Founder/Primary Teacher
Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large, multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. He is also a key speaker for Emotionally Healthy Discipleship—a movement that has touched hundreds of thousands of people. Rich graduated with a BA in pastoral ministry and theology from Nyack College. He went on to complete his master of divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. His award-winning book, The Deeply Formed Life, was released in September 2020. He and his wife, Rosie, have two beautiful children and reside in Queens.
Director
Andres Valenzuela was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in Kenya and Mexico. He holds a Master of Organizational Leadership from Nyack College. Andres has held various leadership positions at Nyack College over a span of 20 years and owns a wedding and family photography business in the NY metro area. He’s an avid traveler and a fanatic of all things futbol and tennis. He’s been married to Kim since 2009 and they have 2 fantastic girls, Ana Sofia and Neomi.
Latasha Morrison is a distinguished author, renowned for her transformative work in fostering racial reconciliation and unity. As a New York Times best-selling author, she has captured the hearts and minds of readers worldwide with her powerful words and insightful perspectives. Her book, Be the Bridge, has become a beacon of hope, guiding individuals and communities towards a future free from racial division. Brown Faces, White Spaces continues that influence by looking at what it means to recognize and confess the truth about inequities in the system (preparation), commit ourselves to changing the system (dedication), and move into true freedom as a society (liberation). She founded the organization, Be the Bridge, in 2016 to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation. Through her work, Latasha Morrison continues to ignite
conversations, challenge societal norms, and empower others to take action to increase racial literacy and
pursue racial justice. You can find out more about her at latashamorrison.com
Pete Scazzero, along with his wife, Geri, are the founders of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship—a transformative ministry helping the church slow down in order to multiply deeply changed leaders and disciples. He served as senior pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, NYC—one of the most multiracial churches in the U.S.—for 26 years. Pete hosts the top-ranked Emotionally Healthy Leader podcast and is the best-selling author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, The Emotionally Healthy Leader, and other books. He and Geri also created The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course, used by 1,400+ churches in North America and many more globally.
AJ Sherrill has pastored churches for over 25 years in cities such as NYC and LA. He now serves as lead pastor at Saint Peter’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He received a doctorate from Fuller Seminary where in years past taught popular courses on transformational preaching and the Spiritual Formation of the Enneagram. His greatest personal joys stem from being a husband and father; his greatest professional joys lie in writing books and also leading others on pilgrimage to biblical lands. His two most recent books are Rediscovering Christmas and Being with God. For more see AJSherrill.org
Wesley Hill is an Episcopal priest and Associate Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary. He has spoken and lectured at numerous Christian colleges and seminaries in the U.S. and internationally. He is the author of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality, Paul and the Trinity: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters, Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian, and The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father.A contributing editor for Comment magazine, he writes regularly for Christianity Today, The Living Church, and other publications.
