SPEAKER BIO'S
Apostle Raffoul Najem
Apostle Raffoul Najem was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and gave his life to Christ in 1971. After graduating from Life Bible College, he immigrated to the United States in 1976. He was ordained by Middle East Gospel Outreach Ministries in 1980 and by Faith Christian Fellowship International in 1994.
In 1982, he co-founded Community Christian Fellowship—now known as CCF Lowell, an international church with a heart for all people. For four decades, he faithfully served as Lead Pastor before passing the leadership to his daughter, Pastor Jennifer Najem.
Apostle Najem also co-founded Community Christian Academy & Daycare, which continues to serve families in the Greater Lowell area by providing a Christ-centered, academically excellent education for children from 3 months through 8th grade.
He helped initiate the Citywide Church of Greater Lowell, a collaborative movement of local churches working together to empower God’s people and impact the community.
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His greatest passion, however, is equipping leaders and strengthening the global Church. As co-founder of CCFI (CCF Ministries, Inc.), he leads an apostolic movement dedicated to supporting churches, empowering Christian leaders, and resourcing faith-based organizations around the world. Through coaching, covering, and connection, CCFI helps leaders grow in spiritual maturity, ministry effectiveness, and Kingdom influence.
Apostle Najem is a visionary with a heart for the nations. His apostolic calling has taken him across the globe, where he continues to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom with clarity and compassion. As a spiritual father and mentor, he walks alongside pastors, leaders, and emerging voices who are called to transform lives and communities.
He moves in the power of the Holy Spirit with a message that is practical, relevant, and life-changing. He is the proud father of three adult children—Jennifer, Laura, and Joshua—and a joyful grandfather to two beloved granddaughters.
Pastor Godwill Ogbolu
Godwill Ogbolu is the Pastor of the River Church Istanbul and the President of The River Church Foundation. He is a graduate of River Bible Institute Istanbul, Turkey and holds a Master’s Degree in Theology and Christian Ministry. Called to take the saving power of God to all peoples on earth. This is a mandate he pursues passionately as he preaches the gospel in a predominantly Muslim nation and as he travels extensively to nations around the world. He is an author, a Bible school instructor and the Senior Pastor of the River Church Istanbul, a thriving Pentecostal church in the heart of Istanbul with Turkish and international congregations. His vision is to see Turkey saved, God’s saving power reaching the far end corners of the world and to see the church revived.
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His visionary leadership has given rise to several initiatives like, The All African Conference, which is a yearly event with the aim of raising up Africans in the diaspora and giving them a missionary mentality, The All African Students Platform, designed to raise a new breed of African students in the diaspora and the African Business Platform for entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals designed to raise up end-times Kingdom financiers.
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He is the President of the African Pastors Forum Istanbul where he leads and mentors African Pastors in Istanbul.
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Godwill Ogbolu along with his wife Priscillia Ogbolu and their two children (Phil-Anthony and Irene) keeps serving faithfully in many different ways
Pastor Kathleen Verna
Pastor Kathleen Verna is the founder of PureSpring Institute, a leadership training and formation hub dedicated to equipping prophetic and apostolic leaders for responsible, transformative ministry. Through teaching, coaching, and mentorship, she helps leaders develop theological clarity, prophetic discernment, and strategic leadership capacity.
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Her work also includes building collaborative networks through CAPP Network and serving as co-senior pastor of CrossTown Church International in Boston together with her husband of almost 38 years, Pastor Ronald Verna.
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With a focus on spiritual formation, healing ministry, and prophetic leadership development, Kathleen equips leaders to steward God’s voice with integrity and bring renewal to churches, communities, and culture.
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Jonathan Chi Yeh, M.D.
Jonathan C Yeh, MD is a Board Certified physician , specialized in Internal Medicine.With more than 35 years of clinical practice. He is known to be a multicultural and multilingual physician involved in patient care and church needs related to the medical field. Dr. Yeh is a CCFI partner who desires to raise awareness and provide resources concerning the mental health issues relating to church leaders and pastors.
Dr Yeh is married to Pastor Joanna Yeh. Together they have three children. Dr. Yeh loves fishing, reading and travel to remoteness along with mission and medical work.​