Colin S. Smith

COLIN SMITH serves as senior pastor of The Orchard with six campuses across Chicagoland. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Colin received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Master of Philosophy from the London School of Theology. Colin is the author of several books including The Ten Greatest Struggles of Your Life. He can be heard daily on the Open the Bible radio broadcast and at openthebible.org and openthebible.org.uk. Colin and his wife, Karen, have two sons and five granddaughters.

Darcy Wiley

DARCY WILEY is a storyteller who digs below the surface to find the transforming work of the Lord in unexpected places. As a youth, she took part in praying for the gateway cities of the 10/40 Window, and then traveled extensively, observing movements of God and serving on mission in various regions of the world. Even as family life has turned her from a world traveler into a stay-at-home mom, God continues to cross her path with the nations through international ministries or casual conversations in the grocery store. Darcy lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband and their three exuberant children. She writes about faith, family, and adventure at www.DarcyWiley.com.

Mike Fabarez

DR. MIKE FABAREZ is the founding pastor of Compass Bible Church and the president of Compass Bible Institute, both located in Aliso Viejo, California. Pastor Mike is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Talbot School of Theology, and Westminster Theological Seminary in California. Mike is heard on hundreds of stations on the Focal Point radio program. He has authored several books, including 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife; Raising Men Not Boys; Lifelines for Tough Times; and Preaching That Changes Lives. Mike and his wife, Carlynn, are parents of three grown children, two sons and one daughter, and have four young grandchildren.

Roger Parrott

DR. ROGER PARROTT is one of America's most experienced presidents, leading Belhaven University, a doctoral-level institution, highly regarded as one of the 36 schools in the world working at the highest level of collegiate Arts programs. Behhaven was named in 2021 as "Best University to Work For" by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and Roger was recognized as one of "The 10 Most Visionary Education Leaders of 2021" by Education Magazine. For a quarter-century, he served in board leadership roles with Lausanne Movement and The Mission America Coalition and was chairman of the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization. He is the author of The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders.

Rebecca McLaughlin

REBECCA MCLAUGHLIN holds a PhD in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. Her first book, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, was named book of the year by Christianity Today. Her subsequent books include Exploring the Earliest Gospel, The Secular Creed: Engaging 5 Contemporary Claims, 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity, and Is Christmas Unbelievable?: Four Questions Everyone Should Ask about the World’s Most Famous Story. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, three children, and church family.

Kenneth N. Taylor

KENNETH N. TAYLOR was the founder of Tyndale House Publishers and the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). With 10 children and more than 25 grandchildren, he had ample experience in teaching children about the Bible. Kenneth is the author of The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, Devotions for the Childrens House, and Big Thoughts for Little People, as well as the best-selling Living Bible paraphrase. His desire was to see more and more easy-to-read, understandable, contemporary versions of the Bible in hundreds of languages overseas.

Johnny C. Parker, Jr

DR. 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.

Tony Evans

08.07.2023

Leadership and Influence

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Elinore Keister