The Founders

Emmanuel and Blessing Oluwayemi and a team of Nigerian church leaders founded Life Builders Ministries International in 2001. Emmanuel spent fourteen years on the faculty of West Africa Theological Seminary in Lagos, the region's largest non denominational seminary, serving as a professor, academic dean and vice president for academic affairs. He has also been senior pastor and district superintendent with Gospel Faith Mission International, an indigenous evangelical church with over four thousand branches worldwide. Blessing, an ordained minister, worked alongside him as a teacher and women's counselor. Through two decades of ministry, Emmanuel and Blessing have built a network of Nigerian church leaders who now form the core of Life Builders' leadership team. Emmanuel holds a PhD degree in Educational Leadership from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. The Oluwayemi's have four children.

The US Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is an active body of International leaders who have chosen to partner with other leaders in Africa for the purpose of glorifying God by offering their talent, treasury and time in order to fulfill the mission and vision of Life Builders Ministries International in Africa.

Tony Losinger has served as Chairman of the Board since November, 2020.

Tony holds a B.A. in Life Science Secondary Education from Bethel University and a M.A. in Outdoor Education from NIU. He has worked as a science teacher at Antioch Community High School for 13 years and is an active member in the NorthBridge Church Bridge To The Nations (BTTN) Team as well has the Ironmens' Ministry. 

Tony is married and has four children. 

Jenifer Locklear has been an active board member since 2020 and currently serves as secretary. Jenifer served on the medical team for the 2019 Life Builders mission trip to Lagos, Nigeria. 

Jenifer holds a BA in Nursing with an Oncology Certification and has been working as an oncology nurse for 13 years with Northwestern Medicine and McHenry Cancer Center. She currently serves on the NorthBridge Church worship team, as a mentor for Kindred Life Ministries, and has served many years as a youth group leader. 

Jenifer and her husband have been married for 32 years and have two sons and two daughters as well as four grandchildren. 

Greg Thomas has been an orphan sponsor through Life Builders for several years, and he’s been an active board member serving as Treasurer since 2016.

Greg holds an undergraduate degree and two graduate degrees from Northwestern University, and he currently works as an independent marketing and strategy consultant. 

Greg and his wife Jennifer keep themselves occupied by trying to keep up with their four young kids.

Dr. Jamie Lee joined the Life Builders board in 2020 and currently serves on the fundraising subcommittee.

Jamie holds a B.A. in Spanish from UW-Parkside, a M.Ed. in Special Education from UI-Chicago, an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College, a M.Ed. in Education and Organizational Leadership from UI-Urbana Champaign, and an Ed.D. in Global Executive Education from University of Southern California. She currently works as a public school principal but has worked as a bilingual teacher, special education teacher and administrator, and elementary and secondary school teacher. Jamie loves to travel and enjoys learning about different school systems around the world to improve access to quality of equitable education for all students, including those with unique learning needs or low socioeconomic situations.

Jamie is married, has a dog, and has sponsored many foreign exchange students throughout the years. She has worked with many youth ministries, including middle and high school student mission groups. 

Steve Weis has been an active board member since 2017.

He holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Quincy College and an M.A. in Business Managment from Webster University. Steve currently works in the pharmaceutical industry as a director of product quality assurance and compliance. He loves to read, make wine, exercise and do jigsaw puzzles. Steve grew up Catholic and even attended seminary school before joining NorthBridge Church in 2002. Since then, he has served as the Treasurer for 10 years and has been on the Finance Team for 15 years. He is also a member of the worship team, Ironmen Ministry, and currently leads both a couples' and a mens' small group. 

Steve has been married to Kelly for 33 years and has two sons, 2 granddaughters and one on the way.

Marshall Reavis has been an active board member since 2020.

He holds a B.S. in Economics from DePauw University (IN). He currently serves as a member of the DePauw University Board of Trustees and was Board Chair for four years. Marshall founded SVM Prepaid Gift Cards in 1997 and later sold it in 2020. He also worked for Mobil Oil Corporation for eleven years. He serves on the Board of Directors for ScholarLeaders International, Life Builders Ministries International, and ReNew Communities. 

Marshall is married to Amy and has four children. 

Joseph Ahn has been an active board member since 2012. He first went to Nigeria with the Life Builders Ministries International medical missions team in 2012 and has gone back numerous times since. 

Joe holds a B.S., MBA and MPH from the University of Illinois in Chicago and a M.D. from the University of Michigan. He is a practicing Emergency Medicine physician and medical director of a community-based hospital emergency department in Wisconsin.

Joe is married to Haley, and they love to travel and ski!

Nigeria Board Members

• Pastor Emmanuel Oluwanimotele, B.A., M.Sc., (Board Chairman) is District Pastor, The Gospel Faith Mission International, Akure, Nigeria
• Reverend Olubambi Francis, B.A., M.A., (Board member) is National Executive Director, Vision International Christian Ministries, Lagos, Nigeria
• Pastor Olusegun M. Okundare, N.CE., (Board Treasurer) is Senior Pastor and District Pastor, The Gospel Faith Mission International, Ode-Aje District, Ibadan, Nigeria
• Pastor Folaranmi Jacob, B.Sc., P.D.G.E., (Board Secretary) is General Overseer, Soul's Preparation Bible Church, Ise-Ekiti
• Reverend Pius Usenu, B.A., M.A., (Board member) is a Seminary Administrator and Lecturer, West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria
• Aleem R Ola, H.N.D., (Assitant Secretary) is a Technician with the Chevron Oil Company, Lagos, Nigeria
• Reverend Emmanuel Oluwayemi, Ph.D. (Board member) is President and Founder of Life Builders Ministries International
• Blessing Oluwayemi, B.A. (Board member) Co-Founder of Life Builders Ministries International