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.
Adam Young is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. Adam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master degree in Social Work (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Divinity (Emory University). Adam is certified in EMDR, and serves as an Allender Center Fellow. He lives in Fort Collins, CO, where he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, soccer, and windsurfing. Learn more about Adam’s work at adamyoungcounseling.com
Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Church’s Complicity in Racism, How to Fight Racism, and How to Fight Racism: Young Reader’s Edition. Jemar is the co-host of the “Pass the Mic” podcast. He speaks nationwide on the topics of racial justice, U.S. history and Christianity. Jemar earned his PhD in history and he studies race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century. You can follow his work through his newsletter, Footnotes, social media at @JemarTisby and his website jemartisby.com.
Dr. Julia Sadusky is an author, speaker, and licensed psychologist in Littleton, CO., where she offers therapy and consultations for individuals and families around sexuality and gender. She also serves as a youth and ministry educator, offering trainings and consultations to counseling centers and faith-based institutions on sexuality, gender identity, mental health, trauma-informed care, and the intersection of sexuality, gender, and theology. Dr. Sadusky coauthored “Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth” and “Gender Identity & Faith: Clinical Postures, Tools and Case Studies for Client-Centered Care” with Mark Yarhouse and contributed to a four views book titled, “Understanding Transgender Identities: 4 Views”. Her most recent books are “Start Talking to Your Kids About Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics”, and “Talking with Your Teen About Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics”. You can find our more about Julia at juliasadusky.com
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.