Meet the Instructors
Jeffrey Wallace aka PJ
Excellence in Ministry – Jeffrey Wallace serves as Pastor of Youth Development at Peace Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia and Tucker, Georgia. Jeffrey is the author of “Urban Ministry From Start to Finish.” Jeffrey is happily married to his devoted wife Quovadis and enjoys spending quality time with his three children, Jeffrey, Christopher, and Cameron.
Anthony Flynn
Leading From Your Strengths – Anthony Flynn most recently served as the Chief Operations Officer of Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI). He is currently serving as CEO and Founder of Gifted Education Foundation in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, Anthony travels as a sought after inspirational speaker, professional consultant and facilitator.
Tommy Nixon
Self Development/Boundaries & Community Engagement – Tommy Nixon is a Founder and Executive Director of Solidarity, a nonprofit organization that empowers the Church to live out the gospel in their local communities. Tommy and his wife, Rachael, moved into the Garnet neighborhood in Fullerton. Through gang members, pregnant teens, and broken families Tommy and his wife began to experience the Kingdom in profound ways. Tommy have four amazing daughters.
Luma Haddad
Community Engagement – Luma Haddad has been the Young Life Urban Area Director for San Diego South Bay for 15 years. Luma directly works with Latino, Black, and Filipino teenagers in Junior High and High Schools. Half of her leaders are indigenous. Luma was born in San Francisco, lived in Amman, Jordan, and graduated from PLNU in San Diego in Broadcast Journalism. She resides in San Diego with her husband, Rami, and her children, Jordan and Yasmeen.
Robert Aboites
Strategic Planning for Your Ministry – Robert Aboites is the Chief Operating Officer for our organization and the Executive Pastor of 7th Street Church in Long Beach. Robert has more than two decades of experience working in various management and leadership positions both in corporate and church organizations, leading teams, developing strategies and optimizing operations. Most recently, Robert spent 15 years at Fox Entertainment where he was an Executive Director in the Information Technology area. Robert’s passions include leadership development, graphic design and baseball. Robert has been married to his lovely wife Beth for 22 years and has 3 children, Coleman, Nicholas and Jordan and is now enjoying his first grandson Cairo.
Tommy Kyllonen
Effective Communication – Tommy Kyllonen (also known as Urban D.) is the lead pastor at Crossover Church in Tampa, FL. Crossover is an urban, innovative, multi-ethnic church known for it’s creativity in using the arts and outreach. Tommy is the host of Soulmag TV & publisher of Soulmag Magazine. His new book “Rebuild” and his final Hip-Hop album “Rebuild” was released in the fall of 2015.
Lee Wilson
Student Leadership Development – Lee Wilson is the founder of Lee Wilson Ministries, which focuses on providing necessary resources and tools to help build youth ministries in the local church. Currently, Lee is serving as the Executive Pastor of Abundant Life Christian Center in Syracuse, NY. Lee is happily married to his wife, Tonya and they have two beautiful daughters, Alexis and Jordan.
Pete Contrereas
Discipling Hurting Kids – Pete Contrereas is a Lead Pastor, of a multi-ethnic/economic church called New Vision Christian Fellowship and President/Founder of 2nd Mile Urban Ministries, a non-profit that works and mentors at risk youth. Pete has been serving the urban community of San Diego for 25 years, as a church planter, entrepreneur, mentor and community leader. He is a graduate of Hope University and DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative. Pete has been married for 25 years to Julie and is a father of four wonderful kids.
D.A. Horton
Evangelism and Discipleship – D.A. Horton serves as the National Coordinator of Urban Student Missions at NAMB. Prior to his current role he served as the Executive Director of ReachLife Ministries, the non-profit ministry of Reach Records, and an urban church planter/pastor in Kansas City, MO for nearly 6 years. He and his wife of Elicia live in Wake Forest, NC with their 3 kids and are preparing to move to out of the state to plant a church.
Dr. Larry Acosta
Funding Your Ministry – Dr. Larry Acosta is the Founder and CEO of the Hispanic Ministry Center, Urban Youth Workers Institute & Co-founder of KIDWORKS along with his wife Jayme. Under Larry’s leadership, UYWI has grown from a local, southern California ministry, to a national organization operating in key U.S. cities with a combined network of over 20,000 emerging ethnic leaders. Larry graduated from both Biola University and Talbot School of Theology and completed his doctorate in Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is married to his lovely wife Jayme, and they have four wonderful children, Brock, Karis, Malia and Diego.