Dr. Amy Sherman

Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research and Director of the Center on Faith in Communities at the Foundation for American Renewal.

Dr. Amy L. Sherman is a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute for Policy Researchand Director of the Center on Faith in Communities at the Foundation for American Renewal. She also serves as the Editorial Director for FASTEN (the Faith and Service Technical Education Network). Dr. Sherman is the author of four books: Reinvigorating Faith in Communities (Hudson Institute, 2002); Restorers of Hope: Reaching the Poor in Your Community with Church-based Ministries That Work(Crossway Books, 1997); The Soul of Development: Biblical Christianity and Economic Transformation in Guatemala(Oxford University Press, 1997); and Preferential Option: A Christian and Neoliberal Strategy for Latin America's Poor(Eerdmans, 1992). Her 70+ articles and essays have appeared in such diverse publications as The Public Interest, Policy Review, First Things, Christianity Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The American Enterprise, World,the Christian Century, The Washington Times, Philanthropy, Christian Scholar’s Review, Reason, and Books & Culture.

Dr. Sherman is a leading national expert on charitable choice, an advisor to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and the author of The Charitable Choice Handbook for Ministry Leaders. Dr. Sherman provides on-site consulting services to congregations starting or enhancing their community ministries and is a frequent speaker at training conferences for faith-based practitioners. She is the author of various resource guides for faith leaders, including Establishing a Church-based, Welfare-to-Work Ministry: A Practical How-To Manual and Sharing God’s Heart for the Poor: Meditations for Worship, Prayer, and Service.   She has also published the first major study of faith-based intermediary organizations (2002) and the largest national survey of Hispanic church-based community ministries in the U.S. (2003). Currently, Sherman serves as the national coordinator for the ele:Vate (“Economic Literacy Education: Vital Assets for Transformation and Empowerment”) initiative, which serves Christian practitioners working with inner-city youth.

Dr. Sherman is the founder and former Executive Director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries (CALM), a holistic, cross-cultural, whole-family, church-based outreach in an urban neighborhood of approximately 380 lower-income, single-parent families. From its Abundant Life Family Center in the heart of the neighborhood, CALM offers educational programs for children, mentoring for teens, and discipleship, education, IDA, and housing programs for adults. Sherman continues on today as an informal advisor to CALM and to Trinity Presbyterian Church, its anchor congregation. She also serves as a Senior Fellow for the International Justice Mission. IJM is a Christian human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery, and oppression.

Sherman received her undergraduate degree from Messiah College in 1987 and her Ph.D. in foreign affairs/economic development from the University of Virginia in 1994. Her “life verse” is Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O Man, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

Vice President of Global Programs for MAP International (Medical Assistance Programs International)

Dr Ravi I. Jayakaran has over 34 years of experience in Poverty reduction and strategic development programs. He works as the Vice President of Global Programs for MAP International (Medical Assistance Programs International www.map.org ). In this role he provides supervisory oversight and Strategic support for all of MAP International’s global programs (in the US and abroad) that cover the distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies valued at around 300+ Million USD a year in over 119 countries, the Relief office that responds with appropriate relief programs to all Global relief situations, the MAP International Transformational Missions program that enables various types of mission teams(high school children, Medical students, Graduate students and Church mission teams) to participate in transformational missions in various developing countries around the world, MAP International country offices in Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras and more recently Liberia.

Before joining MAP International, Dr Jayakaran was Chief Consultant of Quality Professional Interfaces (QPI-GMS). In this role he was based in Phnom Penh Cambodia , and worked predominantly in the Greater Mekong sub-regional (GMS)Countries, providing consultancy on issues of Participatory development, Poverty reduction, impact of Regional economic integration, HIV-AIDS programs, Street children support programs, Trafficking prevention, Rapid needs assessments, Corporate social responsibility ,Evaluations and capacity building. He has worked providing consultancy to a variety of Regional government organizations in the GMS, the ADB (Asian Development Bank), the UNDP and several International NGOs.

Dr Jayakaran has experience in providing consultancies in over 20 countries in the Asia pacific region and also in Africa and Latin America. He is a prolific writer and has brought out over 18 publications. His latest book ‘Empowering Children’ came out in May 2011. He started his career working in Maharashtra, India, with Magsasay award winner and Mahatma Gandhi’s right hand man – Dr Manibhai Desai-who was the founding Director of Bharatiya Agro-Industries Foundation Ltd. Following this he moved to the state of Bihar, India, where he was the head of the corporate social responsibility wing of the Usha Martin Group of Industries in Tatisilwai, Bihar, India, till 1992, when he joined World Vision International. Dr Jayakaran served with World Vision International in various leadership roles in India, Cambodia, China and the Asia Pacific Region.

Ravi has lived and worked long term in India, Cambodia, China and the United States of America. His wife Vimla completed an assignment as a teacher at the prestigious International school of Phnom Penh, before they moved to the US. They have two sons – Amit & Rohit. Amit has a MS in robotic engineering from UFL and currently works in San Francisco. Rohit, the younger son has a MS in International business from London and a diploma in Drama from London school of Drama and has worked in various radio stations in India as a programme anchor and producer. He is currently based in Dubai as a radio program producer and anchor.

Dr Jayakaran has developed several Participatory development tools including the Holistic Worldview Analysis (HWVA) which is a foundational tool for Holistic transformation development leading to community Empowerment. This is a subject that is very close to his heart and which he has researched extensively.

Ravi and Vimla Jayakaran are currently based in the US and live in Decatur, GA.