Lina AbuJamra founded Living with Power Ministries and is a popular Bible teacher, podcaster, and conference speaker. She's also the host of a radio show and the author of several books, including Fractured Faith and her new Bible Study Through the Desert: A Study on God’s Faithfulness. Lina is a pediatric ER doctor who practices telemedicine, and in her “spare” time, she provides medical care and humanitarian help to Syrian refugees and others in disaster areas. Learn more about her at LivingWithPower.org.

Journey Through the Bible Speaker January 4 - 14, 2024

After 35 years teaching in liberal arts colleges (most recently Wheaton College in Chicago), Gary Burge joined Calvin Seminary in 2017 as a Professor of the New Testament. He specializes in the gospels and the ancient cultural context that shaped them. He is a frequent visitor to the Middle East, having served in eight of its countries, and has led students through the Holy Land over 25 times. He studied at The Univ. of California (BA), The American University of Beirut, Fuller Seminary (MDiv), and Aberdeen Univ., Scotland (PhD). He has authored many books and articles on the New Testament and the conflicts in Israel/Palestine. His textbook, The New Testament in Antiquity, is used widely in American colleges, and his commentaries are regularly utilized by pastors today.

Jim and Jen Cowart launched Harvest Church in Middle Georgia in 2000. Since then, over 4000 people have received Christ, and Harvest has grown into a vibrant body of Christ. The Cowarts have authored many books including Messy People, The One, Fierce, and Leading from Horseback. They love travel and experiencing new cultures and meeting new friends around the world. 

Rev. Brian Erickson is Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL. Previously he served First UMC in Alabaster, AL, during a period of significant growth in membership and missions outreach. He was also chaplain at two United Methodist universities, where he taught classes in Wesleyan theology, Christian liturgy, and led service-learning classes to Harlem and Chile. Brian has degrees from Birmingham-Southern College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. 

The Rev. Dawn Hand, an ordained elder of The United Methodist Church, currently serves as Central Maryland District Superintendent. She held other roles at the Western North Carolina Conference and served in local parishes in NC and Washington, DC. She is a prominent advocate for social justice and has a special passion for young people. Dawn enjoys travel, music, sports, hiking, and cycling and has an adventurous appetite for food. She loves to laugh and suggests that God has a wonderful sense of humor for calling her to ordained ministry.

Dr. Craig C. Hill is Dean and Professor of New Testament at Perkins School of Theology. Previously he was on the faculty at Duke Divinity School and Wesley Theological Seminary. Dean Hill served as Chaplain at Christ Church College, University of Oxford and has been on staff at three United Methodist Churches. Dean Hill is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books.

The Rev. Dr. Brian Kneser has been an ordained pastor for over 40 years. He resides in Lakeland, FL with his wife Debbie. He received his MDiv from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, and DMin from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Kneser served as a Circuit Visitor and Vice President of the FL-GA District and on its Board of Directors. While pastor of a unique congregation near Orlando, FL, he served on the faculty of Concordia House of Studies as an Adjunct Professor of Old Testament. During this cruise, he will reflect upon concepts of the Reformation and apply them to the life of a Christian today. His guiding motto: “It’s Still All About Jesus!” 

John F. Kutsko is the executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). He holds a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and an MA from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. He is also an affiliate professor of biblical studies at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He has taught writing and publishing workshops for the Forum for Theological Exploration, is a consultant for the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA), and is on the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of General Education and Biblical Archaeology Review.

Babbie Mason is an award-winning singer, songwriter, author and speaker. The recipient of 2 Dove Awards and numerous nominations for the Dove, The Grammy, The Stellar and The Emmy Award, Babbie’s melodious voice is a mainstay on Christian radio, television, internet and the silver screen. She has recorded 26 solo projects, authored 9 books, and written countless chart-topping Gospel and Christian songs. Babbie pours into the lives of the next generation of songwriters, music artists and entrepreneurs as an instructor at several Christian colleges and universities. She hosts Babbie’s House on TV and an internet radio station – www.babbiemasonradio.com. 

Rev. Dr. Gary Mason is a Methodist minister and directs a conflict organisation based in Belfast called "Rethinking Conflict." Prior to this, he spent 27 years as a Methodist clergy person in parish ministry in Belfast and has played an integral role in the Northern Irish peace process. He had a key role in establishing the Skainos project which is a world class urban centre developed in a post conflict society as a model of co-existence and shared space. It is acknowledged as the largest faith-based redevelopment project in Western Europe. Mason is a close advisor to Protestant ex-combatants on the civilianisation efforts of paramilitaries. He was instrumental in facilitating negotiations with paramilitaries and government officials in Northern Ireland, and in 2007 his contribution was formally recognised by the Queen. 

