Board of Directors

Board Position: President
Church: Berean Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York
Region: American Baptist Churches of Metro New York
Committees:  Executive and Governance

Rev. Trevor Hyde is pastor of the historic Berean Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York, where Dr. Arlee Griffin Jr. is senior pastor. Hyde’s role is many-fold and includes supervising staff and servant-leaders; planning special worship and programs; overseeing the operational budget; managing IT services; and engaging the community. Additionally, he is liaison among the church and its subsidiaries, including Berean Credit Union, Berean Community & Family Life Center, Berean Gardens Senior Housing and Berean Housing Development Fund Corp. “Most meaningful to me about serving on the board of directors for ABHMS is the opportunity to partner with a Christ-centered organization that is striving to address the social ills of society with the Gospel of Christ as its lens and excellence as one of its main attributes.”

Church: Primera Iglesia Bautista de Caguas, Puerto Rico
Region: American Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico
Committees: Governance and World Rellief

For the past 13 years, the Rev. Yamina Apolinaris has served as executive director of Corporación Milagros del Amor (“Miracles of Love Corporation”), Caguas, Puerto Rico, serving and working along with homeless individuals, senior citizens and survivors of domestic violence. In addition to being a past regional executive of American Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico, she has served over the years in various leadership roles on many boards at the denomination’s national level. She is interim pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista de Caguas. “The mission of the American Baptist family has been my passion throughout my life,” she says. “I value what we model as a denomination and what we stand for. Much of what I am and what I have accomplished, I owe to my denomination.”

Church: Metropolitan Baptist Church, Largo, Maryland
Region: D.C. Baptist Convention
Committee: Audit

Denise Gibson-Bailey believes that one’s professional and Christian lives must stand together. Thus, her dedication to ministry is as strong as her business acumen. As president of Gibson-Bailey Associates, she provides management consulting and customized training to nonprofit organizations. As an adjunct professor of Business Communications at the University of the District of Columbia, she mentors undergraduate business students. Yet she continues to seek creative ways to serve God and to heal communities. “Through my church and other local organizations, I am actively involved in ministries that are designed to meet the human needs in my community,” she says. She earned a B.A. at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an MBA at Emory University, Atlanta.

Church: Urban Grace Church, Tacoma, Washington
Region: Evergreen Association of American Baptist Churches
Committee: TBA

Rev. Bianca Luna is one of the pastors at Urban Grace Church in Tacoma, Washington, where she has served since the summer of 2021. Her multifaceted role includes leading children’s and youth ministries, overseeing community groups, and guiding the Tacoma Joint Youth Group across the greater Tacoma region. Bianca is passionate about inclusiveness and creating spaces where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. A proud Californian, she loves hiking and spending time in nature; it is one of her favorite ways to worship and witness creation thrive.

Church: Judson Memorial Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN
Region: American Baptist Churches of the Mid-American Region
Committee: Finance

As pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Rev. G. Travis Norvell considers it a privilege to be a part of people’s lives in the pastoral role. He says, “I know of no other job that grants you access to the best and worst moments of life. I get to see people come alive, resurrected even.” He is an adjunct faculty member at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and has served as an American Baptist pastor for 22 years in both small towns and urban churches. Norvell is the author of the Judson Press book Church on the Move: A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Marshall University and an MDiv from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Delighted to be part of the ABHMS board, he explains, “I owe so much of my existence as a pastor to ABHMS. I am excited to give back in whatever ways I can. I believe in the mission of ABHMS; I support its work. I invite others to help make ABHMS a thriving and flourishing organization.”

 Church: Third Baptist Church of Chicago
Region: American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
Committees:  Audit and Executive

Dr. Barbara Ragland serves as president of the Lydia Group Institute: Faith-based Strategies for Congregational Agility, Olympia Fields, Illinois, which provides clergy, lay leaders and executives of faith-based organizations with leadership development and training aimed at operational efficiency and organizational agility. Clients have included congregations, seminaries and religious organizations from across the United States. No stranger to ministry with other boards of directors, Ragland finds that her strengths include organization development, change management and program development. Her experience includes mission with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Convention and the Ghana Baptist Convention. She looks forward to serving with ABHMS’ board because, she says, she seeks “to be a partner in helping to strengthen organizations, congregations and communities throughout the Baptist expanse.”

Church: Salem Baptist Church, North Wales, Pa.
Region: American Baptist churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware
Committees: Executive and Finance

A regional manager at Bayer, Vincent M. Ross is excited about his organization’s ability to bring new and sustainable technology to agriculture. His goal is to continue to bring innovation and research in the agriculture field. “Not only will this [innovation] help feed the world,” he says, “but it will provide employment opportunities.” A mentor in his place of work, he says, “The most rewarding part about my job is to be able to help an employee reach his or her career goals and objectives.” He earned an MBA at the University of Virginia and graduated from the Global Leadership Exchange, St. Louis, Mo. He is a trustee and
a member of the Adult Citizens Board at his church. 

Church: United Church of Granville, Ohio
Region: American Baptist Churches of the Rochester/Genesee Region
Committee: Governance

Rev. Dr. Alissia J. Thompson is pastor of United Church of Granville, Ohio, where she builds and deepens relationships with “thoughtful, compassionate and fun folks.” She finds meaning in journeying alongside fellow Christians on the path of healing, and she strives to foster a community of care wherein people are genuinely invested in one another’s flourishing. A board-certified chaplain and licensed clinical professional counselor, Rev. Thompson holds a Master of Counseling from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago. She is currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry from Fordham University.  Rev. Thompson looks forward to serving on the ABHMS board, “to further God’s mission of peace and justice alongside some extraordinary individuals.”