Authors

See the faces behind the wisdom

Abayomi Salako, MD

Abayomi Salako is an experienced primary care physician whose vocation has been to practice in medically underserved communities. He is a strong proponent of comprehensive health care and its foundational pillars, like easy access to medical treatment, health education, and wellness visits, to name a few.
Dr. Salako recognizes that combating health disparities and dealing with implicit bias and stereotypes are crucial in meeting the quadruple aim of health care. He has been a physician champion in enhancing health care at the individual and community levels. Dr. Salako believes that spirituality is a core component of living a balanced, fruitful life, and has used his faith in Jesus Christ as a compass.

Abayomi received his degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with additional graduate studies in the United Kingdom and New York City. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom.
Abayomi practices hospital-based medicine in New York City and lives in the tristate area with his wife and three children. He has been an active member of Transformation Life Church for many years, currently serving on the Deacon Board and Welcome Team Ministry.

Amorel Sheppard

Amorel Sheppard knows the importance of giving back, serving more than twenty-five years in the nonprofit industry. She is a member of the Certified NonProfit Accounting Professional (CNAP) association. In her position as Co-Fiscal Director, she oversees the organization’s fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities, such as — but not limited to — executive management reporting, developing, and administering the annual budget, treasury, and audit management activities. She was recently honored by the Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized (P.O.W.E.R).

Amorel earned a scholarship to complete her BS in Accounting at Mercy College and went on to receive an MBA from Empire State College, and MS in Accounting and Management from Walden University. She currently serves as a board member on two nonprofit organizations and Transformation Life Church (TLC).

Amorel is married and has one beautiful daughter currently attending college. She enjoys traveling with her family, playing chess, and actively participating in her church, TLC.

Beatrice Duncan, PhD

Dr. Beatrice Duncan is a children’s and women’s advocate, currently working with the United Nations as a rule of law advisor and point-person on minority rights. She is a native of Ghana in West Africa and a graduate of the University of Ghana, Georgetown University, and Birmingham University. Beatrice loves to write. Some of her published works include “Changing Access Rights in Some Cocoa Growing Communities in Ghana,” “Women in Agriculture in Ghana,” and “Global Perspectives on Consolidated Children’s Statutes.” She loves to serve others through cooking and believes that her professional and spiritual experiences are interwoven.

Brenda Armpriester

Brenda is a graduate of Wright State University with an M.S in Counseling and a B.S in Mental Health from Evangel University. She has over 30 years of professional experience in human services and nonprofit management including community mental health; children’s’ protective services; adult protective services; inner-city settlement houses; Area Agencies on Aging; executive director of a private Meals on Wheels program; director of social services in a nursing facility; and currently works as a public guardian for incapacitated elderly.
As the wife of Transformation Life Church’s lead pastor, Jim Armpriester, she has lived in six states and moved her family 14 times. Brenda has served in many areas of church ministry including Children’s Ministry; Women’s Ministry; teaching and speaking. Brenda’s passion is to see people experience the love and grace of God in a transformative way, developing their unique gifts and personality to live productive, meaningful lives full of love, peace, and joy.

Brian Walters

Brian A. Walters migrated to New Jersey from the island of Jamaica in 1977. He completed his undergraduate studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1984, and has held several positions in business for more than 25 years. Brian lists among his greatest passions in life, teaching and writing about all things spiritual. Since the age of 14, his unwavering commitment to his faith has guided him through the twists and turns of life’s journey.
Brian has been a member of Transformation Life Church (TLC), formerly Englewood Assembly of God, since 1994. He spent more than 12 memorable years as the Sunday School teacher for high school students. For more than seven years he has mentored
men of diverse ages as part of his weekly Men’s Bible Study Group.
Most recently, he has spent the last two years teaching TLC’s Adult Bible Study class. He describes his teaching style as one that forces its participants to explore new perspectives of God’s Word while challenging them to read the Bible with newfound enthusiasm.
Brian has been married to his wife, Jennifer, since 1990, and has two beautiful daughters, Briana and Gabrielle.

