Meet Our Community Engagement Fellows

Rachel Koehler is from Nashville, TN and just recently received her bachelor’s degree from Butler University in International Studies and French. She has worked four summers with Appalachia Service Project, and it was in the mountains where she first experienced her call to ministry. In addition, she interned for the Center for American Progress on their Faith and Progressive Policy team, which opened her eyes to the intersection of faith and politics. Following that experience, she spent a semester at the Center for Interfaith Cooperation in Indianapolis and created a podcast titled “The Dynamics of Interfaith.” Rachel is looking forward to being a part of the Fellows program so that she can better advocate for others in various contexts. She hopes to gain perspective on when it is time to lead and when it is necessary to pass the microphone so other voices can be elevated.

Sherri Butler is a native of Norfolk, Virginia, and is a proud Spartan alumna of Norfolk State University.  She also earned a Masters degree in Public Administration from Troy University.  Sherri is a gifted educator, working in urban schools for the last 16 ½ years.  In 2009, she was licensed to preach the gospel, and has worked with foreign mission teams in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mexico, Jamaica, and Haiti.  She loves mission work, road trips, and helping others find the joy buried deep within themselves.  Through the Community Engagement Fellows Program, Sherri looks to ignite a relational flame that will connect the heart of the community village with the bright futures of its young people.

Heidi Mills graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and mass communication. She currently works at Joseph’s House, a respite facility in DC for homeless men and women with HIV/AIDs. Her passions include discovering the intersection between faith and social justice, walking alongside those deconstructing their faith, and carrying out the radical vision of Jesus’ kingdom of heaven on earth. She is seeking to become ordained as a minister, likely within a nondenominational church. Through her participation in the Community Engagement fellowship, she hopes to bring together communities and create a space where all are welcome and empowered to advocate for a better world for themselves and for others in the name of Christ.

Emily Newman is a first year Master of Divinity student.  Emily graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2010 with a dual BA degree in religious studies and psychology.  After spending high school and college summers working at Methodist affiliated Camp Don Lee, she felt a calling to youth ministry.  She comes to Wesley after 7 years as a youth minister providing spiritual formation programs and building community with 6th-12th graders at Hayes Barton UMC in Raleigh, NC.  She is thrilled to be a Community Engagement Fellow and hopes to learn from diverse perspectives how the church can be a part of bringing reconciliation, empowerment, and justice to its community.

RaShawn Hall is a recent graduate of Tuskegee University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. During his academic tenure at Tuskegee, RaShawn was involved in several organizations. He served as the Chapter President of the Tuskegee Chapter of College Democrats, the Chaplain of the Tuskegee University Golden Voices Concert Choir, and as a University Ambassador. Last summer, RaShawn worked as an intern summer at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, where he performed research, attended lobby meetings with Congressional leaders and published an article on the organization’s website on Campaign Finance. RaShawn has recently accepted a call to ministry and was presented a Ministerial License to preach the Gospel. Ultimately, RaShawn hopes to contribute to the expansion of God’s Kingdom by gaining more exposure and knowledge on ways to actively combat issues affecting urban communities.

Janaye Page is a soldier in God’s army. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services Degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She has worked as a certified Pharmacy Technician for 10 years. She has been a faithful member of Gethsemane UMC where she diligently serves as the Young Adult Coordinator and in other capacities as needed. Janaye is overjoyed to have the opportunity to be among a diverse group of people in the Community Engagement Fellowship Program! She is excited for the leadership development opportunities as well as the community engagement training that will come from the prestigious leaders of Wesley Theological Seminary!

Marcus Jean is a second year Master of Divinity student and Urban fellow. He is originally from Miami, Florida and received his BA at the University of Florida and a MA in International Relations and Public Policy at Howard University. As a first generation Haitian-American who always knew he wanted to give back to Haiti, he focused on International Development while pursuing his MA. God eventually called him to missionary work in Haiti and in 2016 God led him to start a nonprofit named God Opening Doors. He has been on 4 mission trips to Haiti since. Marcus has a deep love for people and plans on fully using his spiritual gifts of service, giving and exhortation on the mission field and in everyday ministry. He is excited about joining the fellowship program and is looking forward to equipping himself with the tools needed to do meaningful work outside of the four walls of the church.

