct themselves according to the Peace Advocate Code of Ethics.
PeacePoint Peace Advocates
These Peace Advocates are PeacePoint staff members who are available to help you. Click any name to open a profile that contains background information as well as the email addresses and phone numbers you can use to make contact.
- Tim Sellers
About Tim Sellers
Experience
As a peace advocate, Tim’s top priority is to serve Jesus first, because he believes that by doing so he always serves the parties involved best. He has extensive experience with mediation and arbitration of complex cases involving family, business, employment, construction and organizational conflicts and disputes. Tim is the President of PeacePoint, a Christian conflict and dispute resolution ministry formed in 1999 and is a member of the Institute for Christian Conciliation’s National Mediator and Arbitrator Panel. He also teaches Biblical peacemaking principles and trains others to serve as peace advocates in their churches and communities.
Background
Licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina, Tim has been active in the practice of business, construction and real estate law since 1980 and was a civil litigator for 26 years. Tim chaired the North Carolina Bar Association’s legislative drafting committee for the North Carolina Planned Community Act. He has enjoyed an “AV” Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for more than 10 years. In 2010, he joined the North Carolina Legal Elite Hall of Fame, having been identified by his peers in 2009 as the top lawyer in North Carolina in the real estate practice area. Tim also served the City of Charlotte from 1993 through 1999, first as a member of its Community Relations Committee, and later as a two term member of its City Council.
Education & Training
Tim graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1980 after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at Davidson College in 1977. Tim received his training as a peace advocate at the Institute of Christian Conciliation (“ICC”) and was designated a Certified Christian Conciliator™ in 2000.
Employment
Tim is the founding member of Sellers, Hinshaw, Ayers, Dortch and Lyons, P.A., a civil practice law firm located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Personal
Tim and his wife, Charlene, were married in 1978. They have two great, grown children, one fine son-in-law and one delightful grandchild…so far.
CONTACT TIM
301 S. McDowell St. ,Ste. 410 Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone
704-377-5050Fax
704-339-0172 - Robert Whitlow
About Robert Whitlow
Experience
Robert is the Chairman of the Board of Carolina Peacemaking, a non-denominational ministry formed in 1999, whose mission is to encourage and equip Christians and churches to “seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14. He has been interested in peacemaking throughout his legal career that started in Georgia in 1979 and continues at the present in Charlotte, NC. He is a partner in the law firm of Sellers, Hinshaw, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons, P.A.
Background
Robert received his training as a conciliator at the Institute of Christian Conciliation (“lCC”) and was designated a Certified Christian Conciliator in 2004. For over 30 years he has focused on dispute resolution and an administrative law practice.
Education & Training
Robert graduated with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1979 after completing his undergraduate work at Furman University. Licensed to practice law in both Georgia and North Carolina, he has extensive experience in mediation, arbitration, and litigation. He has lectured at numerous legal seminars on topics in the workers compensation and social security disability areas. He received an “AV” Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell over twenty years ago. He has been certified as a Mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission since 1999.
Employment
Robert is a partner in the firm of Sellers, Hinshaw, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons, P.A.
Personal
Robert and Kathy, his wife of over 30 years, have four grown children and three grandchildren.
CONTACT ROBERT
301 S. McDowell St. ,Ste. 410 Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone
704-377-5050Fax
704-339-0172 - Neil Carmichael
About Neil Carmichael
Experience
Experienced as a mediator in a variety of disputes ranging from a multi-party, multimillion-dollar environmental cleanup dispute to intra-church disputes and marital conflicts, Neil believes his role as a Peace Advocate is to help people navigate their way through disputes and conflicts using biblical principles in order to achieve outcomes that edify the individuals involved, strengthen the Christian community, and bring glory to God. He has been involved with PeacePoint since 2009 and volunteers as the ministry’s Director of Training & Technology.
Background
Neil has had a special interest in Christian dispute resolution and conflict reconciliation for a number of years. This interest led to the focus of his master’s thesis titled “Navigating Congregational Conflict: Achieving Outcomes That Glorify God”. His extensive education and training of mediators and arbitrators includes: (i) training over 1,000 mediators throughout the United States in fundamental and advanced mediation skills, (ii) co-developing and serving as faculty member for a 40-Hour Mediator Skills Training Workshop certified by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, (iii) co-developing and serving as a faculty member for the American Arbitration Association’s 30-Hour Mediator Skills Workshops, (iv) developing an online, self-paced study course titled “The Fundamentals of Effective Mediation Advocacy,” designed to assist attorneys in acquiring effective mediation advocacy knowledge and skill, (v) writing, producing, and directing, a 35- minute DVD titled Mediation of a Construction Dispute, (vi) developing numerous fundamental and advanced arbitrator training curricula, training manuals, and training DVDs used in the training of over 8,000 arbitrators.
Neil and his wife Barbara have over ten years experience in marriage ministry conducting Engagement Encounter Weekends and serving as Marriage Mentors to engaged and newlywed couples.
Education & Training
Neil graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 with a B.A. in Political Science and received an M.A. in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2009. Neil’s dispute resolution and conflict reconciliation training and education include the following: 40-Hour NC Superior Court Mediated Settlement Conference Training (1994); Mediation Training, Peacemaker Ministries (2009); Conflict Coaching, Peacemaker Ministries (2009); Advanced Mediator Training, American Arbitration Association (2009, 2010, 2011)
Employment
American Arbitration Association (1985 – Present)
Personal
Neil has been happily married to Barbara since 1975. They have two terrific grown children.
CONTACT NEIL
8900 Jenna Marie Lane Charlotte, NC 28210
Phone
704-552-8632Fax
704-910-6443
