Who We Are

Ruben Alvarado, ThM., is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Community Development at Multnomah University. He also serves as a Pastor at Theophilus Church in Milwaukie Oregon. Ruben has been involved in pastoral ministry for 17 years in both rural and urban environments. From 2015-2021 he led his church’s efforts in community development and city outreach helping launch ministries in the areas of houselessness, anti-trafficking, foster care, incarceration, immigration, refugee support, and disability advocacy. Ruben sits on the lead team for Serve PDX, a Portland-based collective of Pastors collaborating to serve our city. He is an Advisory Council Member for Jubilee Hall PDX, as well as a Ministry Council member for New Wine, New Wineskins.

Phil Berlin, a son of Jamaican immigrants, was born and raised in Northeast Portland and is a husband and father.  He has served in various ministry roles in Northeast Portland, primarily in African-American churches. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in banking and finance, while completing a Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Divinity degrees from Multnomah University. During his studies, he has developed a heart for Old Testament biblical theology, trinitarian thought, and African-American church history. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Portland Seminary focusing on the theological and cultural impact of the African-American Church in the city of Portland.

Paul serves as Senior Chaplain for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (OR).

He is an ordained minister in good standing with the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a rostered member chaplain with the International Conference of Police Chaplains and Public Safety Chaplaincy .

Prior to the call to be a full-time law enforcement chaplain, Reverend Lyda served as an Associate Pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, OR. In addition to preaching, teaching, and pastoral care responsibilities, he supported congregational efforts surrounding missions, outreach, and evangelism. This work sought to better encourage, equip, and empower everyone to compassionately serve their neighbors everywhere in response to Jesus’ call to go love our world.

Over the past several years he has pursued and developed collaborative partnerships with: New Wine, New Wineskins (Multnomah Seminary); Union Gospel Mission (Portland); City of Beaverton; Beaverton School District; Institute for Christian-Muslim Understanding; Family Promise (Beaverton); Compassion Connect; and, Medical Teams International (MTI).

Paul is certified in Mental Health First Aid and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). He believes a thoughtful approach to faith-based, trauma-informed ministry is especially needed in conflicted, chaotic, and grief-stricken lives. He received his Master of Divinity (MDiv) from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. Paul also serves on the Board of Directors for the Union Gospel Mission of Portland, as well as the Advisory Council for Public Safety Chaplaincy, and the Ministry Council for New Wine, New Wineskins.  

Paul is blessed to be a husband to Keri (married for 25 years) and a father to their four daughters, Emma, Abby, Olivia, and Molly. He considers it an honor to be known as “abu el banat,” which means “father of daughters” in Arabic. It is through a God-breathed and Spirit-filled faith, Paul echoes the psalmist, singing to the Lord, “Because your love is better than life, I will praise you” (Psalm 63:3, NCV).

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in late 1956, James’ childhood was fairly carefree, having been sheltered from the harsh realities of life by parents who worked hard and long hours, running their restaurant.  His parents had relocated there from China, sometime after the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949.  And the Dominican Republic certainly had its share of political uncertainty, but still James was insulated from those challenges.  That came to an end, with the Dominican Civil War in 1965. 

James, two of his brothers, and his parents settled in Portland, OR in September 1965, then were joined by two older brothers and two older sisters in the summer of 1966.  Over the next few years, all the children attended schools in the Portland area, and their parents tried to operate their own restaurant, finally succeeding after a few attempts.  As American culture became more theirs, they all continued schooling and working together in the family businesses.  James graduated from Oregon State University in June 1979 and rejoined the family restaurant.  After the business was sold in 1981, James was employed by IBM, progressing through a number of positions.  

In August 1984, at his 10-year high school reunion (Tigard High School), James connected with a former classmate, Trudi Cleveland.  They began dating in January 1985, became engaged in March 1986, then were married in August 1986.  Their son Luke was born in February 1988, and their first adopted daughter Eliza was born in August 1992, joining the family the day after her birth.

Trudi had returned to regular church attendance, and it was agreed that the children would be raised with Christian values.  It would be another few years, but James eventually became convinced to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, in November 1995.  Their second adopted daughter joined them in September 1996.  Through the next few years, James absorbed more of God’s Way, and came to embrace and enjoy serving.  A foster daughter joined the family in July 2004, staying until January 2016.

After Trudi began studies at Multnomah Seminary in 2010, James accompanied her to New Wine New Wineskins activities, such as the weekend retreats, the semi-annual conferences held on the university campus, and the cross-cultural dinners with Zen Buddhists.  James credits this participation for the greater recent growth in his faith and in his acceptance of the responsibility that comes with following Christ seriously, representing Him with love and compassion. 

Trudi Sang serves as New Wine, New Wineskins Advisory Council Co-Chair and New Wine Disability Advocate. She is also Director of Care and Serve at NW Christian Church Tigard Campus, President of Interfaith Disability Network of Oregon, Delta Kappa Gamma Beta Beta Chapter Committee Lead (community and school supports), and member of the Early Learning Washington County Steering Committee as a faith representative.

Trudi has received her Master’s in Education with a focus on Early Children and minor in Special Education from the University of Oregon, and her Master of Divinity in Chaplaincy from Multnomah University. She is currently in the process of obtaining a Doctor of Ministry in Cultural Engagement from Multnomah University. Trudi Sang serves on a variety of community networks that address education and the needs of the community. She is a volunteer for the Portland Rose Festival Clowns and has been awarded Clown of the Year in 2018 by Clowns of America International. Trudi is married to James Sang. They have one biological son who has been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome (exhibits similar to autism), two adopted girls who are half-sisters, and a foster daughter. Trudi and James love going to and serving at their church camp, Camp Wi-Ne-Ma on the Oregon coast. They also have a passion for short term missions for families with special needs children; they have served and supported children in Romania and Ukraine.

