EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF CO-PASTORS
At Forefront, our staff is structured as shared, collaborative, and non-hierarchical. Like jazz musicians, the staff take turns leading, following, and listening to each other and to God.
Learn more about our flat-leadership model of Co-Pastors here
Angela Lockett-Colas (she/her)
Co-Pastor
Worship
Pastor Angela is one of the Co-Pastors at Forefront Church in Brooklyn. She coordinates worship content for Sunday services. She leads worship regularly and loves sharing the Good News in song. Raised in the church (in Kansas), she cannot remember a time when she wasn’t singing. After earning a BFA from Wichita State, Angela headed to the big city to pursue a career in Music Theatre. She has performed on Broadway, National Tours, and various Regional Theatre productions. Angela is also a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices, a diverse community of Broadway artists united to change lives through the power of music and service.
Pastor Angela was introduced to Forefront by her late husband, Pierre. She is grateful for the season of love they shared and finds comfort in the community they found at Forefront.
Venida C. Rodman Jenkins (she/her)
Co-Pastor
Teaching & Community
Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins is one of the Co-Pastors at Forefront whose focus is Teaching & Community. She hails from Teaneck, N.J. Her background reflects a unique, interdenominational mix of Catholic, Pentecostal, and Baptist faith traditions. She draws from each to provide love, visibility, encouragement and spaces of belonging to underrepresented groups.
She is the Director of the Speicher-Rubin Women’s Center for Equity and Diversity at New Jersey City University; founder and pastor of EMBRACE Church, and an Adjunct Professor at Newhouse NYC, Syracuse University.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Syracuse University, and the Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary.
At Forefront, Venida preaches regularly, while also being responsible for leadership development, providing pastoral care and opportunities for growth, and enhancing connection by working with our deacons in the areas of Preaching Bootcamp, Virtual Ministry, Groups, Prayer, and Care.
Venida loves singing, sushi, and the arts. She resides in Jersey City, NJ with her partner-in-squashing-oppression, Todd L. Jenkins
STAFF
Lauren Callahan
Technical Director (she/her)
Lauren is a proud Brooklyn native, dedicated to her community through her long-time involvement with Forefront Church, where she and her husband Eric have raised their two children. As the Director of Operations/Tech, Lauren manages all behind-the-scenes logistics and technology for events, drawing on her extensive experience in both music and education.
With a Bachelor's and Master's in Music Performance and Education, she spent nearly a decade teaching high school music before the pandemic. Her skills as Chief Operations Officer of the "Callahan household" have also proven invaluable in her church role. Though she identifies as a slow-to-warm introvert, Lauren is embracing opportunities to step out of her comfort zone at Forefront.
Outside of church, she actively contributes to her kids' school as a member of the Executive Board of the Parent's Association and runs a small business promoting children's literacy with PaperPie.
Nytasha Obasi
Bookkeeper (she/her)
Nytasha is responsible for all the back office boring things that allow the other leaders and staff to do their jobs (Like paying the bills). Nytasha has over 20 years of accounting and finance experience which includes 10 years in non-profit. She currently works for Deloitte and runs her own start up Image Consulting/Personal Styling Business. Nytasha is a military brat who claims many places when asked ‘where are you from’ but has been a resident of Brooklyn for over 20 years. You can see her on ‘Any given Sunday’ at the door of the Roulette as a greeter or in the front row of the church with her wife Mary.
Kevin Singh
KidStuf Director (he/him)
Kevin has been a part of Forefront Church since 2022 and has been involved in children's ministry since 2010. He is a middle school teacher for a bilingual and immigrant community in Suffolk County. He is pursuing post-graduate degrees in Educational Leadership and an EdD in Teaching and Learning. Kevin hopes to use his experience and education to expand the Kidstuf program and offer new opportunities to share God's love with children of all ages. He is very grateful for all the volunteers and parents who are helping to usher in the next 500 years of Christianity.
DEACONS
Deacons at Forefront are individuals who serve as the leaders of one specific ministry within our church. They do so in collaboration with Staff by meeting the physical needs of the church and acting as a support system that the congregation can look to for guidance, community, and encouragement as it pertains to their specific ministries
Justice - organizing social justice initiatives.
Connection - organizing the Newcomers Dinner and helping newcomers acclimated.
Podcast - exploring relevant topics and producing content that aligns with our values.
Groups - supporting our small group leaders and ensuring they have adequate resources.
Events - organizing social gatherings to bring the community closer together.
Data - ensuring we have up-to-date media content, and keeping track of church stats
Virtual - ensuring our virtual community feels a sense of belonging and connection
Prayer - coordinating prayer on Sundays, and brave spaces of prayer and reflection during the week.
Preaching Bootcamp - organizing training sessions and other points of contact with Bootcampers.
Care- support to various members of our community who may have a particular need.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
The role of the Leadership Team is to care for the Co-Pastors while holding them accountable to be fiscally responsible with the annual budget and providing a sounding board. In partnership with the Co-Pastors, they identify and address challenges and the overall direction of Forefront.
