Fr. Angel Anaya

St. Anthony and St. Hyacinth Parishes, Milwaukee

Fr. Jose Angel Anaya was born in Columbia where he was an elementary teacher after college. After studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology and Seminary, he was ordained a priest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Previously he served as Associate Pastor at St. Andrew in Delevan and has been Associate Pastor at St. Anthony and St. Hyacinth Parishes in Milwaukee since 2016. He began serving as a reserve Chaplain in the U. S. Army in 2015.

Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen

Mount Zion Baptist Church, Madison

Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen was born in Clarksdale, MS and was raised in Milwaukee. He served in the US Army for over 10 years as a Petroleum Supply Specialist, and was deployed to Iraq two times and once to Afghanistan. During these deployments he assisted many soldiers through his preaching and teaching. Pastor Allen's passion is developing and empowering youth and young adults to become devoted Christians to the Lord. He is a graduate of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University with a Master of Divinity. He received his Doctor of Ministry from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2018. He and his wife, Terra, have three children, Alexandrea, Mekiyah and Marcus, Jr.

Rev. Dr. Laurie Lyter Bright

First Congregational UCC, Appleton

Rev. Laurie currently serves as the Interim Pastor for Congregational Care and Missions at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Appleton, WI.  Laurie is a life-long Presbyterian from the north suburbs of Chicago.  She received her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley. She recently earned her PhD in Education and Research Methodology from Colorado State University. Laurie collects acronyms. Professionally, she’s served as executive director of an international peace-building non-profit, a solo pastor, and an advocate for the church’s commitment to social justice, particularly around issues of child abuse, human trafficking, and sexual violence. Laurie’s first book came out in 2018 and her second will be out with Routledge Press in Fall of 2021. She and her husband have young daughters.

Rev. Jarvis Ellis

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Dayton, OH

Pastor Ellis joined Cohort III as the Senior Pastor at New Direction Christian Church in Milwaukee. Earlier this year, he accepted the call as Pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Dayton, OH, and travels back to Milwaukee to continue his involvement with this Cohort. He was called to preaching ministry in 2001 at the age of 16. He is a graduate of Paine College in Augusta, GA where he earned a BA in Religion and Philosophy with a minor in Public Relations. He received a Master of Arts in Religion and Theology at Trevecca Nazarene Theological Seminary in Nashville, TN, with a specialization in pastoral counseling. Pastor Ellis also served as a hospice chaplain for Horizon Hospice and led the African American Unity Church Fellowship which includes over twelve churches committed to addressing key needs in the Milwaukee community. His past community service includes serving on the boards of the Milwaukee Mayor's Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, the Rescue Mission and Brown Street Academy. He and his wife, Malloree, have one son, Marvis Armard Ellis II.

Rev. Raymond Monk

Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church, Milwaukee

Rev. Raymond Monk became the second Pastor of Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church in 2018, following in the footsteps of Pastor Joe Todd who molded and shaped him as a man. While completing undergraduate studies at Moody Bible Institute, Rev. Monk served at the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago where he led the teen ministry, taught young adults and assisted new members. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies with a focus in Congregational Leadership from Moody Theological Seminary. In addition to his pastoral duties, Rev. Monk serves as a board member of Cross Trainers Academy, Planning Team member of Milwaukee Kingdom Growth Conference, and is a monthly contributor to The Milwaukee Community Journal, Wisconsin's largest African American newspaper. He and his wife, Camille, are the proud parents of their son, Winston.

Rev. Daniel Stark

Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata, MN

Rev. Dan recently left his position as pastor at Christ Church (United Church of Christ) where his tenure began in 2015 after being ordained in Atlanta, GA. He and his family wanted to be closer to their families and have now relocated to the Twin Cities area where he serves as Associate Minister at Wayzata Community Church. He received his Master of Divinity from Emory Chandler School of Theology in Atlanta. He also holds a M.Th. and M.A. in Old Testament from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Pastor Dan is originally from Kellogg, MN but has lived throughout the U.S.  Dan led an interfaith clergy group in Milwaukee, served on several of the Wisconsin Conference UCC's leadership teams and participated in numerous ecumenical groups. Dan is also a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and ministers at Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND. He and his wife, Sonia, have two children, Charlotte and Elliott, and their dog, Cooper. He and his wife are also foster parents.

Rev. Michelle Townsend de López

Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee

Pastor Michelle serves as the Lead Pastor at Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee where she has been a faithful and dedicated member for over 30 years. She received her Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago with an emphasis in Hispanic/Latino ministries. She also earned her Youth and Family Certification via the Bishop's Initiative in coordination with Wartburg Seminary. As Lead Pastor she is responsible for many areas of ministry including administration, community outreach, worship and prayer, pastoral care and others. She and her husband, Leonel Lopez, are the proud parents of five young boys, Rene, Samuelle, Leo, Erendirani and Quetzal, and "fur parents" of Chula the Chow Chow.

Rev. Krista Zimmerman

Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church, Racine 

Rev. Krista serves as the Associate Pastor at Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church where she has been called for the last five years. Her passions in ministry include pastoral care, working with people of all ages and community engagement. She holds a Master of Divinity from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and credits her internship in Baltimore, MD at St. John's Lutheran Church in the Pimlico neighborhood as a transformative experience in inner city ministry. Pastor Krista is originally from Rochester, NY and enjoys spending time with her Dachshund, Herman, reading and visiting family in Illinois.