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Sharing a Vision to Transform Yale

The alumni board is an alumni-led organization which will inevitably play a vital role in the future of the ministry at Yale University. The alumni board is committed to furthering the development of programs focused on alumni as it furthers the following objectives: advance the work at Yale University, transition graduates well, develop Christian leaders and bring revival.

Kia K. Quinlan '16

Chair

 
Edward Duffy '75

Board Member

 

Jin Li '21

Board Member

Stuart Monk '19

Board Member

 

George Taylor '68

Board Member

 

Contact Us:

AlumniEngagement@ChristianUnion.org.

Serving Christian Union's Financial Partners 

Contact the Christian Union development staff by email using: Firstname.Lastname@ChristianUnion.org

 

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Cheryl Ennis Self

Vice President of Development

Cheryl Ennis Self, ACFRE was the Founder and Chief Development Officer of the consultancy Funding for Change (FFC). Since 2016, FFC has provided expert guidance to both nonprofit and for profit corporations in the areas of creative visioning, innovative strategic planning, excellence in resource generation, and sustainable attainment of stated goals.

Prior to serving as a Business Consultant, Ms. Self was the Executive Director of Global Social Partnerships at World Vision (WV). Her prior roles at World Vision over 16 years included leadership of major donor, corporate and foundation development officers, while personally stewarding a strong portfolio of donor relationships. 

Her previous experience includes service as National Director of Advancement at Prison Fellowship Ministries, Washington, DC, and Interim Director of Development at The Stony Brook School, Long Island, NY. She began her early career as a teacher, then sales and sales management in Manhattan before moving into the nonprofit sector.

In 2013, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, the largest community of professional fundraisers in the world, awarded its highest professional certification, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) to Ms. Self. Available only to senior-level fundraisers who have worked in the profession for 10 or more years, the ACFRE is a distinguished achievement earned by only 104 professionals since the inception of the program in 1992. 

Ms. Self holds a BA in French Language from Gettysburg College, PA, where she graduated cum laude. She and her husband of 30 years, Jim, live in Northern Virginia.

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Isabella Campolattaro

Development Writer

A longtime freelance writer and communications consultant, Isabella holds an MS in management and public relations, and BA in communications studies, both from the University of Maryland. Isabella is an active Christian blogger, author, and contributor to nearly twenty books, including several Guideposts devotionals. 

Born in Southern California and raised in Maryland, Isabella now lives on Florida’s lush and lovely Suncoast with her two amazing school-age sons, Pierce and Isaac.

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David Cole

Director of Technical Services

David brings over ten years of fundraising operations experience serving organizations across the religious, social service, and education sectors. David specializes in helping non-profits optimize donor databases, streamline processes, and enhance data-driven strategic planning efforts.

David is a native Texan, a devout Catholic, and an Eagle Scout. He lives in Dallas-Ft. Worth area with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters. He earned a BA in Communications from the University of Texas in San Antonio.

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Landon Eckhardt

Director of Development

Landon represents Christian Union in the Northeast Region, working closely with ministry financial partners, including individuals, churches, and foundations. His role is to steward their participation in developing Christian leaders to impact culture across the country.

Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas metroplex, Landon earned a BSBA in finance from Samford University in 2009, an MDiv from Palmer Theological Seminary in 2014, and an MBA from Eastern University in 2017. Prior to joining Christian Union, Landon worked in development at The Bowery Mission in New York City where he managed a team overseeing donor relations, donation processing and receipting, and various data and reporting mechanisms.   

Landon and his wife, Amanda, currently live in New York City and are avid foodies, coffee lovers, and enjoy spending quality time with family and friends.

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Patty Fillman

Administrative Assistant

Patty provides crucial administrative support to the development team. She graduated from Mansfield University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked a variety of secretarial and managerial jobs while fulfilling her primary responsibility of raising her children.

Patty has three wonderful, grown children: Adam, Rachel, and Hannah. Between them, she and her husband, Jim, have four children and three grandchildren.

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Dave Magnuson

Associate VP Strategic Gifts

Dave directs the work of the directors of public affairs. He also works closely with financial partners in the Central Region and around the country.

