JULY 23-26, 2026

ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP INSTITUTE

The Adventist Christian Fellowship Institute – Southern Union is a training event designed to disciple and inspire students, while equipping them with leadership development and networking opportunities alongside other ACF Chapters from across the Southern Union.

  • ARRIVAL BEFORE 7:30PM ON THURSDAY:

    Please go to Mary and McHenry Halls inside Lyon Hall for check-in (CLICK FOR DIRECTIONS).

    ARRIVAL AFTER 7:30PM ON THURSDAY:

    Please proceed directly to the Ballroom inside the Student Union Building (CLICK FOR DIRECTIONS).

  • Thursday

    4:30p - 7:30p | Check in (Dorm: Mary McHenry Hall)

    6:00p | Supper (on your own) 

    8:00p | General Session 1 (Student Union Building: SUB)

    10:00p | Refreshments & Hangout (Dorm Lobby)  

    11:00p | To Rest  

    Friday

    8:30a | Breakfast (McCallie Dining Hall: MDH) 

    9:45a | Journey Devotional lesson 1 – Tracy Wood (SUB, RM C)

    11:00a | Pastors Track – Jermaine Gayle (SUB, RM A)

    11:00a | Building Belonging by Design – Don Keele, Jr. (SUB, RM C)

    1:00p | Lunch (MDH)

    3:00p | Wins & Wipeouts – Don Keele, Jr. (SUB, RM C)

    5:00p | Conference Leadership Meeting 

    6:00p | Supper (MDH)

    7:30p | General Session 2 (SUB)

    9:15p | Breakout Sessions 1 (SUB)

    Sabbath 

    8:30a | Breakfast (MDH)

    9:45a | Journey Devotional Lesson 2 – Tracy Wood (SUB, RM C)

    11:00a | Breakout Sessions 2 (SUB)

    12:00p | General Session 3 (SUB)

    1:00p | Group Photo  

    1:30p | Lunch (MDH)

    2:45p | Afternoon Activities (Hike) 

    4:45p | Prize Drawing & Refreshments 

    5:00p | Breakout Sessions 3 (SUB)

    6:00p | Supper (MDH)

    7:15p | General Session 4 (SUB)

    8:00-10:00 | Open gym and climbing wall (REC Center) 

    11:00p | End of Activities – Good Night 

    Sunday 

    8:30a | Breakfast (MDH)

    9:45a | Journey Devotional Lesson 3 – Tracy Wood (SUB, RM C)

    10:45a | Wrap up and Dismissal - Nelson Silva 

  • Friday

    11:00a | RM A: Taking Your Church To Campus (Pastors) – Jermaine Gayle  

    11:00a | RM C: Building Belonging by Design – Don Keele, Jr. 

    3:00p | RM C: Wins & Wipeouts – Don Keele, Jr. 

    9:15p | Breakout Sessions 1 

    • RM A: Closer Than the Waves – Geoff Starr

    • RM B: Friendship Evangelism - Samson Bush  

    • RM D: Biblical Relationships - John & Maria Newlove

    • RM E: Escaping the Perfectionism Trap – Tammy Clouzet 

    Sabbath 

    11:00a | Breakout Session 2  

    • RM A: Closer Than the Waves – Geoff Starr

    • RM B: No Apologies Needed - Cris Cazarine 

    • RM C: Publis Campus Ministries for Pastors – Tracy Wood

    • RM D: Are You Single? – Chris May  & Natasha Richards

    • RM E: Escaping the Perfectionism Trap – Tammy Clouzet 

    5:00p | Breakout Session 3 

    • RM A: Discipleship – Tracy Wood 

    • RM B: No Apologies Needed – Cris Cazarine 

    • RM C: Building Relationships with Your Local Church – Jermaine Gayle

    • RM D: Love Unfiltered: Love in a Digital Age – Natasha Richards

    • RM E: Biblical Relationships – Maria & John Newlove 

  • What to Bring: Sleeping bag or twin sheets + blanket (bring extra blanket–dorms can be cold), towel, pillow, toiletries, comfortable shoes for walking and active games, hat, sun glasses, refillable bottle of water, casual clothing (a t-shirt will be provided–wear it on Sabbath for picture), Bible, notepad, pen backpack or small bag for the day.   

    Important Notes from MTSU Housing:  The summer is the only time available to complete maintenance work/repair work in the halls. Please be advised that facilities staff and contractors may be present in the building.  

    Be aware of your valuables. Leave anything of extreme value at home. The doors to your rooms should be locked at all times. 

