Beth Moore

Author and speaker Beth Moore is a dynamic Bible teacher whose conferences take her across the globe. She has written numerous best-selling books and Bible studies and recently celebrated a landmark 25 years of Living Proof Live conferences and she’s still counting. She can be seen teaching Bible studies on YouTube and the Living Proof Ministries app. Beth and her husband Keith reside in the country just outside of Houston, Texas where they share a gleeful love of dogs and wildlife. She has two adult daughters she calls her best friends and an armful of grandchildren.

Charles E. Dates

Rev. Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is a visionary preacher, scholar, and civic leader, passionate about uniting change-hungry communities across racial and generational lines through gospel clarity. He serves as Senior Pastor of both Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago and Salem Baptist Church of Chicago—two of the nation’s most influential Black congregations now experiencing spiritual, structural, and social renewal under his leadership.

Dr. Dates holds a B.A. in Speech Communication & Rhetoric from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a founding leader in initiatives such as the Progressive Center for Counseling & Justice, the Black Boy Literacy Campaign, and Spend in the Black Commerce Corridor.

In academic circles, he is Co-Chair of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Preaching Institute, Affiliate Professor at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, and Adjunct Professor at Wheaton. His first full-length book, What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness?, is slated for release by InterVarsity Press in Spring 2026. 



He resides in Chicago with his wife, Kirstie, and their two children, Charlie II and Claire.

Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer is Dean and Professor of Leadership & Christian Ministry at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and serves as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and planters on six continents, authored dozens of books, and written hundreds of articles. Stetzer is Regional Director of Lausanne North America and Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He also serves locally as Scholar in Residence & Teaching Pastor at Mariners Church.

Jorge Acevedo

Jorge Acevedo has been transformed by grace and now lives for one mission: connecting people to Jesus and the Church. Raised partly in Puerto Rico and moved early to the U.S., he rose from addiction in his youth to lead and mentor across generations. For 27 years, he served as Lead Pastor of Grace Church, a multi-site United Methodist congregation in Southwest Florida, and in September 2023 he retired from 39 years of pastoral ministry. Now he coaches, writes, and speaks through Spiritual Leadership Inc. He holds a B.A. (Bible) from Asbury College (1984), an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary (2023). Jorge is a prolific author—Everybody Needs Some Cave Time (2023) among others—and serves on the Board of Trustees at Asbury University. He and his wife Cheryl are parents and grandparents, with their eldest son living in Florida and younger son in Colorado.

Jason Persaud

Jason Persaud is National Director of Church Engagement with Alpha Canada, a global evangelism organization, where he oversees a team that trains, equips, and coaches churches, pastors, and leaders nationwide in the Alpha course. He has served in ministry for over 32 years as a pastor, home missionary, and itinerant speaker. Jason holds a Master of Arts in Practical Theology and Leadership from Northpoint Bible College and Seminary (Haverhill, MA). He and his wife, Kerri, a member of the pastoral team at Hope City Church in Brampton, Ontario, have been married for 20 years and are parents to two children, Kaela (18) and Nathan (15).

Joy Moore

Dr. Joy J. Moore is President of Northern Seminary, where she also serves as Professor of Homiletics. An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, she names herself an “ecclesial storyteller”—shaping communities by weaving theologically rich, socially relevant scriptural narratives. Previously, she served at Luther Seminary as Professor of Biblical Preaching and academic leadership from 2020–2022. Her past roles include founding Fuller Seminary’s William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies, as well as leadership and teaching at Duke, Asbury, and Adrian College. A Chicago native, she holds a B.A. in Education & Mathematics, an M.Div., and earned her Ph.D. in Practical Theology at Brunel University / London School of Theology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, NCIS episodes, and marveling at the Marvel Universe.

Raphael Anzenberger

Dr. Raphaël Anzenberger (b. 1972) is a leading evangelist, pastor, and scholar serving the French-speaking world. He is President of France Evangelisation, CEO of the Global Evangelists Forum, and General Secretary of the French-speaking Baptist Union (UÉBFC).He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Strasbourg and earned a D.Min. in Missions and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University. He founded the evangelist training curriculum R2E and has mentored over 100 evangelists in Francophone Africa and Europe. A Billy Graham Lausanne Scholar (2018), he teaches globally in evangelism and chapters on missional strategy. He lives with his wife, Karen, and their four children in Nice, France. 

Julio S. Guarneri

Dr. Julio S. Guarneri is Executive Director of Texas Baptists, guiding over 5,300 churches and multiple institutions. In a ministry spanning nearly four decades, he served congregations in Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, and McAllen—including 13 years as Lead Pastor at Calvary Baptist (McAllen) and 17 years at Iglesia Bautista Getsemani (Fort Worth). He previously held leadership roles in the Baptist General Convention of Texas and has served on the boards of Buckner International and Stark College & Seminary. He earned a B.S. in Secondary Education from Texas A&I University, an M.A. in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Dallas Baptist University. He and his wife Monica are parents of four adult children and grandparents of three.

Wayne Faison

Called from banking into vocational ministry, Wayne Faison began serving with the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) in 2001. In November 2022, he was elected Executive Director of BGAV. He also pastors East End Baptist Church in Suffolk, Virginia. Faison holds a Doctor of Ministry in Black Church Leadership and a Master of Divinity in Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Carmen, live in Chesapeake, Virginia, and are parents to two daughters.

Mia Chang

Rev. Dr. Mia Chang is founder and Lead Pastor of NextGen Church in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, a multiethnic congregation she planted in 2008. Ordained in 2008 by the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey, she holds an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University. Under her leadership, she also launched New Hights Christian Church and the NGO Africa River of Life, where she remains founder and trustee. Before ministry, she taught in New York City public schools after earning a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Pace University. She resides in Princeton Junction with her husband, Steve Ku.

Eliseo Mejia

Rev. Dr. Eliseo A. Mejia is an author, missiologist, pastor, and coach with over 30 years of global church-planting experience. He has served as Adjunct Professor at United Theological Seminary, Asbury Seminary, and Lindsey Wilson College. He currently serves as National Director of Expresiones Divinas under Fresh Expressions US, promoting gospel expressions across culture. Previously, he spent more than 20 years leading new church development for the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church and served as President of the National Association of Hispanic UMC Leaders. As a coach and strategist, he equips church planters and pioneers in diverse national contexts, with emphasis on sustainable environments and multiplying new expressions of church.

Carey Sims

Carey Sims is a theologian and practitioner, a spiritual director and coach with over 25 years of experience in business and ministry. Carey is Project Coordinator for the Junia Network.
As founder of Created Space, Carey delights in helping people develop practices that deepen and enliven their friendship with God. As an entrepreneur, she is particularly interested in the intersection between theology and economics and how the church can make a social impact while proclaiming the gospel.
She holds an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School, an MBA from Regent University, and is certified in Applied Polyvagal Theory and Somatic Practices for Trauma Recovery. Carey and her husband Gannon live in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, where they are sowing seeds of revival at Cliff Temple through hospitality, creativity, and community.