Mission
Board of Directors
 Rochelle Culbreath |
Born and raised in Norristown, PA.
Rochelle is married to Brian and the mother of Brianna Riley. She serves as Manager of Legislative Affairs & Community Relations for SEPTA; Awards from: |
 Rev. Ruth Jordon
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(Bios coming soon) |
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Bishop Richard S. McCray |
Richard S. McCray is the eleventh child of twelve children born to the late Willie and Ellen (Betha) Wiggins-McCray. He began his spiritual journey at the age of thirteen when he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior under the leadership of Rev. C.L. Johnson at High Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Nichlas, South Carolina. Orphan at the age of sixteen, he relocated to Norristown, PA and attended the Norristown Church of God where he rededicated his life to Christ and later became a member. In November 1981, while in high school, he was called into the ministry and preached his introductory sermon in March 1982. He is a 1982 graduate of Norristown Area High School. He attended Lee University in Cleveland, TN. Pastor McCray's first pastoral appointment was the 17th and Alter St. Church of God in Philadelphia. Following this appointment, he became Youth Pastor at East Clarence Church of God in Seaford, Delaware. In 1996, he was elected by the local congregation and appointed by Administrative Bishop Rodney Jeffords as Associate Pastor of the Norristown Church of God. He was appointed Senior Pastor December 1, 2001. Pastor McCray holds an Extorter's, Ordained Minister License and received his Bishop's license in June of 2006 in the Church of God. • Received a Certificate of completion: Ministerial Internship Program, in the Church of God 1998 • Received Certificate of Ordination in 1998 • Board member of the Norristown Ministerium, Partners for Families Norristown, and the Hospitality Center Norristown • Served as President of Hospitality Center Board in Fiscal Year 2005-2006 • Elected December 29, 2010, as President of the Greater Norristown Area Ministerium • Currently in pursuit of BS Degree in Drugs & Alcohol counseling and Social Service Work Bishop McCray is married to Tanya M. McCray and they have seven children.
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| David K. Siegle |
David K. Siegle is a captain in Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) in the United States Army Reserve, currently on active duty at FT Dix, NJ. I am a 2003 graduate of Widener University School of Law, and a 1998 graduate of DeSales University. I am admitted to the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Federal District Courts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. I am a veteran of Desert Storm/Operation Southern Watch, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. I am married to Lori Ann (nee McCoy), and have 4 children, David Jr., Matthew, Joshua, and Hannah. Associations: Member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Civic/volunteerism: Volunteer with the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP), and have worked with Philadelphia VIP, and the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia. |
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Kristl Wiernicki |
Kristl’s educational background is in Journalism and Law. She is a licensed attorney (inactive) and former college administrator with almost 30 years combined experience in Financial Aid and Student Affairs at Temple University's main campus in North Philadelphia. During her professional career, her passion for young people and institutional development led her to serve on the boards of Lutheran Children and Family Services (LCFS), the Executive Council of Boy Scouts of America, and Penn Christian Academy (PCA). More recently, she has served as Development Director for Penn Christian Academy (PCA), the highlight being her coordination of PCA’s 40th anniversary celebration in 2006. Since leaving PCA in 2008, she has volunteered with PFF and the the NAHS Cheerleading Boosters, helping both organizations raise funds and in-kind resources. She has also served as a member of the East Norriton Industrial Development Authority and is currently serving on the East Norriton Planning Commission. |
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Obed Arango Hisijara |
Obed Arango Hisijara (México D.F. 1970) is a Mexican communicator, media producer and journalist, with M.Div of Eastern University, MA. In Cultural Anthropology from the National School of Anthropology and History of México (ENAH) and a BA in Communication Sciences from the Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM), México. Before funding Creative Conzepts LLC he was professor of Communications and Political Sciences at the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM). Obed as an visual artist and photographer has won national awards from the RCC and his work has been shown in international photographic exhibitions sponsored by the Mexican Secretary of Art and Culture (CONACULTA). Today Obed is Creative Director of Creative Conzepts LLC, Volunteer Executive Director of the Center for Culture, Art, Training and Education (CCATE) located in Norristown that serves de Latino and Mexican community. Obed was Chairman of the Latino Collaborative of Montgomery County (PUENTES), and is chairman and founder of the International Urban Transformation (TUI), base on Mexico City; in addition he is columnist and principal of the weekly program “Villa Inmigrante” for Radio Universidad de Guadalajara. |
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Rev. Brian Akamine |