Dave hails from Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Business from Bethel University in 1983 and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in 1992. Prior to joining Christian Union, Dave served successfully as the Chief Development Officer at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Presbyterian Homes, and The Salvation Army in Chicago. Dave has also been active as a board member with several international social service ministries.

Dave and wife, Caryn, live in the Chicago area and are the proud parents of three adult sons, Trent, Caleb, and Nathan, and daughter, Grace, who is in college.


  

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Deborah Oladapo

Data Director

Deborah grew up in Auburn, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama where she received her BA in International Studies and Spanish and her MBA. She spent eight years working as an IT professional with Rohm and Haas Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and with a non–profit community college before joining Christian Union.

Deborah is married to Abiola. They have two children and live in Columbus, Indiana.

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Edit Planas

Senior Development Associate

 

The Christian Union Difference

Four distinctives differentiate Christian Union. Each is a theme that runs through Christian Union's work in key cities and on strategic  university campuses:

 
 
 

 01  ||  A Lifestyle Marked by Seeking God

Christian Union promotes biblical Christianity's emphasis on frequent, fervent prayer; massive intake of Scripture; repentance; humility through fasting; perseverance; promptly obeying the Spirit; and extended times of gathering with believers.
Learn more > 

 02  ||  Networked & Engaged Christian Leaders

Christian leaders must engage culture in order to transform it, and Christians of influence must be well networked in order to maximize their godly impact on society. 
Learn more >

 03  ||  High-Caliber Faculty & Intellectual Rigor

This strategic focus requires curriculum and faculty suitable for men and women of exceptional intellectual caliber; proprietary Bible course and leadership training curriculum are combined with effective mentoring by ministry faculty of mature faith and advanced theological training. 
Learn more >

 04  ||  Disciplined Approach & Organizational Excellence

Christian Union seeks to honor the Lord, expand the ministry, and serve donors' intentions by maintaining a disciplined ministry model and a culture of strict accountability evidenced by detailed metrics, extensive evaluations, and continuous improvements to maximize ministry impact. 
Learn more >

A Process of Drawing Close to God 

Christian Union emphasizes a mindset and behaviors considered normative by Christians for centuries which have fallen out of practice in the US, save during periods of revival. These are characteristic of the international church, such as in Uganda, China and Korea, and include frequent prayer; large intake of Scripture; repentance; humility through fasting; perseverance; promptly obeying the Spirit; and extended times of gathering with fellow believers. Something as essential as seeking God entails attention, time, and energy.

Learn more about seven characteristics of a Seeking God Lifestyle.

Training Christian Leaders to Engage Culture

We need Christians to assume positions of leadership across many vocations and to take the part of (and continue to take up) issues of justice. Christians who are isolated in a "holy huddle" either socially or intellectually will not change culture.

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"What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent...It is not the books written in direct defense of Materialism that make the modern man a materialist; it is the materialistic assumptions...he would be troubled if, whenever he wanted a cheap popular introduction to some science, the best work on the market was always by a Christian." —C.S. Lewis, "Christian Apologetics," God in the Dock

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There are numerous examples of Christian leaders whose lives inspire Christian Union to develop new generations of Christian leaders. C.S. Lewis himself is one of them.

The following five examples illustrate the range of social and cultural impact that Christians have when they submit their influence to God-honoring ends:

Five Examples of Inspiring Christian Leaders

C.S. Lewis (1898 – 1963)
The Oxford Scholar, novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, and Christian apologist wrote such classics as the Narnia Chronicles (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe etc.), Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, Surprised by Joy, and of course many other titles. He bridged academia and mass culture with popular works of fiction and non fiction, and compelling presentations of Christian worldview. We need many Christian to take the lead in academia, journalism, as essayists, cultural commentators, story tellers, filmmakers, and in many other fields, to impact our culture.

Dr. Ida Scudder (1870 –1960)
A third-generation American medical missionary in India, she was a graduate of Cornell Medical College, New York City, 1899; the first class at that school to accept women medical students. Ida had resolved not to become a medical missionary, but seeing women die in childbirth needlessly convinced her God wanted her to help as a physician. In 1918, she started one of Asia's foremost teaching hospitals, the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India. She dedicated her skills to God. We need Christians in the medical fields, sciences, economy, and more, to do likewise.

