General Session Speakers

  • Johnson University, Illinois, USA

    With over 35 years in ministry leadership and education, Keith has a passion for developing leaders who will mobilize others for ministry and organizational effectiveness. His approach integrates biblical foundations with the best in scholarly leadership research and thought, fostering thoughtful, biblically grounded leadership practice. He recently joined the faculty at Johnson University where he oversees the dissertation process for the PhD in Leadership Studies program. In his off hours, he enjoys the outdoors - hiking, walking, running, & paddleboarding - with his wife and kids.

    General Session: Scripture, Scholarship, and Leadership: An Integrative Approach

  • Lipscomb University, Tennessee, USA

    John Mark Hicks has taught full time in higher education among Churches of Christ since 1982 and is currently Professor of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has taught in over 40 states and 20 countries around the world. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to over 30 books as well as contributing to both academic and popular journals. He is married to Jennifer and shares five living children and six grandchildren with her. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

    General Session: Searching for the Pattern

  • Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology, Colorado, USA

    Dr. G. Steve Kinnard has been an evangelist and teacher with the New York City Church of Christ for over thirty-five years. He holds degrees from Freed–Hardeman University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Drew University. Steve is the Dean of Bible and Professor of New Testament at the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology. He is also Adjunct Professor of Bible at Lincoln Christian University. Steve has written over fifteen books. These books range in topic from spiritual formation to social justice to Jesus to a novel on spiritual warfare to the martial arts. Steve has taught classes on every populated continent around the world. He works in the Hudson Valley, New York ministry with his wife Leigh. They have two adult children and two grandsons.

    General Session: The Art of Reading Scripture

  • West Virginia, USA

    Amanda Kelsch is a doctoral student in Humanities at Faulkner University. She holds a Masters in English Language and Literature and has been a member of the English faculty at colleges in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. She has authored two devotional workbooks for women, Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength and People-Pleaser.

    Amanda and her husband, Nick, serve as lay leaders in the Kanawha Valley Church in Charleston, WV where they are raising their three children, ages 6, 8, and 12.

    General Session: Thinking Metaphorically and Metaphysically: The Study of Literature as a Means to Spiritual Enlightenment

  • University of Manchester, England

    Andy Boakye is Lecturer in Religion and Theology at the University of Manchester where he is also departmental admissions officer, chairman of the postgraduate research seminar and collaborative academic advisor for Luther King House, one of the largest Baptist seminaries in North England and Spurgeon’s College London. Andy is on the editorial board of Grove Books, is a member of the British New Testament Society and is a frequent contributor to the Journal of the Study of New Testament.

    He has taught New Testament Studies at the University of Manchester, the University of Chester and Leeds Trinity University. He was formerly theologian-in-residence for St Peter's House church and Chaplaincy, a multi denominational University Chaplaincy.

    His research interests include Resurrection in Second Temple Judaism, ancient Christian identity construction, the significance of Abraham within Post-Biblical Jewish literature, Biblical Theology and the use of the Old Testament in the New.

    His book “Death and Life: Resurrection, Restoration and Rectification in Paul's Letter to the Galatians”, was published in 2017 and his most recent book, co-authored with Professor Peter Oakes, is entitled “Rethinking Galatians: Paul's Vision of Oneness in the Living Christ”, and was published in February 2021. He has been commissioned to write the Zondervan Word Biblical Themes volume on Ephesians for release in 2025. He has trained clergy on issues of race and religion, spoken widely on New Testament interpretation and Pauline theology and has contributed to both radio and television on subjects including ‘religion and masculinity’ and crucifixion in the Roman Empire.

    Dr Boakye serves in the teaching ministry in the Thames Valley Church of Christ and is most importantly husband to Chi and father to Aaron (19) and Storm (17).

