Philip Nation

DR. PHILIP NATION is the Director of Content Development with the Resources Division of LifeWay Christian Resources. He is also the Teaching Pastor for The Fellowship and Assistant Professor of Leadership and Biblical Studies for Houston Baptist University. He holds a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School and Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Philip is a frequent speaker in churches and conferences. From 2010 to 2012 he served as the national spokesperson for the "National Back to Church Sunday" campaign for Outreach, Inc. Philip and his wife, Angie, make their home in Tennessee with their two sons, Andrew and Chris.

A. J. Swoboda

DR. A. J. SWOBODA is a professor, author, and pastor of Theophilus Church in Portland, Oregon. He teaches biblical studies, theology, and church history at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary, among others. Previously he served as a campus pastor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of A Glorious Dark: Finding Hope in the Tension Between Belief and Experience, Messy: God Likes it That Way, and The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith, and coauthor of Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology.

Sally Clarkson

SALLY CLARKSON is a beloved and bestselling speaker, mentor, and author of over twenty books who has spent three decades encouraging and supporting Christian women. She hosts the popular podcast At Home With Sally, which inspires countless women around the world. She has been married to her husband, Clay, for over forty years with whom she raised four children. She lives between the mountains of Colorado and the cobblestone streets of Oxford, England.

Howard F. Vos

HOWARD F. VOS ( B.A., Wheaton College; M.A. and Ph.D., Northwestern University; Th.M. and Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) was Professor Emeritus of History and Archaeology at The King's College, Tuxedo, New York, and Adjunct Professor at the King's campus in the Empire State Building, New York. He was the author of twenty-five books including Beginnings in Bible Geography, Can I Trust The Bible, Genesis and Galatians in the Everyman's Bible Commentary Series, and co-author of the Wycliffe Encyclopedia. He wrote from his vast knowledge of Bible geography, archeology and church history for Christians seeking to increase their understanding of Scripture. Additionally, he traveled extensively in the Bible lands and excavated many sites in Israel.

Colin S. Smith

COLIN SMITH is President of Open the Bible and Pastor Emeritus of The Orchard Church in northwest suburban Chicago. He can be heard daily on the radio broadcast Open the Bible, and at openthebible.org. Colin is the author of many books, including: Fly Through the Bible, Heaven, How I Got Here, and Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings Through the Beatitudes. He is married to Karen, and they have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Mark Yarbrough

MARK YARBROUGH is a popular Bible conference speaker, professor, and president of Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He is the author of multiple books, including the bestselling How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor and Jonah: Beyond the Tale of a Whale. He is also the featured speaker at The Story of Scripture conferences and is a sought-after Bible teacher and preacher nationally and internationally.

Robert H Belton

Richard Hunt Jr.

RICHIE HUNT is the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Georgia. He co-authored Big Truths for Little Kids, My ABC BIble Verses, and My ABC Bible Verses from Psalms. Richie is married and the father of three children.

Daniel Smith

DANIEL H. SMITH (Th.B., Midwest Bible Seminary; A.B., Greenville College; M.Ed., University of Missouri; Ed.D., Loyola University) is a former president of Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, Iowa. He is author of How to Lead a Child to Christ. He and his wife, Martha, have three children and several grandchildren.

Donald Reeder

W. DONALD REEDER (B.B.A., Southeastern Bible College; Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is owner of a ServiceMaster business and is a ServiceMaster master franchise coordinator. Previously, he worked in the Moody Bible Institute evening school, correspondence school, Moody Monthly, and personal departments.

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.

Hans Finzel

HANS FINZEL (D.Miss., Fuller School of World Missions; Th. M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is the president of HDLeaders. He served for 20 years as president of WorldVenture (formerly CBInternational). He and his wife, Donna, spent ten years as missionaries in Eastern Europe, working with WorldVenture to train pastors behind the Iron Curtain. Hans is the author of ten books, including Change is Like a Slinky, Launch Your Encore, The Power of Passion in Leadership, Unlocking the Scriptures, and his bestseller The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. He co-authored The Top Ten Ways to Love Your Wife with his wife. He is the host of the Leadership Podcast, The Leadership Answer Man and is a widely sought-after speaker as an expert in leadership development, change management and international studies. The Finzels make their home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and have four children.

Andrew Murray

ANDREW MURRAY (1828-1917) was a church leader, evangelist, and missionary statesman. As a young man, Murray wanted to be a minister, but it was a career choice rather than an act of faith. Not until he had finished his general studies and begun his theological training in the Netherlands, did he experience a conversion of heart. Sixty years of ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, more than 200 books and tracts on Christian spirituality and ministry, extensive social work, and the founding of educational institutions were some of the outward signs of the inward grace that Murray experienced by continually casting himself on Christ. A few of his books include The True Vine, Absolute Surrender, The School of Obedience, Waiting on God, and The Prayer Life.

Brian Sanders

BRIAN SANDERS is the founder of the Underground Network, an international coalition of churches united by the prophetic call to love the poor, reach the lost, and seek biblical justice. The Underground is a new form of church designed and empowered for mission. A serial entrepreneur, Brian has helped to start hundreds of missional enterprises, including churches, non-profits, and businesses all over the world. He holds a degree in communication from the University of Florida, a Masters Degree in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida, and a Masters Degree in Applied Theology from Spurgeon's College. Brian has lived in intentional community in the inner city for more than twenty years, embodying the ideas that drive him. He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife Monica and their six children.

Jill Garner

JILL GARNER is an accomplished speaker, advocate, and founder of Manners of the Heart, a nonprofit reawakening respect in our society for the sake of the next generation. She is the author of the award-winning Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World, Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World, and Manners of the Heart, an elementary school curriculum that helps children see beyond themselves to become all God created them to be. Her work is endorsed by Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, Dr. Kevin Leman, and many others.When Jill is not writing, you will find her digging into in-depth word studies in Scripture, baking a batch of her famous Double Delight Chocolate Chip Cookies, counting down to Christmas, planning the next great adventure, and occasionally casting a fly rod. Her greatest joy is time spent with her husband, grown children, and seven beloved grandchildren.

Ray Woolridge

REV. RAY WOOLRIDGE (M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College) is the Executive Director of Life Model Works. He is thrilled to serve in a role that combines his pastoral and leadership experience with his calling, giftings, and walk with God. Ray is a skilled public communicator and a leadership coach who enjoys helping leaders discover their uniqueness and unleash their potential. He is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General with forty-three years of military and civilian service with the Department of Defense.Ray has been blessed by thirty-five years of marriage to the love of his life, Deborah. They enjoy life in Colorado and their five children and four grandchildren. A disabled veteran, he is a malignant melanoma cancer survivor, avid skier, coffee aficionado, and mentor to young leaders.