Arthur E. Smith

ARTHUR E. SMITH, father of five, was born in London, England. Smith received the diploma of Fellow College of Violinists (F.C.V.) of London and after he moved to Canada, became a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, serving as violinist with the organization for ten years. Most of his time has been spent in Bible teaching in Canada and U.S. His 40 years of evangelism include work among the men of lumber camps and gold and silver mines of northern Ontario.

Ruth Schleppi-Verboom

RUTH SCHLEPPI-VERBOOM first heard Joni speak as a teen in the Netherlands and became a lifelong fan. Years later, they met face to face—and heart to heart—after Ruth and her husband, filmmaker Helmut Schleppi, moved to California. There they raised their four children. Now splitting time between the U.S. and the Netherlands, Ruth—storyteller at heart—writes about life, food, travel, God, and everything in between at ruthfully.us.

Arthur Percy Fitt

ARTHUR PERCY FITT was born in Limerick, Ireland on October 5, 1869. Although a European native, he spent much of his life in the United States. It was in Northfield, Massachusetts that he came in contact with D.L. Moody because of Moody’s educational involvement in the city. He eventually traveled with Moody serving as his personal secretary. Later he fell in love with Moody’s only daughter, Emma. The two were married in 1894. Their only child, Emma Moody Fitt, was born a year later. Later in life he was the managing editor of the Record of Christian Work Company based out of East Northfield, Massachusetts. He is well-known as the author of several books about D.L. Moody including Moody Still Lives and The Shorter Life of D.L. Moody. He died in East Northfield on May 5, 1947 at the age of 78.

Shannon Warden

DR. SHANNON WARDEN is an associate professor of counseling for Liberty University. She also is a licensed counselor, who for more than 20 years, has specialized in counseling families, couples, and women. She has been interviewed on numerous radio programs and podcasts and is a popular conference speaker. Among other writing projects, Shannon has co-authored two books with her friend and mentor, Dr. Gary Chapman. She and her husband, Stephen, have three children and reside in North Carolina.

John Gillies

JOHN GILLIES was a missionary in Brazil, concert soloist, actor, and freelance writer. He wrote numerous articles, books—including Martyrs of Guanabara—and award–winning scripts for films, filmstrips, and television.

Brittany Lee Allen

BRITTANY ALLEN lives in Ohio with her husband and their two boys. They are members of Centerville Christian Fellowship where he serves in the Women’s Ministry. She is the author of Lost Gifts: Miscarriage, Grief, and the God of All Comfort, and writes for various online ministries.

Jane Livingstone

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.

D. Jeffrey Bingham

D. Jeffrey Bingham (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of Theology at Wheaton College. His academic specialties are Patristic Theology, History of the Reception of the Bible, History of Biblical Interpretation, Second-Century Christianity, and Irenaeus. He is also the author of Pocket History of the Church, and The Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought.

Jolene Philo

JOLENE PHILO grew up in a caregiving family and raised a son with medical special needs. As a teacher, she created an inclusive classroom for children with disabilities for 25 years. She's authored several books, including Every Child Welcome: A Ministry Handbook for Including Kids with Special Needs and Sharing Love Abundantly with Special Needs Families: The Five Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities. She hosts the award winning blog, www.DifferentDream.com. Jolene and her husband live in a multigenerational family in Iowa with her daughter, son-in-law and their two young children.

Kurt Bruner

KURT BRUNER hosts DriveFaithHome.com to help churches reach and disciple busy families. He has worked with hundreds of churches as they customize a ministry model pioneered while he served as pastor of spiritual formation at the 20,000 member Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. The bestselling author of more than twenty books, Kurt spent twenty years with Focus on the Family where he served as Vice President over films, books, magazines, radio drama, broadcasting, and other media groups including the popular Adventures in Odyssey team.