    General Session: The Crucified Ego: Galatians and the Politics of Narrative

  • Pepperdine University, California, USA

    Kindy Pfremmer De Long is Blanche E. Seaver Professor of Religion and Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Development at Pepperdine University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity, with a specialization in the New Testament, and an M.Div. from Pepperdine University. She has published the book Surprised by God: Praise Responses in the Narrative of Luke-Acts (2007), as well as chapters and articles on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul, Daniel, Tobit, Joseph and Aseneth, and 4 Ezra. She is currently writing a commentary on the Gospel of Luke. A long-time member of the Conejo Valley Church of Christ, she has served in ministry for over twenty-five years, speaking and preaching regularly at retreats, conferences, and churches. She and her husband Ty have two adult children.

    General Session: Reading Luke’s Story of Jesus and the Way

  • Kingston, Jamaica

    Courtney is an Attorney-at-Law, who serves as a Congregational Teacher in the Kingston Church of Christ. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Damian Jean-Baptiste Caribbean School of Ministry, a ministry training academy for the ICOC congregations in the Caribbean. He has served as an Instructor in New Testament at the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology (Denver, Colorado), where he lectured on the Pastoral Epistles. He currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in New Testament at the United Theological College of the West Indies (Kingston, Jamaica), where he lectures on the Pauline Epistles. His PhD (Theology) dissertation (University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, 2020) examined the Pastoral Epistles, including the relevance of the Greco-Roman Household context to their interpretation.

    General Session: Reading the Pastoral Epistles with the Greco-Roman Household as Context

  • Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

    Sherie Gayle is a Women’s Ministry Leader in the Greater Baltimore Church in Baltimore, M.D. She is also a second-year Ph.D. student of Theology and Religious Studies and a Residential Minister at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Her doctoral research lies at the various intersections of religion, the Church, gender, race, and power in the context of late antiquity/early medieval Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sacred and exegetical texts. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she led the mission team to Storrs, C.T., and various youth and family, as well as singles’ ministries across Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic USA.

    General Session: Hiding in Plain Sight: Locating the Feminine in the Being of God

  • Pepperdine University, California, USA

    Ron Highfield is Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University where he has taught courses in Christianity and culture and systematic theology for the past 33 years. He holds degrees from Harding School of Theology (MTh) and Rice University (MA & PhD). Ron served as a minister and an elder in churches of Christ in four different states within the USA. He is the author of Great is the Lord (2008), God, Freedom & Human Dignity (2013), The Faithful Creator (2015), The New Adam (2021), and Rethinking Church (2021). He and his wife Martha have two sons and three grandchildren.

    General Session: The Use of Scripture in Christian Ethics

  • Lincoln Christian College, Illinois, USA

    Trevor Cochell, PhD, is Director of the Online MA in Bible & Theology for Lincoln Christian University, Professor of Old Testament and Curriculum Development for Rocky Mountain School of Ministry & Theology, and a pastor for Elkton Christian Church (Elkton, Oregon). Trevor’s academic and ecclesial interests center on learning and teaching how to respond to the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. Trevor owes his love for studying Scripture to his parents, Dick and Kathy, and the church that helped raise him – Sixth and Gibbs Church of Christ. Trevor lives in Cottage Grove, Oregon, with his wife of 32 years, Kimberly.

    Scripture as Story: A Starting Point for Teaching and Preaching from the Old Testament

  • Virginia, USA

    Ed Anton currently serves as lead minister of the Hampton Roads Church and chair of the American Commonwealth Region of churches. He is also a teacher on the ICOC Teachers Service Team, and directs the Anchor Academy. Ed authored the book Repentance, A Cosmic Shift of Mind and Heart and developed the DiscipleMakers, eMANcipators, TentMakers, MeatEaters, NetMenders, and BodyBuilders programs for equipping disciples. Both Ed and his wife Deb left successful careers to follow God’s calling into ministry. Ed was a Marketing Director for Coca-Cola, and Deb was a Family Practice Physician. They have four children and two grandchildren.

