David Finkbeiner

DAVID B. FINKBEINER is Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where he has taught since 1998. He served as Chair of the Theology Department for several years and he ministers in Chicago-area churches through preaching, teaching, and serving as an elder. David earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Kathy, have three daughters, Katie, Emily, and Rebecca.

J. Ryan Lister

RYAN LISTER is a professor of theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of The Presence of God: Its Place in the Story of Scripture and the Story of Our Lives and serves as Director of Doctrine & Discipleship for Humble Beast, where he helped start the Canvas Conference. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Chase, and their four children.

Janet Mylin

JANET MYLIN is passionate about helping women and girls live boldly in Christ. Alongside Dannah Gresh, Janet is a lead teacher with Pure Freedom Ministries. She’s written three books, including Just Call Me Kate, part of a fiction series for tween girls. Janet is a worship leader and teacher in her local church community in central PA.

Larry Burkett

LARRY BURKETT (1939-2003) was a well-known authority on business and personal finance. He wrote more than seventy books, including non-fiction bestsellers like Family Financial Workbook, Debt-Free Living, and The World’s Easiest Guide to Finances. He also had a worldwide radio ministry. Larry founded Christian Financial Concepts and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crown Financial Ministries®. He is survived by his wife, Judy, four grown children and nine grandchildren.

Kevin Belmonte

KEVIN BELMONTE holds a B.A. in English from Gordon College, an M.A. in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a second Master's Degree in American and New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine. He has twice been a Finalist for the John Pollock Award for Christian Biography, and in 2003, his book, William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity, won that award. For five years, his biography of William Wilberforce has been taught as part of a course on leadership and character formation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. On several occasions, he has served as a script consultant for the BBC, and also for the PBS documentary, The Better Hour. For six years, he was the lead script and historical consultant for the critically acclaimed film, Amazing Grace. Kevin resides in a seaside village in Maine with his wife, Kelly, and their seven-year-old son, Sam.

Lincoln Brunner

LINCOLN BRUNNER has been a journalist for 22 years. After cutting his teeth as a sportswriter and general assignment reporter in central Wisconsin in the early 90s, he went on to edit a small daily paper in Illinois. He then served as an editor for several trade magazines. In 2004, he felt a strong call to do full-time reporting about Christian missions work and went on to report on missionaries around the world for two different missions organizations. These days, he works as managing editor for a Bible translation organization. Lincoln and his wonderful wife, Ann, have three daughters and live in Texas.

Barry J. Beitzel

BARRY J. BEITZEL (PhD, The Dropsie University; Fuller Theological Seminary; University of Pennsylvania) is professor emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He obtained a postdoctorate in ancient Near Eastern geography from the Université de Liège, Belgium, and has engaged in postdoctoral archaeological work in eastern Syria through UCLA. Dr. Beitzel is the editor and cartographer for Biblica, The Bible Atlas: A Social and Historical Journey Through the Lands of the Bible (Viking/Penguin Press), editor of the Lexham Geographical Commentary series (Logos/Lexham Press), and author of Where Was the Biblical Red Sea?: Examining the Ancient Evidence (Lexham Press). His published mapwork appears in Bibles produced by Moody Publishers, Zondervan, B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Tyndale House Publishers, Holman Bible Publishers, Crossway, Thomas Nelson Publishers, and Schuyler Publishers. He and his wife, Carol, reside in Mundelein, Illinois, and have three married children.

William O. Levi

WILLIAM OCHAN LEVI is the founder of Operation Nehemiah Missions International, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the minds, bodies, and spirits of the Sudanese people. He is active in Christian education and humanitarian service in South Sudan and the Ugandan refugee camps. Mr. Levi, a Messianic believer from an African Hebrew tribal group, is a native of Sudan and grew up as a refugee. Following persecution, arrest, and torture, his miraculous escape from jihad forces ultimately led to life in the United States. He has written a book on his story entitled The Bible or the Axe: One Man's Dramatic Escape from Persecution in the Sudan. He is a frequent guest on Christian radio and has told his story nationwide, even testifying before representatives of the United States government regarding human rights abuses in the Sudan. Mr. Levi lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Hannah, and their six children.

Kate McCord

KATE MCCORD worked in Afghanistan for nine years after the fall of the Taliban. During her years in country, she worked as a humanitarian aid worker, delivering projects to benefit the people of Afghanistan. She also learned the local language and developed deep and lasting friendships with local Afghans. After evacuating from her home in Afghanistan, Ms. McCord transitioned into a mentoring, training, consulting and coaching role to other workers serving in the region. Prior to moving to Afghanistan, Ms. McCord worked in the international corporate community as a business process and strategy consultant.Currently, she serves Christ through writing, speaking, mentoring, and conducting workshops and seminars. She is the author of In the Land of Blue Burqas and Farewell Four Waters, both published by Moody Publishers.

Charles Sheldon

Shape Their Faith, Build Their Identity

03.27.2025

Paige Haley Drygas

Ruth I. Johnson

RUTH I. JOHNSON (1920–2023) wrote 30 books for Moody Publishers, including the popular Joy Sparton series and many devotional books. She graduated in 1946 from Moody Bible Institute and became director of youth choirs for Back to the Bible in Lincoln, Nebraska. She continued writing until her death at age 103.

Elinore Keister

Robert W Bell

ROBERT BELL was the son of missionary Ethel Bell. At age 11, he experienced first-hand a life-threatening 20 days at sea and a test of his dependence on God—the story told in his book In Peril on the Sea.

Robert H Belton