Joe Sclafani – is our founder and serves as Lead Pastor and Director of City Light Ministry. He also is on the Pastoral Staff at Spring Valley Church of God. Born in Norristown, PA, Joe became a Christian in 1981. Realizing his call to urban ministry, Joe and his family moved to Reading, PA in 1990. They joined the Spring Valley Church of God where Joe was appointed to it’s evangelism committee. In 1992, Joe answered the call to establish an outreach center in the city designed to reach at-risk children and youth at their point of need. In 2002, Joe went full-time in the ministry. In 2005 the ministry expanded to include ministry to adults.
Joe is an ordained minister with the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. Joe and his wife Trish are the proud parents of three children; Kyle, Ethan and Zachary. Kyle and his wife Lindsay, have one child, Kamryn.
Verlinda Armstrong - serves as our Assistant Director and Children & Youth Pastor and she also teaches our Women’s Bible Study. Verlinda came to Reading, PA all the way from Burbank, California. It was apparent that the Lord had called Verlinda to our city. She became a Christian in 2000 and became a volunteer at City Light not long after. Verlinda joined our staff full-time in 2004 and received a diploma for her studies in Lay Leadership Level 1 and Lay Leadership Level 2 with the Church of God, Cleveland Tennessee. She is currently working towards licensure with Church of God. Verlinda is a mother of four children: Vertoya, Marquise, Ambrosha and Dawn. She also has six grandchildren.
Howard K. Jarrett – serves as Adult Pastor at our Northside Center. Howard was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. He became a Christian in 1982, and has served our Lord faithfully since that time. Howard came to us in 2008 and we found immediately that he was a natural fit at City Light. He began teaching our Men’s Bible Study, now he is preaching each Sunday at Northside. Howard has been employed with the U.S. Department of Defense since 1980. He currently holds the position of Information Technology Software Specialist. Howard and his wife Glenda have been married since 1994. They have three children; Bruce, Rachel, and Pashence.
