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H. NORMAN WRIGHT (M.R.E., Fuller Theological Seminary; M.A., Pepperdine University; 1937-2023) was a Research Professor of Christian Education at Talbot School of Theology and a licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist. He taught on the graduate school level for more than twenty-five years and was the founder and director of Christian Marriage Enrichment in Tustin, California. Dr. Wright was the author of more than seventy books, including The Premarital Counseling Handbook, Pressure Points, Communication: Key to Your Marriage, and the best-selling Always Daddy's Girl. Dr. Wright was married to his wife of 49 years and lived in Bakersfield, CA.
Read MoreJIM MCBRIDE joined the staff of Sherwood Baptist Church in 2000 and has served as the executive pastor overseeing operations, church staff, finances and Men's Ministry since 2003. He is an executive producer of the films released by Sherwood Pictures, including Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Flywheel. Jim has also worked for Coca-Cola fifteen years and served in the U. S. Marine Corps for six years. Jim and his wife, Sheila, have been married for 28 years. They have four children, Victoria, Buddy, Tommy, and Sarah.
Read MoreLAURIE NORRIS is a Professor of Bible at Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago, having served for ten years on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute in the division of Applied Theology and Church Ministries. She has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in Biblical Theology-New Testament from Wheaton College. Laurie's ministry centers on the communication of God's Word and equipping of the church through teaching, speaking, writing, and mentoring in both academic and non-academic settings. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she presently lives in West Chicago with her husband Bob, four dogs, and a cat.
Read MoreDR. BOB ROBERTS, JR. is founding pastor of NorthWood Church, Fort Worth, TX. NorthWood has started over 200 churches in the US and a center for training new pastors. He is a leading practitioner and writer on Glocal transformation of individuals, religious communities, NGOs, cities, and global engagement, having worked extensively with the UN and various State Departments globally. He is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker and author of books including Transformation, Glocalization, Real-Time Connections and Bold as Love. Bob is married to Nikki and they have two children and one grandson.
Read MoreMAC BRUNSON (D.Min., M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida and also serves as Chancellor of Criswell College. Mac co-authored The New Guidebook for Pastors, and is the author of The God You've Been Searching For and The Miracle You’ve Been Searching For. A well-known speaker and experienced minister, Mac was appointed president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference in 2003. He and his wife, Debbie, are the parents of three children.
Read MoreJOSHUA 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.
Read MoreDR. JOHNNY PARKER is a certified Christian counselor and leadership coach. For over 10 years he conducted marriage conferences with FamilyLife Ministries. He also led Building Lasting Relationships seminars at McLean Bible Church for a number of years. Currently he serves as a chaplain for the Washington Redskins and speaks for Iron Sharpens Iron, the Man in the Mirror, NFL, and NBA teams. Dr. Parker holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Washington Bible College and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University. He is also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Dr. Parker is married to his best friend, Lezlyn, and they have three sons. The Parkers reside in the Washington, DC area.
Read MoreHARRY SHIELDS has served pastorates in Illinois and Colorado and currently serves on the graduate school faculty of the Moody Bible Institute. He is co-author of Caring for Souls: Counseling under the Authority of Scripture. He and his wife have two adult sons, who are also involved in local church ministries. Harry and his wife, Carol, reside in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Read MoreDAVID CLOTFELTER (M.A., Yale University; M.Div., Fuller Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University) is Senior Pastor of the Chinese Christian Alliance Church in Northridge, California, and has been involved exclusively in pastoral ministry to Chinese congregations for over 20 years. David is the author of Sinners in the Hands of a Good God: Reconciling Divine Judgment and Mercy. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children and reside in Northridge, California.
Read MoreCLIFF COON (1934-2005) was a research chemist holding sixteen patents. He published many scientific and apologetic articles in the course of his career, most of which was spent with Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California. He is the author of The Mending String. Cliff spent many years actively involved with his church and community, including serving as a deacon and teaching Bible studies. He was married to Lucille and had six children.
Read MoreDREW DYCK is an editor at Moody Publishers and the former managing editor of Leadership Journal. He is the author of several books, including Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (Moody, 2019). Drew’s work has been featured in Christianity Today, Relevant, and CNN.com. He lives with his wife, Grace, and their three children, near Portland, Oregon. Connect with Drew at DrewDyck.com or on Twitter @DrewDyck.
Read MoreKYLE TENNANT is the Director of Student Ministries at the Village Church of Bartlett in Bartlett, IL. He is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Christian Formation and Ministry from Wheaton Graduate School. Kyle lives in Chicago's west suburbs, and enjoys reading, writing, preaching, eating, cooking, and good conversation.
Read MoreJUSTIN BUZZARD is founder and lead pastor of Garden City Church in Silicon Valley, California. He has been dating his wife for twelve years and is the father of three young sons. Justin speaks widely, writes at www.JustinBuzzard.net, and is the author of The Big Story, Why Cities Matter, Date Your Wife, John: A 12-Week Study, and Consider Jesus.
Read MoreDEANNA CONRAD studied both education and special education at Indiana University in Bloomington. Now her classroom is right in her own house—where she homeschools her five energetic boys. Deanna also teaches at the local community college and in her local homeschool co-op. All of her writing is fully tested among the large audience of students she engages. Home remains in Bloomington where she enjoys her community of family and friends, and on occasion sleeping out under the stars.
Read MoreSCOTT MCCLELLAN is the Communications Pastor at Irving Bible Church and an active voice in the conversation about church communication, creativity, and technology. Scott lives with his wife and two young daughters in the Dallas area where they are involved with Tapestry, a ministry to adoptive and foster families.
Read MoreCHARLES W. SHEPSON has served for more than sixty years as pastor, educator and counselor. He is the founder of Fairhaven Ministries, a counseling and retreat center in Tennessee and has served for more than three decades as its president. He is also the founder of the Canadian-based Fairhaven Ministries in British Columbia. He has ministered in thirty-seven countries and has authored fifteen books.
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