Colleen Bassett

By profession, Colleen Bassett is a director of Human Resources for a radiology provider in Bergen County, NJ, responsible for everything from payroll and benefits to recruiting and employee counseling. She received Her BS in Management in 1995, her MS in Healthcare Administration in 2004, and her MBA in Organizational Leadership in 2017. She also holds a certification as a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) since 2006.

Colleen aspires to continually learn as much as possible of the Bible on her journey with the Lord and considers it a privilege to serve Him as a contributor to our Daily TLC blog! Her relationship with God began in 2007, and she realizes with each passing year that there is so much more she wants to learn so that she may be a blessing to others and lead a more abundant life in Christ.

Colleen is an active participant in various ministries at Transformation Life Church (TLC) that have included the Preschool Ministry, Couples Ministry, and as a Greeter/Usher. She currently serves as a Board member for the church.

She also enjoys cooking and baking from the heart. She believes [you do not have to spend a lot to show love through the works of your hands]. Crafting, sewing, painting, and organizing are among her other hobbies.

Colleen and her husband, Paul, have four wonderful children ranging in age from 14 to 24 and have two golden doodles. They have been attending TLC since 2016.

Debbie Grant

Debbie Grant has been married to Angel Grant for thirty-five years. She has raised six children and has two beautiful granddaughters. She has faithfully served the Lord for over 30 years at Transformation Life Church (formerly Englewood Assembly of God), where she has been involved in various ministries, including children, youth, Sunday school, and for the past 16 years, young adults.

Debbie has worked at Hawthorne Christian Academy for 17 years and currently holds the position of executive administrative assistant to the Head of School. Before this, Debbie worked for Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 23 years, where her last position held was the manager for the Telecommunication Finance & Administration Department.

Desmond Torruella

Desmond Torruella is proud to acknowledge that he is a child of God and father to two beautiful, intelligent young ladies, Tatyana (24) and Jasmine (almost 19). He recently became a widower, having been married to his lovely wife, Michelle, for 25 years. They both joined Transformation Life Church in February 2019.

In his down time, which he states there is not much of, Desmond enjoys social events, playing group games, watching science fiction, sports, and eating good food. Unique? Maybe not. But he has a playful side more than the average guy.

Desmond holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance, and has worked in this field for approximately 30 years within various industries. They include: industrial service, publishing, food manufacturing, print and fulfillment, import and export. Some of his various responsibilities and area specialties are company turnaround, leadership management, M&A, financial planning, budgeting, financial modeling, analysis, and training.

Gabriella & Trevor McLaughlin

Gabriella and Trevor McLaughlin have been married for just over a year. They are both educators in New Jersey public school districts. Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin have a passion for teaching strong morals, reimagining curriculum, and equipping the next generation of students with a robust, 21st-century education.

Gabriella teaches Special Education (K-6). She graduated from William Paterson University with a BA in General Education, Special Education, and Psychology. Mrs. McLaughlin is currently pursuing a Master’s in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Trevor is an 8th Grade Social Studies teacher. He graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BA in History and Secondary Education. Mr. McLaughlin earned his Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Caldwell University, and he is currently pursuing a Principal’s Certificate.

In their spare time, Gabriella and Trevor enjoy playing with their dog, Leo, and working on DIY projects.

At Transformation Life Church, Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin are involved in Children’s Ministry and host a life group in their home.

Gabrielle Walters

Gabrielle Walters is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a B.S. in Global Communications and Media. She currently works as a marketing program specialist at a small healthcare consulting firm. She has faithfully attended Transformation Life Church (formerly Englewood Assembly of God), since birth. Over the years she has served in various ministries, which includes teaching in the children’s ministry. Gabrielle values physical and emotional wellness, spending much of her time studying and practicing various health and self-care regimens.

