David Kinnaman is the author of the bestselling books Good Faith, You Lost Me and unChristian. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with nearly one million individuals and overseen hundreds of U.S. and global research studies.

He and his wife live in California with their three children.

Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church. He’s the author of several best-selling books, including his latest, Didn’t See It Coming, and speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change and personal growth.

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast and Carey’s blog at www.CareyNieuwhof.com are accessed by millions of leaders each year.

Brooke Hempell manages the firm’s research studies, from semi-annual polls that track the pulse of Americans’ beliefs and practices, to custom studies for para-church ministries, denominations, businesses and non-profit organizations. Through this work, Barna helps leaders gain insights into faith groups and the general population’s perspectives on faith and cultural issues.

Prior to joining Barna, Brooke led market research engagements for clients in the pharmaceutical, financial services and retail industries for more than 15 years. She earned her B.S. in Business and Marketing from Cornell University. Brooke is active in church planting and racial reconciliation ministries and lives in Atlanta, GA.

Nicole Martin accepted an interim leadership role in U.S. Ministry in November 2019. She came to American Bible Society in 2016 as a City Mobilizer in Charlotte and continued as the National Cities lead, supporting Scripture engagement efforts in cities across the U.S.

Martin teaches courses in Ministry and Leadership Development at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and previously served as the Executive Minister for a multi-site church in Charlotte. She is the author of two books: Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Leadership and Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional. Her articles have been featured in USA Today, Christianity Today, and The Charlotte Observer. She is a nationally recognized speaker and was inducted into the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.

Martin is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a triple major in human and organizational development, educational studies, and French. She received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She serves on the Board of the National Association of Evangelicals and as a Trustee at Gordon College.

Martin lives in Baltimore with her husband Dr. Mark Martin and their two daughters, Addison and Josephine.

Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons.  For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.

He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. In 2017 Dr. Keller transitioned to CTC full time to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students through a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary’s (RTS), the City Ministry Program. He also works with CTC’s global affiliates to launch church planting movements.

Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.

Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”

Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.

Jeff Wright has been active in ministry for over 25 years. He has served several congregations as associate pastor, director of Christian Education, adult Bible study teacher, Vacation Bible School director and in various teaching and administrative roles. His preaching and teaching engagements have included numerous national and international conferences and conventions and he has provided consulting to several national ministries.

Jeff joined UMI in 1994 after a career that included working for Johnson & Johnson, where he was a winner of the Johnson & Johnson Leadership Award and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Jeff’s educational background includes prep school education at St. Albans School (The National Cathedral School for Boys) in his hometown of Washington, D.C., and a B.A. degree with honors from Fisk University. He earned his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Georgetown University Law School and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. He earned an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York and completed additional study at the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and Harvard Law School.

Jeff is the author of the book and media literacy Bible study guide God’s Vision or Television: How Television Influences What We Believe and is also a contributing author to the book Nonprofit Leadership in a For-Profit World.

He has four children and is married to Lakita Garth Wright.

Samuel Rodriguez is the President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization with 42,000 plus U.S. churches and many additional churches spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora.

Rodriguez has been named among the “Top 100 Christian Leaders in America” (Newsmax 2018) and nominated as one of the “100 most influential people in the world” (TIME 2013). Rodriguez is regularly featured in CNN, Fox News, Univision, PBS, Christianity Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many others.

Rodriguez was the first Latino to deliver the keynote address at the annual The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award presented by the Congress of Racial Equality.
He earned his Masters Degree from Lehigh University and received Honorary Doctorates from Northwest, William Jessup and Baptist University of the America’s.

Rodriguez serves as Senior Pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California, where he resides with his wife, Eva, and their three children.

Kevin Palau is president and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. Kevin joined the Palau Team in 1985 and began directing the day-to-day operation of the ministry in the late 1990s. Under his leadership, LPA has partnered with tens of thousands of local churches to produce large Christian gatherings in cities around the globe, including major evangelistic campaigns in Washington DC; New York City; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In 2008, Kevin pioneered the Festival 2.0 model that includes a citywide service initiative preceding the festival event. Designed for long-term sustainability well after the festival, this service initiative also gave birth to Palau’s City Gospel Movement effort which is now focused on celebrating, accelerating, and inspiring hundreds of Gospel Movements in cities around the world. Kevin’s unique passion, and the focus of the City Gospel Movements Team, is to inspire leaders to keep evangelism as a central focus in their ongoing gospel movement.

Kevin also helped develop Palau’s Next Generation Alliance, which exists to serve up-and-coming evangelists through mentoring and equipping. The experience and resources that have grown out of decades of work with other evangelists have also helped birth a new movement, working with organizations around the world to create a global network of evangelists.

Kevin holds a degree in religious studies from Wheaton College. He lives in Beaverton, Oregon near LPA’s headquarters with his wife, Michelle. They have three grown children.

Pete Scazzero is the pioneer of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a groundbreaking global ministry that transforms church culture through the multiplication of deeply changed leaders and disciples. Pete hosts the weekly Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast for pastors and church leaders exploring the practices needed to transform their church culture.

He is also the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Pete and his wife Geri authored The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course, (Part 1 and 2) a countercultural resource that moves people from shallow Christianity to depth in Christ.

The Rev. Canon Esau McCaulley, PhD has served in many professional and cultural contexts throughout his ministerial career and theological study. These include being pastor at All Souls Episcopal/Anglican Church in Okinawa, Japan, assistant to the pastor, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, VA, and assisting priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in St. Andrews, Scotland. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of St Andrews where he studied under the direction of N.T. Wright. His research and writing focuses on Pauline theology and the intersection of race, Christian identity,  and the pursuit of social justice.

