Cynthia E. Nwizu (New York, New York)
Pursuing a Doctorate in Church and Leadership from Fordham University in New York, NY, Cynthia Nwizu is pressing toward graduation.  A high achiever since High School, Cynthia has already earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Master of Business Administration and Master of Divinity in Christian Education and Discipleship.

Cynthia encountered God while in college and received Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.  She has felt led to research church leadership and Christian Education.  Her desire is to “gain a better understanding of what is going on in some of our local churches in this postmodern era, identify solutions and to cultivate, champion and celebrate Christ-centered living in the church and in the world.”

Areas in which she serves in her local church include Prayer Ministry, Board of Christian Education and Bible Study teacher.  During her tenure as Director of the Youth Ministry, she developed relevant curriculum and programs including a purity empowerment initiative designed for teenagers entitled True Love Waits.            
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La-Tonia B. Middleton-Jackson (Budd Lake, New Jersey)
La-Tonia Middleton-Jackson is on track to earn a Doctorate in Leadership Administration or Social Justice from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH.  That degree combined with her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science and Criminal Justice, Master of Science in Adult Education and Human Resource Development and Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Biblical Studies will equip her for further ministry.

She became a Christian at a young age.  Through life’s journey she’s found that God “is able to chart my course through turbulence.  And although I think the auto pilot can at times meet my needs, God is there to direct me through all manners of winds, rain, snow and pain.”

La-Tonia is very active in various ministries in her local church including Young Adult Ministry, Women’s Missionary Fellowship, Baptist Youth Fellowship and is a New Members Teacher.  She also founded the Hallal Praise Dance Ministry.  She has been described as “an advocate for the disenfranchised” and is said to have “an evangelistic zeal and passion for missionary work and social justice.”

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Anthony L. Taylor (Kansas City, Missouri)
Update - Anthony continues his studies toward the Master of Divinity Degree.  His Real Talk Bible Study is flourishing and changing lives of young men in the urban area. With his leadership of an Eye Glass Outreach ministry, 600 souls were blessed with physical sight and 60 received spiritual sight by receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Not only does he lead his local church's Evangelism Ministry, he leads the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Evangelism Team comprised of other students and some faculty.


After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, Anthony Taylor is continuing his studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO.  He is on track to earn a Master of Divinity in Urban Ministry and plans to serve in pastoral ministry.

The odds were heavily stacked against him.  The product of a broken home with an absentee father, living in the low income area of an urban community, hanging with the wrong crowd and suffering the consequences of such.  Then homeless and helpless.  "For thirty years I was in darkness wondering why I couldn't get it right.   I wanted to stop but couldn't.  It was at my weakest point in life that I called on the name of Jesus.  I repented, turning my heart over to God!  My life changed drastically and I knew that I belonged to Him because He gave me peace."

Active in his local church, Anthony serves in the Prayer Ministry and gives leadership to the Evangelism Ministry.  In 2011, he founded Real Talk, a Bible study for young men.
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Karen L. Owens (Charlotte, North Carolina)
A Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Arts in Human Resources Development were not enough for Karen Owens. Out of "obedience to God as well as this unexplainable desire to dig deeper; learn more; to broaden my knowledge base about the Word of God, and then spread His Good News", she is enrolled full-time in Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC pursuing a Master of Divinity.

Suffering with a debilitating "thorn in the flesh", Karen continues to serve the Lord faithfully.  She volunteers in her local church as Church Clerk, serves on the Intercessory Prayer Ministry and is an active teacher and participant in their Sistah-to-Sistah Bible study. 

After graduation, Karen plans to teach and make an eternal impact on the kingdom of God.  "I must be fully equipped for the journey.  My firm and uncompromising faith has allowed me to fully understand I Corinthians 2:9 - However, as it is written, no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him."
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Mary P. Ramavathu (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India)
Update - Mary will return from her home in India to the US to complete her final semester of study toward the Master of Divinity degree. Find out more about her work with the ministry she founded, Tribal Women And Children Ministries.

Mary Ramavathu is a student at the Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, KS. Her goal is to serve God and to share the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ with the 60 million unreached people of the Banjara tribe, the most neglected tribal group of India. "I would like to evangelize these poor people and also help them with basic needs: food, clothes, education and medical facilities."

Even as she pursues her education in the United States, Mary has launched and co-leads a new ministry to impoverished children living in the slums of India. This ministry tutors children and women and helps support them financially. Additionally, they have partnered with other organizations to provide medical services for these ladies and orphans.

A humble person, Mary is pursuing a seminary education despite having already completed a professional degree and practicing as a homeopathic doctor. She plans to work with churches and use the pastoral counseling skills she gains in seminary to help young people.

Brett Buckland (Beckley, West Virginia)
Update - Brett has graduated with a Master of Arts in Christian Education and is leading the Student Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Somerville, TN.
           
Brett Buckland is entering his final year of studies toward a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Education at the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. He has a passion for Middle and High School students. Ultimately, he'd like to serve in full-time ministry with students.

This passion for youth was birthed out of his own salvation experience. A teacher invited him to a local church while Brett was a junior in High School. During the Winter, he attended a youth retreat, heard a clear presentation of the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. "I want to reach students through ministries just as I once was reached. As a volunteer in our local Middle School Ministry, I am able to take classroom concepts and apply them in actual ministry settings."

"Clear leadership." "Heart for ministry." "Willing and helpful attitude." "Passion for ministry." These are just some of the phrases that have been used to describe Brett Buckland.

Luke Bobo (St. Louis, Missouri)
Update - Luke has graduated with a PhD in Judaic Studies and Andragogy.  He is serving as Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry Studies at Lindenwood University.  Additionally, he is Executive Director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Missouri.

Luke Bobo, Assistant Professor at Lindenwood University in St Charles, MO. Luke teaches practical theology and business math courses. Luke earned his Master of Divinity at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, his M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Kansas-Lawrence. He is a PhD candidate (ABD) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

He gained teaching experience as an assistant/adjunct professor at Covenant Seminary and as an adjunct professor at Fontbonne University and Lindenwood University. He brings ministry, corporate, and practical theological experiences to the teaching enterprise. For instance, Luke has written articles on hip hop music, obesity, technology, Oprah, and human cloning. He currently serves as President of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Missouri (CBCMO) Executive Board. He has traveled and spoken in Cape Town, South Africa and Brazil. He is the immediate past President of the Kansas University Black Alumni Chapter of the KU Alumni Association and former Director of the Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Theological Seminary.            

Yuko Indo (Nagasaki, Japan)
"I was the only Christian in my family. My family and relatives did not understand my calling and Christian faith. At the age of 17, I began to feel that God is love. I was led to a Baptist church in Fukuoka, Japan where I heard that God is love in a pastor's message for the first time. I believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior and was baptized."

"I came to the US to study at Boyce Bible School in Louisville, KY. God has given me time to keep learning and growing in Christ at Central Baptist Theological Seminary."

"I was given a vision to be a bridge builder between the international people of the Yokohama International Church and the Japanese people of Takinoue Church in Japan. The next year, I started a Christian Coffee House by building a team from both churches to cooperate in having fellowship, praising God, games and Bible sharing together. This Christian Coffee House was popular for non-Christians because of its casual style. We tried to build a bridge beyond races and culture differences in Japan. It was a wonderful experience for me to know that God loves people and is working with and for people from all over the world."