Jaime Saul

Jamie Weatherhead-Saul works for an educational non-profit and manages online professional learning for teachers of Advanced Placement globally. In addition, she is currently an MBA candidate with a concentration in Business Management and Leadership. Jamie serves in the worship and youth ministries at Transformation Life Church alongside her husband, Pastor Kesley. She is also mom to an amazing ten-year-old named Myles.

Jorge Cruz

Jorge Cruz is an Education Administrator with the New York City Department of Education and has more than 14 years experience in finance and public administration. Jorge and his wife, Elizabeth, have two lovely daughters. They’ve been members of Transformation Life Church since 2016. When not at work or in ministry, they are involved in their local school community and enjoying family outings, along with sports on weekends.

Lydia Kelly

Lydia Kelly has been the church administrator for Transformation Life Church (TLC) since January 2015 and heads the volunteer sector of ministries at TLC. Prior to her role at the church, she worked primarily in corporate positions within the textile industry in New York City and product development at Toys R Us.

Lydia recommitted her life to Jesus in 1992 and has always believed volunteering to be essential to a healthy Spiritual life. Although Lydia has served in various ministries, she desires to see TLC fully mobilized as “the light of the world” through good works.

Lydia and her husband Nigel have been attending TLC since 2010.

Nancy Luquette

Nancy Luquette is an Executive Vice President and the Chief Risk Officer for S&P Global, a Fortune 500 company based in NYC. Nancy is responsible for the Company’s Risk Management, Compliance and Information Security functions as well as providing oversight for the Internal Audit function.
Nancy has been a member of Transformation Life Church (formerly Englewood Assembly of God) for many years and has served on the Church’s Board as Secretary and is currently the Treasurer where she ensures appropriate management and provides oversight and reporting on the Church’s finances. Nancy also teaches classes at the Church on the foundations of a spiritual life and Financial Peace University, a Biblically based money management course designed to help people get out of debt and build wealth.
Nancy holds a BBA degree from Texas Wesleyan University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Nelda Morales

Nelda Morales is a retired School Psychologist of 27 years. With a love for helping children with psychological and educational needs, her main purpose is about accomplishing God’s call for her life.

Prior to entering the New York City Department of Education, Nelda worked with children whose parents suffer from alcoholism and women who were victims of psychological, emotional, and physical abuse.

Nelda has been married to Eliezer Morales for 29 years. Together they have three children — Christian, Sullie, and Arianna. They reside in Teaneck, NJ, and have been a part of the Transformation Life Church family for 13 years.

Pastor Albert & Yasmin Rosado

Albert and Yasmin met in 1994. Both joined the Assemblies of God, SED Manhattan Section drama team ministry in the Spring of 1996. A friendship was developed within that time, which then evolved into a courtship. On January 31, 1999, Albert asked Yasmin, in the presence of her family and church, to be his future wife. Later that summer, on August 7th, 1999, they took vows to honor and cherish one another. Today, they have two teenage boys, Seth (17) and Isaac (15), and continue to serve and work together in the Couples Ministry at Transformation Life Church for the honor and glory of God.

Pastor Chris Rainey

Chris Rainey is a learning technologies manager, bi-vocational Christian minister, writer/poet, corporate trainer, and curriculum developer. Chris is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God and is a graduate of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary with an M.Div in Christian Education and a BA in Bible from Evangel University. He is originally from Southern Illinois, but has now lived in Northern New Jersey for over twenty-five years. He enjoys reading, hiking, biking, swimming, watching Survivor, and the New York Mets. He resides with Marcia, his wife of over 30 years, and has three daughters.

Pastor Mike Paredes

Mike Paredes is currently a staff pastor at Transformation Life Church. In addition, he works as an industrial salesman and is the chief instructor of his karate dojo, Warrior Martial Arts. He holds a 3rd degree Black Belt in Goshin Ryu karate.

Mike has been a facilitator of various men’s ministries and small group Bible studies for over 20 years and believes studying and applying the Word of God individually and within a small group are essential to leading a healthy Christian life.

