Charles Dickens

CHARLES DICKENS (1812–1870) is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works include Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. He wrote works infused with spiritual themes, pointing to Christian ideas with Scripture allusions and metaphors.

Glenn R. Kreider

Glenn R. Kreider (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary where he teaches systematic and historical theology courses. His research interests include Jonathan Edwards, theological method, and eschatology. He is also the author of God with Us: Exploring God’s Personal Interactions with His People throughout the Bible.

Donald A. Lichi, PhD

DRR. DONALD A. LICHI is a licensed psychologist at EMERGE Counseling Services in Akron, Ohio. He is also an adjunct professor with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL). He is married to Marcie, and they have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Manuel Luz

A rock musician-turned rocket engineer-turned Christian artist, MANUEL LUZ has been a creative arts pastor for 18 years, as well as a working musician who has contributed to nearly 50 albums. His eclectic experience as an artist, professional, and minister give him a unique view of the intersections of faith and art.

T. DeWitt Talmage

William Dyer

REVEREND WILLIAM DYER was born in England in 1632. During his earlier ministry he was a pastor with the Church of England at Chesham and Cholesbury. He and many other pastors were known as “Puritans” because of their desire to purify and reform the state church. However, in 1662, Dyer and over two thousand other Puritans pastors were ejected from their parishes because of a lack of compliance to the new policies of the church. In the year following his dismissal from the church he wrote two of his most enduring books, A Cabinet of Jewels and Christ’s Famous Titles. In his later life he worked alongside the Quakers because of their zeal for Christ and passion for souls. He was buried among them in Southwark, England in April of 1696. From his writings he is seen to have been a man of great character, earnest to win men to the Lord, and eager to build up the saints in the love and confidence of Christ.

Charles Leach

CHARLES LEACH was born in England on March 1, 1847 and started from humble beginnings, having to begin work at the age of eight. He worked hard and eventually went to Ranmoor Theological College. In 1873 he took up a pastorate in Sheffield, and for the next thirty years, preached, ministered, and lectured all around England. He also took several trips to the Middle East and the United States. While he was successful in his professional life, he was not as fortunate in his personal life as only two of his six children were alive at his death. In 1908 he joined the Liberal Party to run for Parliament. Although initially thought to be a weak candidate, he won his seat in 1910. While in Parliament he introduced several bills and was fairly influential. Because of this and his ministry background he was named Chaplain to the Armed Forces at outset of World War I. After this, he began to step back from public life because of physical and mental deterioration. He died in England on November 24, 1919 at the age of seventy-two.

Tessa Afshar

TESSA AFSHAR’s books have been on Publishers Weekly, CBA, and ECPA bestseller lists and have been translated into many languages. Her Bible study, The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, won the ECPA Christian Book of the Year in the Bible Study category. Tessa’s novels have been the recipient of the ECPA’s Bronze Milestone, Christy, and INSPY Awards. She holds a master of divinity from Yale, where she was elected to serve as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship for one year. Tessa is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener, and an enthusiastic cook of biblical recipes. Learn more at TessaAfshar.com.

Grace Community Church

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH was founded on July 1, 1956 as a nondenominational church with an emphasis on the basics of Christianity. Dr. John MacArthur has served as pastor since February 1969, continuing to build on the strong foundation of sound doctrine, spiritual leadership, and active service to God and the community.

Stan Guthrie

STAN GUTHRIE is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine. His most recent book, All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, was released by Baker. He is author of Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers.

Jocelyn Green

JOCELYN GREEN is an award-winning author who inspires faith and courage in her readers through both fiction and nonfiction. A former military wife herself, she authored Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and co-authored The 5 Love Languages Military Edition with Dr. Gary Chapman. Her novels, inspired by real heroines on American's home front, are marked by their historical integrity and gritty inspiration. The books in the Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series have been honored with gold and silver medals from the Military Writer's Society of America. Wedded to War was a Christy Award finalist in two categories. Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. She is an active member of the Christian Authors Network, the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Military Writers Society of America.Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two small children in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.

John Weldon

JOHN WELDON (Ph.D., Pacific College of Graduate Studies; D.Min., Luther Rice Seminary) was co-author of many books including The Secret Teachings of the Masonic Lodge, Myth Of Safe Sex: The Tragic Consequences of Violating God's Plan, Playing with Fire, Psychic Healing, and One World: Bible Prophecy and the New World Order.

Joseph S. Carroll

JOSEPH S. CARROLL was the founder of the Evangelical Institute of Greenville South Carolina and served as Pastor and Senior Elder at the First Evangelical Church in Greenville. He traveled extensively throughout the Far East speaking to mission societies. In addition, he served as Pastor at the Tokyo Evangelical Church.

C. Donald Cole

C. DONALD COLE served as a host and commentator on Moody Radio’s Open Line for 26 years before retiring in 2008. He previously served on the faculty at Emmaus Bible College and as a missionary in Angola with his wife, Naomi. Pastor Cole is the author of a number of books, including How to Know You’re Saved and All You Need to Believe: The Apostle’s Creed. Pastor and Mrs. Cole live in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Arthur Lewis

ARTHUR H. LEWIS (B.A., Wheaton College; B.D., Gordon Divinity School; M.A., Harvard Graduate School; Ph.D., Brandeis University Graduate School) formerly served as professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Bethel College. He is author of the Everyman’s Bible Commentary Volumes on Judges and Ruth.

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.