    His experience spans from: Teacher of philosophy, Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Member of OMI General Council; community-builder, lecturer and writer.

    Specializations: systematic theology, philosophy, Augustine mysticism and spirituality.

    General Session: Were Not Our Hearts Burning: Expository Power in the Pulpit

Thursday Breakout Session Speakers

  • Deb Anton

    Deb Anton serves full-time as a women's ministry leader after giving up her private practice as a family physician. Together with her husband Ed, they serve as leaders of the Hampton Roads Church, as Regional Family Chairs of the American Commonwealth Region, and as members of the International Teachers’ Service Team. In addition to congregational teaching, she loves to teach in The Anchor Academy, where she focuses on Early Christian Women Martyrs, New Testament Survey of Women, Redemptive Preaching, and Deliberate Discipleship. She has four children and two grandchildren.

    2:00 PM Session: “Friend’s Don’t Let Friends Read Alone”: The Art of Reading Scripture in Community

  • Dr. John Oaks

    Dr. John Oakes retired from a 35-year career as a chemistry and physics professor in 2019. He has written 15 Christian books, including a four-volume series on the History of Christianity, The Christian Story: Finding the Church in Church History. He has taught in eighty countries for 190 churches. He is the president of the Apologetics Research Society and is currently leading the Bakersfield Church of Christ with his wife Jan.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: History of Biblical Hermeneutics

  • Dr. Mark Love

    Mark Love is the Director of the Masters in Missional Leadership at Rochester University. Before moving to RU, he taught at Abilene Christian University. Before that he served full-time in churches in Texas and Oregon. He is married to Donna, and they share four children and three granddaughters.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Letting Scripture Be Scripture

  • Dan Liu

    Born in Texas and raised in North Carolina, Dan studied at Yale, taught English in Taiwan, and became a Christian in Boston before studying at Harvard’s Kennedy School. He later joined the Hong Kong mission team, marrying Elexa Shih. They served there, then in Taipei, and later with HOPE worldwide in Hong Kong, the United States, and Cambodia. He lives in Hong Kong, serves as an elder, and recently completed a master’s degree in missional leadership at Rochester University. The Liu family is composed of Brian, June, Stephen, and baby Epaphras.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: A Reading of 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

  • Ben Borland

    Ben and his wife, Susan serve as the Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader for the OKC Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Ben was born and raised in New Iberia, LA. He was baptized into Christ in Austin, TX as a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Ben has served in the full-time ministry for nearly 15 years first in Dallas, TX and moved to Oklahoma to start a campus ministry at OU. Ben earned his MRE from Rochester University in the fall of 2021 and highly recommends the program for anyone searching for a master’s degree while in the full-time ministry.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Reading and Experiencing the Bible as Phenomenon

  • Ron Hammer

    Ron became Christian in 1988 in Toronto, Canada as a student in Chemistry. Upon
    completion of his graduate degree, he entered the full-time ministry and married Cheryl Smith in 1990. Ron and Cheryl have led ministries in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario Canada. They have led ministries in the North Region of the Los Angeles Church since 1993. We have two sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren. Ron complete his MRE degree from Rochester University in 1999. They have been closely involved in Eurasian Missions for the past 15 years.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Missional Hermeneutics of Salvation - Saving Onesimus and Philemon

  • Dr. David Hooper

    Dr. David Hooper currently serves as the Lead Evangelist for the Austin Christian Church. David and his wife Angela spent four years in the Former Soviet Union (1992-1996) serving ministries in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev. They also led church plantings to Riga, Latvia and Odessa, Ukraine. David continues to serve the Russian churches as President of the Eurasian Mission Society. David graduated from California State University – Long Beach with a BA in Political Science. He received is MDiv from Lubbock Christian University in 2009 and his DMin from Abilene Christian University in 2018.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Reading Leadership Models in Scripture

