Faith In Action: 'Til the Whole World Knows'
(Matthew 28:18-20)
Saturday, June 1 @ 2:00 p.m.
at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church
A dialogue about the joys and challenges of actively serving in foreign and local missions; to go forth as commissioned with the assurance of God's on-going presence.
THIS EVENT IS VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR BOTH
FACILITATOR - Rev. Stephan Lillie
Stephan Lillie is an humble yet bold leader with a passion for people and being a voice for those who do not have one. Originally from Houston, Texas by way of Boston, Massachusetts, he is a fifth-generation Baptist preacher on his mother’s side and third generation on his father’s side. His sincere heart for the work of the Ministry stems from his testimony of God touching his life at a very young age and God’s faithfulness in his life ever since. Additionally, he acknowledges the tremendous example that his parents and grandparents have lived before him which established his foundation.
Stephan has served in ministry since he was a child. Most recently, while at Western Avenue Baptist Church (Cambridge, MA) and previously at his home church at Greater True Faith Missionary Baptist Church (Houston, Tx), he served and lead in various capacities including but not limited to Associate Minister, Sunday School Superintendent/Teacher, Teaching & Formation Leader, Evangelism Ministry Leader, Young Adult Ministry Leader, Children & Youth Minister, Finance and Administration.
Stephan, his wife Rashonner, and their son Lawson, reside in Greensboro, North Carolina after transition to the Triad in the Summer of 2021. His wife serves as Private Wealth Advisor, Managing Director at Ameriprise Financial. He serves in executive leadership at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Rashonner is a graduate of Sam Houston State University. Stephan obtained his Bachelor’s in Finance from Texas A&M University, and his Masters of Business Administration from Rice University. They are both graduates of the Leadership Winston-Insight Class of 2022. Stephan currently sits on the Forsyth Technical Community College Foundation Board and the Leadership Winston Board of Directors.
Their greatest joy is raising their son in the fear
and admonition of God and assimilating to life in the Carolinas where they now
call it home.
PANELIST - Minister Jeanette Walton
Jeanette Walton was born and bred in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is a minister in northern Ghana with WorldVenture and she is the co-founder of Tiina Jori Ko Ba: Hope Restored Community Outreach which is a registered nonprofit in Ghana and in the U.S. The organization is dedicated to improving healthcare and education in the Upper East region of Ghana, West Africa. Jeanette also co-founded the Jeanette Okunyade Special Children's School (J.O.S School) in Navrongo, Ghana which is the first completely free-admission inclusive charter school in the Upper East region of Ghana. The school accepts children regardless of their special educational needs. Jeanette is one of the founders of the Virtuous Women Organization, a volunteer organization dedicated to encouraging young women & young mothers in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality to pursue their God given potential.
Jeanette advocates for the rights of children with disabilities in northern Ghana while sharing the love of Christ with families and caregivers who have children with special educational needs. She recently co-developed a curriculum with the Trauma Healing Institute dedicated to healing the wounds of trauma for caregivers of children with disabilities.
In January, she completed her Masters in
Education and Human Development from George Washington University, where she
received a merit scholarship to attend. Jeanette is blessed to be the wife of
one husband and the mother of two beautiful children and she counts it a
blessing and a great privilege to teach women and children how to live their
lives to the glory of God.
PANELIST - Rev. Evans Walton
Rev. Evans Walton is originally from the northern part of Ghana, where there is a high percentage of idolatry, ancestor worship, Islam, and some Catholicism. He is the lead Pastor at Hope Community Church in Navrongo and he is the Ghana team field lead for WorldVenture.
Evans is a teacher at the C-Life Bible College in Navrongo and is one of the founders of the Ministers of Common Faith Network of like-minded churches in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality. Rev. Evans is the Missions Chairman for the Strategic Community Ministries (SCM) located in the Upper East region of Ghana, and organizes various missions-oriented events and strategic meetings as a part of the SCM management committee. Evans is the co-founder of Tiina Jori Ko Ba: Hope Restored Community Outreach which is a registered nonprofit in Ghana and in the U.S. and he co-founded the Jeanette Okunyade Special Children’s School (J.O.S School) in Navrongo, Ghana.
Evans is a graduate of Ghana Christian University where he earned his Associates degree in Pastoral Ministry, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in theology from International Leadership University in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015, and is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary located in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Since becoming a Christian, Evans has had a zeal for Christ and a desire to reach lost souls for the Kingdom of God. In 2016, he was ordained a minister of the gospel. Evans is the husband of Jeanette and God has blessed him with two children. He deems it a blessing from God to learn from other people and cultures and realizes that no matter the differences we have on the surface, within all of us is the longing of liberation that can only be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He knows that to whom much is given, much is expected once someone reached out to him. Now it is his passion to reach out to others.
PANELIST - Rovaughna Richardson
Rovaughna Richardson, Licensed Professional Counselor, has lived in Ghana, West Africa since 2016. A native of Dayton, Ohio and Charlotte, North Carolina, she has worked for American Baptist-International Ministries, in partnership with Ghana Baptist Convention to serve as the Social Work Missionary to Ghana.