K Scarry is a second year M.Div candidate who comes to Wesley after spending time in a number of unique communities. K graduated from Waynesburg University in 2013 and has since worked in a variety of spaces: including working with women who are sex trafficked in Ohio, as a manager of a brewery in West Virginia, and as a prison chaplain and fraternity house director in Georgia. Having become enamored with storytelling and community development, she hopes to find that these experience will go hand in hand in her time as a Fellow. K is eager to explore her innovative side as she considers what non-traditional expressions of faith communities can look like in our time. 

Angela Norris is a first year M.Div student and is a native of Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in (4) Foreign Languages & Literatures (Spanish, French, Italian, German). In 2000, she obtained her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, with a dual focus in International Law and Trial Advocacy. She served the public interest sector as an attorney for the State of Maryland for more than a decade, as an Assistant Public Defender, and later as Assistant State’s Attorney. Presently, she works in private sector civil litigation. A member of historic St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church since birth, she serves in the Ushers hospitality and Team H.O.P.E (homeless social advocacy) ministries. She aspires to a strong calling to assist displaced and disenfranchised communities of the DMV area. Motivated by a vision in furtherance of this cause, she was led to Wesley Theological Seminary and the Community Engagement Fellows (CEF) Program. It is her hope and endeavor to utilize the theological and ministerial community outreach training, guidance, knowledge and experience of the CEF Program as tools to empower her to “accomplish the ministry of the mission” to which she has been called – to assist, advocate and serve God’s homeless people.

Haley recently graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina with a B.A. in Political Science, mainly studying political philosophy. At Davidson, Haley traveled to the U.S. Mexico border to immerse herself in issues and questions surrounding immigration, traveled to Argentina,Vietnam and South Africa as part of a comparative urban studies program, and engaged her faith through the music and youth programs at the local UMC as well as Davidson's Wesley Campus Ministry. In seminary, Haley hopes to apply her undergraduate education and experiences to further investigate the intersection of public policy, the church, and community engagement. As a part of the Community Engagement Institute, she plans to explore public theology and its influences on American life and hopes to find innovative policy solutions that incorporate the role of local communities and the local church in problem solving, resource management, and activism. Haley hails from the state of New Mexico, but her family now lives in Western Illinois.

Lisa has dedicated her life to helping people discover and celebrate their unique God-given gifts to better themselves and the world. She is called to empower women who have been oppressed in mind, body or spirit to heal and realize their gifts and value to reach levels of success they didn’t know where possible. Lisa is a Social Entrepreneur and a Certified Coach and Facilitator. She holds an Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Degree in Social Psychology and Business Management. She has developed innovative employment programs helping people out of poverty achieve a better quality of life; designed community outreach programs that bridge churches, human service agencies and the needs of the community and built a co-working space for women entrepreneurs. Lisa is excited to be a part of the Community Engagement Fellows program to live into her calling and learn how to empower women in need in a much greater way.

Jon Deters is a first year Masters of Divinity student and a fellow with the Community Engagement Institute. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia in 2019. Jon is committed to seeing the United Methodist Church speak boldly and prophetically into the complex political climate of our time and he is excited to continue learning and understanding what lived theology in this setting looks like.

Yasika Bigham is a Georgia native and recent class of 2019 graduate, having received a B.A. in Mass communications with an emphasis in Broadcasting. Yasika is also a member of a local church and volunteers throughout the year on projects such as City Serve and The Purple Project, which assists local families and impact the community. Yasika believes it’s through love that change is implemented and is also the driver of change; where burden, passion and purpose intersect. Entrance into the Community Engagement Fellows for Yasika, is in hope to learn how to effectively innovate and create tangible methods of change; that inspire, equip and empower others to change, get involved and make a difference

Minister Darnell Jeffers serves as an associate minister of youth and missions at Israel Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland, where Rev. H. Walden Wilson, II is the pastor. Min. Jeffers is committed to sharing the gospel and serves with the So Send I You, A Global Missions Ministry Initiative. He has traveled extensively throughout the world providing medical support to those in need. His foreign journeys through the African continent have included Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda, Nigeria and Cape Town to name a few. Minister Jeffers has served for the past five years as the USA Ambassador for the Youth in Malawi, Africa. In addition to providing medical assistance, he facilitates workshops, biblical teaching and preaching.