  • Kene Izuchukwu

    Kene Izuchukwu works as full-time Associate Minister for The Westside Church in Los Angeles, CA, and completed a Master of Divinity (MDiv) at Pepperdine University in 2020. In addition, he serves a Chaplain in the United States Air Force and as the Athletic Chaplain for the Pepperdine Men's Volleyball Team. Kene has completed two units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) with Cedars-Sinai and is currently working on a third. He has three siblings and was raised by Nigerian immigrants. He loves playing beach volleyball, football, and basketball. He also enjoys hiking, reading, board games, ping pong, corn-hole, and watching movies. Kene also founded Chukwu - a spiritual formation company.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Contextualizing the Gospel: How Paul's Theological Vision Inspires Us To Have Our Own

  • Dr. Robert Carillo

    Robert Carrillo was born in Juarez Mexico and grew up in California. He was educated at the University of San Diego and San Diego State University receiving a bachelors degree in History, Social Work and Art. Later Robert studied at Pepperdine University where he received a Masters in Divinity. Robert and Michele have been married 33 years and have three adult children, Elena, Alexis and Andrew. Robert and Michele led the San Diego church of Christ for seven years. Robert Carrillo served as CEO of HOPE worldwide and now is currently finishing a Doctorate in Spiritual formation at Fuller Seminary. He is an Evangelist and Teacher with the Los Angeles church of Christ serving as part of the leadership team, as well as serving on the ICOC Teachers committee.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Living and Active: The Art of Being Transformed by God's Word

  • Arturo Elizarraras

    Arturo leads the Teaching Ministry in Mexico, focused on training and raising future Bible Teachers for the Mexican churches, with some members from Central and South America, and even some Latin Ministries in the US. He is also the President of the Ezra Project Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on disseminate deep biblical teaching for the average members of the Spanish-speaking churches, and also in providing the platform for the MTA program for training Christian ministers in Mexico. Arturo is also the Academic Director for the Latin America School of Missions (LATAM SoM), affiliated with Beam Missions Foundation from Boston, focused on training the new generation of ministers for the churches in Mexico. Together with his wife Ana Rosa Herrera lead a Region of almost 300 members in the Metropolitan Area of the Mexico City church.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: The Church: The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth

  • Joey Harris

    Joseph Harris is an author, teacher and speaker specializing in helping people to understand the Bible and to experience deeper love by living according to the teachings of Jesus. He has a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, a Masters in Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix, and has done graduate study in Education at Montclair State University, in Dynamics of Organization at the University of Pennsylvania, and in biblical and classical languages at the University of a Pennsylvania, the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology, the Biblical Languages Center, the Ancient Languages Institute, and with Seumas Macdonald. He has done post-graduate religious studies at Columbia Biblical Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary and Trinity Theological Seminary.

    Thursday 2:00 PM Session: Setting the Heart Aflame –– Reading Scripture Deeply and Well

  • Dr. Gregg Marutzky

    Dr. Gregg Marutzky is the Senior Minister for the Antelope Valley Church of Christ in Lancaster, California. Gregg became a Christian at the University of Colorado and graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.S. in Business Administration. He continued his education at Pepperdine University receiving a M.S. in Ministry and a Master of Divinity. Gregg later gained a Doctor of Ministry degree from Abilene Christian University and M.S. in Clinical Counseling from the University of Nebraska. Gregg is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership from Johnson University. Gregg is the Dean of the Los Angeles School of Ministry plus teaches at the Rocky Mountain School of Theology and Ministry.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Philosophical Foundations of Hermeneutics

  • Ayhanna Booker

    Ayhanna Booker serves as Women's Ministry Leader in the Capital Rivers Church in the Washington, DC, area. She also serves as a Delegate for the American Commonwealth Region of churches where she most recently co-chaired a task force to study Women and the Bible. Through the Anchor Academy, she has taught workshops and classes on Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth and Transformation, Christ-like Empathy, Holy Spirit Survey, Redemptive Preaching, New Testament Survey, and Men and Women Synergy in Ministry. Before entering full-time ministry, Ayhanna worked as an attorney. She and her husband are raising three terrific teens.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: The Redemption Story Foretold Through Women of the Old Testament

