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RYAN WHITAKER SMITH is an author and filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee. His film projects include the romantic drama Surprised by Oxford, based on the award winning memoir by Carolyn Weber, the Lionsgate documentary The Jesus Music, and a forthcoming adaptation of G. K. Chesterton's comic adventure The Ball and the Cross. He is coauthor, with Dan Wilt, of Sheltering Mercy and Endless Grace, two collections of prayers inspired by the Psalms.
Read MoreTHOMAS J. TERRY is the founder and executive director of Humble Beast, a record label and ministry in Portland, Oregon. As a spoken word artist and a member of Beautiful Eulogy, he seeks to bring creativity and theology together to glorify the Lord who created them both. Thomas lives with his wife, Heather, and two boys, Tobin and Kuyper, and serves as the Executive Pastor at Trinity Church of Portland.
Read MoreRACHEL G. SCOTT is a devoted wife, mother, and Ohio native. She holds a BSc from Kansas State and an MBA from the University of Mary. As founder of the I Can’t Come Down Movement, Bible teacher, and podcast host, she desires to inspire believers to walk in their purpose and assignment as they boldly take leaps of faith. Discover more at RachelGScott.com.
Read MoreSALLY 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.
Read MoreMIKE HANDLER serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for Awana. Prior to Awana, Mike was a pastor, a church planter as well as the principle of a creative agency. Mike is a coauthor of Resilient and the cofounder of the Child Discipleship Forum. Now in the Nashville area, Mike and his family are originally from Chicagoland and miss the food there.
Read MoreKYLE DIROBERTS (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the department chair and associate professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona, adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, and pastor of the Minister-in-Residence program at Scottsdale Bible Church. Kyle is the author of The Secret to Prayer. He and his wife, Lolly, live in Scottsdale and have three boys.
Read MoreALLISON BYXBE holds an MA in Composition & Rhetoric, is a professional communication professor, a certified Journal to the Self instructor, and a Certified Journal Facilitator trainee at the Therapeutic Writing Institute. She is the founder and host of Saturday Pages and The Inky Collective—two thriving journaling communities. With a heart for God and her journal always at hand, she loves to trace the lines of grace through every season of life.
Read MoreDR. RICHARD MAYHUE is the Executive VP and Dean and Professor of Theology and Pastoral Ministries of The Master’s Seminary. Before attending seminary, Dr. Mayhue served with the United States Navy from 1966 to 1971, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. Dr. Mayhue joined the faculty of The Master's Seminary in 1989 and was appointed as Dean of the Seminary in 1990. From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Mayhue also served in the role of Provost at The Master's College. Dr. Mayhue has authored, contributed to, and/or edited more than 25 books, including How To Study The Bible, Seeking God, Unmasking Satan, The Healing Promise, What Would Jesus Say About Your Church?, and Practicing Proverbs, plus numerous periodical and journal articles. Dick has been married to his gracious wife, "B", for over 42 years, and they have two children plus two grandsons. Dick enjoys gardening, model railroading (N scale), stamp collecting (USA), and grandfathering when he takes brief breaks from ministry.
Read MoreCHARLES C. RYRIE (A.B., Haverford College; Th.M. and Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary; Ph.D., University of Edinburgh; Litt.D., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary) was a renowned author and scholar. He wrote numerous books, including The Ryrie Study Bible, Basic Theology, Balancing the Christian Life, The Holy Spirit, Dispensationalism Today, Revelation, Survey of Bible Doctrine, and So Great Salvation, which rank among his best-selling titles.
Read MoreARTHUR MORGAN DERHAM was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1915. He was converted when he was fourteen. After some time as a business man and four years serving with the Metropolitan Police Force, he entered the Strict Baptist Bible Institute in Brockley, London, in 1938. Derham took the pastorate of the West Ham Baptist Tabernacle in west London, and it was there that the weight of Hitler’s blitz fell in 1940. The area bore attacks throughout the war, and within a few weeks eighty percent of the congregation disappeared because of damage to their homes. The church services were continued underground until 1944. After the war he began writing in addition to part-time pastoral work in other churches in England. He was also married and the father of a son and a daughter. During his life he authored one book and two small publications published in London as well as contributed to a number of magazines and papers.
Read MoreWESS STAFFORD From the poor of Africa's Ivory Coast to President and Chief Executive Officer of Compassion International, Dr. Wesley K. Stafford — Wess — has maintained one simple belief: God's children are priceless resources. To that end, Wess leads Compassion's efforts to break the cycle of poverty for children everywhere. Wess joined the staff of Compassion International in 1977 and has worked with the ministry, both overseas and at headquarters, for 34 years. He has served as president since 1993. Wess lives on a small ranch near Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife, Donna, of 32 years who was a Compassion sponsor even before she met Wess! They have two daughters, Jenny and Katie — the two children in the world for whom Wess is the greatest advocate of all.
Read MoreDR. AMY E. BLACK is Associate Professor of Political Science and chair of the department of Politics & International Relations at Wheaton College (IL). Prior to joining the Wheaton faculty in 2001, she taught at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A specialist in American Government, her research interests include religion and politics and Congress. Her books include Religion and American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, edited with Douglas Koopman and Larycia Hawkins (Pearson Longman, 2011), Beyond Left and Right: Helping Christians Make Sense of American Politics (Baker Books, 2008), From Inspiration to Legislation: How an Idea Becomes a Law (Prentice Hall, 2007), and, with Douglas Koopman and David Ryden, Of Little Faith: The Politics of George W. Bush’s Faith Based Initiatives (Georgetown, 2004). She and her husband, Wheaton theology professor Dan Treier, live in Wheaton with their daughter Anna.
Read MoreBRIAN 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.
Read MoreMARGARET PAGAN received an A.B. in English from Morgan State University and studied writing at Johns Hopkins University. Her first published work appeared in Essence magazine, and she continued to publish many freelance articles, for the most part, dealing with African American history and genealogy. After accepting Jesus Christ as her Savior she studied at Baltimore School of the Bible, and she began to desire to write on things that glorify Christ. After writing an entry on the life of Katherine Ferguson, a pioneer in the Sunday School movement, for a biographical encyclopedia, Margaret went on to write her first work of historical fiction, More Than a Slave: The Life of Katherine Ferguson. Margaret is the wife of Carl E. Pagan, pastor of Urban Bible Fellowship Church and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
Read MoreRANDY POPE is the Lead Teacher and Directional Leader of Perimeter Church in Duluth, Georgia, a church devoted to reaching the unchurched of North Atlanta and the world. Pope is a graduate of the University of Alabama and Reformed Theological Seminary. His vision and commitment to make and train disciples is known throughout the Christian community. He is the founder of Atlanta Seminary and Perimeter Christian Schools and recently established Life-On-Life Ministries, where he continues to train church leaders both in the United States and throughout the world. Randy is the author of three books: The Intentional Church (previously released as The Prevailing Church), Finding Your Million Dollar Mate, and The Answer. Randy and his wife, Carol, have four children and live in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Read MoreEARL R. HENSLIN (Psy.D., Biola University), is a licensed marriage and family therapist, former part-time faculty member at the Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology at Biola University, La Mirada, California, author of seven books, and co-author of three books and numerous professional articles. He is a member of several professional organizations and helped in the founding of Overcomers Outreach to aid churches in establishing support groups.For the past 14 years Dr. Henslin has been integrating brain imaging into the treatment of psychological, physical, and spiritual problems at his counseling practice, Henslin and Associates, a Christian counseling group in Brea, California. Dr. Henslin has four adult children and two lovely granddaughters.
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