Award-winning author Rich Villodas to speak at NWC about reconciliation

The Rev. Rich Villodas, pastor and award-winning author, will present at Northwestern College Sept. 23–24.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 11:05 a.m. in Christ Chapel, Villodas will speak about embodying and bearing witness to reconciliation in a divided world, a theme he explores in his award-winning book, “The Deeply Formed Life.” Villodas will also lead a Northwestern NGAGE discussion for students titled “Agents of Reconciliation” at 8 p.m. in Christ Chapel. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 10:05 a.m., he will be featured in a Northwestern NED Talk in the Vogel Community Room of the DeWitt Learning Commons. The chapel service and NED Talk are free and open to the public.

The lead pastor of New Life Fellowship in Queens, New York, Villodas guides a multiracial church with more than 75 countries represented in its congregation. A Brooklyn native, he is also the author of “Good and Beautiful and Kind” (2022) and “The Narrow Path” (2024). In addition, he is a co-host of “The Resilient Pastor Podcast,” where he discusses church leadership, the challenges pastors face, and faithful ministry in a changing world.

“We are eager to welcome Pastor Rich Villodas to campus as he helps us consider what it means to embody the gospel of reconciliation in today’s world,” says Mark DeYounge, Northwestern’s vice president for Christian formation. “Rich brings both pastoral wisdom and personal experience leading a diverse congregation, and I believe his message will challenge and encourage our community.”

For more information, visit Villodas’ website at www.richvillodas.com.