In addition to his foreign initiatives, Minister Jeffers serves as a nursing instructor at the Baltimore City Community College. Currently, he is studying at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Minister Darnell Jeffers has been blessed with a vibrant career, opportunities to share the gospel, and to preach and teach, but he is most proud to say that he is saved by grace

Jason Perkowski is pursuing a Masters of Divinity as a Public Theology Fellow. He is the Pastor of Faith UMC and Oregon Community UMC in Lancaster County, PA. He has been a pastor for six years, and in youth ministry for almost twenty-five years. Jason holds a Bachelors in English Education and a Masters in Educational Psychology and spent fourteen years in public education teaching Gifted Students and as a university professor training other teachers. As a good Methodist he has a penchant for chairing committees, including the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, the District Resource Team, and the Mission ConneXion resourcing and equipping ministries. In his spare time he enjoys home improvement projects, gardening, playing the saxophone and guitar, cheering on his nieces and nephews, and hanging out with his wife.

Jason is a public policy wonk and loves a good discussion on how government and civil society can work together to make the world more just and equitable. His vision is to help raise up and empower a generation of young people to be leaders in their local community, at the federal level, and in international policy making. There is great angst and a variety of challenges in the world today, and he would love to help more folks find their voice, to hear and understand one another, to develop their shared ideas into tangible solutions, and to actively engage in enacting those solutions in a way that respects the perspective and needs of all people.

Blake Cataldo is a small-town boy with a heart for the city, having been born and raised in Knox, Pennsylvania and now calling Baltimore, Maryland home. A graduate of Liberty University Online with a BS in Religion, Blake’s path into ministry took him to the United States Air Force Academy for his first two years of undergrad and after discerning a calling into worship ministry, one year at the New Life School of Worship in Colorado Springs, CO. It is at the School of Worship that Blake met his wife, Olivia, whom he married in October of 2010 after moving to her hometown in the Baltimore area where they have remained. Together they are raising three children, Eisley, Rosie and Laken. While it is worship ministry that first called Blake to serve the church, having served the Gallery Church of Downtown Baltimore as the Director of Worship and Administration for 3 years, Blake felt a call to attend Wesley and join the Community Engagement Fellowship in order to help a church with a powerful vision for intentional living better put this vision into practice. Blake is joining the Fellowship this year with the hopes to gain training to do just that: learn the tools and best practices needed to help the church in Baltimore love God and love our neighbors to the utmost.

Wendy Pohlhaus is the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for External Affairs at the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAODC) where she oversees the Community Prosecution Section. The community prosecutors and community outreach specialists, who are assigned to this section, work directly with residents, local business, nonprofit organizations, and other community stakeholders to develop a comprehensive approach to fighting crime and protecting the rights and interest of city residents. They focus on building bonds of trust between USAODC and the community, enhancing public safety through education, and encouraging community participation in the criminal justice system. These goals are implemented through community outreach programs, youth engagement, and reentry initiatives. As a result of her upbringing and personal and professional experiences, she enjoys a loving partnership with Washington, D.C.’s African American inner-city communities. As with any loving relationship, she could no longer endure the city’s suffering. As an Community Engagement Fellow, she hopes to answer her community’s problems through God’s healing and restorative powers. She is hoping that this program will equip her with the knowledge, guidance and spiritual courage her work in inner-city communities.

Austin is a native of Grand Rapids, MI, graduate of the historic Morehouse College and a 1st year Master of Divinity student at Wesley Theological Seminary.

The Reverend Austin J. Young is an Ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (A.M.E. Zion Church). Within the denomination, Rev. Young holds numerous positions in the areas on prayer, youth engagement, protocol, Christian education, and statistician work that serves six states within Midwest United States and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, Rev. Young is a councilmember on the World Methodist Council and serves on the Board of Directors for Atlanta Development Neighborhood Partnership, Inc.

As part of the Community Engagement Fellowship, Young aspires to further learn how to bridge the responsibility of the church and theology in the community. Which is motivated by the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who paraphrased Matthew 10:16, “To have a tough mind, and a tender heart.”

Austin is a native of Grand Rapids, MI, graduate of the historic Morehouse College and a 1st year Master of Divinity student at Wesley Theological Seminary.

The Reverend Austin J. Young is an Ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (A.M.E. Zion Church). Within the denomination, Rev. Young holds numerous positions in the areas on prayer, youth engagement, protocol, Christian education, and statistician work that serves six states within Midwest United States and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, Rev. Young is a councilmember on the World Methodist Council and serves on the Board of Directors for Atlanta Development Neighborhood Partnership, Inc.

As part of the Community Engagement Fellowship, Young aspires to further learn how to bridge the responsibility of the church and theology in the community. Which is motivated by the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who paraphrased Matthew 10:16, “To have a tough mind, and a tender heart.”