Okay, I vacillated back and forth between the halo and starburst way too long, and while I really like the starburst a lot (it's more dynamic), I think the halo speaks better to the idea. In other words, without the words, what says Nerd of God best? I think the simpler halo. So, lets refine #149 as the final logo.
I still think the halo on #149 needs to be reduced a teeny tiny bit, but not as much as you did for #157. That one looked too "tight" on the head. Maybe somewhere in between.
Also, I would like to see a variation on the bow tie. One with a center knot and less pointy on the sides. More like the one shown here:
http://buffalodandy.com/2011/09/28/park-bonds-how-to-tie-a-bow-tie/ .
Finally, I would like to see a text modification. I would prefer that the pipes not extend below the baseline of "Technology | Ministry | Life" if possible. If that's a problem, maybe use a capital "I" in their place.
Note that I sent you a private message, as well. Thanks!