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KERWIN A. RODRIGUEZ is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute where he teaches homiletics, spiritual formation, and cultural dynamics for congregational ministry. He has an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Seminary and is currently completing a PhD at Baylor University's Truett Seminary with a particular interest in Latino preaching. Kerwin is passionate about preaching and teaching others to preach. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Meredith and their two children, Ezra Joel and Elias Rowe.
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LAWRENCE O. RICHARDS (University of Michigan, Dallas Theological Seminary, Northwestern University) was one of the most prominent Christian Education writers during the second half of the twentieth century. He has written more than 70 books, including Creative Bible Teaching, Every Name of God in the Bible and Life of Christ. He was a contributor to Christian Education: Foundations for the Future. Larry resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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BRAD AND MARILYN RHOADS founded Grace Marriage in 2015 to help churches and couples prioritize marriage. Prior to this, Brad was a practicing attorney for 22 years. He served as a marriage pastor at their local church, where he noted the nationwide absence of an intentional, ongoing strategy to keep couples on a trajectory of growth. Marilyn holds a masters in social work and worked at Counseling Associates before choosing to stay home with their children. In 2015, Brad left the practice of law to pursue marriage ministry full-time. The Rhoads currently lead Grace Marriage, author curriculum together, speak at conferences, and work with individual couples. They are the proud parents of five amazing kids and live in Owensboro, Kentucky.
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RAY RHODES, JR. serves as founding pastor of Grace Community Church of Dawsonville, GA and as president of Nourished in the Word Ministries. He has served four congregations over three decades of pastoral ministry and for fifteen years, he has led Nourished in the Word. Ray has published several books and holds theological degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He is married to Lori and they are blessed with six daughters and four grandchildren. Ray has long been a Spurgeon enthusiast, and his doctoral thesis focused on the marriage and spirituality of Charles and Susannah Spurgeon.
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ARTHUR E. SMITH, father of five, was born in London, England. Smith received the diploma of Fellow College of Violinists (F.C.V.) of London and after he moved to Canada, became a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, serving as violinist with the organization for ten years. Most of his time has been spent in Bible teaching in Canada and U.S. His 40 years of evangelism include work among the men of lumber camps and gold and silver mines of northern Ontario.
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CHARLES H. SPURGEON (1834-1892) was known as England's most prominent preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. He preached his first sermon at the age of 16, and by 22, he was the most popular preacher of his day, habitually addressing congregations of six to ten thousand. In addition, he was active in philanthropic work and evangelism. Spurgeon is the author of numerous books, including All of Grace, Finding Peace in Life’s Storms, The Anointed Life, and Praying Successfully.
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CHRISTOPHER SWAIN is the Disciplemaking Pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church and the CEO of Replicate Ministries. After four years of service in the United States Marine Corps, Chris served in full-time ministry for two decades in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee leading ministries ranging from students to collegiate to spiritual formation. He also served as the Director of Student Ministry Publishing at Lifeway Christian Resources, serving the church in its mission of making disciples. Chris has been with Replicate Ministries and Long Hollow Baptist Church since 2016, with a heart to expand the Gospel through disciplemaking in the local church. Along with his wife, two children, and Boston Terrier, Chris resides in the Nashville, Tennessee area.
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HANNAH WHITALL SMITH (1832-1911) was born in Philadelphia to a Quaker family. Her life expressed the joy that is found in complete surrender to the Lord. The secret to a happy life, according to Whitall Smith, is to trust implicitly in the promises of the Bible. Her goal was not to impress the scholar, but to elevate the simple man or woman who longed for a more consecrated way of living. Deeply practical, her writings deal directly with the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people. She is author of The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life and The God of All Comfort.
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J. OSWALD SANDERS (1902-1992) was a Christian leader for nearly seventy years and authored more than forty books on the Christian life including The Incomparable Christ, Spiritual Discipleship, Spiritual Leadership, and Spiritual Maturity. He left a promising law practice to serve as an instructor and administrator at the Bible College of New Zealand. Dr. Sanders later became general director of the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), and was instrumental in beginning many new missions projects throughout East Asia.
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JOSHUA SHERIF was born in Egypt to a Muslim family and immigrated to the United States, where he later came to faith in Jesus. For the past decade, he has planted and pastored in Albany Park, Chicago, IL, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. His congregation represents more than thirty nationalities, speaking twenty languages. Josh has enjoyed his years equipping and coaching other missionaries and pastors around the world. His story was featured in Love Costs Everything, a documentary produced by CIY and Voice of the Martyrs, concerning Christian persecution.
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KENDRA SMILEY, named Illinois Mother of the Year in 2001, hosts a daily radio program, Live Life Intentionally, and speaks nationally and internationally. She graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois then went on to earn her Master of Science from University of North Dakota.She has written more than half a dozen books including High Wire Mom and Empowering Choices. She and her husband are co-authors of Do Your Kids a Favor...Love Your Spouse and Journey of a Strong-Willed Child. Kendra has also written numerous magazine articles, contributed to several books, and currently writes a monthly column for Hearts at Home magazine.Kendra and her husband, John, live in East Lynn, Illinois.
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PATRICK SCHREINER (Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross and Matthew, Disciple and Scribe. He loves watching students see the depths and beauty of the Scriptures. This translates into a greater love for God and others as he trains ministers of the gospel who will go out to the nation and the world with the healing message of Jesus. He is married to Hannah and they have four children. They love good local food, the outdoors, sports, and he enjoys serving local churches through teaching and preaching. You can connect with him on Twitter @pj_schreiner.
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CARL R. TRUEMAN studied at the Universities of Cambridge and Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. Prior to emigrating to the United States, he was on faculty at the University of Nottingham and King's College, University of Aberdeen. He is currently Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA). His scholarly publications focus on the development of Reformed Orthodoxy in sixteenth and seventeenth century Britain. He is also a Council Member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. His latest books are Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative (Presbyterian and Reformed) and, Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History (Crossway).
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HELEN 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.
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JUDITH K. TENELSHOF (B.A., California State University; M.A., Talbot School of Theology, M.A. Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary) is a professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology. She has established and directed counseling centers in churches and Christian schools, and is the founder and vice president of Hilltop Renewal Center for Christian Leaders. She is the general editor of Men and Women in Ministry: A Complementary Perspective and has also authored several journal articles and chapters in three additional books. Judith resides in Brea, California.
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PENNY THRASHER- Penny Thrasher was raised in a home given to hospitality and feels privileged to carry on that tradition, especially in hosting large holiday celebrations. She contributed to her husband's book, Believing God for His Best -- How to Marry Contentment and Singleness. Penny is in her 17th year of home schooling and enjoys serving in their church, being part of a prayer group which supports missionaries, and mentoring younger women. Bill and Penny have three sons, Will, Michael, and David.
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