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NYMS is bringing together a strong lineup of experienced youth ministry trainers, practitioners, counselors, and experts on youth culture who are eager to equip and encourage you with practical ministry strategies, cultural awareness, tools, wisdom, and knowledge that will increase your ministry skills and help you more effectively bring the biblical message of hope to young people and their families.
Darby is a faculty member and counselor at CCEF, where she has served since 2003. She has a master of divinity with a counseling emphasis from Westminster Theological Seminary. Darby brings particular passion and expertise in helping the vulnerable and oppressed, especially women in abusive marriages. She has contributed to Church Cares and the PCA Domestic Abuse & Sex Assault church training materials. She has counseled in a missionary church setting and has also held leadership roles in women’s ministry. She is the author of Is it Abuse? (P&R, 2020), has written a handful of minibooks, and has contributed to several other books.
Dr. John Currie is professor of pastoral theology at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Dr. Currie’s academic interests include expository preaching and pastoral leadership. Dr. Currie has extensive pastoral experience and is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Before serving at Redeemer OPC, Currie also served as a Teaching Pastor at Church of the Saviour in Wayne, Pennsylvania, as a pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and as a Senior Pastor at Grand Prairie Alliance Church in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. In addition, Dr. Currie has served as a Youth Pastor.
Michael is the Director of Training with RYM where he leads efforts to equip, connect, and encourage youth ministry leaders. Before joining RYM full time he was a Youth Pastor in churches in South Carolina, Missouri, and Virginia. Michael attended Covenant Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Kirby have three children and live in Charlottesville, VA.
David “Duffy” Robbins is Professor of Christian Ministries at Grove City College. Duffy is a respected youth ministry veteran with over forty years of experience in the field. He speaks around the world to teenagers and people who care about teenagers. Duffy also serves as a Teaching Pastor at Faithbridge Church, Spring, Texas, and a faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he co-leads the doctoral cohorts for Ministry to Emerging Generations. His warm conversational style, coupled with a quick sense of humor and a unique ability to make Scripture come alive, have also made him a popular speaker for Congregations, Parenting Seminars, College chapels, Mens’ Retreats, as well as numerous Family Camps and Conferences. He’s the author of numerous books including Ministry of Nurture, This Way to Youth Ministry: An Introduction to the Adventure, Speaking to Teenagers (co-authored with Doug Fields), Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts, Enjoy the Silence (co-authored with the lovely Maggie Robbins) and his latest book, Building a Youth Ministry That Builds Disciples. Duffy lives in Cranberry Township, PA with his wife and best friend, Maggie. They have two grown daughters, Erin and Katie.
Dr. John Perritt (MDiv RTS ’09 & DMin SBTS ’16) served in youth ministry at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church for over 12 years. Prior to that, he served in youth ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS. He is the host of RYM’s The Local Youth Worker podcast and editor of the growing library of “Track” series booklets for students. He has also published Social Media Pressure: Finding Peace Alongside Jesus (2023), Your Days Are Numbered (2016), What Would Judas Do? (2017), Time Out! The Gift or god of Youth Sports (2018), Bible 101: Living, Loving & Learning God’s Word (2018), Insecure: Fighting Our Lesser Fears with a Greater One (2019), and Mark: How Jesus Changes Everything (2019). He and his wife, Ashleigh, have five children and live in Ridgeland, MS.
Joe Deegan will be leading worship at the Summit. A former Youth Director, Joe works full time with RYM staff as the Director of Conferences and Worship Resources Coordinator. Joe is a gifted singer song-writer who released two solo albums before joining RYM: “The Risen King” and “Cover and Title Page”. Under the artist name RYM Worship, Joe has led three album projects: “Promised Land”, “Sing Over Us”, and “A New Creation”. Each album contains original hymns written by Joe as well as some old favorites. These projects and more by RYM Worship are available wherever you stream music. Additional content, including chord charts and curriculum, can be found on the RYM Worship webpage or on the RYM Worship YouTube page.
Ashley Belknap is the Executive Director of Engaging Disability With The Gospel, a ministry that coaches churches to disciple and enfold kids, teens, and adults impacted by disability. Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, she obtained her undergraduate degrees in Christian Education and Business Administration from Erskine College and her Master’s in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. While in Jackson, she met and married her husband, John, and has made Mississippi home since. Ashley and John have three young boys, all of whom have unique needs. Her love for ministry, the local church, and families impacted by disability all coalesced in her position with Engaging Disability. She loves coaching pastors, church staff, and volunteers to disciple and enfold kids, teens, and adults who are impacted by disability. Her approach to disability ministry is an extension of discipleship across every ministry area of the church, rather than a separate set of disability-related programs, making small steps forward possible for every church regardless of size. Ashley has created and published many adapted discipleship resources that can be found in the Engaging Disability’s store, Simply the Gospel.
Kerry graduated from Gordon College in 2012 with a degree in Christian Ministry with a Concentration in Youth Ministry. She is passionate about students of all ages knowing the relentless love of the Savior. She lives in Haverhill, MA with her husband Joel and two young daughters, Cora and Maya. Kerry is a CPYU Research Fellow and serves as Director of Youth Education, Youth Ministry and Local Outreach at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Topsfield, MA.
Jason and his wife Erin live in Roxboro, NC, and have three children. Jason has served in student ministry for 20 years, and as Pastor of Students and Discipleship at Westwood Baptist Church since 2006. A graduate of North Greenville University (B.A.), Liberty University (M.A.), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Jason earned his Doctorate of Education from Southeastern in 2021 with a focus in student ministry and discipleship. He is a CPYU research fellow and is a regular contributor at Youth Pastor Theologian and Youth Ministry Roundtable. Jason is passionate about leading students to know and supremely treasure Jesus, and about encouraging student ministry leaders to take seriously the sacred calling of shepherding students and families toward spiritual maturity.
Travis Deans is the northeast regional coordinator with the National Network of Youth Ministries and has been in full-time youth ministry since 1996 as a youth pastor, para-church ministry leader, and youth network coordinator. Travis is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and regularly coaches youth pastors on how to equip their students to go out and do ministry in the world in which they live. Travis, his wife Judy, and their four children live in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
