Our Story
Affirming Youth Ministries began in early 2020 when a small group of youth ministry professionals and volunteers in Seattle were confronted with the reality of the harm a non-affirming church can cause.
Filled with a deep desire to provide an affirming Christian youth ministry program in Seattle we launched a weekly gathering that was almost immediately disrupted by covid. The following week we went online and began offering our affirming youth group to any young person around the world that could find us on Instagram or Tik Tok.
Within weeks we were getting requests from all over the world to join the group from young people who needed access to an affirming space where they could engage their faith. We knew then that we were being called to be an online ministry and since then we have connected with over 700 students across the globe.
Where we are now
Currently we offer two online youth groups, a weekly Bible study, an online community through our active Discord server, and a weekly podcast hosted by our youth. We want to remain a consistent source of support for our current community and we also want to spread the word about our work so that more and more young people can have access to affirming spaces. We are a global movement seeking to be the change that we want to see in the Church as well as educate Christians about affirming theology and the harm that homophobia and bigotry in the Church can cause.
Our Board
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Nordia Bennett (she/they)
Board President
Nordia is passionate about building immersive participatory experiences where individuals have the space to expand their knowledge and make informed authentic decisions. Nordia holds a Master of Divinity in Theology from Union Theological Seminary. Nordia Nordia identifies as a scholar and practitioner with a deep connection to the culmination of black radical imagination! It’s a revelatory process that happens continuously with so much effort to move forward in radical transformation & possibilities!
Nordia is a graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Religion in May 2017.
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Kevin Garcia (they/them)
Board Vice President
Kevin Miguel Garcia (they/them) is a digital pastor, spiritual recovery coach, mystic theologian, sought-after speaker, and host of the podcast A Tiny Revolution. Garcia holds a master of practical theology from Columbia Theological Seminary. They coach clients from around the world through deconstruction, coming-out processes, and cultivating spiritual practices to promote resilience, solidarity, and self-compassion. Garcia is the author of Bad Theology Kills and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at theKevinGarcia.com
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Ash Robin (she/her)
Board Treasurer
Ashley Robin (she/her) lives in Denver, Colorado, and is an implementation specialist for her day job. In her free time she loves to travel, take photos, and spend quality time with her family and friends. She has been a part of AYM since 2020 and has learned so much from the next generation about God and the beauty that is found in asking the hard questions. Ashley is passionate about educating people on how you can be both gay and Christian, and that your faith doesn't have to be dependent on being apart of a church community.
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Corey Palmer (he/they)
Board Secretary
Corey is a nurse in Seattle, Washington and has a passion for creating safe spaces for queer youth to experience love and acceptance as well as opportunities to explore their faith!
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Jo Luehmann (they/she)
Board Member
You know how most LGBTQ+ Christians struggle with feeling accepted by God because of their sexual identity? I have created a Biblically-sound program, the Path to Acceptance, to help them feel certain they are in right standing with God so they can live their lives confident & fear-free. As a child of God no one should ever feel sinful or deserving of hell for who God created to be.
In the Confidently Queer program I provide group coaching tailored to my clients' individual religious backgrounds, family histories & dynamics, and psychological struggles. I have a unique advantage in that I have overcome the very same struggles my clients face today. I've gone from feeling scared and confused, slowly losing the desire to finding peace, certainty and freedom. And now I help them do the same.
My God-given purpose in life is to help heal every person that struggles with finding peace with their sexual identity and spiritual identity; that causes them to often feel rejected and alienated from a relationship with God. I champion them to lovingly accept & celebrate all of who they are without abandoning their faith.
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Coach Yeamah
Board Member
Coach Yeamah is the Founder and Director of Confidently QueerYou know how most LGBTQ+ Christians struggle with feeling accepted by God because of their sexual identity? I have created a Biblically-sound program, the Path to Acceptance, to help them feel certain they are in right standing with God so they can live their lives confident & fear-free. As a child of God no one should ever feel sinful or deserving of hell for who God created to be.
In the Confidently Queer program I provide group coaching tailored to my clients' individual religious backgrounds, family histories & dynamics, and psychological struggles. I have a unique advantage in that I have overcome the very same struggles my clients face today. I've gone from feeling scared and confused, slowly losing the desire to finding peace, certainty and freedom. And now I help them do the same.
My God-given purpose in life is to help heal every person that struggles with finding peace with their sexual identity and spiritual identity; that causes them to often feel rejected and alienated from a relationship with God. I champion them to lovingly accept & celebrate all of who they are without abandoning their faith.
Our Staff
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Scott Gronholz (he/him)
Co-Executive Director
Scott is the Director and one of the founders of Affirming Youth Ministries. Scott obtained his Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary with an emphasis on Youth and Family and holds his BA in Theology and Educational Ministries from Seattle Pacific University. He has over 20 years of youth ministry experience and truly believes that youth are prophets. In his free time he loves to boulder, play pinball, run, and read books about psychoanalysis. Scott lives in Seattle and is the Co-host of Seattle's #1 podcast, No Small Thing, and he strives to live a less certain, more curious life.
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Makalee Keyes (she/her)
Director of Operations
Makalee is the Director of Operations at Affirming Youth Ministries and a passionate behind the scenes person. She has a Bachelor’s degree in history and a certification in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. Over the years she has worn many hats at different religious organizations and churches, and now couldn’t be happier to be one of the founders of AYM. She lives in the PNW surrounded by animals. If Makalee was a fictional character she would be Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe.