our team
James E. Legg
Senior Pastor
Minister James Legg accepted the call to ministry in 2001. He assumed the responsibility as Pastor of The New Gathering in January 2021 after serving as an associate minister since this church’s inception in June 2018. Prior to The New Gathering, he served as one of the associate ministers of Trinity Baptist Community Church International (TBCCI).
He has been active in Christian counseling with specific focus on pre-marriage preparations and continues to participate in Small Group ministries whose focus is Bible study, spiritual growth, fellowship, intercessory prayer, and Christian support. Although not currently active in prison ministries, he participated in an ongoing Bible Study ministry with inmates of McHenry County Correctional Facility.
His ministry involvement includes Couples In Christ; a ministry supporting the development of strong Christian marriages, Young Adult Bible Study, and the World Teach Ministries of TBCCI where he facilitated in Church Leadership Conferences in Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. In this area of ministry, he developed and facilitated training modules designed to help ministers and church leaders to become more effective as servant leaders.
He is a graduate of Indiana University with a BS in Business and of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Officer Candidate School, earning a commission as an Officer. He also completed a year of study at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wheaton, IL.
He has over fifty years of business experience; most recently serving in the financial services sector. Prior to that he was the Human Resources Director for New Age Transportation, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Callahan Group, LLC., and served in managerial leadership for the Allstate Insurance Company.
Minister Legg celebrated fifty (50) years of marriage to his wife Celeste on June 26, 2021. He has two (2) sons; Kenan (wife Carolina) and Jason (wife Mia), and two (2) grandchildren, Imara and Caden.
Ronald Thomas
Associate Pastor & Elder
Elder Ronald Thomas is currently an Associate Pastor of The New Gathering, a non-denominational Christian Church in West Dundee, IL. He is serving in that capacity and is a member of the Board of Directors under the leadership of Pastor James E. Legg,
Ron was appointed Elder in 2002 at Manifold Mercies Church after being assigned to that church by Riverwoods Christian Center. He served as an advocate for Riverwoods from 2002-2005. Elder Ron became Acting Pastor of Outreach Fellowship Christian Center in 2013 under the guidance of Apostle Angela J. Causey and served in that capacity for three (3) years. He also functioned in the capacity of youth pastor for two (2) years. He taught Sunday School, shared Bible Study teaching, completed spiritual enrichment classes, taught at Spiritual youth retreats and other duties as assigned.
Ronald also ran community programs in Fox View, a low-income housing complex from 1996 - 2002. Fox View was home to over eight hundred (800) youth under the age of 18. During his tenure, he created an alternative suspension program, youth award-winning volunteer club, at-risk teen boys retreat, and youth sports program. He also created the first Dundee Park District cheerleading program, tumbling team, toys for tots to ensure every youth under age 16 received a gift for Christmas, and he purchased, repaired and gave away bikes to 100+ youth and parents each year as a part of their summer programs.
Ron’s entire adulthood has been devoted to serving others through coaching, mentoring, and hosting many community events. He has also taught at revivals and takes part in many collaborative projects that empower individuals.
Ronald is married to Sabrina and will celebrate 19 years of marriage on July 20, 2021. He has four (4) sons, one (1) daughter, eleven (11) grandchildren and one (1) great grandson. Spending time with his family gives him great joy and happiness.
Moses W. Kofie
Minister
Minister Moses W. Kofie accepted the call to ministry in 2020. He subsequently assumed the role as one of the Associate Ministers of The New Gathering a church in West Dundee, IL under the leadership of Senior Pastor, James E. Legg.
Moses was born in Ghana West Africa and accepted Christ at an early age. He began serving as an Alter Boy in the Anglican Church under the leadership of his grandfather who was an Anglican Priest. Moses was brought to the United States by his parents at the age of sixteen (16). He attended Rich South High School, and later Judson University; earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management.
He has worked for Johnson Brothers Metformin Company and has coached youth soccer for over twenty (20) years. Moses also co-founded the Star Soccer Club that provides professional soccer training for youth under age seven (7) to age eighteen (18) years of age. He has also acknowledged this as an area of ministry for him; reaching young men with a message of Christ.
Moses is also the co-founder of Two Penny Ministries. This ministry provides Americans the opportunity to share their generosity of time and resources to impact less fortunate people in other areas of the world and glorify God in the process. As a part of this ministry for the past ten (10) years, Moses has been an active member of a team taking trips and leading teams to Ghana West Africa to visit and provide medical assistance, scholarships, and food to orphanages. This ministry has also assisted in building a church and a medical clinic in that country.
Moses is actively working to pursue his ministerial calling in the area of Deliverance. He is an integral member of the Deliverance Ministry of The New Gathering; helping to build a ministry that will set people free from a wide range of spiritual bondages. He is taking classes in pursuit of expertise in this important area of ministry and is studying under the guidance of Apostle Gregory Schroder, Sr., M.C.E., DMin, PhD, Fullness of Christ Church.
Moses is married to his wife Bozena who is in partnership with him in Christian ministry. They share the blessings of having five (5) daughters.
Bonnie Botoske
Ministry Associate
Bonnie Botoske is serving in the capacity of Ministry Associate of the newly created “Hebrew Roots” Ministry. She accepted this role in response to the request by Pastor Legg; both seeing the need to better understand the Hebrew Culture and its interface with the scriptures.
Bonnie was born in Chicago, IL in 1963. She graduated from Walt Disney Magnet school – 1977, Mather High School – 1981 and Eureka College in 1985 where she received a BA in Speech Communication / Theater Arts and a minor in Art.
Bonnie has worked in various Chicago Theaters as a Lighting Technician, Sound Technician and Stage Manager (1985-1991). She also worked as a Buyer for The NutraSweet Company, Office Manager at Culligan Water Company and CDW. Bonnie was the Accounts Payable Coordinator at Crate & Barrel and is currently working in that capacity at Pregis Evertec.
She accepted Christ in June 1997 and was baptized in July of that year becoming a member of Cross & Crown Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, IL
(1997-2002). While there she became a Young Adult Leader and Vacation Bible School (VBS) Director.
Bonnie joined Trinity Baptist Community Church International (TBCCI) in 2004 and served in several capacities including Young Adult Leader, Drama Team member, Media Team, Usher and New Members Committee. She was the founder of the Single Women’s Fellowship now known as Phoebe’s Legacy.
Bonnie became a member of The New Gathering in 2021 and began to serve in the capacity of “Hebrew Roots” Ministry Associate; presenting and providing general information and coordinating events related to the appointed times of God, e.g., feasts, festivals, and High Holy days.
Bonnie’s Christian journey while at Eureka College: “As a freshman, we had to take Freshman studies program. Being a Theater Major, I chose Theatre and Religion. I was amazed at how much theater there is in a religious service, which made me think about religion in general. In this program, we also learned about the large number of diverse religions. This opened my eyes to learning more about them and the Christian faith.” Though her journey she has taken religion history classes, multi bible studies, visited various houses of worship and always had an open mind and many questions.
Bonnie started another journey in 2016 with Faith Community Church and a Discipleship Study. She commented: “did God really start to talk to me.” In that study, she felt God calling her to bring her Jewish background into a more upfront role and combine her background with her Christian faith. Once she reconnected with Pastor Legg, the light went on and as they say, “the rest was history.” She does not take the role of Ministry Associate of Hebrew Roots as just a title, she wants to embrace and walk in this journey to see where God is taking her. She thanks Pastor Legg and his wife Celeste for this opportunity and blessing.
Bonnie’s favorite Bible Verse is Jerimiah 1:5 - “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” KJV.