Dr. Mrs. Funmilayo Adeyemi, PHR, DTL, is a Special Assistant to the Continental Overseer (SATCO) of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in The Americas (North Central and South), Jordan, Turkey and UAE(United Arab Emirates) for CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility). She is also the President of Hope for You Inc, a humanitarian organization that promotes Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) and Community Initiatives for over 1000 RCCG churches in the Americas and beyond. She is also the wife of the Senior Pastor, RCCG Lighthouse for the Nations, Mansfield, Texas. DTL, She is the president of Hope for You Inc., a humanitarian organization that promotes corporate social responsibilities for over 800 churches of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, North America operations. She is an experienced international speaker, missionary, and community organizer, and advocate. She has over 30 years of experience as a skillful teacher, international speaker, missionary, mentor, and community organizer/advocate. She also serves as a Member of Board of Regent for Bakke Graduate University located in Dallas. Dr. Funmilayo is also part of organizations including Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America, (PCCNA) , Global Women in Leadership and World Evangelical Alliance etc.
Ms. Abiola Afolayan J.D. is the Director of the Public Policy Institute at Bread for the World. She brings over 10 years of international and legal experience. She returned to DC after over three years in Europe, Africa and the Middle East with the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP). Her prior foreign affairs, legislative and public diplomacy experience includes as: Foreign Affairs and Women’s Issues Advisor for a senior member of Congress on Capitol Hill; at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, among other roles. She recently completed a book entitled “A Seat at the Table for Women, Girls and Movements: A Manifesto on Peace and Security.” Her trade, humanitarian, development, peace and security field work with the UN, non-governmental organizations in Kenya and Sierra Leone and Ghana is also extensive.
Rochelle is Founder and President of The Vizion Group and Pastor of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Maryland. She chairs the Advocacy and Action Commission for the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the Prince George’s County Economic Development Incentive Fund, and serves on the Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland board.
An Ordained Elder from Montclair, NJ, Rochelle holds degrees from Rutgers, Vanderbilt, and Wesley Seminary, and is pursuing her PhD in Public Theology at Hampton University. Passionate about policy, advocacy, and social justice, she works to expand economic and educational opportunities for underserved communities.
Ambassador Sandra Bowen serves the African Union 6th Region Global. She is also a licensed member in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council(ICCRC), where she is bound by a strict code of ethics to protect the rights and interest of all clients. She is also a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC), where she collaborates with her colleagues in the profession to ensure that she keeps abreast of changes to the immigration process as they occur. Over the years she has built an organization with a strong, dedicated team of professionals who together, have attained over fifty (50) years of experience in helping individuals and families to migrate successfully to Canada.Hailing from an entrepreneurial family background in Jamaica, coupled with the knowledge gained as an Executive sitting at the table with Corporate leaders in a male dominated printing ink industry for over a decade fashioned and shaped the entrepreneur that Sandra Bowen has become.
Reverend Barbara Breland is the founding pastor of Destiny Temple of Faith UCC, a new church plant in Alexandria, Virginia. One of the church’s first ministries was a bi-monthly bible study for The Women’s Group of Mt. Vernon. In addition to the bible study the Fishes and Loaves Ministry provided monthly meals to celebrate birthdays and special events for The Women’s Group. She is also the former Designated Pastor of Lincoln Congregational Temple UCC in Washington, DC.
Dr. Heloisa Calmon Souza has a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and a Veterinary Medicine degree. Currently, she works as Public Servant of the Health Department of the City of São Paulo. She is also a Member of the board of the Rede de Mulheres Negras Evangélicas in Brazil (Evangelical Black Women Network), and she serves as a Social Service Leader at First Baptist Church in Taboão da Serra in São Paulo, Brazil.
Rev. Dr. Naomi Jordan Cook is a licensed minister under Archbishop E. Bernard Jordan and is a part of the Zoe Ministries Church in New York. Cook is the founder and co-owner of The Virtual Global Consultant (VGC) Group. The company designs and develops e-commerce systems that help generate revenue online for companies and customizes digital platforms and software that make shipping and collecting payment easier for businesses in emerging markets. She is responsible for helping to generate millions of dollars a year in at-will donations and business sales for her clients, with a special focus on faith-based organizations and African-based companies.