Rev. Brian Akamine is a Licensed minister with the Church of the Nazarene. He and his wife Tracey have been married for 15 years with two daughters Hannah 10 & Emiko 8. They have been residents of Norristown since 2003. He earned his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Ministry & Leadership from Vanguard University of Southern California. A native of Los Angeles, California having responded to a call of the Lord he and his wife relocated to his wife’s hometown in King of Prussia, PA in 1998. Having served in Christian ministry for over 20 years, Brian is a church planter and founding pastor of Hope Chapel Norristown. His ministry experience includes serving as Pastor of Worship & Creative Arts at Hope Chapel Gateway, Associate Pastor at Chestnut St. Community Church and Pastor of Ministry & Outreach at Fairview Village Church of the Nazarene. He also served as a Church Planter Leadership Assessor for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel denomination. Affiliations Professionally his experience includes; a Wellness Program Specialist for the Southern California Gas Company and later started his own business as a Wellness Program consultant for corporations such as Harman International Inc., Hughes Aircraft, Health Net and the Southern California Gas Company. He served on several boards including: the Los Angeles County Wellness Consortium, Valley Wellness Council, American Heart Association Task Force, United Way “Day of Caring” Logistics Coordinator and YMCA Ketchum Advisory Council. As a community leader he served as Vice President of Greater Norristown Area Ministerium, Board President of the Norristown Hospitality Center Homeless Day Shelter, Chairman of the Norristown Weed & Seed Steering Committee, Steering Member of Montgomery County Latino Collaborative, Board Member of Center for Culture, Arts, Training & Education (CCATE) and currently serves as Executive Director for Partners for Families, a non-profit ministry of the Norristown Ministerium. He has received numerous awards such as Norristown Community Leadership Award by the Norristown Municipality, and several Community Leadership Awards by the Greater Norristown Area Ministerium, Antioch Church of Philadelphia, and Grace Tabernacle Seventh Day Adventist Church. |
| Sam Class
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(Bios coming soon) |
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Rev. Carlotta Madison |
Pastor Carlotta was appointed to Asbury United Methodist Church July 1, 2007. She comes from Wharton-Wesley United Methodist church where she assisted Rev. Robert S. Booker. Having accepted Christ at an early age, Pastor Carlotta grew up in the church as the daughter of Rev. William Shepherd who was the pastor of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and later St. Luke’s Church of Germantown. Pastor Carlotta holds a Master of Divinity from Palmer Seminary, the former Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary located in Wynnewood, PA. and a Masters in Education from Temple University. Prior to accepting the appointment to Asbury, Pastor Carlotta was an educator with the School District of Philadelphia for thirty years as a teacher, and a trainer of teachers. She is the mother of one daughter, Lygea Madison, who resides in the Philadelphia area.
Pastor Carlotta’s vision is the continued development of new and innovative programs of nurture and teaching alongside a growing fellowship that will lead people into a deeper spiritual experience. |
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Rev. Sandra R. Coston |
Sandra Rowe Coston was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Martin Luther King High School, and then attended Lincoln University in Oxford Pennsylvania. During her college years at Lincoln, she met her future husband, Michael J. Coston Sr. From this union, they were blessed with three children: Michael Jr., Keith, and Joy. In 1982, the Lord called her to serve at Refuge Deliverance Holiness Church, Phila., PA under the leadership of Bishop Daniel T. Outen. After six years of faithful service as a missionary, she was ordained as an evangelist. Three years later, she was elevated to the position of Assistant Pastor. She served in this capacity for five years. In 1996 God called her to be the Pastor of Deliverance Evangelistic Temple, located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Under Pastor Coston’s dynamic leadership and teaching, many ministries have been established and continue to bear fruit. God has blessed Pastor Coston with the heart of a servant; therefore, to name all the ministries that she has implemented would be too numerous to mention. To name a few, counseling, evangelism, prison, hospital, nursing home, women’s fellowship, youth and Servants Serving Ministries have all been established. Also, weekly literacy and computer classes were put in place to serve the community. Pastor Coston has attended Temple University, Lincoln University, and Manna Bible Institute. She received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Management and Urban Ministry from Geneva College, the Center for Urban Theological Studies. While at Geneva College, Pastor Coston became the recipient of the distinguished Fellowship Award. One of her most successful achievements has been publishing her first book entitled, “Feed the Hungry”.
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Board
Bishop Dennis E. Joell
Bishop Dennis E. Joell is pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church of Norristown, PA. The church is engaged in social ministry to both the homeless and the immigrant communities in their neighborhood. An advocate of reconciliation, he models the concept of inclusion in his ministry working across ethnic, age, and class sectors.
Bishop Richard S. McCray
Richard S. McCray is the eleventh child of twelve children born to the late Willie and Ellen (Betha) Wiggins-McCray. He began his spiritual journey at the age of thirteen when he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior under the leadership of Rev. C.L. Johnson at High Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Nichlas, South Carolina.
Orphan at the age of sixteen, he relocated to Norristown, PA and attended the Norristown Church of God where he rededicated his life to Christ and later became a member. In November 1981, while in high school, he was called into the ministry and preached his introductory sermon in March 1982.
