Amy Williams
Author, Speaker, Activist
Chicago, Illinois
Amy Williams, a 20 year youth ministry veteran, follows her passion to minister to teens involved in gangs, youth on probation/parole and those lost in the criminal justice system – at the core of which life-on-life mentoring is her key strategy. As a certified Gang Intervention Specialist, she heard God’s call to move into a Latino gang neighborhood in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community to be a “Hope Dealer” doing street outreach and walking life with young people on her block. Amy has pursued her calling as a Youth Pastor, Reentry Coordinator for paroled youth, Youth Mentor, Speaker and a National Trainer for other youth workers. She has been involved in youth ministry at the local church level, with Urban Young Life and as the former co-founder of Community IMPACT and the Christian Basketball Academy. She has been published in various magazines and projects including Crossway Publishing’s Urban Devotional Bible. She is currently working on her book sharing her story and the many stories of the youth and lessons she has learned.
As a National CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) Trainer, a DeVos Urban Leadership alumni, CCDA Mass Incarceration Task Force member and North Park University Center for Youth Ministries Studies (CYMS) Advisory Board Member, Amy mentors other leaders across the country sharing her passion to reach as many youth with the message of HOPE through Jesus Christ. She is changing the ‘hood one kid at a time!