Dennis Shere

DENNIS SHERE was a reporter, editor, and then publisher for the Dayton Daily News before becoming the senior media manager at Moody Bible Institute. He is currently an attorney working on behalf of death penalty defendants in Illinois. He is author of Cain's Redemption: A Story of Hope and Transformation in America's Bloodiest Prison. He resides in North Aurora, Illinois.

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.

DM Freed

DM FREED, M.Ed. is a former elementary teacher and has been employed for the last 18 years as a school counselor with Central Valley School District. He holds an Elementary Education Degree from Boise State University and two Masters Degrees in education from Whitworth University. His school and district have been recognized with numerous awards by Washington State for “Outstanding Educational Excellence”. D.M. believes that a student’s academic success hinges on the positive relationships they build with other students, their family and school faculty. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family at the lake and playing golf.

Donald Reeder

W. DONALD REEDER (B.B.A., Southeastern Bible College; Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is owner of a ServiceMaster business and is a ServiceMaster master franchise coordinator. Previously, he worked in the Moody Bible Institute evening school, correspondence school, Moody Monthly, and personal departments.

Dorie Van Stone

DORIS VAN STONE is a graduate of St. Paul Bible Institute. She works with Precept Ministries of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and travels widely in a ministry of testimony, Bible teaching, and counseling. She is co-author of Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved and No Place To Cry: The Hurt and Healing of Sexual Abuse with Erwin Lutzer. Doris resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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.

Drew Dyck

DREW 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.

Duncan Jaenicke

R. DUNCAN JAENICKE (B.A., University of Illinois) has done postgraduate work in psychology and counseling and frequently writes on related subjects. He is co-author of Connections and a collaborator for Torn Asunder.

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. M. Bounds

EDWARD MCKENDREE BOUNDS (1835-1913) was born in Missouri. He studied deeply in the Scriptures and was greatly inspired by the writings of John Wesley. At the age of 24, he felt called to be a preacher and became a Methodist Pastor around the time of the American Civil War. At the age of 58, and for the next nineteen years (until he went home to be with the Lord at age 77), he began to write books. It is said that he prayed daily, from 4 A.M. to 7 A.M., before he would begin work on his writings. Bounds is author of many books, including Purpose in Prayer, The Weapon of Prayer, and The Reality of Prayer.

Earl Henslin

EARL R. HENSLIN (Psy.D., Biola University), is a licensed marriage and family therapist, former part-time faculty member at the Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology at Biola University, La Mirada, California, author of seven books, and co-author of three books and numerous professional articles. He is a member of several professional organizations and helped in the founding of Overcomers Outreach to aid churches in establishing support groups.For the past 14 years Dr. Henslin has been integrating brain imaging into the treatment of psychological, physical, and spiritual problems at his counseling practice, Henslin and Associates, a Christian counseling group in Brea, California. Dr. Henslin has four adult children and two lovely granddaughters.

Edythe Draper

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

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.