Our Team – Churches for Middle East Peace

Meet the CMEP Team

The full CMEP Team is made up of not only highly qualified, passionate, and innovative staff members but also bright Ambassador Warren Clark Fellows, dutiful interns and volunteers as well as committed board members and an esteemed leadership council of prominent diplomats (retired), politicians, church leaders, academics, and business and media professionals with a particular interest and connection to the Middle East.

We are grateful for each individual’s experience, wisdom,
and work on behalf of CMEP and peace.

Staff Members

Board Members

Leadership Council

Regional Coordinators

Staff Members

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Executive Director

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America…

Cannon formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International in Jerusalem; as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, California; and as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. Cannon holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.

Social Justice Handbook: Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World (Bridgeleader Books)
Just Spirituality: Just Spirituality: How Faith Practices Fuel Social Action
A Land Full of God: A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land
Beyond Hashtag Activism Beyond Hashtag Activism: Comprehensive Justice for a Complicated Age

Kyle Cristofalo

Senior Director of Advocacy & Government Relations | Special Advisor to the Executive Director

At CMEP, Kyle leads advocacy efforts with Congress and the Administration in advance of the organization’s policy priorities. He also liaises with CMEP’s domestic coalition partners.

Kyle was first introduced to Middle East advocacy work during a semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt. After graduating from college, Kyle spent 10 months serving with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he was seconded to work with Bethlehem Bible College.

Kyle holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master of Divinity Degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

Kyle has over a decade of experience in advocacy and government relations work related to the Middle East having previously served at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) and the Presbyterian Church USA’s Office of Public Witness.

Nicole Parker

Senior Director of Systems, Reporting, and HR

Nicole earned her Masters in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy from Palmer Seminary of Eastern University in Saint Davids, PA.

Before joining CMEP, Nicole worked with an educational non-profit near Chicago and as a high school teacher near Atlanta. Nicole believes deeply that the way we love our neighbors says a lot about our love for God. She lives near Grand Rapids, MI.

Destiny Magnett

Programs and Outreach Manager

Destiny Magnett is the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) where she serves as the primary liaison for church partners, leads much of CMEP’s online and in-person programming, and co-leads the regional coordinator program.

Destiny holds a Master of Theological Studies Degree and Religion & Public Life Certificate from Harvard Divinity School, where her work focused on decoloniality, religious ethics, peacebuilding, and religion in the public sphere. She also holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College. Prior to joining CMEP, Destiny has previously served intersection of religion and peacebuilding in a variety of spheres, including the Office of International Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State, Search for Common Ground– Jordan, Harvard’s Office of Religion and Public Life, and on the digital humanities project Mapping Islamophobia. Destiny is also a member of the inaugural cohort of the storytelling fellows with The Narrative Project of the Christian Century and has appeared in Baptist News Global, the New Lines Institute, ChristianZionism.org, and more. While born and raised in Kansas, she is now based in the Boston area.

Rev. Dr. Stephen Murray

Chief Development Officer

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Murray came to CMEP from Georgetown University, where he served as Senior Director of Development for Family Philanthropy, overseeing university-wide fundraising with the family members of current students and where he taught in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

He served previously as President and Professor of Systematic Theology and Preaching at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan; as Executive Director of the Congregational Library and Archives in Boston, Massachusetts; as founding Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Religion at Barrytown College; as chaplain and on the faculty at Harvard University, Skidmore College, Endicott College, and Suffolk University; and as Magee Fellow and Director of the Public Service Internship Program at the Dwight Hall Center for Public Service and Social Justice at Yale University. He also has taught at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Auburn Theological Seminary, Niagara University, and the Advanced Studies in England Program in Bath. Formerly Executive Minister and Head of Communion of the International Council of Community Churches, he has served as the pastor of American Baptist, Congregationalist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, and United Church of Christ congregations in urban, suburban, and rural settings of Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York.

Dr. Murray earned the B.A. in philosophy and religion from Bucknell University, the M.B.A. from Endicott College, the M.Div. from Yale University Divinity School, and the M.Phil. and Ph.D. in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York. A scholar in the fields of Christian theology, religion and the arts, homiletics, and interfaith dialogue, he has published five books in these fields.

