Aracelis Vazquez Haye

Rev. Aracelis Vázquez Haye serves as the Associate Pastor at Church of the City, New London. Her passion and commitment to urban children and youth advocacy, education, social justice, and worship embodies her holistic approach to ministry.

Rev. Haye received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Connecticut State University (B.A., 2001) and has earned graduate degrees from Loyola University of Chicago (M.Ed., 2003), and Yale Divinity School (M.Div., 2012).

Outside of Rev. Haye role at Church of the City, she also serves as the Protestant Chaplain at Connecticut College and at The Waterford Country School. She is also a member of the New […]

Matthew Croasmun

Matt Croasmun is Associate Research Scholar and Director of the Life Worth Living Program at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Senior Lecturer of Divinity & Humanities at Yale University. He began working with YCFC after completing his Ph.D. in Religious Studies (New Testament) at Yale in 2014. While a doctoral student, he and his wife, Hannah, planted and pastored the Elm City Vineyard Church, a dynamic, diverse, urban church in the heart of New Haven, CT. With deep grounding in both the church and the academy, Matt brings to all of his work a passion for the […]

Lillian Daniel

Rev. Lillian Daniel is a preacher, teacher and writer in Iowa. While she has taught preaching at a number of schools, including Chicago Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School, she can’t be held responsible for everyone who falls asleep in church. ​Her new book, Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To is generating international conversation about the changing religious landscape. ​It continues the theme of her 2013 book When ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’ Is Not Enough about the growing number of people who claim “none” as their religious preference.

Lillian Daniel has spoken at the National Cathedral, Duke […]

Evelyn Parker

Dr. Evelyn Parker is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Practical Theology at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

Mark DeVries

Rev. Mark DeVries is the founder of Youth Ministry Architects and oversees the youth ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. His books include Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry.

Yolanda Smith

Yolanda Smith was educated at three different institutions. She remained in her home state for her undergraduate training and earned her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University. She then headed east and earned an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary (1990) before returning to the West where she completed her education by earning a M.A. and Ph.D. in theology at Claremont (1997).

She joined the YDS faculty as a visiting assistant professor in Christian education in 2000. She became member of the core faculty as an assistant professor in 2002, serving in this capacity until 2008 when a bout with cancer forced […]

Roland Martinson

Roland Martinson came to Luther Seminary in 1977 and has held numerous academic and leadership roles. Now Professor Emeritus, he most recently served for five years as Luther Seminary’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean. He was ordained in 1968. “Rollie” was the project director of the landmark Exemplary Youth Ministry Study and a participant the Search Institute’s original “Effectiveness of Christian Education” study. His works include: The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry (2010); OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook (2010); Coming of Age (2006); Gearing Up for Youth Ministry in the 21st Century (1992); Effective Youth Ministry, […]