Presenters
Plenary Speakers
Rev. Dr. Irwyn Ince serves as a pastor at Grace DC Presbyterian Church and executive director of the Grace DC Institute for Cross-Cultural Mission. Rev. Ince is a graduate of City College of NY (B.E.E.E, 1995), Reformed Theological Seminary (M.A.R., 2006), and Covenant Theological Seminary (D.Min., 2016). He authored the book, The Beautiful Community Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best. He and his wife, Kim, have been married 29 years, and have four children (Jelani, Nabil, Zakiya, and Jeremiah).
Dr. Christina Edmondson holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University, a MS degree from the University of Rochester in Family Therapy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hampton University. She.is a Certified Cultural Intelligence facilitator, public speaker, and mental health therapist and is often contacted by churches to consult about both diversity and mental health issues. Her writing has been seen and referenced in a variety of outlets including Essence.com, YourBlackWorld.com, and Gospel Today magazine. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Truth's Table podcast.
Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt is Associate Professor of Art and Art History at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Professor Weichbrodt received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Covenant College in 2004, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis. Her research and teaching explores representations of race and gender in art and visual culture from the nineteenth century to the present. She has published in academic and popular settings on subjects ranging from Hawaiian landscape painting and colonialism to racist caricature. Dr. Weichbrodt grew up in a multiracial home in Honolulu, Hawaii, and she continues to navigate the joys and challenges of a hybrid identity.
Session Facilitators
Rev. Jarrett Allebach
Glad to be a child of God, husband and father, Pastor Jarrett also has the privilege of leading Grace Presbyterian Church in Worcester, MA. The Allebachs followed God's call to New England and church planting when starting out in ministry and God has been faithful. The Lord has intertwined their story with Jesus' great story to redeem a people for himself from all places. Pastor Jarrett has participated in the ICCM cohort and is glad to share some of what he has learned along the way.
Rick Barry
As Executive Director of Center for Christian Civics, Rick helps ministry leaders and faith communities develop missional approaches to their local public squares. He has worked on campaigns for local, state and federal office, is a former writer and editor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and oversaw communications for the Grace DC church network. He and his wife live in Washington, DC with their newborn.
Kayti Chung-Williams
is a social entrepreneur, curator, and coach. She is the Director of Launch NOLA, an entrepreneurial support organization that seeks to equip, empower, and connect entrepreneurs of color. She is also the Founder of Good & Full. Good & Full was founded as a social enterprise consultation service and is growing to cultivate more partnerships and strategically building enterprises to break cycles of inequity. Kayti loves to curate unique spaces along with food for deep, impactful conversations around racial equity, faith, and change. She serves on the Leadership Council for St. Roch Community Church in New Orleans where she attends with her husband, Gentri Williams and three amazing daughters. Kayti is a member of ICCM's Cohort 1.
Rev. Dr. Keith Daniel
is a Christian Community Development practitioner and consultant to nonprofit organizations, churches and educational institutions. He is the board chair for DurhamCares, Inc. and serves on the board of StepUp Durham and the School for Conversion in Durham, N.C. Before that, Daniel served as the executive director of operations and strategic partnerships for StepUp North Carolina and as executive director of DurhamCares. He also served as a minister at Duke University Chapel. Dr. Daniel is a mentor within the ICCCM Cohort Experience.
Marlysa Gamblin
is a consultant, policy researcher, and racial equity expert. Her educational background is African American studies with a focus on race and politics from the University of California, Berkeley and she received her Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Marlysa is the founder of GamblinConsults, a racial equity consulting company providing services to a wide variety of clients from a range of sectors. Marlysa has created thoughtfully designed tools to help individuals, agencies and networks promote anti-racism and racial equity, including the Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation and the Racial Equity Scorecard. Ms. Gamblin is a facilitator for the ICCM Cohort Experience.
Rev. Dr. Bobby Griffith
is the Sr. Pastor of Westfield Presbyterian Church in New Castle, PA. He has taught History at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Community College and History of Christianity at Mid-America Christian University. In 2011 he co-founded City Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City and co-founded RestoreOKC, a racial equity and economic development non-profit, in 2016. He holds a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in History from West Virginia University, and a PhD in History from the University of Oklahoma. He is the author of Confessions of Sin and Assurances of Pardon: A Pocket Resource, co-author of Birth of Joy: Philippians and Everything is Meaningless?: Ecclesiastes, and contributed chapters to Heal Us Emmanuel and Rulers: Gospel and Government. Dr. Griffith is a facilitator for the ICCCM Cohort Experience.
Rev. Josh Henderson
serves as a pastor at Christ the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Portland, Maine, where he oversees community outreach and mercy and justice ministries. Josh previously served as a pastor with the Christ the King church network in the Boston area. As a Navy kid, Josh grew up in California, Spain, and Virginia. Before going into pastoral ministry, Josh taught high school history and graduated from Covenant Seminary with a Master of Divinity. He and his wife, Ally, have two young sons. His family loves to explore new hikes and Portland's amazing restaurant scene. Josh is also an avid surfer and rock climber Josh is a member of ICCM's Beta Cohort.
Dr. Melissa Keck
is a veterinarian practicing in NC where she lives with her husband, Logan. Following graduation from vet school, she moved to New England and attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, where she graduated Cum Laude and earned a degree in Intercultural Studies. Melissa is a member of ICCM's Beta Cohort.
Alexei Laushkin
Alexei Laushkin is Founder and Executive Director of Kingdom Mission Society (KMS). KMS seeks to equip and encourage a movement of diverse believers to renew the ministry of Christian Unity and reconciliation in our regions, cities, neighborhoods, and churches. The society consists of believers, in groups of two to three, who pray together, read together, and collaborate and support each other in common actions and works. Alexei’s background is in Evangelical and Pentecostal ecumenism, environmental justice, including climate change, and church resource development. He is married with three children. Alexei is a friend of the cohort program.
Lowell Taylor
lives in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) with his wife, Becca, and their three children: Titus (4), Josiah (2), and Emma Jean (1). He is learning how to follow Jesus and do justice. Lowell is working to support Black Christian leaders in NWA by sponsoring fellows from NWA with The Witness Foundation (more info at reparationsnownwa.com). A student at Covenant Seminary, he enjoys reading, running, and eating whatever Becca cooks.
Craig Welkener
is an attorney in Washington, DC. He attends Church of the Resurrection and is a member of ICCM's Beta Cohort. Mr. Welkener also holds a master's degree from Texas A&M focused on nonprofit management, and he has served as both a board member and legal clinic co-director for Christian Legal Aid of D.C. He lives with his wife Diana and their 3 children.