The Center for American Progress named Dr. Murray among “16 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2016” for his advocacy on LGBTQ issues before the Michigan state legislature. In 2015, the Metropolitan Christian Council of Detroit-Windsor presented him with the Stewart Kerr Ecumenical Award, and in 2017, the Detroit City Council awarded him with a “Spirit of Detroit” Award for his work in religious and spiritual leadership in Detroit. In 2019, Dr. Murray received the Luke Mowbray Ecumenical Award, the highest honor for ecumenical and interfaith ministry awarded by the American Baptist Churches USA. In 2011, he was the subject of an Emmy award-winning episode of EBRU TV’s show PODIUM, focusing on the challenge of moving from debate to dialogue in inter-religious encounter.

Dr. Murray is on the Commission on Interfaith Relations of the Baptist World Alliance (having served previously on the Commission on Christian Ethics from 2015-2020), is a member of the Board of Governors for Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Religions Advisory Network of the National Museum for American Religion in Washington, D.C. He previously served on the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches, the Religions Advisory Board of the National Museum for American Religion, and the Board of Directors of the Dwight Hall Center for Public Service and Social Justice at Yale University, the Massachusetts Bible Society, the Massachusetts American Baptist Historical Society, and the Capital Region Theological Center in Albany, New York. He was Co-Chair of the Theologians Commission of the American Baptist Churches USA, served as a member of the international think tank of The Elijah Interfaith Institute in Jerusalem, on the Alumni/ae Council of Union Theological Seminary in New York, was the founding Managing Editor of The Journal of Inter-Religious Studies, and is a past president of the North American Paul Tillich Society.

Niamaya King

Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director

Niamaya is the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director at Churches for Middle East Peace. She will be completing her undergraduate studies this May, obtaining a B.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and a B.A. in Philosophy from Tel Aviv University. Her studies have focused on statelessness, international relations, and Jewish and Islamic philosophy.

While spending two years in Tel Aviv, she became passionate about peacebuilding work and the pursuit of a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Inspired by her experience in the Middle East and her own multi-faith background, she believes that religion plays a crucial role in conflict resolution.

Her past professional experience includes work with education-based non-profits, such as ESOL program management and college advising for first-generation low-income high school students; as well as with the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy as a proposal/grant writing intern.

Christopher Huth

Middle East Partnerships Manager

Christopher Huth is our Project Coordinator for the Executive Director and Communications Coordinator at the CMEP Office in DC. He grew up moving back and forth between Berlin, Germany – Beirut, Lebanon – and NYC, NY.

This ultimately inspired him to pursue a double major in Political Science and History at Brooklyn College. While there Christopher joined many social justice groups particularly concerned with Armenian and Middle Eastern issues. In 2022 he moved to Washington DC to pursue a Master’s in International Peace and Conflict Resolution” from the School of International Service at American University. During his studies, he interned with the Institute of World Affairs where he helped implement a conflict resolution and violence prevention program before ultimately graduating and joining CMEP.

Fayelle Ewuakye

Digital Media Manager

Fayelle earned her B.A. in Humanities at Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, Alabama with a concentration in Anthropology and Geography.

She has over a decade of social media, graphic design, website maintenance experience for several organizations in northwest Georgia and finds the gifts and benefits of digital media to be great blessings toward any organization wishing to reach out to the masses. Fayelle wants to be a part of some meaningful work, both locally and globally, and believes peace, justice, and activism are things the public at large needs to know more about.

Raven Diaz-Smith

Administration and Development Coordinator

Raven holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Native American Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Before joining CMEP, Raven spent four years as a Software Quality Assurance Analyst at the largest tech employer in Oklahoma City.

Raven is driven by a lifelong passion for making a positive impact, she believes her role at CMEP will help her achieve this mission.

Wes Avram

Academic Engagement Advisor

Wes has led three congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), most recently Pinnacle Presbyterian in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he is Emeritus Senior Pastor. He served as College Chaplain at Bates College and Clement-Muehl Assistant Professor at Yale Divinity School. He holds a PhD in Rhetoric from Northwestern University and an MDiv from Princeton Seminary. While in seminary, he spent a summer in ecumenical engagement in Egypt and Israel/Palestine. As a Graduate Fellow from Princeton Seminary, he studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Inter-faith Academy of Peace at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute concentrating on the history of conflict in Israel/Palestine, peace studies, post-Holocaust thought, and dissent within Zionism.

