The Rev. Derek Terry

The Rev. Derek Terry is the Coalition’s President. He was born, raised and educated in Louisville, KY, and currently lives in Cincinnati, OH where he is the pastor at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, a thoroughly diverse multicultural and multigenerational congregation that is a shining example of how different populations can work and worship together. He holds bachelors and masters degrees in biochemistry/molecular biology as well as an M.Div. As a bi-vocational minister, Derek founded Yatuma Naturals, which specializes in natural skin and hair products, natural clothing, and peace beads. Yatuma is Swahili for sweet/gentle. He is a published author of two books and the Black & Queer Icons 2019 Wall Calendar featuring twelve famous Black Same Gender Loving Individuals in history. His third book, Race, Rage & Fear will be out soon. Derek Also hosts a weekly podcast, A Region in My Mind. Derek’s pronouns are “he, him, his.”

The Rev. Kevin Tindell

The Rev. Kevin E. Tindell is the Coalition’s Vice-President. He is an ordained minister in the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. He currently serves the Executive Minister of Special Projects of God Can Ministries UCC in Chicago. Kevin counsels and coaches many who struggle with their identity, especially with regard to their spirituality and sexuality. He has served on the UCC’s Chicago Metropolitan Association Council and Congregational Life Committee. He and his husband, William, are the proud parents of three sons: Carter, Christian and Camran. Kevin’s pronouns are “he, him, his.”

The Rev. Lesley Jones

The Rev. Lesley E. Jones is the founder and senior pastor of Truth & Destiny Fellowship United Church of Christ in Cincinnati, OH. Born in New Bern, NC , to teenage parents, she spent her early years being raised by grandparents who taught her early about “unconditional love” and “uncompromising faith.” She is a 1990 graduate of Miami University (OH) with a B.S. in Social Science Education. She also holds certificates in ministry, pastoral counseling and organizational leadership. Among many other leadership roles, she has served as the executive director for both the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and Equality Cincinnati. Pastor Jones has ministerial standing both in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries and the United Church of Christ. Lesley’s pronouns are “she, her, hers.”

The Rev. Mak Kneebone

The Rev. Mak Kneebone is the Associate Pastor at Portage UCC in Portage, Michigan. Mak is passionate about creating wholeness in our broken world by following the path of Jesus as Christ. This includes working on peacemaking, crafting inclusive and nonviolent liturgies, having conversations about privilege and the intersections of oppression, as well as having the honor of providing pastoral care and leading worship. Mak’s pronouns are “he, him, his.”

Dr. Greg Carey

Dr. Greg Carey is Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary. His published books include Stories Jesus Told: How to Read a Parable; Using Our Outside Voice: Public Biblical Interpretation, and Sinners: Jesus and His Earliest Followers. He has appeared on the PBS, BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Channel. He is a graduate of Rhodes College (BA) and Vanderbilt University (MA, PhD). An active UCC layperson, Greg frequently provides education for congregations and other organizations as part of their ONA discernment process. Greg’s pronouns are “he, him, his.”

Lisbeth Melendez Rivera, M.A.L.

Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera is a 30+ year veteran of the LGBTQ and Labor movements. Lisbeth has extensive experience organizing and training at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity and culture specifically as they relate to communities of color. Lisbeth has crisscrossed the country training workers and community leaders in organizing, leadership development and community building strategies from a grassroots perspective. She has also done extensive work supporting LGBTQ+ leaders in America Latina. Lisbeth, is the former Director of Faith Outreach & Training at the Human Rights Campaign, where she worked with people of Faith across denominations to ensure we can be who we are, love who we love and practice our faith free of judgement. A biologist and sociologist by education with a solid Jesuit and SND formation, that makes her passions flare and her days move forward. Today, Lisbeth lives in Hyattsville, MD alongside her wife, Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz and their chosen family, both human and furry! Lisbeth’s pronouns are “she, her, hers.”

The Rev. Dr. Katrina Roseboro-Marsh, Executive Director

Rev. Dr. Katrina Roseboro-Marsh is ordained clergy and holds ministerial standing with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ – DOC) of Northern California-Nevada region and The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). She served under Rivers of Living Water Ministries NY/NJ UCC as an Associate Pastor for 12 years. She is a member of City of Refuge UCC, Oakland, California.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in New York, and a Doctor of Ministry in Interfaith Clinical Education in Psychological Pastoral Counseling from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR).

Dr. Roseboro-Marsh has over 16 years of experience as a clinician. She works with individuals, couples, and families using an integrative approach in her private practice, A Fit Mind Professional Counseling (AFMPC). She also offers Spiritual Direction and Counseling, and mediation services through AFMPC. She works mostly with clients who are LGBTQIA+ identified, and particularly with those who also identify as African American and have an active religious and/or spiritual practice.

Dr. Roseboro-Marsh is also a published poet, grant writer, and an expert mental health voice in The Magazine and Blog of the National MS Society. She has led trainings, classes, and mental health workshops for organizations including Trauma Informed Care for African American LGBTQI Communities (Akron AIDS Collaborative – AAC) and Maintaining Mental and Spiritual Health During This Prolonged Pandemic Time (Northern CA/NV – DOC).

She is married to the Rev. Tana Roseboro-Marsh, and they reside on the east coast with their Morkie, Xola Darling Roseboro-Marsh. Katrina’s pronouns are “she, her, hers.”

Ann Randall, Financial Director

Ann M. Randall, CPA, has an accounting and financial-management practice in South Euclid, Ohio, working primarily with non-profits and small businesses. She has worked in the non-profit sector for 30 years. Some of her proudest achievements include facilitating racial diversity and parent involvement in her children’s elementary school. She served as the Christian educator in a Presbyterian More Light Church for many years. Ann’s pronouns are “she, her, hers.”
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The Rev. Ellen Huffman, Operations Director

Ellen Huffman is an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ denomination. She has an M.Div. from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and an M.A. in Tibetan Buddhism and Sanskrit from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Her thesis and research are centered on how the body has been viewed and utilized in Buddhist traditions, and what these views can offer people navigating body dysmorphia, fatphobia, and diet culture today. Ellen has a background in non-profit work and community organizing, with an emphasis on accompaniment work in the Global South. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Ellen has a home in Cleveland with her partner and their many plants. Ellen’s pronouns are “she, her, hers.”
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