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MABEL FRANCIS served as a missionary for more than fifty years in Japan. Whether in church, suffering in a prison camp, or in an audience with the Empress or other dignitaries, she preached Christ. She went to Japan with few worldly goods and left with the eternal wealth of hundreds of Japanese won for Christ. Her preaching of Christ, her message of the Spirit-filled life, her deep love for the Japanese people and her sacrificial lifestyle still speak, though her lips are now silent.
Read MoreRUTH PAXSON (1889-1949) was Bible teacher, missionary, and author. Born in Manchester, Iowa, she graduated from the State University of Iowa and then attended Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. She served as YWCA secretary for Iowa and eventually traveled as secretary for the Student Volunteer Movement. In 1911, Ruth sailed for the mission field in China, sponsored by the YWCA. Health concerns forced her to leave China soon thereafter and she then taught Bible in Europe and the United States until her death. She is author of several books, including Life on the Highest Plane and Caleb the Overcomer.
Read MoreBILL DILLON serves as founder and President of People Raising which focuses on providing fundraising training for missionaries, church planters and Christian organizations. He also is the founder and Executive Director of Inner City Impact in Chicago. Bill's family has served Chicago's Inner City since 1918 and he is third generation inner city minister. In 2005 he was honored by Moody Bible Institute as Alumnus of the Year. He is married, has three grown children and seven grandchildren. He resides in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Read MoreTIM DOWLEY, a native of London, holds a bachelor's degree in history and a doctorate in church history, both from the University of Manchester, England. He has written a number of children's stories and books on biblical subjects and the history of Christianity, as well as works on music and literature. A few of his latest books include Bible Atlas, A Public Faith: From Constantine to the Medieval World AD 312-600, My First Story of Christmas, and Bedtime Book of Bible Stories. Tim has traveled extensively, particularly in Israel, Turkey and other biblical lands. He lives in Clapham, South London, with his wife and family.
Read MoreThe late PAUL HUTCHENS, one of evangelical Christianity's most prolific authors, went to be with the Lord on January 23, 1977. Mr. Hutchens, an ordained Baptist minister, served as an evangelist and itinerant preacher for many years. Best known for his Sugar Creek Gang series, Hutchens was a 1927 graduate of Moody Bible Institute. He was the author of 19 adult novels, 36 books in the Sugar Creek Gang series, and several booklets for servicemen during World War II. Mr. Hutchens and his wife, Jane, were married 52 years. They had two children and four grandchildren.
Read MoreRALPH GOWER (M.E., B.D., London Bible College; Ph.D., University of Liverpool) is currently the minister of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Ainsdale, in the north west of England. He has spent most of his life in the area of Religious Education as teacher, lecturer, researcher, administrator and inspector, and has written educational material for teachers and children. He has contributed articles to various Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias and is the author of The New Manners & Customs of Bible Times, Frontiers, Religious Education in the Junior Years, Religious Education in the Infant Years, and Life in New Testament Times. He has been a guide and tour leader in Israel. He resides in Lancashire, England.
Read MoreJAMES H. THOMAS (1890–1973) was a Bible teacher, pastor, and John Bunyan scholar. Born in Maury City, Tennessee, Thomas graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and earned a ThD from Central Baptist Seminary, Kansas City. After discovering the Phillips New Testament in Modern English, Thomas wanted to take a similar approach with an updated version of John Bunyan’s most famous book. The resulting work, Pilgrim’s Progress in Today’s English, is the bestselling modern version of Bunyan’s classic.
Read MoreJOHN F. WALVOORD (A.B., D.D., Wheaton College; A.M., Texas Christian University; Th.B., Th.M., Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary), former president of Dallas Theological Seminary and editor of Bibliotheca Sacra, America's oldest theological quarterly, was recognized as one of the leading evangelical theologians in America and an authority on systematic theology and eschatology. His academic background and extensive travel in the Middle East greatly enriched his theological and eschatological studies. He authored numerous books on theology and biblical prophecy, including The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Our Lord, and Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation.
