Cultivating a Listening Ear and Obstacles to Intimacy with Christ

Dr. Wanda Walborn served at Nyack College for 23 years in the roles of Residence Director, Director of Spiritual Formation, Adjunct Professor and Institutional Professor of Spiritual Formation at Alliance University and Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City. Wanda is also the Founder and Executive Director of Empower, a certificate program for women that equips women in Bible, Theology, Spiritual Formation and Mentoring(empowerww.org). She is the author of the book and leader’s guide, Spiritual Journey, Can I Really Get Close to God? Wanda lives out her passion of mentoring emerging leaders and in her free time, she enjoys reading, the outdoors, walking, spending time with her family and good coffee!

Old Testament Survey

Marlinda is a cofounder and ministry leader at Christ Church with campuses in New Jersey. She promotes a passion for uniting people to God and people to people through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Marlinda was a faculty member at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City and earned a D.Min. in Christian Leadership in the Global Context. She is also an author and a board member for the New York School of Urban Ministry and the Empower ministry training program for women.

Dealing with Grief and Anxiety

Lisa is one of the founding members and has served in multiple roles in Empower. Prayer and mentoring women has been at the center of most of her ministry. She and her husband, Mike, have been in the ministry now for over 40 years. Twenty of those years have been in New City, NY at Risen King Alliance Church where Lisa was on staff. She was responsible for Growth Groups, Pastoral Care, and Leadership Development at Risen King before taking time off for health reasons. Lisa has two grown children, Joseph and Anna and two grandchildren, Ali and Kai.

Role of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Ron Walborn is the Executive Director of Urban Initiatives for Asbury Theological Seminary in New York City. Previously, Ron served as a Professor of Pastoral Theology, Vice President and Dean of Alliance Theological Seminary and Nyack College (Alliance University) in New York City and San Juan Puerto Rico for 24 years. He has a B.A. in History from Nyack College, an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Walborn has planted and pastored churches in Connecticut and California. He has authored one book and numerous articles and chapters for other publications. He has lectured and spoken at churches, conferences and other events both nationally and internationally. Dr. Walborn was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania in a ministry focused family. Ron and his wife, Dr. Wanda Walborn have four married adult children and five beautiful grandchildren.

Understanding Your Calling

Dr. Martin Sanders was a mentor, professor, pastor, consultant, author, and speaker. He spent over 30 years developing the leaders around him. Martin had the vision, passion, and skills to foster leadership development at both local and global levels. For 36 years, he taught, first at Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan, and then for 32 years at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York, NY, where he served as the Doctor of Ministry Program Director for 12 years. Martin gained more than 12 years of pastoral experience in fast-growing, life-changing churches in both Canada and the United States, as well as two extended intentional interim pastorates in Western Australia. Dr. Sanders was also the president and founder of Global Leadership, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to develop the next generation of leaders in under-resourced parts of the world. Through Global Leadership, thousands of leaders were empowered to reach new levels of effectiveness in their personal and professional lives on every continent. Martin and his late wife had four children.

Sadly, Dr. Martin Sanders passed away in January of 2024. Just a few weeks before his passing, he recorded his teaching content for the EmpowerOne course. Martin championed women and championed Empower. We are honored to have the ability to continue to provide his teaching and wisdom to our students.

Addressing Conflict

Michelle Park holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliance University’s Graduate School of Counseling. She has a private practice in Queens, NY where she sees individuals, couples and families, while supervising marriage and family therapy interns and pre-licensed therapists. Michelle was an adjunct instructor for her alma mater. She often partners with her husband Sam, to minister to couples and individuals who are serving in ministry. They live in Queens, NY with their two daughters Sophia and Emma Jay and their adopted border-collie/pointer mix, Lady Paisley.

New Testament Survey

Amy F. Davis Abdallah, PhD, is a wife and mother who writes, teaches, preaches, leads, and mentors in the United States and abroad. She loves all expressions of beauty, mentors many, adventures in cities and on trails, and is a wife and the mama of two boys. Amy is founder and director of Woman: A Rite of Passage program. She authored The Book of Womanhood to empower women to be their true selves in the world. Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything in Between is her latest book.

Prayer and Intercession

Dr. Plunket is the Senior Pastor of Risen King Church in New City, NY. He was an adjunct professor in the Pastoral Ministry Department at Nyack College in Nyack, NY. Mike earned his Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi and his D.Min. at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY. Since his ordination in 1986, Mike has organized, helped start, and pastored five churches in Mexico City, Mexico and Atlanta, Georgia. He is also an instructor with College of Prayer International and has led prayer gatherings for ministry leaders in Uganda, Norway and Ecuador.

Theology of the Kingdom

Dr. Reimer earned a B.A. in English from King’s College, an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He was the founding pastor and until June 2017, the lead pastor of South Shore Community Church. He was a professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in the Doctor of Ministry program. Rob is also an accomplished author. His books, Soul Care, Deep Faith, River Dwellers, and Pathways to the King are sold worldwide. Rob regularly speaks at conferences, leadership retreats, mission fields, churches, and seminaries in the United States and abroad. Rob and his wife, Jen, are the parents of four children, Danielle, Courtney, Darcy, and Craig. The Reimers have one grandson, Caius.

Identifying & Healing Family Wounds

Sandy received her B.A. in Social Welfare at U.C. Berkeley and her M.A. in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Missions at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. In 2002, she and her husband joined San Jose Christian Alliance Church as missionary candidates and now serve as senior leaders (with their four daughters). Since 2011, she has been the founding director of Gateway Preschool Academy. Sandy joined Empower in 2016 as the first live stream student. Her ministry passion is to develop and empower courageous leaders of all ages to be powerful ambassadors for Christ.

Professor: Community and Mission of the Church

Dr. Ingrid Davis is a Certified Leadership Coach. She has her B.S. in Education, an M.A. in Intercultural Studies, and a D.Min. in Global Leadership. As a former International Worker with the C&MA in Mali, West Africa, Ingrid has a heart to develop women who will be a part of God’s restoration project. She loves to see Empower women who are investing in themselves and their development – to be all that God has created them to be and to then turn around and invest in others.

Spiritual Gift

The Rev. Dr. Charles O. Galbreath is the Senior Pastor of Alliance Tabernacle Church in Brooklyn, NY. He previously served as the Associate Dean, Director of Field Education, and Partnering Professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City. In 2017, he was elected to the Board of Directors for The Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Dr. Galbreath serves on Brooklyn Community Board 17, the SUNY Downstate Medical Center’s Community Advisory Board, the Clergy Advisory Council of the Fire Department of the City of New York, The Center for Community Alternatives, and as the treasurer of the 67th  Precinct Clergy Council (The God Squad). He currently serves on Brooklyn Borough President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Community Partnerships.

Dr. Galbreath earned his undergraduate degree at Nyack College, an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary and a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Galbreath earned his Ph.D. from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education in 2020. Charles is married to his college sweetheart, Flobien Vidal Galbreath. They are the proud parents of three children—Charles Oliver, Jr., Malia Marie, and Grayson Alexander.