Rev. Dr. Ericka Elion is Founder and President of Ericka Elion, LLC which is an interdisciplinary team of industry-specific experts who partners with businesses to provide professional strategies and implement actionable solutions that aid in the sustainability of the organization. Their goal as a global consulting agency is to stimulate the economic growth and social impact for all our organizational partners. Ericka Elion, LLCs vision is to increase the bandwidth of businesses so they can better serve their constituency. Our purpose is to embolden organizational and business leaders to be mindful of their communal footprint. They guide our partners to intentionally demonstrate and implement the following foundational touch points that includes community impact, values, adaptability and business vision. She received a Doctoral in Ministry from New York Theological Seminary. She sits on the North America Governing Board of the Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN).Dr. Elion is also the Creator of Miriam House and the former Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Samael DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. She has also studied globally in ecumenical and interfaith environments, as well as served in the United States Navy as Cryptologic Technician.
Ms. Florence French Fagan is the Florida Senior Organizer with Bread for the World. Florence has 10 years of experience working in the non-profit management industry. Florence focuses her energy on building coalitions and community-based partnerships that make a life-changing impact on local and state levels while drawing support from the federal government. Florence mobilizes and organizes individuals and coalitions across the state to advocate for equitable programs and policies that will end hunger and poverty.
Dr Mutale Mulenga Kaunda (PhD Gender and Religion, University of KwaZulu-Natal) is an adjunct scholar and research fellow at the United Church of Zambia University. She currently resides in South Korea and is highly engaged in various ecumenical spaces as a speaker. Dr Mulenga-Kaunda has published journal articles and book chapters focusing on the intersection of gender, sexuality, religion, ecumenism, culture and women’s work in Africa. She is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians and Pan African Women of faith/PAWEEN.
Dr. Kimberly Lymore is the Associate Pastoral Minister at The Faith Community of St. Sabina in Chicago. Lymore received her Master of Divinity with a concentration in Word and Worship from Catholic Theological Union. She earned a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Dr. Lymore is responsible for all the sacramental preparation of the children and adults. She is the team leader for Eucharistic Ministers and is on the preaching rotation for the 8:30 service. She is currently Convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, as well as being the Director of the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at Catholic Theological Union (CTU). Dr. Lymore received her Master of Divinity with a concentration in Word from CTU and she received her Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Union. Her thesis article was titled, “God Doesn’t Tilt: Making the Connection Between Worship and Justice.” Her goal is to be obedient to the plan God has for her life and obedient to his Word.
Rev. Carmella McKeller is a former Wall Street business systems consultant, an analyst, project manager, and business consultant. She is the chief operating officer of the nonprofit Different Spirit Student Advocacy and the administrator of RKS Law in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was a candidate for the District 6 seat on the Cumberland County Board of Education in North Carolina. McKeller has volunteered in the school district as a member of the PTA, a classroom volunteer, and as a member of the school improvement team.
Ms. Gabrielle Martinez is the Executive Director of Black Girl TRIBE is a non-profit organization dedicated to the betterment of Black girls. We do this by advocating for change and increasing access to sustainable resources for Black girls to not only survive Black girlhood, but to thrive in it! While excelling and reaching great and new heights, statistics show that Black Women suffer from health disparities, lack of access to education, and political representation at a disproportionate rate – both nationally and globally. Our mission is to change that narrative and advance the Black Girl Tribe by providing experience, education, and opportunity to live our best lives. TRIBE believes that as it succeeds in educating and empowering Black girls to uplift and advocate for one another, those empowered Black girls can continue to be heroes for the global community.
The Rt Rev Lydia Neshangwe is moderator of the Uniting Presbyterian Church southern African and the first woman president of the All Africa Conference of Churches-CETA. Rt Rev Dr. Lydia is an ordained minister from Zimbabwe where she ministers in a diverse congregation at St Columbas Presbyterian Church in the mountainous city of Mutare. She is the first black female Moderator of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA), a transnational denomination in four countries: South Africa, Zambia, DRC, and Zimbabwe. She is an ecumenist at heart and is currently the Moderator of the Council for World Mission (CWM), a global organization that brings together 32 church denominations from around the world. She serves as the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) Advisory Board, and the Zimbabwe Country Coordinator for Hope’s Promise, an orphan care organization. According to the AACC constitution, the president is the official spokesperson of the fellowship, oversees the Planning for both the General and Executive Committee meetings in consultation with the General Secretary, promotes consensus building in order to reach amicable decisions and maintains unity amongst members of the General and Executive Committee.
