Program

BIBLE EXPOSITOR

Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large, multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. He is also a key speaker for Emotionally Healthy Discipleship—a movement that has touched hundreds of thousands of people. Rich graduated with a BA in pastoral ministry and theology from Nyack College. He went on to complete his Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. His award-winning book, The Deeply Formed Life, was released in September 2020. His latest book, Good and Beautiful and Kind, was released in July 2022. He and his wife, Rosie, have two beautiful children and reside in Long Island, New York.

WORSHIP DIRECTOR

Edwin “Imer” Santiago is passionate about celebrating unity through diversity, assisting others in better understanding their cultural and ethnic identities, and helping everyone improve at being a loving, global citizen. His love for multiethnic worship has led him to partner with InterVarsity in many spaces, including Urbana Conferences 06, 09, 18, and 22. Imer’s 2013 “Hidden Journey” album received consideration in several categories in the GRAMMY & Latin GRAMMY Awards. He also serves as the Director of Bands at St. Cloud Middle School in St. Cloud, Florida. 

Chelir Elyese Mule-Kivindyo is a leader of impact with a passion to see people’s lives changed by the gospel. She currently serves within Black Campus Ministries as an Associate National Director and is in her 11th year on staff. She did not take the traditional path to coming on staff as she was introduced to InterVarsity after receiving an Urbana 12 invite from her seminary. Beginning her staff career part-time, Chelir planted ministry at Texas Southern University while continuing work as a Pipeline Engineer and pursuing her Masters of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. She transitioned to full-time three years later, staffing two campuses and coaching staff across the Red River Region on how to strategically reach and grow ministry to Black students. As a planter, licensed minister, champion of BCM leaders, strategist, and innovator, God has opened up countless opportunities for Chelir to use her gifts. From campus planting to resource creation, from staffing Red River mission projects to staffing the Kenya Global Program, from focusing on HBCUs to leading BCM ministry teams across the nation, her leadership within InterVarsity continues to reach new heights. Chelir is a missionary at heart. On a trip to Kenya she met her husband, Cosmus, and they are the proud parents of Cosmus Jr. (3) and Beryl Mwelu (1). Chelir enjoys serving on the clergy team of her local church and volunteering with the children’s ministry and congregational care ministry. She loves community and often gathers friends and family to play games or go on an adventure. It fills her extroverted cup!

Gabe Wong is in his third year on staff at his alma mater San Diego State University with Greek IV. He serves on the Gen Z Council for InterVarsity, consulting on national events like Staff Conference. He’s an experienced emcee having hosted last summer’s online Orientation for New Staff and the last two National Greek Conferences (and his cousin’s wedding, too!) He graduated with a bachelors in Organizational Psychology, and is currently working on his Masters of Management in Nonprofit Administration at Biola. As a second-generation Chinese American by way of Hong Kong and Burma, his love for all things food, cooking, and eating comes from his family’s history of gathering around the dinner table to share a meal. As a pastor's kid he grew up in the church and credits a lot of his early formation to his local church community and family life. Entering college at San Diego State going Greek was at the bottom of his priority list, but God had other plans. He joined a fraternity and started a bible study in his house. Over his three years as a student leader, he witnessed over 20 of his fraternity brothers come to faith. In his spare time, you can catch him surfing, cooking, or working out in his former staff worker’s home gym.