2025 CCCU Imago Dei Conference

Pastor Corey Brooks is a dedicated leader, visionary pastor and nationally recognized community activist committed to transforming lives and revitalizing underserved communities. As the senior pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago, located in the heart of the South Side’s Woodlawn neighborhood, Pastor Brooks has spent more than two decades fighting for peace, justice and economic opportunity for the residents of Chicago’s most vulnerable areas.

In 2011, Pastor Brooks gained national attention for his 94-day rooftop vigil, where he camped atop an abandoned motel to raise awareness and funds to demolish the crime-ridden building and replace it with a community center. His efforts led to the founding of Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny), a nonprofit organization focused on providing education, job training, violence prevention and economic development opportunities to at-risk youth and families. Under Pastor Brooks’ leadership, Project H.O.O.D. has expanded to offer a wide array of services, including mentoring programs, entrepreneurial training, mental health resources and violence intervention initiatives.

Pastor Brooks’ work has been featured on national media platforms such as FOX News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times, and he is widely regarded as a leading voice in the movement to address the root causes of urban violence and poverty.

Dr. Jon S. Kulaga is the 10th president of Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Kulaga has a distinguished 38-year career in higher education with visionary leadership and effectual strategic planning, including expertise in advancement, focus on innovation and a commitment to growing a Christ-centered university. Prior to his selection as president of IWU, Kulaga served as president of Ohio Christian University (OCU) for five years beginning in 2017. Kulaga has made notable achievements while serving in various executive and leadership roles, including chief academic officer and chief operating officer at Asbury University, and in academics, advancement and student life development roles at Spring Arbor University.

Born and raised in and around Flint, Michigan, Kulaga was an ordained deacon and elder in the Free Methodist denomination for 30+ years before transferring his ordination to the Wesleyan denomination in 2023. He holds a Ph.D. from Kansas State University, an M.A. from Michigan State University, and a B.A. from Spring Arbor College. He is an honorary Kentucky Colonel and has authored and contributed to six published books. He has presented and preached to students and churches in England, France, Haiti, Mexico, Japan and China.