OUR TEAM
Dr. Steven Blunt,
Co-Director
Dr. Blunt proudly served as pastor of the Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church of Windsor, N.C. He is the former President of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia (the youngest President elected in state convention history) providing leadership to some 1,075 African-American churches across the state of Virginia. Dr. Blunt has served and continues to serve in various community dynamics such as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Commission on Youth, The Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council, the Board of Directors for the Western Tidewater Community Service Board, the Board of Advisors for Dominion Energy, the Executive & General Board of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, the Suffolk Chapter of the American Red Cross, and on several other communal advocacy organizations throughout the Hampton Roads Area and the Commonwealth.
Dr. Denise Janssen
Project Manager
Dr. Cheryle Walters Rodriguez
Co-Director
Dr. Cheryle Walters Rodriguez is a Christian educator who is passionate about helping people experience God in everyday life. Cheryle's doctoral work focused on theophany and the pneumatological presence of the Creator--philosophies she integrates into her teaching. Cheryle works with churches and other groups by helping them embrace nature and God's other creation as a gift to worship God more authentically. Cheryle works with church families, helping them embrace authenticity as a gift to serve the Kingdom. Cheryle has been associated with the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology since 2014 as a student and educator.
Dr. Timothy Lucas
Technology & Communications
Dr. Denise Janssen is a Christian educator, author, and scholar presently serving as Associate Research Professor of Christian Education at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. Her research focuses on faith transitions in life, particularly the transition from adolescence into young adulthood, using ethnographic research as a primary tool of inquiry. She is the author of five books and numerous articles and curriculum resources and has written and managed a grant project portfolio totaling over $3 million for the School of Theology. She brings expertise in strategic planning, fundraising, publishing/editorial, congregational research, and 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Denise is serving as grant manager for Thriving Congregations.
Timothy Lucas is a Veteran of the US Marine Corps. He has designed websites, developed social media campaigns, and provided marketing advice to dozens of nonprofit organizations, businesses, churches, and independent contractors in the continental United States and overseas locations. He also provides organizations leadership and spiritual, economic, financial, and vocational development training. Timothy is also an ordained pastor, a distinguished musician, and a published author. He is a graduate of the STVU with a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree and Master of Arts in Christian Education.