April Alkema is the Associate Pastor at Woven, a NWC in Fresno, CA. She is also an Adjunct Faculty at Fresno Pacific University in Biblical & Religious Studies. As a candidate for ordination, April seeks to use the residency experience as a time to gain skills for starting a new ministry initiative integrating theology and the arts. She is passionate about the capacity of art-making to be a vehicle for healing and a transformative power in the world. April has a background in this work from her time at Fuller, exploring the intersection of theology, spirituality and art through the resources of the Brehm Center. April is also an artist, and enjoys the grounding practices of contemplative spirituality, yoga, and hospitality.
Fabiana Araujo is a strong and dedicated Brazilian woman, architect and has served the Presbyterian Church of Brazil as worship leader for the past 20 years, assisting her husband Rev Dorival Xechel from North to South of Brazil. She was founder and teacher in the Social Musical Project for the Plantation of the Presbyterian Church of Torres in Greater Florianopolis, SC in partnership with PMC (Cooperative Missionary Plan).
Since 2017 she has been actively involved in planting the On the Way Church in Lawrenceville, GA, voluntarily serving as a worship leader and since mid-2019 she has assisted in planting Casa Brasil Church in Johns Creek, GA. In 1001 Ministry she intends to serve fully cooperating in the formation of ministries, especially in the musical area of both churches.
Wilson Fernandes Junior is resident at Shalom International Community Church of Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is from Brazil, software developer, married and has two children. Previously, Junior helped to plant a new church in city of Sao Paulo, and he served as a musician and worship leader. In 2008, Junior received a word of the Holy Spirit in his heart to help plant a new Presbyterian Church of Recreio in the city of Rio de Janeiro. He served as a musician, teenager leader, Sunday school teacher and Elder. He is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Christian Missionary Association IDE in Mozambique, which, among other activities, has a children’s education school.
Letiah Fraser is a New York City native who now lives in Kansas City. She is an ordained pastor, an activist/organizer connected with the KS Poor People’s Campaign; A National Call for Moral Revival, a disability rights advocate, a hospital chaplain, and a doctoral student.
She enjoys traveling and participating in new adventures. She is passionate about the intersections of faith, race, and disability. She identifies as a proud African American and becoming a Christian woman who lives with a physical disability.
Letiah received her B.S. in Adolescent Education and English from Nyack College in New York. She received her Masters of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. She is also currently completing her Doctorate of Ministry degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary. Her focus is on spiritual formation and disability theology.
Madison Mae Parker is an artist and a space-maker. Holding a BA from Texas A&M University in English Creative Writing, she owes her loud vocals and rambunctious laughter to her Texas roots. She is a second-year resident with The Open Table in Kansas City, MO and currently exploring the intersections of human connection and art within her NWC. Her love of the young people, the arts, and the stories that make us human are her motivations to ultimately remind others that they are not alone. She believes art lives in us all, and that is the Divine speaking through us. When she is not art-ing, you can find her watching anime and eating Hot Cheetos with her cat MeowZaki.
Riley Pickett is a 1001 New Worshipping Community Resident at Hagar’s Community Church in Tacoma, Washington. She holds her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary with a certificate in Women, Theology, and Gender. She is a candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). Hailing from the Gulf Coast, Riley calls New Orleans home but is looking forward to finding another home in Tacoma with her soon-to-be wife, Shawna. In the past five years, Riley has spent time as a middle school English teacher, Young Adult Volunteer through the Presbyterian Mission Agency, pastoral and chaplain intern, and youth director. Riley is passionate about creating worshipping spaces with people who haven’t felt at home in the Church, especially people who have been excluded on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. When she’s not at Hagar’s, you can find her spending time with her partner, reading, hiking, looking productive at a coffee shop, or listening to a podcast.
Jessika Waldron is the new Resident for The Table, Casper Wyoming. Discerning a call to ministry, Jessika attends Iona, an outreach Seminary for rural communities through the Seminary of the Southwest. Serving the community in a variety of ways, Jessika finds peace in creating healing through relationship building, compassionate listening and hospitality. Former Montessori Teacher, Senior Life Enrichment Coordinator and Teen Librarian, Jessika recognizes the deep longing for meaningful spirituality at every age. Jessika has a passion for illuminating spiritual gifts and plugging her community into the source of those gifts for the greater good. When not engaging full-heartedly with her spiritual community, Jessika can be found lounging with her husband and two daughters on a patch of green earth, practicing Qigong or snuggling with her fur babies.
