special guests
Mike Taylor
Mike Taylor serves as the Vice President of Mobilization for Greater Europe Mission and Executive Director of UK-USA Ministries. He and his wife, Kookie have been married for 41 years and they have four children, a son in law, two daughters in law and three incredible grandchildren! Mike and Kookie served in Stockton-on-Tees in the United Kingdom from 2011-2020. Mike and Kookie returned from England in March 2020 due to Covid and they have continued to lead out in Mobilization from Northwest Arkansas. Prior to living and serving in England, Mike was a Youth Pastor in the United States for 30 years across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Arkansas and holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University. His passion is to see God raise up a new generation of laborers in the Harvest across Europe and to see Europe reached with the Gospel. You can find out more about UK-USA Ministries, Greater Europe Mission and the Ten2Project at www.gemission.org ; www.uk-usaministries.com ; www.ten2project.org ; Follow Mike on social media @ukusaministries; @gemissionusa @miketaylor.go
Dr. Jamie Dew
Dr. James "Jamie" K. Dew was elected New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's ninth president on June 5, 2019, by a unanimous vote of the NOBTS board of trustees.
In accepting the position, Dew said, "I'm humbled to the core of my being. I'm going to give you everything I have. I believe we're going to have a fantastic time as we go forward together."
Dew's academic credentials include two Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees—a Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. Dew's Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry is from SEBTS and his Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies is from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa, Ga.
Dew's publications include Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, with Paul M. Gould (Baker, 2019); Understanding Postmodernism: a Christian Perspective, with Stewart E. Kelly (IVP Academic, 2017), God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views, with Chad Meister (IVP Academic, 2017), How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology, with Mark W. Foreman (IVP Academic, 2014), God and Evil: The Case for God in a World filled with Pain, with Chad Meister (IVP Books, 2013), and Science and Theology: An Assessment of Alister McGrath's Critical Realist Perspective (Wipf & Stock, 2014).
Prior to his coming to NOBTS, Dew served as Vice President of Undergraduate Studies and Distance Learning and Associate Professor of Philosophy and the History of Ideas, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dew served as senior pastor of Stony Hill Baptist Church, Wake Forest, NC, for eight years and in a variety of church ministry positions including minister to adults, youth minister, and interim pastor.
Dew and his wife Tara are the parents of two sets of twins – Natalie and Nathan, Samantha and Samuel. Tara Dew holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree from SEBTS that is focused on the preparedness of pastors' wives.
Josh Griffin
Josh Griffin (@joshuagriffin)
is one of the leading voices in youth ministry with 25+ years of experience in the trenches and is currently the junior high pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine, CA. He served for 13 years at Saddleback Church as the High School Pastor under the leadership of Rick Warren. He's also the co-founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com and hosts a 400+ episode youth ministry podcast with Doug Fields. He's created more than 50 youth ministry resources and authored several books. Josh and his wife Angela have 4 teenagers of their own.
Zac Workun
Zac currently serves as the Student Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Students. Zac is also the co-founder and network lead for Youth Ministry Booster. Zac is a voracious reader, avid gamer, car-camper, folk musician, black coffee-drinker, beard aficionado. Enneagram 7 & ENFP. He loves to eat breakfast food at new places with his wife Karen and two wild boys Isaiah & Gideon.
For 20 years, Zac has served on staff at local churches in Oklahoma and North Carolina to oversee middle school, high school and college-aged ministries. Zac received his undergraduate education from Oklahoma Baptist University and his Master’s of Divinity from Duke University.
Dr. Scott Pace
SCOTT PACE currently serves as the Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Jim Shaddix Chair of Expository Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s of divinity, and PhD in applied theology. His ministry as a pastor has extended more than twenty years in a variety of full-time and interim capacities through three states. He continues to serve local churches in various speaking and discipleship roles, and also speaks regularly at conferences and training events that seek to equip pastors and church leaders. He and his wife, Dana, have been married since 1999 and have four children – Gracelyn, Tyler, Tessa, and Cassie.
Dr. Jonathan Denton
Jonathan Denton, PhD., has been serving in student ministry for over 20 years and is an associate professor of Christian Studies/Student Ministry at Charleston Southern University (CSU). His desire is to train up the next generation of student ministry leaders who will be disciplemakers and leaders of healthy ministries. He is the author of Disciplemaking With Guys and general editor of Ancient Text, Modern World. Dr. Denton has two boys and currently serves as an 8th grade boys small group leader at his church, The Church at LifePark (Charleston, SC), where his wife is on staff as the Middle School Girls minister.
Dr. Matt Carter
Dr. Matt Carter, currently serves as the Vice President of Mobilization for Send Network, the largest church planting network in North America. Matt was the Founding/Lead Pastor of The Austin Stone Church, that under his leadership grew to 8000+ active ateendees and sent over 300 full-time missionaries unreached people groups.
Matt holds a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary and a Doctorate in Expositional Preaching from Southeastern Seminary. Matt is married to Jennifer who has been a source of strength and support throughout ministry. Together, they are proud parents to three adult children, all of whom walk with Jesus
worship
jared wood
Jared Wood is a worship leader and songwriter based out of Dallas, Texas. Jared’s passion is that the worship of believers everywhere would not only be expressed by the songs they sing, but more so, by the way they live their lives. Mark 12:30 says, “Love the Lord your God will all of your heart with all of your soul with all of your mind and with all of your strength.” Christ calls us to be a reflection of our God to the world in which we live. Because of that calling, we should all strive to live our lives in such a way that we sincerely worship and honor the Lord with every fiber of our being.
For six years, Jared served as the Minister of Student Worship at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX, where he had the opportunity to lead worship for 1,200 junior high and high school students every week, as well as for various worship venues throughout the church. In July of 2010, Jared followed the Lord’s call to step away from Prestonwood to lead students in worship at hundreds of churches and camps across the state and the country including Falls Creek in Oklahoma, Student Leadership University’s Lift Tour, YM360’s Generate Camp, and Celebrate Freedom (Dallas and Atlanta).
Regardless of the venue, Jared feels passionately that every believer has the responsibility to point others to Jesus Christ and will continue to place this message of hope in front of as many people as possible.