Mike grew up in Wood-Ridge and met his wife, Angela, where they attended high school. They have been married for 36 years and have one daughter. They reside in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.

Rev. James Armpriester

As Lead Pastor of Transformation Life Church (TLC), a vibrant, multinational church in the metro New York-New Jersey area, Jim Armpriester has a passion for church planting and church revitalization/health. Prior to coming to New Jersey, he served as the director of Church Planting and Church Health in Ohio and North Texas regional church networks. Additionally, he has served on National Church Planting and Church Health for the Assemblies of God.
Jim is the founder of New Hope, an urban church in Price Hill, OH, where he established feeding programs and job placement programs, as well as initiated and oversaw a strategic partnership with Cincinnati State University to help underserved women complete a Child Development Associate degree.

As Pastor of the First Assembly church, in Niagara Falls, New York, he guided this elderly congregation to rediscover their vision and developed ministries that brought health and vitality. While at First Assembly, he was instrumental in restarting a sister church in North Tonawanda, New York, and developed strategies that mobilized a church-planting network resulting in two additional churches in Buffalo within the last seven years. Prior to his call to full-time ministry, Jim was a molecular biologist for Procter & Gamble.

He holds a B.S. in Biology/Chemistry/Psychology from Evangel University, in Springfield, MO, and attended a Ph.D. program at Wright State University, Dayton, OH. Jim is married to his high school sweetheart Brenda and has two children and two grandchildren.

Jim’s heart is to bring people to Jesus, so that they may live the abundant life Jesus promises His followers. He has dedicated his life to helping people holistically transform via truth, relationships, and service, all in alignment with God’s principles and boundaries of love.

Tamara Dispoto

Tamara Dispoto has been in the professional fitness industry for 10 years, training and coaching clients for weight loss, sports, and overall general health and fitness. Her clients include children, teens, moms, athletes, the physically disabled, and elderIy.

Tamara began her fitness journey at the age of four as a trained dancer for 15 years. She has studied Martial Arts, holds a second-degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo, and is currently a Crossfit trainer.

Tamara states, “I enjoy fitness and pushing my limits to see what I am capable of. This mindset is an easy crossover into our spiritual lives as well. I believe that positive health and fitness is a lifestyle that God intended for us to pursue for both our physical and emotional wellbeing.”

Tamara and her husband, Danny, are currently enjoying life as parents of a beautiful, seven-month-old son, Kailen Judah.

Tereza Taylor

Tereza Taylor believes the most important thing to know about her is that she is a believer in Jesus Christ. As a leader in the Women Celebrate Recovery Ministry at Transformation Life Church (TLC), she strives to encourage women to trust in the Lord and to develop a relationship with Him so His principles can guide them through life — especially in challenging times. She teaches that during recovery, they can depend on His unfailing love, strength, and support.

Tereza has been an administrative assistant at Hillers School in Hackensack, NJ, for the past 16 years. Her goal in life at this time is to serve the Lord and be obedient to Him with all her heart, soul, and mind.

Tereza and her husband, Randy, have been attending TLC since April 2018. She is the proud mother of three adult sons and grandmother of six beautiful grandkids.

Victoria Gracian

Victoria Gracian is the preschool director at Transformation Learning Center, an academic, early childhood program that is a ministry of Transformation Life Church (TLC). Born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, she is a proud Jersey girl! From a young age, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher and pursued an Elementary Education degree with a concentration in Special Education from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.

After graduation, Victoria moved to New Delhi, India, where she worked with Project Rescue, a ministry of the Assemblies of God, teaching special education and working with at-risk girls. Victoria is passionate about seeing people connect to their God-given gifts and passions, especially children and teenagers. Victoria has been a part of TLC (formerly Englewood Assembly of God) for over 30 years and has ministered in children’s ministry for over 20 years. Currently, she lives in Clifton with her incredible husband, Anurag.