  • Cesar Lopez

    Cesar Lopez serves on the ministry staff in The Valley Church in Los Angeles. He and Jennifer have served as a missionary in Asia for twenty years, developing leadership teams in churches, hospitals, corporations, and schools. Married for thirty years, they have three adult children and a daughter-in-law who all love God - Brianna, CJ, Destiny, and Daniel. Cesar graduated from the University of San Francisco Bachelor of Science in Hospitality, co-founder of the Asia Pacific Leadership Academy, Certified ACSTH Executive Coach, and recently earned a master’s degree in Missional Leadership from Rochester University. He enjoys weekly Sabbaths with Jennifer, hiking, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Multicultural Considerations in Reading the Text

  • Rolan Monje

    Rolan Monje (BD, MMin, DMin) serves as an evangelist and teacher. He is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology in Colorado and Director of Asia-Pacific Leadership Academy in Manila.

    Dr. Monje heads an international teaching ministry that has taken him to some 40 countries across 6 continents. He leads biblical tour groups and has also written five books on biblical exposition. Rolan has a combined 11 years of graduate-level studies and teaching of classical languages—Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Syriac. He and his wife, Weng, make their home in Manila. They have two daughters.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Mesmerized: Reading Biblical Poetry Closely

  • Steve Payne

    Steve was baptized as a college freshman, serving in lay leadership since. He worked for 23 years in the field of corporate finance before leaving to be the primary care-giver for his mother, who suffered from dementia. It was during this time God inspired Steve to pursue his love of teaching the Bible full-time. He completed his Masters in theology from Rochester University (Michigan) in 2020. He and his wife, Lisa, recently moved to Eau Claire, WI, to build a teaching ministry supporting our smaller churches in the Upper Midwest area.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: God-Centered Biblical Interpretation

  • Steve Hiddleson

    Steve currently serves in the ministry in the Phoenix Church. He graduated with a study of Religion degree from UCLA and graduate teaching degree in Biological Sciences from Cal State LA. He is pursuing his MDIV at the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry. He has a passion for Biblical interpretation, commuter cycling, and coaching his daughter's volleyball team. Steve and Keri have three awesome daughters who are 24, 20, and 12.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Exegesis of Mark 9:30-42 In Light of the Greek Text

  • Andy Fleming

    Andy currently serves on the ICOC Teachers’ Service Team and the Church Health and Growth Task Force. Andy has been instrumental in doing research helping the ICOC evaluate past mistakes, as well as reconsider how the ICOC can seek a healthier future. Andy has a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University, completed a MDiv equivalency program, and is now pursuing a DMin in Missional Leadership. Tammy is a certified Advanced Grief Recovery Method® Specialist and has been instrumental in bringing the program to the Russian speaking world.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: The Need for Divine Revelation

  • John Lusk

    John Lusk became a disciple in 1983 while he was a student at Louisiana State University. After receiving a BS in Civil Engineering, he was married to his wife Barri and they moved to Memphis, TN. There, John studied at Harding University Graduate School of Religion and received a Master's of Arts in Religion in 1987.

    Ever since that time, John & Barri have served in the full time ministry and have led churches or ministries in San Francisco, CA, Sacramento, CA, St. Louis, MO, Bangkok, Thailand, Manila, Philippines and Denver, CO, and Des Moines, Iowa.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Literary Context in Hermeneutics

  • Kyle Spears

    He has a Bachelor’s of the Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and went on to complete a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Friends University. For the last four years he has been pursuing a Biblical degree beginning at Rocky Mountain School of Ministry in theology and is currently pursuing a Masters of Theology at Harding school of the theology. His area of focus is the integration of trauma and theology and his master’s thesis research is in the area of biblical humanity.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: Trauma Hermeneutics

  • Emmanuel Emeh

    Emmanuel is a dedicated Evangelist & Teacher. He chairs both the West Africa Teaching Ministry, as well as the Africa Teachers Group. Emmanuel holds a BA from Yaba College of Technology; an MA from Rocky Mountain School of Ministry & Theology; and currently pursuing a Doctorate in Apologetics & Culture, from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary.

