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

The Reverend Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is a dynamic and visionary preacher, scholar, and civic leader. His ministry unites people longing for change across generational and racial divides through the clear and compelling proclamation of the Gospel. 

Dr. Dates serves as the Senior Pastor of both Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago and the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago—a unique calling that places him at the helm of two of the most storied and influential Black churches in the nation. Under his leadership, both congregations are experiencing vibrant renewal—spiritually, structurally, and socially—as they strengthen their prophetic witness to the city and the world. 

A fierce advocate for justice rooted in righteousness, Dr. Dates is the founder of several initiatives that reflect his vision for Gospel-centered change. He launched the Progressive Center for Counseling & Justice, a hub for trauma-informed care and systemic transformation; the Black Boy Literacy Campaign, a bold citywide movement to help 1,000 Black boys reach grade-level reading by age 10; and the Spend in the Black Commerce Corridor, which channels strategic investment into Black-owned businesses on Chicago’s South Side. 

In the academy, Dr. Dates serves as Co-Chair of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Preaching Institute, where he mentors and equips preachers committed to biblical integrity and cultural awareness. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Wheaton College and an Affiliate Professor of Homiletics at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. 

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Dates earned both his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where his scholarship focused on the often-overlooked brilliance and burden of Black biblical preaching. He is a Burnham Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and formerly served as chaplain of the Chicago Bears, reflecting his ability to move gracefully between the church, the classroom, and the culture. 

A trusted and prolific communicator, Dr. Dates speaks regularly at churches, conferences, and academic institutions across the country. His voice has been featured on platforms such as Christianity Today, Preaching Magazine, and RightNow Media, and he has contributed to the volumes Letters to a Birmingham Jail and Say It: Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition. His first full-length book, What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness?, will be released by InterVarsity Press in Spring 2026. 

Dr. Dates resides in Chicago with his wife and college sweetheart, Kirstie, and their two children, Charlie II and Claire. 

Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is the Dean and Professor of Leadership and Christian Ministry at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He also serves as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University, where he teaches twice a year. Stetzer has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. Stetzer serves his local church, Mariners Church, as Scholar in Residence & Teaching Pastor.

Jorge Acevedo

Jorge Acevedo loves Jesus Christ and his Church. Touched by the grace of God at seventeen, he was never the same. Rescued from a life of addictions, his greatest delight is connecting people to Jesus and the Church.

Born in Puerto Rico, Jorge, at the age of four months, moved with his family to the United States, where he was raised. Jorge is married to Cheryl Montgomery. Their oldest son, Daniel, lives in Cape Coral, Florida, and is the father to their four beautiful grandchildren, Mia, Levi, Seth, and Zoe. They also have a fantastic younger son, Nathan, who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Jorge was the Lead Pastor at Grace Church (www.egracechurch.com), a multi-site congregation in Southwest Florida, for 27 years. He also served churches in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Kissimmee, Florida; and Lexington, Kentucky. Jorge retired from being a local church pastor after 39 years in September, 2023 and currently is a leadership coach, writer, and speaker (www.jorgeacevedo.com). Jorge’s coaching ministry is with Spiritual Leadership Inc. (www.spiritual-leadership.org). He also regularly speaks at local churches, conferences and on podcasts.

Jorge is a 1984 graduate of Asbury College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Bible. He is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2023 from United Theological Seminary with a dissertation on Congregational Vitality: The Church’s Journey from Heroic Solo Leadership to Generative Team Leadership. Jorge received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary in 2023. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Asbury University.

Jorge wrote Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Finding God in Dark Places (Invite Resources, 2023), Neighboring (Abingdon Press, 2019), and Vital: Churches Changing Communities and the World (Abingdon Press, 2013). He co-authored A Field Guide for Methodist Fresh Expressions (Abingdon Press, 2020), The Grace-Full Life: God’s All-Reaching, Soul-Saving, Character-Shaping, Never-Ending Love (Abingdon Press, 2017), Sent: Giving the Gift of Hope at Christmas (Abingdon Press, 2015) and The Heart of Youth Ministry (Bristol House, 1989).

Jason Persaud

Jason is the National Director of Church Engagement with Alpha Canada, a global evangelism organization. He oversees an incredible team responsible for training, equipping, and coaching churches, pastors, and leaders nationwide in the Alpha course. He has been in ministry for over 32 years, serving 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 in Haverhill, MA.  He has been married for 20 years to his wife, Kerri, who is a part of the pastoral team at Hope City Church in Brampton, ON. They have two children, Kaela (18) and Nathan (15).

Joy Moore

An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Joy Jittaun Moore, serves as President at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois, where she is Professor of Homiletics. An “Ecclesial Storyteller” she seeks to encourage theologically framed, biblically attentive, and socially compelling interpretations of Christian Scripture in order to understand the critical issues influencing community formation in contemporary culture (all that means is she tells community-forming stories from the Bible as a follower of Christ!).

Prior to coming to Northern Seminary, she was Professor of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota where she served as Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. Dr. Joy established the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, and served as Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning at Duke Divinity School at Duke University. Previously the director of Student Life at Asbury Theological Seminary and chaplain and director of Church Relations at Adrian College, she has held pastorates in the Michigan Area of the United Methodist Church. She has written for Sojourners magazine, Christian Century, Good News magazine, and Working Preacher and was co-host on the weekly on the Sermon Brainwave podcast.

A native of Illinois, Joy grew up in the American Midwest on Chicago’s southside. A desire to teach led her to earn a BA in Education and Mathematics from National College of Education (National-Louis University) and an MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. A John Wesley Fellowship from A Foundation for Theological Education enabled her to work on a Ph.D. in Practical Theology, which she earned from Brunel University/London School of Theology.

When not teaching, she enjoys traveling, watching episodes of NCIS, and reading. Currently, she is reading the works of Toni Morrison and George Lucas (and yes, she is fascinated by the Marvel Universe!).

Raphael Anzenberger

Born in Strasbourg, France in 1972, Raphael is married to Karen, and the father of four children: Josiah, Abigail, Lisa and Matthew. At the age of 22 during a camp in Praz-de-Lys, France where he was a counselor, Raphael understood for the first time what it meant to take his faith seriously. This experience radically changed his life, and it was there that he decided to consecrate his life to the Lord’s service. In 1996, after receiving a Master’s degree in Economics, he and Karen were married. They then left for Chad, where Raphael was the CFO and CEO of the Bebalem Hospital for two years. After a brief stay in France, they then moved to South Carolina for five years so that Raphael could pursue seminary classes at Columbia International University. He has since received a Master of Divinity in Leadership, Evangelism and Discipleship, a Doctor of Ministry in Missions and a Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies. 

During his five years in the United States, Raphael had two encounters, which would significantly influence his vision for the French speaking world. The first encounter began in 1999 at Michelin where Raphael worked part time as an IT engineer to finance his education and to support his family. French students from France’s “Ivy League” schools spent many months doing internships at Michelin. As Raphael met and shared with them, God gave him a burden for this generation, who are searching for the meaning of life. The second encounter was with the evangelist Leighton Ford, who spent 30 years traveling the world with Billy Graham before beginning his own ministry of training and equipping young evangelists. God used Leighton’s program to confirm the call for evangelism that he had placed on Raphael’s life.

In 2004, Raphael met with the steering committee of France Evangelisation and shared with them the vision that God has given him, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to train a new generation of workers for God, young people who are grounded in the faith, and involved in evangelism and church planting. In September of 2004 he began a yearlong internship under France Evangelisation and in partnership with GBU (Intervarsity France) and France Mission (a church planting denomination). At the end of this internship, Raphael joined France Evangelisation and their team of evangelists, and since September 2005, he has also taken on the position of CEO and President for that ministry. In 2006 he co-founded the Global Evangelists Forum, a movement dedicated to the revival of the ministry of the evangelist throughout the French speaking world. He also developed a curriculum to train emerging evangelists, called R2E. One hundred young evangelists have since graduated from this program.