Read MoreJIM VAN YPEREN (B.A. ,Wheaton College; M.A., Wheaton Graduate School) is the Founder and Executive Director of Metanoia Ministries, a non-profit Christian ministry serving evangelical churches in conflict reconciliation and leadership formation. Jim is the author of Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict. He and his wife, Sharon, reside on a small sheep farm in East Washington, New Hampshire. They have two adult children.
Read MoreHELEN LOUISA TAYLOR (1850–1929) was the daughter of a silk manufacturer in Derby, England. She excelled in her studies as the only girl in an all-boys school. Later she wrote for magazines and published several books, including Little Christian's Pilgrimage: The Story of the Pilgrim's Progress Simply Told (1889) and Christiana, The Story of the Pilgrim's Progress Second Part (1902). Many years ago Moody Publishers purchased the rights to both books, updated them, and created the bestselling Little Pilgrim’s Progress series.
Read MoreDAVE HATAJ is the second-generation president and owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., a Wisconsin-based custom gear manufacturer. As a journeyman machinist by age twenty-one, he then earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California-Irvine. He completed his Master's Degree from Regent College in Vancouver, BC. His graduate work focused on Systems Theory in a Family Business context. In 2014 he earned a Doctorate of Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University, developing a curriculum called Craftsman with Character. The course introduces high school students to the trades and manufacturing as an excellent career path, while developing character and soft skills.
Read MoreJESSICA MANFRE is a licensed social worker, author, and Chief Financial Officer of the nonprofit, Inspire Up. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northwestern State University. Jessica is the proud wife of a U.S. Coast Guardsman, Scott, and mama to their two children, Anthony and Raegan. She is passionate about creating a kinder and more generous world—one that Jesus prayed and gave His life for.
Read MoreJOHN VAN SLOTEN is a Calgary-based writer, teacher, and pastor who is passionate about helping people engage God everywhere. Over the past ten years he has preached dozens of creation/bible-based sermons on topics like radiation therapy, DNA repair mechanisms, river hydrology, chemical catalysts, tree branches, human knees, and the Giant Squid. John is a regular columnist with the Calgary Herald and his books include The Day Metallica Came to Church and Every Job a Parable. Over the past ten years, he has been awarded three John Templeton Foundation subgrants for preaching science, has been part of an Ambrose Seminary Science for Seminaries, and has been a Sinai and Synapses fellow. www.johnvansloten.com
Read MoreELLEN KRAUSE, aka Mentor Mama, is cofounder of Coffee and Bible Time with daughters Ashley and Taylor. She hosts the CBT Podcast, which equips people to delight in God’s Word and thrive in Christian Living! Ellen has been involved in women’s ministry for over 20 years and mentors women worldwide through CBT. Her MA in marketing and her years in corporate America help CBT flourish. In her free time, she enjoys working out, doing mixed media art, sewing, gardening, and cooking.
Read MoreDAVID FISHER is a missionary radio broadcaster working jointly with Trans World Radio and the Slavic Gospel Association. He is director and editor-in-chief of Radio Academy of Science (RADAS). Fisher believed that scientific atheism was preventing many from accepting Christ, so he began writing scripts for a broadcast which countered atheistic spins on scientific issues, and included interviews with believers professionally involved in the sciences. Nearly 30 years later, TWR’s Truth in the Test Tube program and webcast continues to make a difference in the lives of students and young adults. He is co-author of Scientists Who Believed with Eric Barrett.
Read MoreREVEREND JAMES T. MEEKS (B.A., Bishop College) is the founder and senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago’s Roseland community. With over 20,000 members, Salem is the largest African American church in Illinois and one of the fastest growing in the nation. He also serves as the joint chairman for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and as an Illinois State Senator for the 15th Legislative District. Rev. Meeks is the author of How to get Out of Debt and Into Praise and Life-Changing Relationships. He and his wife, Jamell, reside in Chicago and are the proud parents of four children.
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