John McNeill

Tim Downs

TIM DOWNS is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University in Graphic Design. After graduation in 1976 he created a comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate. His cartooning has appeared in more than a hundred newspapers worldwide. In 1979 he joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, where he founded and directed the Communication Center, a communication training facility. He continues to serve as a speaker and writer. He and his wife, Joy, have spoken at FamilyLife Marriage and Parenting Conferences since 1985. He is author of First the Dead, Less Than Dead, Chop Shop, Head Game, Plague Maker, Shoo Fly Pie, and Finding Common Ground, which was awarded the Gold Medallion Award in 2000. He is also co-author of Fight Fair and The Seven Conflicts: Resolving the Most Common Disagreements in Marriage along with his wife Joy. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife and three children.

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.

Chris Pappalardo

CHRIS PAPPALARDO, PhD, is the author and cofounder of GoodKind, the makers of Advent Blocks, an organization that helps people cultivate the good kind of habits and holiday celebrations. Chris is a pastor, editor, and writer at The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, NC, area. He is married to Jenn and is the proud dad of Lottie (who wants to save the planet) and Teddy (who wants you to read him another book).

Susie Hawkins

Susie Hawkins lives in Dallas and has been actively involved in women’s ministry as a pastor’s wife, teacher and volunteer. She has also served as the Director of Women’s Ministry at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. She has taught a weekly Bible study for business women in downtown Dallas and speaks at women’s conferences and retreats. She is also a contributor to various publications, such as Voices Behind the Veil and the soon to be released “Women’s Evangelical Library Commentary.” Susie has an MA in Christian Leadership from Criswell College as well as an MA in Theology. She is married to O. S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention (formerly the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) and is the mother of two married daughters, Wendy and Holly, as well as a grandmother of five. Her favorite things to do are bargain hunting, lunching with friends and playing with her grandchildren!08/08

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.

Christmas Carol Kauffman

CHRISTMAS CAROL KAUFMAN received her unique name in honor of her Christmas morning birth in 1901 in Elkhart, Indiana. She was raised in a Mennonite home and spent some time as a student at Goshen College. When she was 22, she married Norman Hostetler. However, tragedy struck when two months after their second anniversary, Norman was killed in an electrical accident. She worked in a sewing shop following the wake of her loss, but in 1928, her bishop recommended that she get away for a while and enroll as a Bible student at Hesston College. It was there that she met the man who would be her life partner—Nelson Kaufman. The two were married in 1929. Five years later they were commissioned by the Mennonite General Mission Board to start a mission church in Hannibal, Missouri. It was in their 22-year ministry in Missouri that she found the inspiration to write her many novels. In 1956, they returned to Elkhart where Kaufman wrote her last several books. She died in Elkhart on January 30, 1969.

Charles E. Hurlburt

CHARLES E. HURLBURT was a former president of Pennsylvania Bible Institute (now Philadelphia Biblical University) and was also among the founders of the Africa Inland Mission in 1895. He is credited with convincing the Belgian government to allow Christian missionaries into the Congo. He is co-author of Names of Christ.

Jessica Thompson

JESSICA THOMPSON is an author of several books including Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Christ and frequent conference speaker. She is part of the podcast Front Porch with the Fitzes, and is the director of church life at RISEN Church in San Diego, California.

Chase Replogle

CHASE REPLOGLE is the pastor of Bent Oak Church in Springfield, Missouri. He holds a degree in Biblical Studies and an M.A. in New Testament from The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. He is currently a D.Min. student in The Sacred Art of Writing at Western Theological Seminary. His work draws from history, psychology, literature, and a rich narrative approach to Scripture to help readers think more deeply about faith and life. He has written for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Ekstatis, Bible Engagement Project, and Influence Magazine. A native of the Ozark woods, he enjoys being outdoors with his wife and two kids, sailing, playing the mandolin (badly), and quail hunting with his bird dog Millie.

Janet Morris

Esther Ahn Kim

ESTHER AHN KIM was a Korean Christian who spent six years (1939-1945) in Japanese prisons during WWII as a result of her faith. As she prepared to be martyred, Miss Ahn’s courageous activities in prison brought the light of the Gospel to many, and resulted in a reduction of the brutal torture Christians were subjected to. After her release she was married to Don Kim, and the couple toured Europe and the United States speaking of God’s sustaining power during those harrowing years. She is author of If I Perish. Her story was published in Korea and Japan, where it became a national sensation, reaching number three on the all-time religious bestseller list.

Robertson McQuilkin

ROBERTSON McQUILKIN served as the third president of Columbia International University from 1968 to 1990 and currently serves as the president emeritus. He resigned from the presidency to care for his wife, Muriel, who had reached the stage of Alzheimer’s disease in which she needed full-time care. Prior to coming president of CIU, McQuilkin served as headmaster of Ben Lippen School, then for 12 years as a missionary in Japan. McQuilkin’s writings have appeared in numerous journals and periodicals. Among the books he has published are Understanding and Applying the Bible, Five Smooth Stones, Life in the Spirit, A Promise Kept, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, and The Great Omission. In 2003 McQuilkin married Deborah Jones Sink. Between them, Robertson and Deborah have nine children.

Bryan Litfin

BRYAN LITFIN grew up in Dallas, TX; Oxford, England; and Memphis, TN. He earned a degree in print journalism from the University of Tennessee, a master's degree in historical theology at Dallas Seminary, and a Ph.D. in the field of ancient church history at the University of Virginia. He now serves as Education Projects Editor at Moody Publishers in Chicago, IL. Bryan lives with his wife and two teenaged children in Wheaton, IL, and is a member of College Church in Wheaton. Connect with Bryan at www.bryanlitfin.com.

Ron Eggert

Ron Eggert graduated from Moody Bible Institute's Pastor's Course in 1966, completing a B.A. in Bible in 1969. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1973 and served in pastoral ministry for over forty years. He currently serves as Pastoral Care Pastor at Salem First Church of the Nazarene in Salem, OR. He and his wife, Dianna, have three grown children and six grandsons. His hobbies are reading, nature study, and photography.