    Be aware about leaving any hall doors or exterior doors propped open. If you find anything missing, report this to your hall staff at the front desk. They will assist you by completing an incident report and contacting the police so that you may complete a police report. 

    Garbage bags will be available at the front desk or lobby of each residence hall. Trash cans in the hallways are not provided. You are responsible for taking your trash to the dumpsters and putting the trash in the dumpsters. Hall staff will direct you to the dumpster locations. 

MTSU Printable Map with our Buildings
 

SPEAKERS

JEAN-MARCEL CLOUZET

Wichita South SDA Church Senior Pastor

MAIN SPEAKER

  • GENERAL SESSION SPEAKER

    Pastor Jean-Marcel Clouzet and Tammy have the privilege of pastoring the Wichita South Seventh-day Adventist church.

    And their ministry would not be possible without their shared love and the unconditional support of their extended family.

    Jean and Tammy love being parents side by side while playing, teaching, and seeing the world through their children’s eyes.

    Jean has been in ministry for 18 years, is an ordained minister with undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology and languages. He was born in Argentina and enjoys getting to know people of all backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. He loves all types of healthy food and forms of communication and participating in group sports and physical activities.

    As a licensed mental health therapist and artist, Tammy enjoys helping people of all backgrounds and walks of life realize that our Creator called us to create and be creative. Embracing that process can lead us to better mental health and a fulfilled realization of our value to God and the value we should place on ourselves as we let go of perfectionism and embrace the reality of living as redeemed children of God.

    Jean and Tammy love being led by the Holy Spirit into opportunities that lead people to Jesus. They also want to help families grow around Jesus through genuine mutual and active discipleship.

GENTILE

Worship Leaders: Madison Campus Church

JERMAINE GAYLE

Kalamazoo SDA Church Senior Pastor

  • Jermaine Gayle is the Senior Pastor of the Kalamazoo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Michigan. He enjoys connecting with young people and helping them find purpose. Before becoming a pastor, he worked in public campus ministry for 6 years. He has mentored many public high school and university students as they deal with questions about identity, faith, and the future. Jermaine has also served as a chaplain for the East Lansing Police and Fire Departments, encouraging and helping people in tough situations. He is creative, an artist, a house flipper, and co-founder of the GodInk podcast, where young people can talk about faith, culture, and deep questions in an honest way. He and his wonderful wife, Allie, share a deep love for Jesus and a heart for serving his church

  • PASTOR’S TRACK - Taking Your Church To School‍: ‍Friday 11:00 am, Room A

    What if the greatest mission field in your community is sitting just minutes from your church? Public universities are filled with students from around the world searching for identity, belonging, and purpose. Yet many churches feel unprepared or unequipped to take advantage of this opportunity. 

    This seminar will explore simple, practical, and effective ways to connect with public university students and build a thriving campus outreach culture in your church. Learn how your church can move outside its walls, engage the next generation, and turn nearby campuses into opportunities for life-changing student ministry. 

    Video for Pastors

    Building Relationships with your Local Church: ‍Sabbath 5:00 pm, Room C

    Student ministry should be an active part of the local church, but how do we make that happen? Join us as we explore practical ways to build strong, lasting connections between students and the church.

DON KEELE, JR.

Ministry Consultant

  • Don Keele, Jr. has dedicated his life to equipping the next generation of leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

    He co-authored the ACF Strategy guide, and oversaw the launch of Adventist Christian Fellowship (ACF) chapters on several public university campuses, as well as developed training to equip the leaders for growth and success as he helped them develop a ministry rhythm to aid them in creating a place to belong, even before one came to believe.

    Now retired from the church, Pastor Don stays actively involved through his consulting business, BetterDay Ministry Consulting.

  • Building Belonging by Design: ‍Friday 11:00 am, Room C

    An effective ACF ministry year doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by design. Too often, campus leaders spend the year reacting, scrambling, and moving from one event to the next without a clear plan for building community or growing disciples. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to intentionally shape a ministry year that creates belonging, deepens faith, and moves students toward mission. Whether you’re starting from scratch or trying to strengthen an existing ACF chapter, we’ll explore ministry philosophies, practical planning tools, strategic rhythms, and the relational foundations needed to build an ACF chapter where students feel seen, known, and invited into something bigger than themselves. Don’t just plan events—design a ministry year that actually matters.