Encouraging followers of Jesus to enjoy the Father, build others in their faith, and engage in creative, culture-making ministries gets Tom out of bed every morning. For 44 years, He has been immersed in church ministry as a youth pastor, college pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor in seven churches. He has also served as president of a regional association of churches. He teaches at retreats, conferences, and churches throughout the West and has coached varsity football and lacrosse.  Tom has been an Instructor in Pastoral Ministries and Spiritual Formation at Multnomah Biblical Seminary for 24 years. When not shepherding at Gateway Church or teaching at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Tom can be found with his wife, Kathy, hiking in the Gorge, watching the waves at the Oregon Coast, or taking in a movie at one of the area theaters. He also enjoys a good plate of pasta, a round of golf and taking his granddaughter, Aubree Dawn, to the mailbox.

Jim is Native Hawaiian who grew up on the big island of Oregon in Salem. He is married to Glenna and they have two married adult kids and two grandchildren. Jim lives and pastors in Vancouver, WA the ancestral land and waterways of the Chinook Peoples. He received his M.Div from Western Seminary, an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies, ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and pastors at Cascade View Covenant Church in Vancouver. Jim’s been involved with addressing issues of justice, mercy and racial righteousness at local, conference and denominational levels. He was also involved with the work of the ECC’s passing of the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. He serves on the board for Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice.  Jim has a love and passion for his Hawaiian culture as well as the culture and stories of Native American and other Indigenous Peoples.  Jim also enjoys playing music, wood carving, building models and is a Star Wars and Sci-Fi geek.

Heather Timmons, MATS, is a life-long Oregonian who is currently living in Kansas. As her roles have fluctuated from full time homeschool mom, to church staff member, tutor, and student, her core values have stayed the same. These core values include cultivating community through hospitality, teaching, and discipleship. Heather is passionate about seeing people use the gifts God has given them for the building up of the Church. New Wine, New Wineskins is a place where Heather is able to engage ideas in a way that meets practical needs within both larger communities and in the lives of individual people. In her free time, Heather enjoys hiking, reading, and exploring new places and foods with friends and family. 

Music, coffee, and relationships between people, the Godhead, and beliefs give depth to Desiree’s days.

Desiree grew up in the Christian faith in a bilingual, multiracial, multiethnic American family with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. Her experience living in the American Southwest around people from across the US and the world contributed to her drive to discover “the ‘why’ behind the ‘what,’” as she often puts it. It also added to her passion for clear communication.

Since she was a young child, Desiree has been and continues to be involved in ministry and leadership in formal and informal ways. This has included work with worship music teams, youth groups, the elderly, those experiencing homelessness and other trauma, international students, recent immigrants, and community members.

She is continually more convinced of the need for practicality and practice to be wedded to Godly principles. She believes that since we are made in the image of God, the “living out” of our faith is done in light of the nature of God, understanding the relationship between the Persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, truly loving God and others just as God does. She finds this a beautifully challenging and rewarding experience and invites others in her spheres of influence to seek it as well.

Desiree and her husband Sam are parallel entrepreneurs, home educators, and homemakers, and have been married over a decade. They have four children, live with the younger three of them, and fondly remember their firstborn daughter, who was stillborn at 31 weeks.

When not searching for peace and quiet in her downtime, Desiree can be found reading, talking with people, enjoying the great outdoors while hiking, gardening, or picnicking, and brainstorming with her husband and kids. She also enjoys food from around the world.

Cody Whittington serves as the Lead Pastor for The Table Community, a highly relational and non-traditional church in Belgrade, MT. Cody has eleven years of pastoral ministry experience in student ministry, worship, discipleship, and church planting. He and his wife, Christie, have three kids, Cove, Maggie, and Audrey. They moved from Georgia in 2017 to help start The Table but are originally from Texas. Currently, Cody is concluding his doctorate of ministry in Cross-Cultural Engagement and the Church at Multnomah Biblical Seminary. He is looking forward to starting his Ph.D., where he will concentrate on the work of Leslie Newbigin. Cody enjoys teaching on the intersection of theology, culture, and the church. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoor fun of Montana with his family.

CJ Young is the Senior Pastor at Adventure of Faith Church in Port Orchard, Washington. In his current position, he coordinates teams for both local and global outreach, heads up various Christian education opportunities, facilitates leadership development in addition to regular senior pastor duties (counseling, teaching, staff development, preaching/teaching, etc.).  

It took a long time for C.J. to enter into full-time pastoral ministry, but he has been doing it for most of his life as a volunteer.  Vocationally he has worked as a Nuclear Marine Electrician, an inner-city school teacher, and an Instructional Coach for teachers.  C.J. has an A.T.A. in Nuclear Marine Electronics, a B.A. in Education, and an M.Div. from Multnomah Biblical Seminary.

C.J.’s personal calling in life is to help people become the people God has called them to be, and he lives that out in his current vocation by providing creative opportunities for discipleship, for conversations concerning cultural engagement, leadership development, and biblical instruction in various contexts. He is passionate about pursuing missional, biblical community.  He loves serving the community he is in all the different ways he gets to serve them, but his greatest joy is the day-to-day conversations with people seeing how God is working in their everyday lives. C.J. is married to his wife, Jennifer, and has four biological children (Jack, Henry, Calvin, and Joanna Grace) and two bonus daughters (Haley and Allyson).