Now, Founder and Global Servant-Leader of Esteem Resources Africa, Rovaughna helps former Trokosi (victims of ritual servitude), forced labor, human trafficked, and disadvantaged young ladies to address their mental and emotional wounds to better ensure their ability to sustain sound emotional and mental health while building business skills and creating career and education opportunities. "Breaking Chains, Changing Lives through Hope, Faith and Love".
PANELIST - Justin Jordan
Justin participated in college ministry through M28, a local campus ministry through Crossway Community Church at UNC-Charlotte from August 2011 up to May 2015.
He currently serves as the Interim Youth Director at Christ Central Church in Charlotte, NC.
In 2019, he completed a mission education trip to Thailand through SIM USA. For two weeks, he traveled to Chiang Mai, Ayutthya, and Bangkok to learn about current mission efforts through SIM with the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from missionaries on assignment, participate in some of their efforts, and learn more about what all missions entail.
DEVOTIONAL MUSIC - Maestra D’Walla Simmons-Burke
She has held teaching positions in Georgia, South Carolina and presently at Winston-Salem State University (North Carolina) where she is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies for the Department of Music.
Simmons-Burke is the founder of four of the five choral ensembles currently existing within the Music Department at Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem State University Singin’ Divas; Schola Cantorum; Complesso Voce' and the renowned Burke Singers). The Winston-Salem State University Choir (aka Singing Rams) is one of the first student organizations founded at the university. The WSSU Choir has performed with the Gateways Symphony Orchestra; Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra, D'Vorak Symphony Orchestra, Colour of Music Festival Symphony Orchestra and the New England Symphony Orchestra and is well sought after for its performances of master choral works (i.e…Haydn's Creation; Handel's Messiah; Fauré’s Requiem; Rossini’s Stabat Mater; Orff's Carmina Burana; Mozart's Requiem; and Berlioz’s Te Deum), spirituals and world music. Maestra Simmons-Burke has conducted Gabriel Fauré's Requiem with the New England Symphony and Symphony Chorale at Carnegie Hall. She returned to Carnegie Hall to conduct the Winston-Salem State University Choir in a mini concert. Simmons-Burke has also performed internationally with her choral ensembles and as a guest conductor/lecturer in Prague, Czech Republic; Nassau, Bahamas; Accra, Cape Coast & Kumasi, Ghana - West Africa; and Pilanesberg, Cape Town and Johannesburg – South Africa. Maestra Simmons-Burke has conducted The 105 Voices of History Concert Choir as a National Conductor at The John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center and in Nassau, Bahamas. She is a recipient of the 105 Voices of History Kennedy Center Performing Arts Award. During her time with the 105 Voices of History, Simmons-Burke was the National Choral Coordinator and one of three conductors who lead the 105 Voices of History Concert Choir in their inaugural performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Maestra Simmons-Burke's choirs have recorded and produced nine compact disks (In Silent Night; Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing; I Wanna Be Ready; Hold Fast To Dreams; Pieces of A Dream; Joy To the World; 20th Anniversary Celebration In Honor of D'Walla Simmons-Burke; My God is a Rock; The Gift of Peace). She has also produced three DVDs – Collaborative DVD with Singin' Black and White (Shout Hallelujah!: A New South Gospel Christmas); From Racism to Grace+ism and Stony The Road We Trod: Lifting Every Voice…Celebrating the Music of Roland M. Carter.
Under Simmons-Burke's baton, her choral ensembles have performed for and/or with such regional and national and international dignitaries as President George W. Bush; Kweisi Mfume; Susan Taylor; former North Carolina Governor James Hunt; Maya Angelou; Dick Gregory; Patti Austin; Harry Belafonté; Madame President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Pope John Paul II, to name a few. Her exceptional and diverse vocal and choral pedagogies are continuously demonstrated through the outstanding students she has produced. As a result, Simmons-Burke has been the recipient of several teaching awards such as the Winston-Salem State University Patterson Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, Winston-Salem State University Cedric Rodney Service Award and The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts 105 Voices of History National Conductor's Award. Formally, the Recording Academy, in partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation nominated Simmons-Burke for the Grammy's Music Educator of the Year Award. Simmons-Burke has also been the recipient of many community service and performance awards for her achievements in music.
Maestra Simmons-Burke is listed in Outstanding Young Women of America and has held memberships in many other organizations such as the Music Educators National Conference; the American Choral Directors Association; the National Association of African American Studies; the National Association for the Study and Performance of African-American Music; National Association of Negro Musicians; The Intercollegiate Musicians Association; the National Associations for African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Latino Studies; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Moles, and The Links, Inc.
Simmons-Burke has performed leading roles as a soprano in operas, such as Lost in the Stars; LaTraviata; Amahl and the Night Visitors; The Telephone; and The Old Maid and the Thief. She has also made numerous guest appearances as a conductor and adjudicator for high school and middle school All-State/All-County festivals, collegiate choral festivals and workshops. She is often sought after as a sacred music, social justice and multicultural music clinician/lecturer and soprano.