    Wins & Wipeouts - Steal the Ideas, Skip the Mistakes: ‍Friday 3:00 pm, Room C

    Let’s be honest—some ACF events are huge wins… and some are total wipeouts. This is your chance to learn from both. Join student leaders from around the Southern Union for a fun, honest, and practical idea-sharing session where we’ll talk about what worked, what bombed, and what we learned along the way. You’ll walk away with fresh ideas, better strategies, and practical tools to help your ACF build real connection and belonging on campus.

    The best part? Some of the most valuable ideas at ACFI won’t just come from the stage—they’ll come from conversations with other leaders who understand exactly what campus ministry looks like right now.

    Come ready to grow spiritually, think strategically, and leave with practical ideas you can actually use.

BREAKOUT PRESENTERS

  • Samson Bush

    Gulf States Young Adult Ministries Director
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Friday 9:15 pm, Room B

    Friendship Evangelism: Seeing Eternity in the People Around You - Jesus saw people differently. Where others saw strangers, He saw future disciples. Where others saw interruptions, He saw opportunities for redemption. This breakout will challenge you to see the people around you through the lens of eternity and discover how God uses ordinary relationships to accomplish extraordinary mission.

  • Cris Cazarine

    Carolina Conference Young Adult Ministries Director
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Sabbath 11:00 am, 5:00 pm, Room B

    No Apologies Needed: Faith for a Skeptical Generation - Your generation asks the hard questions, and your faith deserves better than a shrug or a Sabbath-school answer. Learn how to defend what you believe with confidence, humility, and language that actually lands. 

  • Tammy Clouzet

    Mental Health Therapist, LCPC, Watercolor Artist
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Friday 9:15pm, Sabbath 11:00am, Room E

    Escaping the Perfectionism Trap: Perfectionism is a form of anxiety that keeps us stuck in a loop of disappointment. We’ll explore how to break the cycle and embrace realistic expectations through God’s grace!

  • Chris May

    AdventHouse Director
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Sabbath 11:00 am (with Natasha Richards), Room D

    Are You Single? - Stop waiting for a relationship to live your best life! There's a lot of church advice for marriage, but why don't we talk about how to thrive while we're still single? Join our breakout session as we explore what the Bible says about singleness and what you can do to grow and thrive today. 

  • John & Maria Newlove

    Carolina Conference Associate Youth Director & SUC Youth & Young Adult Ministries Coordinator
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Friday 9: 15pm, Room D; Sabbath 5:00 pm, Room E

    Biblical Relationships - This Biblical Relationships Seminar explores God’s design for healthy and meaningful connections, grounded in love, respect, and Christ-centered living. It equips participants to build strong relationships through biblical principles like forgiveness, humility, and intentional care for others.

  • Natasha Richards

    Assistant Professor of Chaplaincy, Director of the Seminary Chaplaincy Study Center Andrews University
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Sabbath 11:00am (with Chris May), Sabbath 5:00pm, Room D

    Love Unfiltered: Love in a Digital Age: In this compelling talk, we’ll cut through the noise of constant scrolling and filtered realities. I’ll empower students to embrace authentic self-worth and build meaningful connections, even in a digital age. Using my OWN framework students will walk away ready to live and love, unfiltered.

  • Geoff Starr

    Georgia Cumberland Conference Young Adult & Public Campus Ministries Director
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Friday 9:15 pm, Sabbath 11:00 am, Room A

    Closer than the Waves - Being a disciple of Jesus in the storms of life. This session reminds us that discipleship isn’t about being fearless, it’s about reaching for Jesus anyway. And once He pulls you up, you just might find yourself pointing others to Him.

  • Tracy Wood

    NAD Youth & Young Adult Ministries Director
    BREAKOUT SESSION - Sabbath 11:00 am, 5:00 pm

    Journey Bible Studies:
    Friday-Sunday 9:45 am, Room C

    This Introduction will share the concept that “Discipleship is a Journey.”

    Public Campus Ministries for Pastors:
    Sabbath 11:00 am, Room C

    This workshop is for more than Pastors. It is for all who support college students on non-Adventist campuses. Participants will learn about Campus Prayer Walking, the 7 Steps to Start an ACF Chapter, and the details for professional development as a Campus Minister. 

    Discipleship:
    Sabbath 5:00 pm, Room A

    This workshop is for all who want a simple approach to discipleship, ACF-style. The “Fellowship Model of Discipleship” will be shared. We will discuss how to lead your “small group community” on your campus into an easy step-by-step Journey with Jesus-followers though “Fellowship” practices.