Martin Institute Cultura Fellowship

Vision

Good societies require good people. The Martin Institute Cultura Fellowship is built around the Christian spiritual formation paradigm, which we see as a key pathway toward the development of coherent character in a way that ripples outward into society. Our aims are to:

1. Develop a powerful community among emerging leaders around the principles of formation.
2. Help well-formed individuals get planted directly in the center of their vocations. 

Mission

The Cultura Fellowship empowers emerging Christian leaders who desire to integrate Christian spiritual formation into their life and work. Fellows combine a capacity for leadership and growth with a humble, teachable spirit, and desire to pursue an active life born out of contemplation. 

The fellowship is designed to immerse fellows in a shared rule of life that sees interior transformation as central to discovering and living out one’s unique vocation. The fellowship provides friendships, mentorships, and spiritual and practical resources to encourage fellows to step into the next phase of their vocational journey. 

Our Directors

Michael V. Di Fuccia | Director of Research and Communications for the Martin Institute and Research Fellow for the Centre of Theology and Philosophy, Nottingham, UK.

Mariah L. Velásquez | Associate Director of the Martin Institute

Our Fellows:

Class of 2025

**Photo Coming Soon**

Kelly Chapman | Statistician & Writer
 

Evelyn Cross | Speech-Language Pathologist

Luke Donner | PhD student in Biblical and Historical Studies at Boston University, and Director of the M.L. Daneel Archival Project

Aman Mengistu | Managing Director, Uppermost Media

Aryana Petrosky | Writer | Project & Partnership Manager for Projects Related to Faith, Political Reconciliation, and Civic Renewal

Tomas Pfister | Head of AI Research at Google Cloud

Tyler Tate | Pediatric Palliative Care Physician, Ethicist, and Writer at Stanford University School of Medicine

Ray’Chel Wilson | CEO of Raise the Bar Investments and Seminary Scholar and Economic Justice Researcher at Phillips Theological Seminary

Class of 2023

Avo Adourian | Creative Director at Reform Studio

Joseph Clair | Executive Dean, Cultural Enterprise | Dean, College of Humanities | Associate Professor, Theology and Culture at George Fox University

Trey Clark | Assistant Professor of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary | Co-Founder of The Black Contemplative Society

Heather Ostberg Johnson '10 | Theatre Performer | Director | Creator

Kimbell Kornu | Provost's Professor of Bioethics, Theology, and Christian Formation at Belmont University

Tolu Odulesi | Tech Program Manager

Thierry Tchenko | Vice President of Programs and Services at New Hope Housing 

Tamisha Tyler | Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture and Theopoetics at Bethany Theological Seminary

Class of 2021

Rachel Coleman | Assistant Professor of Theology at Assumption University

Dea Jenkins | Interdisciplinary Artist | Founder of Dea Studios | Executive Director of Inbreak

Brandon Paradise | Associate Professor of Law  |  Professor Dallas Willard Scholar at Rutgers Law School  

Brandon Rickabaugh | Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Research Scholar of Public Philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida | The Edmund Husserl Fellow at the Martin Institute and a Research Fellow at EIDOS

Mariah Velásquez '10 | Associate Director of the Martin Institute

Michael Wear | President and CEO of The Center for Christianity and Public Life