In 2010, he moved with his family to Loches (Touraine, France) and created the first Church-Planting Regional Center. He oversaw the planting of three new churches and the launch of a new center in Lyon. In 2017, Raphael joined the faculty of Columbia International University as Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Studies and taught classes on Biblical Theology of Missions and Missions in a Secular Age. In 2018, Raphael moved his family to Nice, France. He has since launched the imagoDei.fr platform which serves as a cultural apologetic media for the French speaking world. He is currently serving as its President. In 2022, he moved his family to Montreal, Canada to become General Secretary of the French-speaking Baptist Union with a mandate to revitalize this historic institution. In 2024, he launched Station M, an innovation hub serving the collaborative movement in Quebec around missions and the future of the Church (read more here).

Julio S. Guarneri

Dr. Julio S. Guarneri is the Executive Director of Texas Baptists, leading a convention of 5,300 churches and 20 institutions. With nearly four decades of pastoral experience, he has served congregations in Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, and McAllen, including 13 years as Lead Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen and 17 years at Iglesia Bautista Getsemani in Fort Worth. Dr. Guarneri has served as President and First Vice President of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, as well as a trustee for Buckner International and Stark College and Seminary.

He holds 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. In addition, Dr. Guarneri has spoken at universities, seminaries, conventions, and conferences across the U.S. and abroad. He and his wife, Monica, are proud parents of four adult children and grandparents to three.

Wayne Faison

God called Wayne from banking to vocational ministry. He moved to Virginia to begin his career with the BGAV in 2001. After serving in several positions - most recently as Growth Venture Staff Coordinator- he was elected as BGAV Executive Director in November 2022 during the 199th BGAV annual meeting in Hampton, Virginia.

In addition to his role with BGAV, Wayne also serves as pastor of East End Baptist Church in Suffolk, Virginia. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Black Church Leadership, as well as a Masters of Divinity in Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth, from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The father of two daughters, he lives and serves with his wife Carmen in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Mia Chang

Rev. Dr. Mia Chang is the lead pastor and planter of NextGen Church in Princeton Junction West Windsor, New Jersey. Rev. Chang was ordained in 2008 by the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey. She completed her Master of Divinity studies at the Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City, and obtained her Doctor of Ministry at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University. She planted NextGen Church in 2008, a multi-ethnic community of faith, and since then, she has led the plant of New Hights Christian Church in Hightstown and planted the NGO called Africa River of Life, where she serves as the founder and trustee. Rev. Chang began her vocation as a teacher in the New York City public schools after graduating from Pace University with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. She resides in Princeton Junction, NJ with her husband Steve Ku. 

Eliseo Mejia

Rev. Dr. Eliseo A. Mejia is an author, missiologist and pastor, with more than three decades of experience in church-planting as a leader, coach and mentor in diverse cultures, contexts, and countries. Dr. Mejia’s teaching experience includes adjunct professorship at United Theological Seminary, Asbury Seminary, and Lindsay Wilson College.

In recognition of his exceptional leadership qualities, Dr. Mejia was selected to join Fresh Expressions US as the National Director of Expresiones Divinas. Currently serving in this role, he leads a team in promoting the expression of the gospel message throughout the United States and now internationally.



Previously, Dr. Mejia served for more than 20 years as Associate Director of New Church and Congregational Development in the Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church, and as President of the National Association of Hispanic United Methodist Church Leaders.

As a coach and church-planting leader, Dr. Mejia offers guidance to architects in diverse national settings and countries through all phases of the innovative progression of planting new expressions of Church. This context enables him to leverage his God-given gifts, strengths, skills, and the current realities of entrepreneurs and organizations to generate a new, viable, and sustainable future. His approach emphasizes creating healthy environments where pioneers and associations can thrive.

Cary Sims

Carey Sims is Project Coordinator for the Junia Network.  As a spiritual director and coach, Carey delights in helping people develop practices that deepen and enliven their friendship with God. 

As founder of Created Space she is passionate about helping people participate in God's love, bringing life into the world through creativity and connection.  Rooted in the historic Christian faith and informed by neuroscience, her work equips leaders with biblically grounded, whole-person practices that deepen their experience of God—especially in a cultural moment marked by burnout and rising mental health challenges. 



She holds an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School, an MBA from Regent University, and is certified in Applied Polyvagal Theory in Therapeutic Yoga 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.