Dr. McCaulley, currently, serves as assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. He is one of the co-founders of Call and Response Ministries – an organization dedicated to creating events and materials that equip black Christian leaders and those who support them for effective ministry. Canon McCaulley is also the director of Next Generation Leadership for the ACNA (Anglican Church in North America) a province wide initiative committed to raising up and training the next generation of Anglican clergy and lay leadership. He is married to Mandy, a pediatrician and a navy reservist. Together, they have four wonderful children.

The Reverend Doctor Brianna K. Parker- known as Rev. Bri – is a highly sought-after preacher, public speaker, millennial engagement coach and ministry consultant. She is the curator and founder of the Black Millennial Café (BMC), a consulting practice and data resource center for persons seeking healthy engagement with Black millennials of faith.

Tony Suárez is an author, sought after speaker and pastor, and serves as the Executive Vice President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the country’s largest Hispanic Christian organization, serving more than 40,000 congregations in the United States

Suarez regularly conducts evangelistic and healing services overseas and speaks at churches, conference and various events every week across the United States.

Rob Kelly serves as the founding President & CEO of FORCLT. In this role, Rob is the primary directional leader of the FORCLT network, engagement platform, Movement Day Charlotte, and the lead author of the Charlotte State of the City Report.  Prior to this, Rob served 13 years as a pastor, along with numerous other leadership positions, including co-founding CLT/ONE and lecturing at Gordon-Conwell Seminary.  Rob is a graduate of the University of Washington and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-Charlotte. Rob is married to Ani, and they are the proud parents of Addison and RJ.

Mindy serves in executive leadership at Gloo (www.gloo.us) and is the co-founder and president of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase “soul health” in the Body of Christ. Prior to Gloo, she served as Director of Transformation Ministry for the Willow Creek Association (WCA). She speaks and advises organizations including Spire, Stadia Church Planting, Salvation Army, and Compassion International. Her books include STIR: Spiritual Transformation in Relationships, Become Like Jesus, Discovering Soul Care, Spiritual Friendship, Soul Searching and Simplicity, as well as Write for Your Soul: The Whys and Hows of Journaling. www.soulcare.com

Trillia Newbell is the author of  the kids’ book God’s Very Good Idea, a Bible study on Romans 8, If God Is For Us, as well as the books Sacred Endurance: Finding Grace and Strength for a Lasting Faith, Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God’s Good Gifts (2016),  Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015) and United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (2014). Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, True Woman, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She is also a commentator for World Radio (a sister platform for World Magazine). She has spoken at numerous conferences, churches, women’s retreats, colleges and seminaries, including True Woman, The Gospel Coalition Women’s conference, Southeastern Theological Seminary, and more. She currently is the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention.

Her greatest love besides God is her family. She is married to her best friend and love, Thern. They reside with their two children near Nashville, TN.

York Moore is the National Director of Catalytic Partnerships for InterVarsity. He is also an evangelist, speaker, modern-day abolitionist, and author of Making All Things New: God’s Dream for Global Justice, Growing Your Faith by Giving It Away: Telling the Gospel Story with Grace and Passion, and Do Something Beautiful: The Story of Everything and a Guide to Finding Your Place in It. 

Ruth Evans serves as the Executive Director of the Unite Network in Atlanta, GA which seeks to see the next generation and their families flourish. They promote this flourishing through connecting churches to each other in their local community and then equipping and mobilizing them towards maximizing their gospel and social impact and influence in their city. 

Prior to serving with Unite, Ruth was a co-founder and Executive Director at 2nd Mile Ministries – a ministry that seeks to see the gospel renew lives and communities so they are transformed in every way. Consistent with her passion to invite and lead the church into a more robust discipleship in living and promoting holistic flourishing, Ruth has served on several local and national boards, as well as trained and taught on topics of reconciliation, culture and community development.

Brad Hill is a senior executive leader at Gloo (www.gloo.us). His focus is on networks, technology and service organizations who want to better serve the church and faith-based market.

Prior to Gloo, Brad co-founded Ministry Brands, which is the world’s largest church/ministry technology company. As president, he completed over 40+ roll-up acquisitions and led the company to win Private Equity deal of the year for 2017.

In addition to his experience starting, building and coaching companies for Kingdom and business impact, Brad has also served in lay leadership at several churches across multiple denominations.

Brad lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife and two kids.

Dhati Lewis is the Lead Pastor of Blueprint Church in Atlanta, Georgia and the Vice President of Send Network with the North American Mission Board. He was born and raised in California and later moved to Texas where he completed his undergraduate studies from the University of North Texas. He later earned his master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Ministry in Great Commission Mobilization from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

During his time in Texas, he started a college ministry, served as a chaplain to UNTs football team, coached high-school football, became a college pastor, and eventually planted a church. In all these years of ministry, Dhati became increasingly burdened to see healthy disciple-making churches in the city. This burden grew until the Lord gave Dhati a clear vision to plant a church-planting church in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2009, Dhati, along with twenty-five others, moved to Atlanta with the goal to become the last generation of believers who have to leave the urban context in search of sound discipleship.

Dhati is is most passionate about making disciples, equipping urban leaders, and loving his family. On any given day you might find Dhati changing a plan, coaching his kids in basketball, or strategizing on a whiteboard. Dhati has seven beautiful children and is married to Angie, a discerning woman who empowers and encourages him to live fully in his identity in Christ. He is the author of both the Bible Study and book, Among Wolves: Disciple Making in the City and Advocates: The Narrow Path to Racial Reconciliation.