    Married for 24 years to his college sweetheart (Henrietta), they are blessed with two awesome young adult Disciples – Henry & Ella. In addition to his love for teaching the Bible, Emmanuel enjoys visiting historic & archaeological sites, Photography & Music.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: The Teaching and Practice of Fasting in The Bible and Early Church: Controversies and Clarity

  • Derik Vett

    Derik serves as the Evangelist for the Northeast Worship Center of the DFW Church. Along with his wife, Leigh Anne, he brings both missionary and ministry experience. Since 1991, they have planted churches in Eurasia, the Baltic, and the Nordic, as well as leading Youth, Campus, and Adult ministries in California and Texas. He still currently serves on the Eurasian Missions Board. Derik got his B.A. in Graphic Design from California State University of Northridge, and a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University in 2019.

    Thursday 3:30 PM Session: The Importance of Genre

Friday Breakout Session Speakers

  • Dr. Bill Moulden

    Dr. Bill Moulden has served in the full-time ministry for over 27 years throughout the Southwest, Midwest, and now the Heartland family of churches. He currently serves as an Evangelist and Teacher with the Gateway City Church in St. Louis, MO. Bill has Masters of Divinity and a Doctorate in Ministry from Trinity Southwest University in Albuquerque, NM.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: A Teacher's Hermeneutical Roles: The Exegete, The Homilete, The Paraclete

  • Dr. Gabe Santos

    Gabriel Santos, PhD (University of Delaware) is an Evangelist and Teacher at the Greater Richmond Church of Christ, which he serves with his wife, Betsy. He is also Adj. Associate Professor of Sociology at Virginia State University. He was formerly Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology and Human Services at Lynchburg College (2005-2016). He is the author of Redeeming the Broken Body: Church and State After Disaster(Cascade Books, 2009), along with numerous articles and book chapters in the sociology of religion, disasters, and poverty.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Dopamine Hits, Tweets, and Rage: Hermeneutics for Peacemakers

  • Jeanie Shaw

    Jeanie Shaw served in the full time ministry for forty-seven years, most of those working alongside her husband, Wyndham. For eight years she served as a vice president of HOPE worldwide, working with orphans in Eastern Europe. She has taught workshops and classes around the globe on spiritual growth, women in the church, caregiving, adoption, loss, leadership, marriage, and parenting. In the last few years she became a widow, retired, moved, and began her doctorate in spiritual formation. She loves learning, growing, teaching, and writing and has authored sixteen books. She treasures times spent with her four adult children, eight grandchildren, and her tennis ball-obsessed golden retriever.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Experiencing God: Our Senses and Interpretation

  • Rommel Casis

    Rommel is a Teacher in the Philippine Family of Churches and with his wife, Faye leads the ICOCQC Sector of ICOC Metro Manila. He co-teaches courses in the Asia Pacific Leadership Academy (e.g. Hermeneutics, Homiletics, New Testament Survey, Old Testament Survey, and Church History). He has a Certificate in Bible Studies from the AIM and is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree in RMSMT. He is a law professor at the University of the Philippines and serves as Director of the Institute of International Legal Studies. He has graduate degrees from the University of the Philippines and Columbia Law School.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Overcoming Evil With Good: A Study on Romans 12:14-21

  • Wade and Debbie Cook

    Originally from Colorado, Wade and Debbie Cook are recent transplants to San Diego. They both were baptized over 30 years ago while attending the University of Colorado - Boulder, Wade in 1987 and Debbie in 1989.

