• Rev. Ron Rolheiser, OMI, is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is a theologian, professor, award-winning author, and serves as president of the Oblate School of Theology. He holds Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Ottawa and Newman Theological College Edmonton and Master’s degrees from the University of San Francisco and University of Louvain, Belgium along with a PhD/STD from the University of Louvain. Apart from his academic knowledge in systematic theology and philosophy, he has become a popular speaker in contemporary spirituality and religion and the secular world. He writes a weekly column that is carried in over 70 newspapers around the world.

    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.

    Teleios Conference Plenary: Generative Discipleship – The Deeper Secrets Inside the Gospels

  • I believe education is learning—over and over—the gift of wonder. Both outside and inside the classroom, I aim to help others see the world for the wild, wonderful, strange thing that it is.  Researching the role of the imagination means I get to continually enter new worlds, see with new eyes, and discover new ways of thinking. I love learning not only about literature, but about art, architecture, and ancient history; about virtues and vices; about myths and medieval monks.

    My book, Becoming by Beholding, considers the role of the imagination in spiritual and character formation. How do we become the person we are called to become?  How do we align our emotions with our beliefs? How might beauty help persuade the heart to do what we ought to do?

    I also study Irish literature and art, especially novels about the Troubles, and received a Fulbright Award to Northern Ireland. I have written for publications such as Smithsonian Magazine, Christianity Today, National Geographic, Plough, Christian Century, Christ and Pop Culture, Christian Scholar’s Review, International Journal for Christianity and Education, and Renascence.


    Teleios Conference Plenary: The Art of Practicing Hope

  • Steve L. Porter is the Senior Research Fellow and Executive Director of the Martin Institute for Christianity & Culture and Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont College. Steve remains an affiliate Professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation at Biola University. Steve serves as the Editor of the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care.

    Teleios Conference Plenary: Approaching Christian Sanctity: Reclaiming the Lost Art of Becoming like Christ

  • Jim Wilhoit recently retired from the faculty at Wheaton College, where he taught courses in Christian Education and Core Studies for thirty-eight years. He has written over a dozen books on Christian spiritual formation and biblical studies, which have been translated into eight languages. He and his wife live in Wheaton, and they have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. He is ordained as a teaching elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

    Teleios Conference Plenary: Like a Tree Planted by Water: Rooted in God’s Word through Meditation

  • Dr. Jackie Halstead is a licensed marriage and family therapist, professor, and spiritual formation leader with over two decades of experience in higher education and clinical practice. She currently serves as assistant director and faculty member for ACU Online’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program, where she equips future therapists with a strong foundation in clinical theory, diversity, and spiritual integration. Dr. Halstead holds a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from Abilene Christian University. Her leadership includes former roles as department chair at ACU’s residential campus and president of the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

    Beyond academia, Dr. Halstead is the founder and executive director of the Selah Center for Spiritual Formation, a nonprofit dedicated to guiding clergy and lay leaders through holistic spiritual formation practices. Her work has helped countless individuals explore the intersection of wellness, emotional health, and spirituality through retreats, seminars, and online courses. Recognized for her humble leadership and dedication to lifelong learning, Dr. Halstead continues to influence the fields of counseling and spiritual development on both a local and national scale.

    Teleios Conference Plenary: Sustenance for the Journey through Silence and Solitude

  • Rev. Dr. Khalia J. Williams is a woman who leads with grace, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to her calling. As the Associate Dean of Worship and Spiritual Formation at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Dr. Williams pours her heart into shaping future faith leaders - nurturing their spiritual formation and guiding them to become healthy, grounded, and reflective practitioners who can serve with integrity, compassion, and clarity. She is a liturgical scholar and ordained minister, as well as a professionally trained dancer, reminding us all that worship isn’t just what we say - it’s how we move, how we breathe, and how we live. In addition, Dr. Williams co-directs the Baptist Studies Program and has contributed powerful scholarship through her writing and editorial work on worship, liturgy, and spirituality. Her voice is one people call on - from pulpits to national gatherings - because she brings authenticity, wisdom, and a spirit that moves people. Whether she’s preaching a word, teaching a class, or creating sacred choreography, Dr. Williams invites others to meet God fully - mind, body, and spirit. But what grounds her most is her love for her family and her church. She serves as an Associate Minister at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, alongside her husband, Rev. Dr. Damon P. Williams, who is the senior pastor. And perhaps her most cherished role is being “mom” to her two sons, Thomas Christian and Ethan Miles. In every space she enters, Dr. Williams builds not just strong institutions - but strong people, rooted in faith and overflowing with purpose.

    Teleios Conference Plenary: Between Inhale and Exhale: Becoming in the Sacred Pause

  • Soong-Chan Rah joined Fuller’s faculty in 2021 as the Robert Boyd  Munger Professor of Evangelism. Prior to his appointment at Fuller, Dr. Rah served as the Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary.

    He holds a ThD from Duke Divinity School, with a primary field of study in theology and ethics and a secondary field of study in American evangelical history. He also holds an MDiv and a DMin, with a concentration in urban ministry leadership, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as a ThM from Harvard University, with a thesis on the immigrant church.

    Rah has authored or coauthored over a half dozen, and many award-winning, books including The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times, Return to Justice: Six Movements that Reignited Our Contemporary Evangelical Conscience, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, and Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith.

    He is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and a member of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, American Academy of Religion, and American Society of Missiology. He has spoken widely on the topics of the witness of the church, cross-cultural ministry, and social justice at academic conferences, seminaries, Christian colleges, local churches, denominational gatherings, and ministry conferences on both the domestic and global level.