He is a 1982 graduate of Norristown Area High School. He attended Lee University in Cleveland, TN. Pastor McCray's first pastoral appointment was the 17th and Alter St. Church of God in Philadelphia. Following this appointment, he became Youth Pastor at East Clarence Church of God in Seaford, Delaware. In 1996, he was elected by the local congregation and appointed by Administrative Bishop Rodney Jeffords as Associate Pastor of the Norristown Church of God. He was appointed Senior Pastor December 1, 2001.
Pastor McCray holds an Extorter's, Ordained Minister License and received his Bishop's license in June of 2006 in the Church of God.
• Received a Certificate of completion: Ministerial Internship Program, in the Church of God 1998
• Received Certificate of Ordination in 1998
• Board member of the Norristown Ministerium, Partners for Families Norristown, and the Hospitality Center Norristown
• Served as President of Hospitality Center Board in Fiscal Year 2005-2006
• Elected December 29, 2010, as President of the Greater Norristown Area Ministerium
• Currently in pursuit of BS Degree in Drugs & Alcohol counseling and Social Service Work
Bishop McCray is married to Tanya M. McCray and they have seven children.
David K. Siegle
David K. Siegle is a captain in Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) in the United States Army Reserve, currently on active duty at FT Dix, NJ. I am a 2003 graduate of Widener University School of Law, and a 1998 graduate of DeSales University. I am admitted to the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Federal District Courts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. I am a veteran of Desert Storm/Operation Southern Watch, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. I am married to Lori Ann (nee McCoy), and have 4 children, David Jr., Matthew, Joshua, and Hannah.
Associations: Member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Civic/volunteerism: Volunteer with the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project (MCAP), and have worked with Philadelphia VIP, and the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia.
Kristl Wiernicki
Kristl’s educational background is in Journalism and Law. She is a licensed attorney (inactive) and former college administrator with almost 30 years combined experience in Financial Aid and Student Affairs at Temple University's main campus in North Philadelphia. During her professional career, her passion for young people and institutional development led her to serve on the boards of Lutheran Children and Family Services (LCFS), the Executive Council of Boy Scouts of America, and Penn Christian Academy (PCA). More recently, she has served as Development Director for Penn Christian Academy (PCA), the highlight being her coordination of PCA’s 40th anniversary celebration in 2006. Since leaving PCA in 2008, she has volunteered with PFF and the the NAHS Cheerleading Boosters, helping both organizations raise funds and in-kind resources. She has also served as a member of the East Norriton Industrial Development Authority and is currently serving on the East Norriton Planning Commission.
Obed Arango Hisijara
Obed Arango Hisijara (México D.F. 1970) is a Mexican communicator, media producer and journalist, with M.Div of Eastern University, MA. In Cultural Anthropology from the National School of Anthropology and History of México (ENAH) and a BA in Communication Sciences from the Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM), México.
Before funding Creative Conzepts LLC he was professor of Communications and Political Sciences at the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM). Obed as an visual artist and photographer has won national awards from the RCC and his work has been shown in international photographic exhibitions sponsored by the Mexican Secretary of Art and Culture (CONACULTA).
Today Obed is Creative Director of Creative Conzepts LLC, Volunteer Executive Director of the Center for Culture, Art, Training and Education (CCATE) located in Norristown that serves de Latino and Mexican community. Obed was Chairman of the Latino Collaborative of Montgomery County (PUENTES), and is chairman and founder of the International Urban Transformation (TUI), base on Mexico City; in addition he is columnist and principal of the weekly program “Villa Inmigrante” for Radio Universidad de Guadalajara.
Rev. Brian Akamine
PFF Executive Director
Rev. Brian Akamine is a Licensed minister with the Church of the Nazarene. He and his wife Tracey have been married for 15 years with two daughters Hannah 10 & Emiko 8. They have been residents of Norristown since 2003. He earned his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Ministry & Leadership from Vanguard University of Southern California. A native of Los Angeles, California having responded to a call of the Lord he and his wife relocated to his wife’s hometown in King of Prussia, PA in 1998. Having served in Christian ministry for over 20 years, Brian is a church planter and founding pastor of Hope Chapel Norristown. His ministry experience includes serving as Pastor of Worship & Creative Arts at Hope Chapel Gateway, Associate Pastor at Chestnut St. Community Church and Pastor of Ministry & Outreach at Fairview Village Church of the Nazarene. He also served as a Church Planter Leadership Assessor for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel denomination.
Affiliations
Professionally his experience includes; a Wellness Program Specialist for the Southern California Gas Company and later started his own business as a Wellness Program consultant for corporations such as Harman International Inc., Hughes Aircraft, Health Net and the Southern California Gas Company. He served on several boards including: the Los Angeles County Wellness Consortium, Valley Wellness Council, American Heart Association Task Force, United Way “Day of Caring” Logistics Coordinator and YMCA Ketchum Advisory Council.