    Wade holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Community Counselling from Denver Seminary. He is a Licensed Professional Therapist and has extensive experience in marital and pre-marital counseling, family dynamics, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Debbie holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in Bible and Theology from Lincoln Christian University.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Hermeneutics 101: The Need For Hermeneutics

  • TJ Paresi

    Thomas (TJ) Paresi is currently in his final semester at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he is completing a ThM in Biblical Studies (Old Testament). Additionally, he has a Master of Divinity from Lincoln Christian University in Biblical Studies (Old Testament) and a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from the Catholic University of America. Thomas has 10 years of experience working with the Youth & Family and Campus Ministries in New York and New Jersey. He and his wife, Kaitlyn, currently attend the Mercer County Church of Christ in Princeton, NJ.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: The New Testament Use of the Old Testament

  • Dr. Ryan Erbe

    Dr. Ryan G. Erbe is an Assistant Professor and Socio-Emotional Wellness Advisor with the Character Integration Advisory Group at the United States Military Academy where he teaches and conducts research on character development, well-being, and meditation. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology and previously was the lead minister of the Hudson Valley Region of the New York City Church of Christ. He resides in Highland Falls, NY with his wife Katie, daughters Evelyn, Vivian, Lilian, and newborn son, William.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Biblical Meditation and Contemplation: The Word Becomes Flesh

  • Christopher Schwartzenberger

    Christopher Schwartzenberger is an aspiring teacher and writer and serves as the evangelist of the Spokane Christian church in Spokane, Washington. He has a Masters in Religious Education from Rochester University and will be pursuing a Masters in Theology from George Fox University this fall. He is currently working on the Northwest Academy of Ministry and Missions to train and equip ministry staff and lay leaders in theology and Bible. Christopher led campus ministries in Oregon and Arizona before taking the lead ministry role in Spokane (the church he was converted in while in college at Eastern Washington University) nine years ago. He and his wife Amy have three kids Aaden (11), Avery (7) and Adelyn (5 months).

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: Inviting the Holy Spirit into Our Hermeneutics

  • Dr. Michael Burns

    Michael Burns is a teaching minister in the DFW Church in Dallas-Fort Worth. He married his wife, MyCresha, in 1997.

    They have two adult sons.

    Friday 2:00 PM Session: No Divisions Among You: 1 Corinthians and the Cultural Context of Status

  • Dr. Glenn Giles

    Education: Lincoln Christian Seminary, M Div, New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Th. M., New Testament
    Marquette University, Ph. D. residency, Religious Studies, Trinity Theological Seminary, Ph.D., Biblical Studies

    Founder, Director, and Professor of Bible and Theology, RMSMT, Adjunct Professor of Bible, Lincoln Christian University
    Teacher and Elder, Denver Church of Christ, Th.M. Thesis: The Meaning of Matthew 21:43 and Its Role in the Development of the Rejection Theme of Matthew’s Gospel, https://www.tren.com/
    Ph.D. Thesis: An Investigation of the Contribution of Matthew 7:21-23 to the Obedience, Theology of Matthew’s Gospel, https://www.tren.com/
    Numerous articles at www.douglasjacoby.com

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Intimate, Positive, Experiential, Relationship as the Focal Point or Organizational Center and Impetus for the Bible sustained by Yada’/Ginosko Theology: An Inquiry

  • Valdur Koha

    Valdur Koha serves as an Elder and Teacher in the Boston Church of Christ. He also serves as the president of the European Missions Society and the executive chairman of the Beam Missions Foundation which funds leadership training programs around the world. Valdur is a member of the ICOC Teacher’s Service Team. Born in Germany in 1955, Valdur lives with his family in Boston since 1985. Valdur and Irene are married since 1980; they have five sons and one daughter (all disciples) and seven grandchildren.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Community Theology

  • Cindy Fetherman

    Cindy has been a disciple for 27 years, born and 21 years later baptized in the island of Guam in 1994. She is currently living in Colorado where through RMSMT and Lincoln Christian University, she was able to pursue her Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and Master of Arts in Bible and Theology. She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Biblical Languages, learning Greek and Hebrew.