He has led study tours, hosted speakers, and taught on Israel/Palestine. He served on the board of the Center for Middle East Studies at North Park University, the Dean’s Advisory Council at Yale Divinity School, and the Faith Leaders Advisory Council of Bright Stars of Bethlehem. Wes is the editor of Anxious About Empire: Theological Reflections on the New Global Realities (Brazos, 2005) and author of Where the Light Shines Through (Brazos, 2006). He is drawn to this volunteer role out of support for the mission of CMEP and its staff, a sense of the urgency of the moment, and an awareness of connection between his experience and the desires of CMEP to deepen its academic engagement.

Joe Kurian

Development Strategist and Operations Advisor

Joe serves as an advisor to the CMEP team providing guidance on a variety of areas from Strategy to Development to Operations. Joe studied at the Oxford Brookes University and is qualified as a Chartered Accountant (England & Wales). He has navigated a long corporate career including Business leadership roles at Microsoft, KPMG and Alaska Airlines. His recent emphasis is on leveraging those learnings for the non-profit sector including stints at World Vision and PATH. He describes himself as a catalyst for faith-based non-profits, enabling them to maximize their impact and achieve their full potential. Joe is a life-long Elder in the Presbyterian denomination and currently serves on the Advisory Board of World Relief Western Washington.

Fellows

Dr. Allison Wattenbarger

Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow

Dr. Allison Wattenbarger is a CMEP Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow. She earned her ThD in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Duke University, and holds an M.Div. from Duke and a B.A. in English Literature and Jewish Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as an educator and facilitator both domestically and abroad, including at Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem.

Allison’s academic research focuses on changing trends in biblical interpretation in the context of Palestine and Israel.

Dr. Rubin James Yi McClain

Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow

Rubin is an Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies at the University of Glasgow, holds a Th.M. in Biblical Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, and an M.A. in New Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His research examines multiethnic identities in the Greco-Roman and New Testament world. He also focuses on the intersections of biblical studies, theology of the land, and the influence of Evangelical theology on perspectives of Israel and Palestine.

Rubin has lived in northern Iraq, made frequent trips to East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and is deeply committed to ecumenical and multifaith initiatives for peace. His work bridges academic research and public theology, seeking to equip Christian communities for informed, compassionate engagement in peacebuilding across religious and cultural divides.

Current Interns

Tyler Stermasi

Advocacy and government affairs intern

Tyler Stermasi is an undergraduate senior at the University of Michigan majoring in International Studies and Middle Eastern studies with a minor in Arabic Language Studies. His previous internship and extracurricular experiences involved open-source data analysis, opinionated current events coverage, and independent research. He is especially interested in the tactics of modern Authoritarian states, a topic he is studying further through the University’s Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS) Honors Program. He is excited to put his research and analytical skills towards building equitable solutions to violent conflicts, both within and outside the Middle East.

Angela Crandall

Evangelical outreach intern

Angela Crandall is currently a postgraduate student at the prestigious King’s College London in London, England, pursuing a master’s degree in Global Religion and Society in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. She graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Religious Studies with a cognate in Theology and Apologetics, where she served as a shepherd in Liberty’s discipleship ministry. She is passionate about the pursuit of complete harmony and peace among the Abrahamic faiths and the implementation of a holistic attitude towards various conflicts in the Middle East by educating individuals on theological advocacy and history.

Richard McDaniel

Communications Intern

Richard McDaniel is an undergraduate political science student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Last summer, Richard worked between Jerusalem and Bethlehem for a Palestinian Christian-run reconciliation organization. After he receives his degree, he hopes to attend graduate school and eventually work in the field of international relations.

Maxim Makatsaria

Nonprofit Administration Intern

Max Makatsaria is currently pursuing a major in International Politics with a minor in Economics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is dedicated to fostering global stability and peace, and has a background in facilitating civil discourse among students and educators to navigate political disagreements, especially surrounding conflicts in the Middle East. Driven by a desire to enhance the effectiveness of US foreign policy, Max is particularly focused on bridging domestic political fractures to better support international intervention efforts.

