Adam Hamilton is founding pastor of Resurrection, A United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kansas, one of the fastest growing, most visible churches in the country. The Church Report named Resurrection the most influential mainline church in America. Adam grew up in the Kansas City area, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from Oral Roberts University and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Methodist University. He served as a presidential appointee in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, frequently speaks on leadership across the U.S., and is the award-winning author of The Call, Love to Stay, The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours That Changed the World, Revival, Not a Silent Night, Enough, When Christians Get It Wrong, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Speaking Well, John, Moses, Unafraid, Half Truths, Faithful, Forgiveness, Simon Peter, The Walk, Incarnation, The Lord’s Prayer, Prepare the Way, and Luke all published by Abingdon Press.
Kara Powell, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), helps lead the TENx10 Collaboration, and is the Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch,” Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange and speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or co-author of a number of books including 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, 18 Plus, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.
Rev. Dr. Candace M. Lewis is the 17th President/Dean of Gammon Theological Seminary and the first woman elected to this role in the school’s 138-year history. She is an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and has been in full-time ministry for 25 years. She’s planted a church, served as a denominational Executive and District Superintendent. She also serves as a consultant, coach, and resource to Bishops, Conference Developers, and Church Planters in starting and maintaining new churches.
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – one that is just, generous, and works with people of all faiths for the common good. He is an Auburn Senior Fellow, a contributor to We Stand With Love, and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors and church planters.
Kenny Jahng is editor-in-chief of ChurchTechToday.com, founder of AI for Church Leaders online community of 5,000+ pastors and church staff. He has served as Church Online Pastor at one of Outreach Magazine’s Fastest Growing Churches, and his strategic advisory clients include American Bible Society, the United Methodist denomination, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, the Wesleyan Church denomination, among other ministry organizations. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Columbia Business School, and Duke University, Kenny is also the creator of the ART of Engagement digital communications framework and speaks frequently at events such as Exponential, Salt Community, and Christian Leadership Alliance Outcomes conference on digital engagement strategies.
Blake Bradford is the lead pastor of First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He recently completed almost a decade of service as a District Superintendent, Dean of the Cabinet, and conference staff member, where he served as a congregational coach and conflict transformation mediator. Over his tenure, Blake has pastored churches of different sizes and contexts, including serving as executive pastor of a 3500-member congregation in Little Rock. He is the co-author and author of five books, including the Mission Possible series and Impact! Reclaiming the Call to Lay Ministry, and he equips and coaches annual conferences, districts, and congregations in the areas of simplified governance and ministry impact. A graduate of Vanderbilt, Iliff School of Theology, and Perkins School of Theology at SMU, Dr. Bradford also holds a second-degree black belt, which he believes might possibly have been his best training for ministry.
Jim Ozier is a church coach, consultant, author, and workshop presenter who has trained more than 20,000 pastors and church leaders in over 30 United Methodist conferences in the areas of church culture, accelerating growth, and leadership transition – keynoting conferences and speaking at many of the largest churches in the country. Jim served as Director of New Church Development and was on the Appointive Cabinet of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church for eight years. He was also senior pastor of Trietsch Memorial UMC in Flower Mound, Texas, a large church that birthed three new congregations. Jim pastored 2-point charges in Illinois while a student, and later worked to revitalize inner-city mission congregations in the Dallas area.
Yvette Thibodeaux is a gifted church coach, consultant, mentor, and workshop presenter. She enjoyed a long corporate career in executive management of marketing, communications, business operations, and organizational strategy. As a business coach, consultant, and strategist, she has worked with Fortune 500 and 200 companies, as well as non-profit organizations, to increase their effectiveness. Upon retirement, Yvette began devoting more attention to the church, where she also supports her husband, Paul, lead pastor, and the other leaders of Impact Church in Atlanta.
Paul Chilcote is a Research Fellow at Wesley House in Cambridge, England. Previously, as a third-generation ordained elder, he pastored United Methodist churches, helped launch both Africa University in Zimbabwe and Asbury Theological Seminary in Florida, and taught historical theology and Wesleyan studies at the Methodist Theological School, Ashland Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School. He is a Benedictine Oblate of Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedictine, Oregon, and the author of more than thirty books, including Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together.
This conference is brought to you by ShareChurch,
a ministry of Resurrection, a United Methodist Church,
Leawood, Kansas, U.S.A.