Rev. Dr. Yvette A. Flunder
Sr. Pastor, City of Refuge UCC/Founder & Presiding Bishop, Refuge Ministries/
The Fellowship

Bishop Flunder is an ordained Minister of the United Church of Christ and a graduate of the Ministry Studies and Master of Arts programs at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California where she now serves as a Trustee.  She received a Doctor of Ministry degree from San

Randa McNamara

Randa McNamara has appeared with B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Richie Havens.  Her television credits include "An Evening at the Improv" and the PBS series "A Time For Music."  She has been a regular at such popular venues as "The Improv" in Los Angeles and New York.  A recipient of the Bistro Award from Backstage Magazine and the MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and

Randa's gospel singing has taken her to many Metropolitan Community Churches including MCC New York, MCC Los Angeles, MCC San Francisco and her home church, Imani MCC in Durham, North Carolina.  She has been featured on the MCC San Francisco float during their city's gay pride parade and rally.  She celebrated gay pride many years in the New York parade leading a gospel jubilee from the MCC New York float.  Her debut recording of gospel music is called REACHING FOR THE FREEDOM INSIDE.

Bishop Carlton Pearson

Bishop Carlton Pearson is the senior pastor of New Dimensions Worship Center located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has pastored for over 30 years, and has been the host and overseer of the annual AZUSA Conferences, held each year in Tulsa and occasionally conducted Coast-to-Coast Conferences across America, for more than 15 years. The ministry and message of Carlton

Pearson and New Dimensions is committed to ‘reconciling our differences, celebrating our diversity, acknowledging our oneness in worship.’

Carlton Pearson served for 15 years on the Oral Roberts University Board of Regents, of which he is also an alumnus, where he majored in Biblical Literature/English Bible and minored in Theology/Historical Studies.  In 1978, Bishop Pearson founded Higher Dimensions Ministries (now New Dimensions), which grew from a traveling evangelistic team in 1977, to a multi-faceted ministry, which included a local church in Tulsa, prison and nursing home outreaches, a national Purity With Purpose Discipleship Program for men and women, with graduates nationally and internationally.

Bishop Pearson was recognized as one of ‘America’s 10 Most Influential Black Ministers by Gospel Today and has received several honorary doctoral degrees.  He is a sought after preacher, conference speaker and singer. In 1993, Carlton married the former Gina Marie Gauthier, and are the proud parents of their son, Julian D’Metrius and daughter, Majestè Amour.

Rev. Lynice Pinkard

Rev. Pinkard was a founding elder and former Associate Pastor of City of Refuge United Church of Christ. She serves now as Pastor of First Congregational Church of Oakland, United Church of Christ.  For the past twenty years, Rev. Pinkard has dedicated her life to the work of

ministry: pastoring, community organizing and engagement, writing, advocacy, counseling and healing. 

Rev. Lynice received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University, and holds Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees from the Pacific School of Religion, as well as a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from California State University, Hayward.  Lynice Pinkard is a practicing family therapist and Program Development Specialist for the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She is a spirited
preacher, vocalist, and activist.

Amanda Ackerman

Amanda Ackerman is 18 years old and is a life long member of MCC (Vision of Hope MCC, Lancaster, PA). She recently graduated from a Performing Arts Charter High School in West Chester, PA and will be going to Millersville University in the Fall. You can hear her solo work on the most recent Delores P. Berry CD. She is the daughter of Jacquie Ackerman and Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman.

Elevation

Since December of 2004, the Elevation Band at MCC Portland has supported its own youth-focused, high-energy Elevation service. Currently comprised of eight members, Elevation creates and plays vibrant music that you can feel from your head to your toes. Their music provides an inclusive voice that speaks for justice, equality, and a passionate

desire to love and serve God. Members of Elevation include Michele Aranguiz (electric violin), Jane Ellis (bass), Randy Faber (vocals), Nicole Highhouse (guitar, vocals), John Huff (vocals), Jess Jones (keyboard, vocals), John Turner (piano), and Sandy Winters (drums).

Back Pew

Back Pew is the band at MCC of the Rockies. We play a variety of styles but generally “Christian Rock” artists such as Casting Crowns, Third Day, Jeremy Camp, and Mark Schultz. We also incorporate secular pop music into worship each week, selecting and

learning a pop song to highlight the main theme of the message for that particular week. The band is made up entirely of members or regular attendees of the church.

Marsha Stevens-Pino

If you "knew her when," you might have known Marsha when she wrote "For Those Tears I Died (Come to the Water)" and started the first Contemporary Christian folk group called Children of the Day. If you "knew her then," you might know she's written a General Conference Theme song for each GC since 1985's "Free to Be." If you know her now, you might know that her latest CD won the 2006 OutMusic Ministry Council and bringing us a new song Award for Best Inspirational Album. 

Michael Malforvin

Michael was born and raised in Orange County, California. He became a member of Christ Chapel MCC when he was 18. Since becoming a member of MCC, Michael Malfavon has been on a mission to change the views of other generation x'ers when it comes to sexuality and religion. "I want people to see that being a young, gay Christian can be possible." Michael has toured with Marsha Stevens. He also appeared at the MCC General Conference in Calgary, Canada as well as at the installation of

MCC's Moderator, Reverend Nancy Wilson, in Washington DC. In December of 2006, Michael founded Into The Light Music Ministry.

Rev. Delores Berry

Rev. Delores Berry is a MCC Evangelist. She is a Preacher, Prayer and a Gospel Singer. She and her spouse Judy visit some 50 Churches around the world each year. Rev. Berry is celebrating her 34-year out of the closet. She joined MCC the same year that she came out.

Rev. Berry is the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Award, presented at the MCC People of African Descent Conference 2006.

Shelly Torres-West

From jazz to contemporary Christian, the silky sounds of Shelly Torres-West will warm your heart.  Shelly began singing jazz and pop at an early age, studied voice at The University of Arkansas and sang in nightclubs from Chicago to LA.  In 1990, she walked into Harvest Metropolitan Community Church and rediscovered the voice that God had given her.  Shelly is a soloist, member of the Praise Team, Chorus and Prayer Team at MCC of Greater Dallas.  She was a member of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas when it recorded “Sing for the Cure” with the Turtle Creek

Chorale and Maya Angelou as narrator.  Her available CD’s include “Next Step” recorded live in Dallas, Texas in 2001 and a digital remix CD of her 1970’s album “Take One” and her first Christian CD is nearing completion.  Shelly Torres-West lives in Aubrey, Texas with her spouse, Rev. Colleen Darraugh, and son, Micah.