Brecken Costley

Education and Church Engagement Intern

Brecken Costley is a graduate student at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service. Her passion for the Middle East is representative of her participation in Georgetown’s Israel-Palestine Peace Negotiation Simulation, a Model Arab League Regional Conference, and has taken courses on international negotiations, security, economy, and politics in MENA. Her previous academic and professional experiences include a study abroad for intensive Arabic in Cairo, congressional casework, and military service in the Air Force. Her passion for peace in the Middle East stems from her exposure to US military engagements in the region and her faith-based peacemaker values.

volunteers

Board Members

Alliance of Baptists

Rev. William T. Young IV

American Friends Service Committee

Jennifer Bing

American Baptist Churches USA

Juliana Herrera
Development Coordinator

She holds a B.A. in International Relations from the Universidad Autónoma de Colombia in Bogotá (2012) and an M.A. in Nonprofit Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus (2023). Having grown up with a deep appreciation for global perspectives and faith-based service, Juliana is passionate about the nonprofit sector and about creating opportunities for connection, understanding, and advocacy. She works to support ministries, strengthen partnerships, and encourage generous engagement across the ABCUSA family.

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Fr. Thomas Zain
Chairman of Inter-Orthodox and Inter-faith Relations, Vicar General

Armenian Orthodox Church

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian is the Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). He sits on the executive board of the NCC, as well as on the board of the World Council of Churches.

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Peter Makari is the Area Executive for Europe and the Middle East for Global Ministries for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Christian Reformed Church

Rev. Naji Umran is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) who has lived and served in Cairo, Egypt, for most of his career, mainly as the Middle East Regional Ministries Leader for Resonate Global Mission (formerly Christian Reformed World Missions). Naji also serves voluntarily as the CRC's representative to the Synod of the Nile, with ReFrame Ministries (another agency of the CRC, along with Resonate), and with the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee of the CRC.

Church of the Brethren

Rev. Dr. Andrew S. Hamilton is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. He currently serves as the district executive of the Southeastern District Church of the Brethren

Church World Service

George Devendorf

Community of Christ

Steve Kellogg

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Rev. Dr. Robert Wallace spent twenty years in academia as a professor of biblical studies, and has served as senior pastor at Mclean Baptist Church, McLean, VA since 2018. He has also served on the advisory group for the Institute for Justice Formation since 2020.

The Episcopal Church

Paul Feheley

Evangelicals 4 Justice

Dr. Andrea Smith is a coordinator of Evangelicals 4 Justice, and a board member of North American Institute of Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS). She is the co-editor (with Mae Cannon) of the upcoming book, Evangelical Theologies of Liberation and Justice and author of Unreconciled: From Racial Reconciliation to Racial Justice in Evangelical Christianity.

Evangelical Covenant Church

Erikka Hedberg

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff

Franciscan Friars (OFM)

Russ Testa is the Director for the Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity (JPIC) Office for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Orders of Friars Minor

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Hassan El-Tayyab

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Elizabeth Prodromou

Lott Carey Foreign Missionary Society

The Reverend Emmett Dunn serves as Executive Secretary-Treasurer, CEO of the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention.

Maryknoll Office for Global Concern

Susan Gunn is the Director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Mennonite Central Committee US

Zachary Murray

Moravian Church in America

Rev. Sue Koenig

National Council of Churches

Keith Swartzendruber

Pax Christi USA

Judy Coode
Communications Director

Presbyterian Church, USA

Catherine Gordon is the representative for International Issues at the Presbyterian Church USA, Office of Public Witness.

Progressive National Baptist Convention

Tyrone Pitts

Reformed Church in America

Rev. Laura Osborne

United Church of Christ

Peter Makari is the Area Executive for Europe and the Middle East for Global Ministries for the United Church of Christ.

United Methodist Church, General Board of Global Ministries

Rev. Jin Yang Kim Liaison for Peace and Justice, and the Middle East

United Methodist Church, General Board of Church & Society

Colleen Moore serves as the Director for Peace with Justice at the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church.

Unitarian Universalist Association

Dana Fisher Ashrawi serves as President of Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. She also serves as a member of the board of the Arab-American Educational Foundation which endowed two Arab history chairs and established an academic center for Arab studies.

United Women in Faith

Tatiana Dwyer is the executive for Global Justice Issues at United Methodist Women.

Observer, Catholic Relief Services

Observer, Christians for Social Action

Nikki Toyama-Szetzo is the director of Christians for Social Action, and she guides the execution of CSA’s mission and vision. She also served on the board of Interserve USA, Missio Alliance, and Casa Chiralagua.

Observer, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Inc.

Jean Stokan

Observer, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Christopher S. Ljungquist is the Director of the International Justice & Peace, the Secretariat of Justice and Peace as part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops