Craig C. Avents, II.

    Pastor Craig Cornell Avents II, was born to Dr. Craig and Karen Avents, Sr. on April 7, 1979 at Norfolk Community Hospital. He attended Portsmouth Public Schools, graduating from I. C. Norcom High School in 1996. He has also attended Norfolk State University, Majoring in Music Media, Tidewater Community College and is currently working on a Theology Degree at Norfolk Seminary and College.
    Throughout his life, God has used Pastor Avents in various forms of ministry. He sung in the youth choir and served on the youth usher board at a very young age at New Bethlehem Church of Christ D.O.C and when God shifted his family to Macedonia U.C.C., He also began sharpening his musical gift.
    While still a youth, he sang in the Fellowship choir and also sang in the group, managed by Dr. Avents, “Wisdom.” God didn’t stop there, he had more work for Craig to do. He started playing drums and directing the Bethlehem Community Choir at age 15 while also teaching the primary Sunday School Class. He was selected to sing in various events, All-City Chorus, All-District Chorus, and All-State Chorus. He also sung with the local gospel group, “Deliverance.” While God was elevating Dr. Avents to being the Founder and former Pastor of New Light Christian Church, God had the plan for Craig’s life starting to un-fold. With the new church needing a musician, God blessed him with the ability to play the piano by ear.
    In 1998, he was named the Minister of Music of New Light Christian Church. In September 2003, Craig married Mona-Lisa and from this union was born two beautiful children, Jalyn and Craig III. In 2004, God called Craig into the ministry and also in that year the family of Little Grove Baptist Church, Pastor Richardson, welcomed Craig into their ministry to play and direct the morning service ensemble. While attending Norfolk State, Craig was a part of The NSU Ensemble, The NSU Concert Choir, and The I.Sherman Greene Chorale.
    Craig is also the composer of the Norfolk Seminary and College’s Alma Mater. Throughout, his life he’s opened up and sang background for various recording artist, he’s sung, played, and preached at many of the public venues and churches in the Hampton Roads area. He recently started the Koinonia Community Choir that is on a mission to minister to the masses, and also recently ordained in May 2008 by the state of Virginia as a licensed Minister and called to Pastor the New Light Christian Church DOC, in January 2009.
    For Pastor Avents, it’s been a busy but blessed life and also proof to the scripture that, to much is given, much is required. God has touched so many lives through Pastor Avents and his ministry whether preaching, playing, singing or directing and to think he says that there is still more to be accomplished!!!

Keisha Porter

    Rev. Keisha Gordon-Porter is a native of Chesapeake, Virginia, where she currently lives with her Husband Shawn Porter and their two kids. Evangelist Porter says “As I look back over my life, I thank God for my parents who knew the importance of Church”.
    The foundation of her ministry was laid at New Community Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Bishop Ted Thomas, where she was raised and was a member until the age of 18. At an early age she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. She is a living testimony of one who was "Trained up as a child in the way he should go: and when he(she) is old, he should not depart from it'.
    She then became a member of Friendship Baptist Church located in Norfolk, Virginia where Gregory Norris was the pastor in 1995. During this time God was preparing her for a higher calling. In 1997 she attended New Light Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) where she became a member in 1998 until the present. It is there in the year of 2002 where God "called" Keisha into the ministry. Prior to being called she became active in several ministries. She gives God, all the glory for what He has done in her life.
    She watched as God moved her from the door as an usher, to the choir and to then to the pulpit. Under a Spirit-led Pastor, Dr. Craig C Avents, Evangelist Porter is currently the Youth Pastor and a teacher of Sunday school and Bible Study to the youth at New Light Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Under the leadership of her pastor, she has completed studies in Homiletics, Theology and the Introduction to Hermeneutics by way of the New Light Training Center.
    As God continues to work in her life she believes that He (Jesus) must increase, but she must decrease. As Christ as her example she believes as Jesus spoke, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord". (Luke 4:18,19).