Session Speakers
DR. CHARLES GALBREATH
SENIOR PASTOR OF ALLIANCE TABERNACLE
The Reverend Doctor Charles Oliver Galbreath, affectionately known as Pastor Charles, serves as the Senior Pastor of Alliance Tabernacle Church in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition to his responsibilities at Alliance Tab, Pastor Charles also has the privilege of serving as an Associate Professor of Ministry at Asbury Theological Seminary. In 2017, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the C&MA. Pastor Charles currently serves on the SUNY Downstate Medical Center’s Community Advisory Board, he is the treasurer of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, and Vice President of the Association of African American Church of the C&MA. Pastor Charles has served as a member of the Metro District Executive Committee and Co-Chair of the 45th Council District Committee in Brooklyn, NY.
Charles is married to his college sweetheart Flobien Vidal Galbreath. Together they are the proud parents of their son, Charles Oliver Galbreath, Jr. (C.J.) daughter, Malia Marie Galbreath and the newest addition to the family Greyson Alexander Galbreath.
MRS. BAO HER
ASSISTANT VP OF ALLIANCE MISSIONS
Bao and her husband, Jing Su, has served 18 years among several Hmong (Miao) tribes in southeast Asia. Bao set up and led a manufacturing and export business that has employed over 200 women in villages in three Provinces. This couple has carried out evangelism and discipleship, planted churches, translated Scriptures, and ministered to spiritual, health, and economic development needs.
REV. OMAR NIEBLES
DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS & JUSTICE ENGAGEMENT
Happy husband to Kerri Niebles and proud DODO (Dad Of Daughters Only to Mia, Noelle, Londyn and Penelope), Omar serves the Metro District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance as the Director of Missions & Justice Engagement. In other words, his team's purpose, and his overall passion, is to mobilize the local church to engage peoples and areas that lack access to the Gospel. Last words are most memorable—he loves Jesus.
DR. JONATHAN SCHAEFFER
LEAD PASTOR OF GRACE CHURCH
Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer has always been a big Cleveland fan, and he's grateful to be living and serving in his hometown! Following ministry leadership roles in Nyack, NY, and Piscataway, NJ, he returned to Grace Church in 1998 to become the Lead Pastor. The sixth of nine children, Jonathan credits his parents as the primary influences in his spiritual formation; their integrity, example, and prayers were a huge gift.
The aim of Jonathan’s life is simply this: "Growing in my love for the Lord Jesus and for people who matter so much to Him…here and around the world." He also serves on the Board of Director's of the C&MA.
Jonathan and Mary love doing life and ministry together and are grateful for the time they get to enjoy with their children: Lauren & Brad (and grandson Teddy!), Nathan, Joy & Xavier, Anna, and Andrew.
DR. KELVIN WALKER
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF METRO DISTRICT
After 30 years of serving the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) as a local church pastor in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York, as well as in college ministry in Nyack, NY, Kelvin Walker currently serves as the District Superintendent of the C&MA’s Metropolitan District. He also currently serves as a member of C&MA’s President’s Cabinet. He completed 10 years as a member of the C&MA’s Board of Directors, which included serving a 4-year term as the Corporate Vice-President for the denomination. He also previously served 3 terms as the president of the Association of African American Pastors of the C&MA.
He has a Bachelor’s in Sacred Music, a Master’s of Professional Studies in Church Development, and a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership in the Global Context. Kelvin and his wife, Doni, have six adult children, three of whom are married, and two beautiful granddaughters.
Seminar Presenters
REV. GARY HRYNOWESKI
LEAD PASTOR OF THE LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH
Gary Hrynoweski has thirty years of experience in the non-profit, educational and ministry sectors developing and implementing organizations, programs and services to high-risk youth and families. Currently the lead Pastor at The Lighthouse Church, Gary is also a member of the Cape May County Fatality Overdose Review Team and the Cape May County Youth Services Commission.
This session will assist in and provide examples of identifying the needs of your community, engaging in meeting those needs and identifying resources.
Kwok's influence extends beyond his work as an arbitrator and mediator to his active participation in numerous Asian-American legal and community organizations. He has been a trailblazer in groups such as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), contributing to the discourse on diversity and the Asian-American experience. In response to the rise in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kwok has been instrumental in creating platforms for dialogue and education on the history of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia. His efforts include organizing panels, writing op-eds, and leading discussions that not only address the current climate of discrimination but also emphasize the importance of understanding and sharing Asian American history. Kwok advocates for the APIA community to engage in conversations about their identity and experiences, stressing the need for solidarity with other marginalized groups while also raising awareness of their own unique challenges. His dedication to fostering greater consciousness of Asian American issues and combating anti-Asian sentiments is a testament to his commitment to social justice and community empowerment.
