Meet the Team

Tash Williams

Founder

Tash and Maya Williams have been married since the Fall of 2025 and are now based out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He is currently building The Pillar Projct full-time, while also a Photographer and a Videographer and Maya is a Registered Nurse working at Kootenai Health in CDA.

Experience:

Tash is an enrolled member of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas through his father Aaron Williams, but also is Pomo, Sauk and Fox, Kickapoo through his mother Kristen Williams. He is proud of who he is culturally, as it is a piece of an identity that God has blessed him with. Tash has a Bachelors in both Pastoral Ministries and Biblical Studies, with a Minor in Theology from Trinity Bible College. In ministry, he has served as a Youth Pastor, built and launched youth and young adult ministry initiatives, and has most recently been on executive staff for Goodheart Ministries. Education, spiritually and academically, are very important to him and he is continuing it through graduate studies. His desire to not only see Native People, but all cultures come to the beautiful revelation of Jesus and the Gospel is what he has dedicated his life to. Tash’s heart for The Pillar Projct is to be a place where people find Jesus, experience Discipleship, become fruitful, and establish a faith that is unmovable. For more of his heart and thoughts, please feel free to checkout our Blogs and Mission page.

Professionally:

For the last 10 years, he has worked in and with communities on a local and national level through Tribal Organizations, as well as, non-profit organizations such as The Boys and Girls Club of America. A highlight of his time with the BGCA was being chosen to pilot an Environmental Justice project that would help lead youth in advocacy work in Washington D.C. with Congressmen and Senators for Native clubs and communities across America. His work would earn him regional awards (Native Spirit Award) and opportunities speak and host trainings, at state, regional, and national events.

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Chris Martinez

Founding Member

Christopher is an enrolled member of the Makah Tribe whose heart is to see Native people encounter Jesus and walk in deep, lasting discipleship. He and his wife, Lorraine, have been married since the fall of 2019 and are raising their four children in Neah Bay, Washington.

Christopher’s passion is to see Indigenous communities restored in Christ, rediscovering their God‑given identity and learning to follow Jesus without losing who God made them as Native people. He longs to see a generation of young people rooted in Scripture, led by the Holy Spirit, and confident that Jesus is present on the reservation, in their families, and in their future.

As the founder of Rooted Youth, Christopher invests his time discipling teens through Bible teaching, worship, and honest conversations about real‑life struggles.

His vision is that every student would be “rooted and built up in Jesus,” grounded enough in Christ to withstand temptation, trauma, and pressure, and bold enough to carry the gospel of Jesus into their homes, schools, and tribal community.

Christopher is also a founding member of The Pillar Project, partnering in its mission to lift up the name of Jesus and strengthen the church in native communities.

Ministry and Creativity

Christopher serves as a worship leader and youth pastor at Neah Bay Assembly of God, helping shape a culture of sincere, Spirit‑led worship, repentance, and obedience to Jesus. Out of his own story of outward religion without real relationship and a life‑changing surrender to Jesus, he calls people to authentic faith in Christ, not performance.

Outside of formal ministry, Christopher is a hobbyist cinematographer who loves capturing the beauty of Makah land and people through film.

He sees storytelling and visual media as tools Jesus can use to encourage his community, honor their culture, and point hearts back to Himself.