Lead By Faith Initiative

Alicia Messing | Phoenix, AZ

Alicia Messing lived overseas growing up and spent the earlier part of her career as a special education teacher in Arizona. She grew up without any religion and found her Jewish roots as an adult in her 20s. She is currently semi-retired and works just 8 hours a week as a private tutor for special education students. After ten years of living overseas with her husband and daughter, Alicia has gotten very involved in local politics and serves as a precinct committee person for her legislative district, LD4, as well as on the fundraising committee. 

Alisha Chaudhry | Queens, NY

Alisha Chaudhry is a second-year pre-medical student at the New York Institute of Technology. She is passionate about service, leadership, and community engagement. Through her academic and extracurricular experiences, she has developed a strong interest in using her education and faith to positively impact those around her. She is committed to personal growth, meaningful dialogue, and building connections across diverse communities.

Pastor Anthony Lovelace | Danville, VA

Pastor Anthony Lovelace is a devoted man of faith, a community builder, and a lifelong servant-leader whose mission is rooted in love, unity, and peace. Today, he serves as the Pastor of Evening Star Pentecostal Holiness Church, located at 618 Claiborne Street in Danville, Virginia—a congregation he has faithfully supported for more than three decades. Pastor Lovelace’s journey in ministry began through music, and previously served as Minister of Music at Evening Star, using worship to uplift hearts, strengthen fellowship, and
inspire spiritual growth. 

Rev. Barry Chance | Akron, OH

The Rev. Barry Chance is the General Presbyter & Stated Clerk of Eastminster Presbytery, where he supports 39 congregations in Northeast Ohio. He is the author of several Bible studies for adults with intellectual disabilities, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Great Trail Council of Scouting America and of P.R.A.Y. Publications. Barry is a graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary (MDiv) and North Carolina State University (BS, Business Management & BA, Religious Studies). 

Pastor Cheryl Denise Cornelius | Gary, IN

Rev. Cornelius is the founder of Dynamic Inclusion, LLC, whose mission is to partner with leadership teams at companies, churches, schools, and nonprofits to help them take actions that strengthen racial and cultural diversity, inclusion, and equity. Since February 2022 Rev. Cornelius has also been serving as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist for the Justice Journey Alliance Leadership Foundation of Chicago (JJALFOC). She co-pastors the Church of Gary Covenant Church in Gary, Indiana, with her husband of 50 years, Robert Cornelius, Sr. 

Chrys Beckley | Rogers, AR

Chrys Beckley earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism with a minor in African American Literature from Rust College. She is currently enrolled in the online Master’s in Divinity program at Lexington Theological Seminary. Chrys was brought to the church through youth programming that promised free food, which inspired her deep passion for cooking. It also encouraged the importance of the church being a place for community to meet, love each other, and engage in making the world closer to the one that Jesus envisioned.

Pastor Kris Jordan | Tulsa, OK

Kris Jordan is a wife, mom of 7, and openly queer youth minister at House Church Tulsa and The Well. Kris is also active in community organizations like Action Tulsa and other mental health networks for teens and young adults. Kris enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and playing basketball. Kris also enjoys consulting and writing curriculum through The Storied Contemplation for faith organizations and working as a ministry practitioner for the Future of Faith. Pursuing their MASJ at Phillips Theological Seminary, Kris hopes to continue to use their identity, unique understanding, and life experiences alongside their education to impact the lives of youth and young adults in faith formation and exploration.

Rabbi Neil Tow | Leesburg, VA

Neil is the Rabbi of Congregation Sha’are Shalom in Leesburg, Virginia. Neil is about to complete 20 years of clergy service this spring since he graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 2006. He also teaches in the religion department at George Mason University and serves as a chaplain with the Leesburg Police Department and Inova Hospital. 

Chaplain Nosayba Mahmoud | Dallas, TX

Nosayba Mahmoud is a community and movement chaplain based in North Texas and will graduate in April 2026 with a Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School in partnership with Chicago Theological Seminary. Her work centers on providing spiritual care in community spaces, including hospitals and immigrant detention contexts, where she accompanies individuals and communities navigating grief, uncertainty, and moral injury. Her Sacred Calendar initiative, which supports religious inclusion in public schools, was recognized as a runner-up for the Schaalman Interreligious Leadership Award.

Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe | Bloomington, IL

Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and has served several synagogues including Thousand Oaks, CA, Hollywood, CA, and New Brunswick, NJ. Currently, she is the rabbi for Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington, IL. She served as the co-chair of the Faith and Outreach committee associated with the Not In Our Town organization, a grassroots movement focused on stopping hate, addressing bullying, and building safe, inclusive communities for all. In 2016, Rabbi Dubowe was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Delaware Valley University, PA, and in 2018, she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Aside from serving the rabbinate full-time, she offers her time to the greater Jewish Deaf Community. Rabbi Dubowe is the first female deaf Rabbi ordained in the world. 

Russel Bruce Duffield | Chicago, IL

Russel Bruce Duffield has practiced law in downtown Chicago since 1976 and is currently Senior Counsel with the international law firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. He has served in many leadership roles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Bishop, Stake Presidency Counselor, Chicago Temple President, seminary teacher, Elders Quorum President, mission leader, ministering brother, and many others. He is responsible for Interfaith Relationships for his church, which includes eight “Stakes” and dozens of congregations in Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin, and Northwestern Indiana. He also serves as a Sealer in his Chicago Temple and drives his church’s humanitarian food delivery truck.

Imam Safraz Bacchus | Queens, NY

Imam Safraz Bacchus is a respected faith leader who currently serves as the Imam and Scholar-in-Residence at Masjid al-Abidin in Queens, New York. Imam Bacchus is a trusted community partner of the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, a graduate of the Citizen Police Academy, and a member of the Clergy Advisory Council for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Born in Guyana, he received a full scholarship in 1993 to study Islamic Jurisprudence, Arabic, and Theology at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. After completing his studies, he returned to Guyana and served as a religious educator with the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, where he contributed to poverty-alleviation and orphan-care programs.

Pastor Stuart Barnes Jamieson | Oak Park, IL

Pastor Stuart Barnes Jamieson spent six years as a pastor of Church of the Plains in Edgar, Nebraska, where a significant part of his work was community revitalization in the wake of the farm crisis. He then spent most of the next 22 years engaged in different levels of Habitat for Humanity. He then spent some time working as an organizational development consultant in Chicago with Become: Center for Community Engagement and Social Change, as the Resource Development Director for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center and as Major and Planned Giving Officer at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. Pastor Jamieson has now returned to parish ministry as Pastor of Carter-Westminster and is co-chair of the Niles Township Interfaith Clergy Forum.

Dr. Tanveer Azmat | Forest Park, IL

Dr. Tanveer Azmat is an electrical engineer and has worked in the automotive industry for about twenty-five years. One of his main interests is religion, and he decided to get a PhD in hermeneutics. He believes that the Qur’an needs interpretation. How do we know which interpretation is good or bad? With a systematic study of theology, he has gained insights into the issues related to interpretation. He teaches religion, philosophy, and humanities at a community college. He writes and publishes articles in peer-reviewed journals on current issues and on what the Qur’an has to say about them, rather than on historically received tradition.

Pastor Vanzelen G Brown, Sr | Tulsa, OK

Pastor Vanzelen Brown has been in Pastoral ministry for over four years. He is a retired adjunct professor at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He is also the founder and organizer of Unity In The Community Tulsa Inc. Presently, Pastor Brown is the Pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Minister Sylvia Turner  | Jackson, MS

Sylvia L. Turner has more than 25 years of experience in education, counseling, and community engagement. She believes that connection begins when people feel seen, valued, and inspired. Sylvia holds degrees in Psychology and Community Counseling and has pursued advanced studies in Educational Leadership. She is a certified educational consultant, Community Research Fellow, trained trauma-informed facilitator, and ordained minister. In her current role as Program Manager for the Mississippi Public Health Institute’s Congregational Recovery Outreach Program and Community Firearm Violence Injury Prevention Program, Sylvia works across diverse communities to build hope, strengthen relationships, and create pathways toward peace and healing.