As a community leader he served as Vice President of Greater Norristown Area Ministerium, Board President of the Norristown Hospitality Center Homeless Day Shelter, Chairman of the Norristown Weed & Seed Steering Committee, Steering Member of Montgomery County Latino Collaborative, Board Member of Center for Culture, Arts, Training & Education (CCATE) and currently serves as Executive Director for Partners for Families, a non-profit ministry of the Norristown Ministerium. He has received numerous awards such as Norristown Community Leadership Award by the Norristown Municipality, and several Community Leadership Awards by the Greater Norristown Area
Rev. Byron L. Craig
Pastor Byron L. Craig is the first born of Donald and Earlene Craig. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and received his formal education in the Philadelphia School System.
He accepted Christ on July 14, 1975 (a day he will never forget) and was baptized by the late Reverend William A. Lee at the Beulah Baptist Church. At Beulah he served as: Sunday School Teacher, Youth Leader, Director of Young Adult Department; member of Baptist Training Union; Supervisor of Youth Ushers; President of Youth Choir; member of College Outreach Ministry; member of Street Evangelism and Teaching Ministry; and a member of the Male Chorus.
In April 1986, Pastor Craig was licensed to preach the gospel and ordained in July 1988 by the Beulah Baptist Church under the pastorate of Reverend Timothy E. Ruffin. In October of 1987, Pastor Craig was called to the Victory Baptist Church to assist Pastor William Cross, Jr. While at Victory he was Director of Christian Education; Director of Finance; Coordinator of the Administrative Staff; and taught the Adult Sunday School Class, Wednesday Night Bible Class and the Sunday School Teachers.
On November 9, 1985 he married Miriam Dunstan. They have two daughters: Brittany Ann and Dominique Marie.
On May 5, 1992, Pastor Craig was called to Macedonia Baptist Church where he has been the senior shepherd.
Rev. Carlotta Madison
Pastor Carlotta was appointed to Asbury United Methodist Church July 1, 2007. She comes from Wharton-Wesley United Methodist church where she assisted Rev. Robert S. Booker.
Having accepted Christ at an early age, Pastor Carlotta grew up in the church as the daughter of Rev. William Shepherd who was the pastor of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and later St. Luke’s Church of Germantown.
Pastor Carlotta holds a Master of Divinity from Palmer Seminary, the former Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary located in Wynnewood, PA. and a Masters in Education from Temple University.
Prior to accepting the appointment to Asbury, Pastor Carlotta was an educator with the School District of Philadelphia for thirty years as a teacher, and a trainer of teachers.
She is the mother of one daughter, Lygea Madison, who resides in the Philadelphia area.
Pastor Carlotta’s vision is the continued development of new and innovative programs of nurture and teaching alongside a growing fellowship that will lead people into a deeper spiritual experience.
Rev. Luis Antonio Mendez
“Pastor Mendez”
Bio
Ordain Minister/Pastor/Chaplain
Affiliations
Weed&Seed -Norristown Ministeruim-Philadelphia Bible Society Board Memeber-Translater-Hispanic Community Advocate
Experience
Event planning, Community Development, Social Services, Latino Community, Homelessness, Truancy, ESL, Immigration, Prison Ministry
Kristl Wiernicki
“Kristl”
The best way to contact me is:
Email:
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Home phone: 610-277-7985
Bio
My educational background is in Journalism and Law. I am a licensed attorney (inactive) and former college administrator with almost 30 years combined experience in Financial Aid and Student Affairs at Temple University's main campus in North Philadelphia. During my professional career, my passion for young people and institutional development led me to serve on the boards of Lutheran Children and Family Services, the Executive Council of Boy Scouts of America, and Penn Christian Academy. I also served as Development Director for Penn Christian Academy(PCA), coordinating the observance of its 40th anniversary in 2006. Since leaving PCA in 2008, I have volunteered with PFF and the NAHS Cheerleading Boosters, helping both organizations raise funds and in-kind resources. I have also had the privilege of serving on the East Norriton Industrial Development Authority and East Norriton Planning Commission.
Affiliations
East Norriton Planning Commission, NAHS Cheerleading Booster Club (President), Partners For Families (Volunteer Office Staff)
Experience
Legal issues,, Education Marketing, Fundraising, Event planning, Community Development
Who we are
Partners for Families is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization which has been endorsed by and receives advice and guidance from the Greater Norristown Area Ministerium (GNAM). We are dedicated to affecting and transforming the Norristown community through the transformation of hearts, families and communities… “one person at a time.” Our mission is two fold. One is to be a network of community and faith based resources available to mobilize to help those in need and the other is to use our building on Main Street to provide programs and workshops to benefit the local Norristown population.
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