George Gallup Jr. (1930 – 2011)
An American, George Gallup Jr. graduated with a degree in religion from Princeton, then worked at a ministry on Galveston Island in Texas. He considered becoming an Episcopal priest until he was drawn into work for his father's polling firm, where he worked from mid 1950s until 2004. He expanded the firm's surveys into religion, becoming one of the first pollsters to ask questions about organized religion and religious teachings and practice. Under Gallup Jr. the polling firm became a barometer of Americans' views on religion and politics. Late in life, he lamented that politicians had come to follow polls so closely; still he felt polling to be good for democracy. "It's removed power out of the hands of special interest groups...It's given people who wouldn't normally have a voice a voice."  We need Christians to lead in the social sciences, media, and more, to bring Christian values and perspective to bear on the pressing issues of our time.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968)
A Baptist minister, King is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Remarkably, King balanced the tension between confrontation and nonviolence, and in 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Leading up to his death, he expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War. Just days after his assassination, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. We need Christians to lead on behalf of the oppressed, whether that means working to pass just laws, living and serving among those who suffer, or advocating for "the least of these."

Sandy McDonnell (1922 – 2012)
This engineer, businessman and philanthropist was the former chairman and chief executive officer of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, he also served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America and as chairman of Character Education Partnership. He became a Christian later in life and used his influence to institute a code of business ethics, one of the first of its kind. Following his retirement, he worked energetically to advance character training in public schools. We need many business leaders to implement Christian values in the marketplace and society.

Men and women poised to lead in their fields must be reached with the Gospel and equipped to serve effectively for God-honoring ends.

Networked Christian Leaders

Movements may be known by one leader, but it takes a network of high-level influencers to shift culture. 

One of the most successful examples of a modern network of Christians is the extraodinary group of believers who pooled their collective influence, resources, physical and spiritual energies together to form a group dubbed the Clapham Circle. In the 19th century, when a member of the British parliament, William Wilberforce, came to faith and dedicated his influence to abolishing slavery, these peers became a network - in fact, a community - of spiritual and practical encouragement. They leveraged their influence for God.

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Movements may be known by one leader, but it takes a network of high-level influencers to shift culture.

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After decades of toil, God used Wilberforce and this influential network of Christian believers working with him, to not only end slavery in the British empire, but also to usher in an era that honored virtue in a society that had fallen into deep darkness.

Together, the Clapham Circle—a small group that included writers, philanthropists, scholars, politicians, clergy and businessmen who were driven by their faith—literally changed the world. Their far-reaching impact included dramatic success in prison reform, education, integrity in politics, mission, medicine and cultural change.

Christian Union works to network together leaders of wholehearted devotion, who will have a greater impact together than they could ever have leading alone.

Please prayerfully consider how you can help. 

Honoring the Lord with Excellence

The nature and significance of Christian Union’s calling compels a culture of accountability. While our primary output or product as an organization is changed lives, we hold ourselves accountable for our diligence and progress.

Metrics are a means to the end of ensuring that accountability which, in turn, flows from the desire to honor God with our best efforts. We aspire to be as organizationally robust as some of the best well-run for-profit firms. From score-carding mechanisms, to assessing year-over-year results, to post-event analyses, we seek to continuously improve our performance and effectiveness.

Christian Union is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Christian Union is audited annually by an external firm. You can view these audited financial statements. The ministry highly values the contributions of financial partners and carefully manages every gift. We will respond to financial partners promptly with questions and requests for additional information. 

The Christian Union Difference

Christian Union tailors its ministry to people of high intellectual capacity whose knowledge of Scripture ranges from non-existent to well-developed. The ministry develops Bible courses, conferences, certifications, lectures, reading groups, and more, for our targeted audience. Christian Union ministry faculty are selected for their capacity to assess needs and to teach to this level.

The high-caliber materials and instruction Christian Union provides is tailored to its audience, not to  produce seminarians but to ensure its offerings have suitable intellectual depth to be appealing and effective.

Alumni with a Vision to Transform Princeton

The Alumni Board is an alumni-led organization which will inevitably play a vital role in the future of the ministry at Princeton University. The Alumni Board is committed to furthering the development of programs focused on alumni as it furthers the following objectives: advance the work at Princeton University, transition graduates well, develop Christian leaders and bring revival.

