Evangelist Vandalyn Kennedy is a preacher, teacher, music minister, intercessor, author, leadership strategist, mentor, and conference speaker with over 20 years of ministry experience. Having a passion for youth, she served as the first Youth Pastor of her church, Mt Sinai Cathedral Church of God in Christ, as well as an educator within the New York City Department of Education for over 15 years.

A gifted vocalist, Vandalyn worked as a choir director, vocal trainer, and Gospel concert producer all over the country. She sang back up for Gospel Music’s most noted artists and is currently working on her own CD project. Evangelist Kennedy has served in numerous Minister of Music positions within the Church of God in Christ, previously serving as Dean of Education for the International Music Department (COGIC Worldwide), and currently serving as Praise and worship leader, Workshop Facilitator, Prayer Coordinator and Coordinator of the International Youth Choir. She has been blessed to be the keynote speaker several times for COGIC’s summer convention (AIM) as well as the annual Holy Convocation and was selected as one of the Church of God in Christ’s 150 most influential women. Vandalyn was blessed to be a keynote preacher on the main stage during the 2019 Hampton Ministers’ Conference and has been featured in The New York Times as a “Woman in the Pulpit” to watch.

Evangelist Kennedy graduated from high school at the age of sixteen, went on to earn a bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education from Sarah Lawrence College, and a second Master’s degree in Music/Music Education from Columbia University. She also obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary and completed Princeton Theological Seminary’s Black Theology and Leadership Institute Certificate program. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Leadership and works as an Adjunct Professor in the NY City area.

Evangelist Kennedy is an ordained minister who also speaks Spanish, and has ministered in Panama, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Spain. Her ministry extends to facilitating leadership trainings for youth leaders and leaders at large. Prayer and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ fuel Vandalyn’s life; it is only through God that she has been anointed to be an agent of change and empowerment to those who experience her ministry.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” I Timothy 1:12 KJV

Rev. John Ginnan serves as a ministry specialist for connecting churches to schools and adolescents to their everyday mission with Youth Alive®, under the leadership of and in cooperation with New York Ministry Network (Assemblies of God). He has served in youth ministry for nearly 25 years in various capacities, and is trained as an educator, receiving a B.A. from Houghton College and a Master’s in Teaching from Le Moyne College. He champions and assists youth ministry networks statewide. His wife Caity and three young children are the best, and they love New York and its people.

Daniel Sanabria is a born and raised New Yorker who lives in Brooklyn with his family. Daniel brings a wealth of leadership and experience from the youth ministry landscape across New York City. In addition to leading youth ministry networks that impact hundreds of churches across the five boroughs of NYC, he’s also the founder of a youth led prayer initiative called God Belongs in My City. Under his leadership, this initiative has spread to 80 cities across the U.S. and now to other countries around the world. Daniel is excited to lead our YFC team as we launch our initial ministry effort in New York City around Juvenile Justice. He’s excited to leverage his experience in the city and his vast network with local churches to raise up caring volunteers to come alongside kids in tough places before, during and after incarceration. Daniel has his B.A from King’s College in Business and Marketing and has been in full-time ministry for 15 years. dsanabria@yfcnyc.org

Ross Queener and his wife, Cindy, have raised their two daughters in Morningside Heights. He has been on staff with Cru in NYC for 22 years, currently working to resource youth leaders. He is also an elder at Trinity Baptist Church.

Anna Shuman is the Department Coordinator of Youth and Family Studies at Nyack College in Battery Park. Anna earned her B.S in Youth Ministry from Nyack before pursuing her M.A in Biblical Literature at Alliance Theological Seminary where she is currently participating in the Doctorate of Ministry in Global Leadership. Anna is in her tenth year of ministry and presently serves as the Associate Pastor at The River Church of the Christian and Ministry Alliance in Pearl River, NY. She is excited to encourage, empower, and equip Youth Pastors and emerging leaders to enrich their souls and ministries through the good news of Jesus.

Jeff Talavera is the Youth Pastor/Programs Director of the Youth Ministry at his local church in The Bronx - The Glory of Christ Church. He has years of professional experience in youth and community development, public relations and leadership and strives to use that experience to add value to everything he does. He's an eclectic individual who enjoys meeting new people and learning from them. He currently lives in the Bronx with wife Yeny and newborn son, Ezra.

Rev. Kevin White graduated from Siena College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.  He worked as a Senior Financial Consultant and Training Specialist. As a Training Specialist, he trained countless Sales Representatives and Financial Consultants throughout the United States. He spent 15 years on Wall Street before he surrendered to God’s will for his life, fully committed to preparing for ministry.

He became a member of The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York (GAC) in May 2002. He has served with the Board of Stewards, Financial Ministry, Prison Ministry, and Discipleship Ministry. In May 2015, he received his Masters of Divinity in Bible and Theology from Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS). In May 2017, he was sent by God “to be a leader to future leaders” at his Alma Mater. In 2019, he became Institutional Director of Admissions at Nyack College | Alliance Theological Seminary.