    Cindy is celebrating 22 years of marriage with her husband Don. They have three children—Emma, Josh and Luke.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Women in Hermeneutics—Amplifying Women’s Stories to Glean from the Heart of God

  • Abraham Rajkumar

    Born in 1973, Abraham currently lives in Chennai, India. He was baptized in 1995 and within a few months joined the full time ministry, and has served in ministry for 26 years. Abraham and his wife married in 1999 and are parents of two adolescents. Currently he and his wife are serving as Evangelist and WML in Greater Chennai Church of Christ, Chennai, India.

    Abraham joined Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology in 2017 and is pursuing his Master of Divinity degree.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: The Discipline of Simplicity and Solitude : Integrating Spiritual Formation with Reading Scripture

  • J. Brian Craig

    Brian is an evangelist, songwriter and worship leader, known for some of the songs he's written that are sung in ICOC churches around the world -- songs like "Be with Me, Lord," "I Need Your Love," "Great Among the Nations," and “Anchor for the Soul.” Brian and his wife Dessa have served in full-time ministry for over twenty years (LA Church of Christ, South Bay). They have two sons in college and a daughter in high school who all love God as well. Brian completed a Masters program in ministry at Pepperdine University and was recently appointed a teacher in the LA Church.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: WORD DWELL RICHLY: The Relationship Between Songs, Scripture, and the Community of Faith

  • John Markowski

    John Markowski was captain of the debate team when he became a Christian at the University of Southern California. Since entering the full-time ministry, he has spoken around the world with his unique style of intersecting design, culture and rich biblical exposition. After directing student ministries in LA, John, his wife Arlene and two children, moved east to lead the Big Apple Church. John has a Masters degree in Biblical Studies and his article revisiting traditional interpretations of Leviticus 12 has been recently accepted for publication. His current project presents the Markan Jesus as a counterbrand to imperial conquest.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Reading the Markan Jesus as Roman Counterculture

  • Tammy Fleming

    Tammy Fleming was appointed a women’s ministry leader in the ICOC on the mission field in Stockholm, Sweden in 1987. From there, she and her husband Andy oversaw the planting of 29 churches in Europe and Eurasia, including the Moscow church in 1991. (In total, those congregations’ membership and their plantings exceeded 10,000 in 1999; today the membership number is about 6000.)

    Tammy’s permanent residence is now Kyiv, Ukraine. She is an Advanced Grief Recovery Method® Specialist, recently oversaw the translation of the bestseller, The Grief Recovery Handbook into Russian and the training of 15 Grief Recovery Method® Specialists in Russian, in 7 churches and four countries in Europe and Eurasia.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Biblical Antidotes for Burnout

  • Guy Bavahe

    Guy Bavahe is an engineer specialized in multichannel communications obtained at the Academy of Telecommunications of Odessa (Former USSR). He holds a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology, Denver Colorado.

    Guy Bavahe is married for 13 years and has a beautiful daughter. He is currently an evangelist and teacher at the Abidjan Church of Christ and a church supervisor in French-speaking West Africa. He is also the senior administrator of the French-speaking West Africa School of Missions. He speaks excellent French, to a lesser extent English and Russian. He is a fluent reader of N.T. Greek.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: A Practical Guide to Interpreting One Passage of Scripture

  • Jason Alexander

    Jason serves as a teaching pastor at South Sound Church of Christ in Tacoma, WA. He is from Rockford, IL, and grew up in Madison, WI. Jason and Justine were married in 2002, and in 2017 they adopted their daughter, Hannah.

    Friday 3:30 PM Session: Foundation and Future: Exodus Typology and A Hermeneutic of Belief in Isaiah 40-55