 

Kenneth Jasko '78 

Chair 

Vince Naman '82 

Board Member

Edward (Ted) Duffield '58 

Board Member

Tiffany Agyarko '23 

Board Member

Betsy Salazar '10

Board Member

 

Contact Us:

AlumniEngagement@ChristianUnion.org

Five Crucial Aspects 

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked into five aspects. This is the second of the five.

To make a difference in society, Christian leaders must be devout in their faith and able to integrate that faith with boldness and discernment in their various leadership capacities. Christian Union emphasizes in-depth biblical teaching and coaching, with an emphasis on seeking God wholeheartedly.

“I honestly cannot picture my college years without Christian Union. It’s been such a foundational community and really helped me learn what it looks like to pursue a life for God.” - Caroline, Princeton Class of ’22

“All throughout high school, I had placed reason before faith, as if it contained the greater truth….When I joined Christian Union, through the Bible Courses, and ministry fellows and directors, they really taught me to challenge that assumption I had made, as I saw that God is the arbiter of reason.” - Timothy Kinnamon, Columbia Class of ’20

“I don’t know where I would be without this Bible Course. It has been one of the most important parts of my college experience. I look forward to seeing the girls every single week and gathering together in the Word to study it together.” Maria Siciliano, Cornell Class of ’22

“During this tumultuous period, prayer time was super refreshing for me. I was so grateful to be able to pray with my brothers and sisters in Christ and see how they depend on God in their daily lives.” - Katherine Wang, Harvard Class of ’23

“I really feel Christian Union cultivates – and helps satisfy – spirit hunger. In our Bible course, I’m learning so much I never would have considered before.”  - Josiah Jordan, Brown, Class of 2018

“Approaching the Word of God with academic rigor was really new to me, so I was excited to participate. You come away with a better understanding of what God is saying in His Word.” – Sybil Sam, Yale '13, Harvard Law School '16

“Before attending Christian Union’s Bible courses, I had never encountered the Scriptures in a rigorous, academic way...Now every page is relevant and instructional.” - Barrett Block, Penn, Class of 2016 

“I spend more time in the Word and in prayer and in fellowship than in any other time of my life.” - Rachel McKee, Dartmouth, Class of 2017 

The Spirit is stirring up spiritual hunger at these leading universities and in New York City. Will you help to change lives and US culture for Christ?

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

LEARN MORE

At Strategic Places >

Five Crucial Aspects 

Christian Union was founded in 2002 to develop and connect transformative Christian leaders. The mission can be unpacked into five aspects. Developing leaders is the first of the five crucial aspects.

Leaders matter. In Scripture, God used Moses, Daniel, Esther, and Paul, all of whom were in highly leveraged positions, to advance His purposes in the world, and to bring glory to Himself. The top leaders of the next generation are attending a handful of universities today and working in key cities.

Leading Universities

Each fall, as thousands of students arrive at some of the nation’s most influential universities, Christian Union is there. The ministry works directly with students to share the Gospel and ensure these future leaders are, learning to seek God with energy and commitment, and gaining advanced leadership skills to be effective and influential for Him. Students who take part in Christian Union’s Bible courses, mentorship, and leadership coaching experience profound spiritual and leadership growth.

Major Cities

Role models of the movement to transform a major cultural center such as New York City include businessmen and politicians such as William Wilberforce, who abolished the slave trade, JC Penny and John Wanamaker, who built businesses on Christian principles, and numerous other Christian lay men and women who have used their positions for cultural impact. Biblical examples include Daniel who served King Nebuchadnezzar and Esther who used her position of influence as Queen of Persia to prevent a Jewish genocide.

Each of these individuals allowed God to work dramatically through them. On the way, however, each was either mentored or joined by a community of believers to challenge and encourage them. Together they accomplished far more than could ever be done by one lone person. The ministry offers professionals in New York City programs for spiritual and leadership growth tailored to demanding schedules and helps them build vibrant and interconnecting networks. 

The Spirit is stirring up spiritual hunger at some of the nation's leading universities and in New York City. Will you help share the Gospel and transform US culture?

You Can Make a Difference

1. Pray for the hearts of those poised to lead society would turn to the Lord.
2. Connect others to the ministry of Christian Union.
3. Give generously to develop more godly leaders to transform American culture.

Learn More

With Spiritual Depth >