MR. CHRIS M. KWOK
ARBITRATOR, MEDIATOR, AND EDUCATOR
Chris M. Kwok is a distinguished arbitrator, mediator, and educator with deep roots in the Asian American community. Born in China and raised in Queens, New York, Mr. Kwok is an alumnus of Cornell University, where he studied Government and Asian American studies. He held leadership roles in student organizations at Cornell and contributed to the Asian American Resource Center. Kwok is also a graduate of UCLA Law School, where he served on the staff of the Asian American Pacific Islander Law Journal. His professional resume includes a significant 15-year tenure at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in New York, where he successfully mediated numerous employment disputes and spent four years as the supervisory ADR coordinator, managing mediations throughout the region.
Kwok's influence extends beyond his work as an arbitrator and mediator to his active participation in numerous Asian-American legal and community organizations. He has been a trailblazer in groups such as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), contributing to the discourse on diversity and the Asian-American experience. In response to the rise in anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kwok has been instrumental in creating platforms for dialogue and education on the history of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia. His efforts include organizing panels, writing op-eds, and leading discussions that not only address the current climate of discrimination but also emphasize the importance of understanding and sharing Asian American history. Kwok advocates for the APIA community to engage in conversations about their identity and experiences, stressing the need for solidarity with other marginalized groups while also raising awareness of their own unique challenges. His dedication to fostering greater consciousness of Asian American issues and combating anti-Asian sentiments is a testament to his commitment to social justice and community empowerment.
MRS. BECKY M.
INTERNATIONAL WORKER
Becky M. (MA Crown College) and her family have served with The Alliance through CAMA Services for 20 years. In 2013, Becky established Hands of Honor, a parachurch ministry providing services to adolescent teen girls to keep them out of sexual exploitation & trafficking. In 2017, Becky began Seeds of Hope, an education-focused ministry serving youth in slum communities.
Becky currently lives in Dakar, Senegal and serves in a leadership role with CAMA where she is passionate about influencing and equipping the next generation of Jesus-loving humanitarians to take the Gospel to vulnerable communities. She remains involved in Hands of Honor and Seeds of Hope as they continue under local leadership.
MRS. MELISA PAGE-BAILIE
AREA DIRECTOR OF PROMISE686
Melisa has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Social Welfare from the University of North Florida and an extensive background in fostering and adoption. She fostered more than 200 children and adopted 10 from the foster care system as well as served on the State Foster/Adoptive board for 8 years. Melisa has 11 children, 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She was a missionary throughout the US, Canada and Alaska for several years and is now the Area Director for Promise686 in the NY Metro area.
MRS. JASMINE YOUNG
KINGDOM JUSTICE & MERCY COORDINATOR
Jasmine Young is a co-vocational ministry leader with a Pauline (apostolic) calling. Jasmine serves diaspora communities across downstate NY while she influences corporate culture at JPMorgan Chase’s head office. She completed her Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Bible Theology & Missions at Alliance Theological Seminary, where she received the Beth Kamphausen Award for scholarship, excellence in character, and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jasmine's husband, Gabriel, studies Biblical and Theological Foundations (M.A.) at Asbury Theological Seminary. Jasmine and Gabriel have served in the city of Yonkers and in NYC while the family continues their spiritual formation as members of Risen King Alliance Church.
Jasmine takes a special interest in the church’s engagement with justice. She serves the Metro District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) as its Kingdom Justice & Mercy Coordinator. Under the leadership of the district’s cabinet, she partners with pastoral leaders to advocate for biblical justice. She encourages justice engagement in local churches through direct outreach to district leaders, speaking engagements, and customized discipleship material on the subject. Jasmine has been accredited with the C&MA for ministry since 2021 and holds a provisional ministry license with the C&MA. In addition to her focus on justice engagement, Jasmine volunteers with Envision NYC, where she teaches English to West African migrant women and coordinates missional engagement across other volunteers.
Jasmine hosts The Vinecast®, a podcast for adult Christian education. She is a gardening enthusiast and amateur photojournalist. Jasmine lives in the credo of good tidings of great joy. Jasmine and Gabriel reside in New York with their three children.