Dr. Barbara Reynolds is the Vice-President for Administration, Advancement and Planning at the University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago. She served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Guyana from August 2014 to September 2019. Prior to this, Dr Reynolds was Head of Education for Save the Children UK, after having spent the previous two decades with UNICEF in programme, management and representational roles at Headquarters and country offices. Dr Reynolds began her professional career as a teacher and continues to be involved in education. She co-chaired the CARICOM Digital Skills Task Force (2021-2014) and served as a Member of the Independent Technical Advisor Panel for the Global Partnership for Education. She has served on the Board of the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago, the Guyana National Accreditation Council and the Cyril Potter College of Education (Guyana) among others. Dr Reynolds is an active human rights professional, and an experienced human rights and gender mainstreaming facilitator. She holds a BA Education (Caribbean Union College), MA in Curriculum and Teaching (Howard University), the Post-Graduate Diploma in Distance Education (University of London), EdD in International Education Development/Curriculum and Instruction (Columbia University) and the MSt in International Human Rights Law (University of Oxford). Her second working language is Portuguese.
Dr. Christine Sequenzia is Senior International Policy Advisor at Bread for the World. Dr. Christine Sequenzia, MDiv. is an experienced government relations and biblical justice professional, whom successfully transitioned her political savvy and passion for the oppressed into careers with the International Justice Mission, International religious Freedom Secretariat and other justice seeking NGOs. She is a fierce advocate, impassioned speaker, and fervent friend of the exploited and marginalized. She has traveled to over 15 countries, including to serve refugees in the MENA region and sex trafficking survivors in Central America.. Dr. Sequenzia went on to receive both a Doctor of Ministry (’21 International Development) and Master of Divinity (’18 International Development) from Fuller Theological Seminary, following the completion of the High Performance Leadership Certificate at Cornell University and receiving a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University. She has spent over 15yrs working and writing for members of the U.S. Congress, international non-profit organizations and private publications. Dr. Christine has been appeared on CBN (US) and KAFTAN (Nigeria) and has been profiled in The Hill, CQ Weekly, InterPress Service (UN Bureau) and Politico.
Ms. Sakeenah Shabazz is Deputy Director of the Policy and Research Institute at Bread for the World. She is a former Biden-Harris Appointee serving as a Senior Policy Advisor at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Her portfolio includes the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and implementing USDA actions put forth in the corresponding National Strategy. Sakeenah has also worked on FNS program and policy engagement with U.S. territories, local and regional food systems, and inter-agency engagement focused on veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and foster youth. Prior to joining USDA, she was the Policy Director at Berkeley Food Institute. She earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Georgetown University. She is originally from San Diego, CA and resides in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Heather Taylor J.D. is Managing Director at Bread for the World in Washington, DC. Se oversees Bread’s public policy and program divisions and operations. She is passionate about developing communications and advocacy strategies to organize and inspire faith communities, policymakers, and partners to engage in our mission to end hunger. Ms. Taylor spent her career as a dedicated advocate lifting the voices of people who experience racial, gender, and economic injustice. She previously led organizations to increase access to legal and social services, as well as protect the rights and dignity of historically marginalized populations; secure the economic rights of women in Sub-Saharan Arica.
Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith serves as the strategist for Pan-African, Orthodox and Ecumenical Faith Engagement at Bread for the World. She brings extensive global, national, and local experience as a faith and public engagement thought leader, journalist, speaker, broadcaster, scholar, preacher, and author. She was elected to be one of the eight regional presidents of the World Council of Churches from North America in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2022. She has also served as ecumenical representative for the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. She served as president of Historic Black Churches at Christian Churches Together (CCT) USA and has served in governance roles with the National Council of Churches where she recently received their Presidential Award in 2025. Walker-Smith has received leadership awards from two of her alma maters, Yale University Divinity School and Kent State University. In 2022, she was awarded the Figel Award for Ecumenism by the Washington Theological Consortium in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Charles P. Williams, III, serves as the Senior Domestic Policy Analyst and Lobbyist for Bread for the World in Washington, D.C., Charles leads domestic lobbying efforts at the federal level and strategic advice concerning policies affecting those experiencing poverty and hunger across the United States. Charles previously served as the Federal Manager of Advocacy and Government at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He previously worked for U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. He is committed to mission-driven advocacy and a strategic approach to policy-making.
