David Goldmann

DAVID GOLDMANN (B.S., University of Wisconsin; M.Div., Columbia International University) is an ordained minister with 24 years of experience living in North Africa and making disciples. He spent eight years as a missions specialist with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, and is presently a missions consultant and recruiter for Frontiers. He is author of Islam and the Bible: Why Two Faiths Collide. In addition, he conducts the seminars entitled “Understanding and Reaching Muslims”. He and his wife, Mary Lou, are the parents of four married children and five grandchildren and reside in Dublin, Ohio.

David Peters

DAVID PETERS married his wife Arlene in 1966. they did their first three overseas missions terms together in Columbia between 1970- 1986. They then spent two terms in Brazil between 1987-1996. The Lord moved them to Mexico from 1997-2006 and then to Canada in 2006 where they have been since. David and Arlene have a daughter and son who both have their own families.

Deborah Barr

DEBORAH BARR is an author, speaker, and health educator with a passion for encouraging people to engage deeply with God as they journey through tough times. Her previous devotional book, Grace for the Unexpected Journey written for dementia caregivers, was named "Best Inspirational Book" at the 2018 Digital Book World awards. Strength for the Cancer Journey is her sixth book.

Diane Elliot

DIANE LYNN ELLIOT is an author, professional photographer and business administrator. With a heart for people and a passion for ministry she has worked and volunteered with children, teens, women, and short-term missions and relief projects. Diane's interest in the global orphan crisis started many years ago with a trip to a hospital for terminally ill children in Siberia, and later to an orphanage in Mexico. Seeing a small snapshot of the great need started her journey and fueled her passion for the orphaned child. For the research of the book Diane also traveled to Peru and Haiti which continued to expand your vision and passion for orphaned children. Diane has a BA in Communication from Trinity International University and an M.B.A. in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. Professionally she has co-written two youth management books, and has spent many years as a freelance meeting and events planner and business manager in both not-for-profit and corporate settings. Diane, her husband David, along with their trained Alaskan Klee Kai therapy dog named Kody, live in Wauconda, Illinois and attend Willow Creek Community Church.

Don Hawkins

DON HAWKINS, (Th.M.) is Director of radio communications for Rapha, Inc., and the host and executive producer of Life Perspectives and Confident Living radio call-in programs. He previously co-hosted Back To the Bible radio, has nineteen years of pastoral experience, is a conference speaker, and is author or co-author of numerous books, including Friends in Deed, How to Beat Burnout, and Overworked. He resides in Birmingham, Alabama.

Don Hillis

DON W. HILLIS served as a missionary to India under The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) from 1937 to 1953. In 1960 he became associate director of the mission at TEAM's international headquarters, heading the Publications Department. Dr. Hillis moved to Florida in 1974 when he became TEAM's Southeastern Representative. He is now an honorary representative for TEAM. Don is author or co-author of a number of books including Answers to Youth Hang-ups, and God, You and That Man with Three Goats: Divine Providence.

Doug Gehman

DOUGLAS GEHMAN attended Goshen College and Fuller Theological Seminary, and completed Master's and Doctorate degrees in Missions at Liberty Christian University in Pensacola, FL. Since 1994, Doug has served with Globe International, a mission-sending agency based in Pensacola, FL. He became the Director in 2001 and the President in 2004. Doug loves coaching and mentoring emerging leaders, helping them discover their giftings and life direction. Doug and Beth have ministered in neary sixty nations. They have four married children and eleven grandchildren. Doug is the author of three books. The most recent is their family's story, called White Picket Fences. He loves writing, surfing, cycling, walking, and spending time with his family.

Douglas Allen Sweeney

DOUGLAS A. SWEENEY is Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought and Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He formerly served as a lecturer at Yale University, as an adjunct professor as Aquinas College, and as a visiting professor at both Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. Sweeney is the author of a number of books and articles about religious history and the American theologian, Jonathan Edwards. He resides with his wife, Wilma, and their son in Lindenhurst, Illinois.

Dr Issam Smeir

DR. ISSAM SMEIR is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who specializes in trauma treatment for refugees, victims of torture, and severely abused and neglected children. He holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and a Doctoral Degree in Counseling and Clinical Supervision from Northern Illinois University, and has done post doctorate training in trauma and refugee issues at Harvard University. He has worked for World Relief since 2001, serving refugees and other immigrants from dozens of countries of origin. Prior to joining World Relief, Issam worked with several missions and relief organizations. Originally from the country of Jordan, Issam now lives in Suburban Chicago with his wife and four sons.

Dustin Willis

DUSTIN WILLIS has served as a marketing consultant, organizational executive, and pastor over the last 17 years, working with small businesses, local churches and some of the largest faith-based nonprofits in North America. He is the author of Life in Community and the co-author of Life on Mission and The Simplest Way to Change the World. Dustin and his wife Renie have two children and are daily seeking to live on mission just outside of Atlanta, GA.

E. V. Hill

E.V. HILL (1933 - 2003), author of A Savior Worth Having and Victory in Jesus, pastored the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and was a preacher and teacher for conventions, universities, seminaries, Bible conferences, local churches and city-wide revivals throughout the world. Several United States presidents sought his counsel. He was honored by Time magazine as one of the seven most outstanding preachers of the United States. Dr. Hill also served as a member of the board for directors of the Billy Graham Association, America for Jesus, and the Board of Reference of African Enterprise.

Ele Parrott

ELE PARROT, a Biblical Counselor by profession, is the Director of Member Care for the Paraclete Mission Group. She worked as a missionary in the Latin community with OCI for 12 years, has worked in women’s and children’s ministry in her local church and has also been involved in Christian Camping ministry. She continues to lead Bible studies and is the head Mentor Mom at Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona. In addition to Transforming Together, Ele has authored a Spanish-language musical, El Futboles es mi Vida as well as Spanish materials for use in Christian homes and Sunday School classes.Ele Parrot and her husband of 35 years, Don, the President and CEO of Finishers Project, have four grown children and three grandchildren.

Elizabeth Koenig

Ella K. Lindvall

ELLA K. LINDVALL was a mother and former elementary school teacher. She spent 20 years teaching Kindergarten, first, and second grades in Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Ella was a skilled children’s editor and writer, and served until retirement as the managing editor for Moody Publishers. Among her many children’s books are The Bible in Pictures for Toddlers and the acclaimed Read-Aloud Bible Stories series, the first volume of which is an ECPA Gold Medallion winner and C.S. Lewis Honor Book.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

ELYSE FITZPATRICK has been counseling women since 1989 and is presently a part-time counselor at Grace Church in San Diego. She holds a certificate in biblical counseling from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (San Diego) and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. Elyse is the author of twelve books including Women Helping Women, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat, Idols of the Heart, and The Afternoon of Life. She is a member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counseling. A frequent speaker at women's conferences, she has been married for nearly thirty years and has three adult children and two grandchildren. She and her husband, Philip, reside in Escondido, California.

Eric Demeter

ERIC DEMETER (B.S., Purdue University; M.A., Bethel University) is a relationship and conflict resolution specialist with advanced studies in mediation, peacemaking and negotiation from the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and Peacemaker Ministries. He is currently a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) based in Athens, Greece where he disciples young people from the Middle East, and teaches conflict resolution and healthy relationships to YWAM staff and missionary students. His experiences growing up listening to heavy metal, working alongside ex-convicts, and being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition give him the ability to connect well with people of diverse belief systems. He considers every reader a friend and challenges everyone to become more like Christ in everything they do.