In 2009, Mason’s church was the stage from which Loyalist paramilitaries announced their weapons decommissioning. Mason has lectured in political and academic forums throughout Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and the U.S.A. on lessons from the Irish peace process. He has been interviewed on CNN, BBC, ITV and various radio programs. He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Ulster, completed his theological studies at Queens University and has a Bachelor’s in Business Studies from the University of Ulster. Gary is a Senior Research Fellow at the Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention at Maynooth University in Ireland. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, lecturing on reconciliation, peace building and the history of the Northern Ireland conflict, racism, sectarianism and conflict transformation. Gary is a faculty advisor and partner to the Negotiation Strategies Institute a Harvard University programme on negotiation.

The Rev. Dr. Brett serves at Candler School of Theology as Assistant Dean of Methodist Studies and assistant Professor – Practice of Spiritual Formation & Church Leadership. He is an ordained United Methodist Elder and served in local churches for over twenty years. He is a graduate of Candler and Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver. He is committed to helping local churches (and The Church) engage the world in a way that makes the Kingdom of God visible. His research interests include Methodist history/theology, Monasticism, Celtic Christianity, Contemplative Spirituality, and New Monastic expressions of church community.

Bishop Ricardo Pereira Díaz was born on June 9, 1956, in Rancho Veloz, Las Villas, Cuba, which is currently known as the Villa Clara province. He grew up in Potrerillo, Holguin province, where he attended primary school. He attended a junior high school in Rafael Freyre, Holguin province, and the High School in Camagüey province, where he began working as an Assistant Pastor. He received his theological education through the courses provided by the Cuban Annual Conference. He got a Bachelor's degree in Theology; he was granted a PhD and a Doctorate of Divinity at the Latin American College in Miami Headquarters.

Bishop Pereira began working as an Assistant Pastor in 1973 in Camagüey. He was first appointed Pastor of the Cuban Annual Conference in 1975 in Las Tunas province. He served in Las Tunas, Pilon, and Niquero, which are in the eastern region of Cuba, and later served as Assistant to Bishop Armando Rodriguez in El Vedado, Havana. He worked as a District Superintendent in Pinar del Rio for twelve years. During his faith journey, he served as President of the National Youth and the National Methodist Men´s organization. He chaired the Evangelism Area for the Conference and the Discipleship. He was elected Bishop in March 1999. Currently, he is the Senior Pastor of the Methodist Church in Marianao, Havana, the largest church in the Conference with 3700 members. The Methodist Church in Cuba has been growing by 5 to 10 percent annually. New missions and churches have been opened in municipalities and territories where there was no presence of the Methodist Church. Under Bishop Pereira’s leadership, the Methodist Church has impacted on all the provinces and municipalities with the Gospel, having either a church or a mission. Likewise, from 1999 to date, the Church has grown from 98 pastoral positions to 545 and from 8,000 to 57,371 members.

Bishop Pereira is married to Pastor Maritza Proenza Ortega, who currently serves as the vice president of the Cuban Methodist Women’s Ministry. They have two sons, Ricardo Pereira Jr. and Yosvany Pereira, who are both pastors.

The Rev. C.K. “Chuck” Robertson is an internationally respected speaker and past EO Guest Speaker. He is a visiting professor at various seminaries, and senior review leader for Paul’s epistles for the recently completed NRSV Updated Edition of the Bible. He travels the world in his work for The Episcopal Church. Chuck has written many books including Barnabas vs. Paul, Conversations with Scripture: Acts of the Apostles, and Jesus & Paul: Global Perspectives, as well as books on religion and popular culture, including Theology & Batman. He is also producer of the recent documentary, A Case for Love.

Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz is the Executive Director of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty in Washington, DC.  Previously, he was the Speaker of The Lutheran Hour radio program with over 1 million listeners across North America. He has also served at Concordia University Irvine, Life's Journey Ministries and in congregations in New York city, Dallas and Tampa.

Dr. Lester Spencer is Lead Pastor at St. James Church in Montgomery, AL (until September 1, 2023)  and is also President Pro Tem of the Alabama Emerald Coast Conference of the GMC. Lester also served other large churches in AL and FL after earning degrees at Auburn University and Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Lester has served or currently serves as President and on the Board of Directors of various ministry and mission organizations and has traveled extensively around the world.

Janeese Spencer is the CEO and Founder of Venture Life Coaching. She is an Executive Director with The John Maxwell Team as well as an ordained deacon (soon to be elder) in the GMC. She has over 30 years of experience speaking at conferences and retreats around the southeast. Janeese also writes and teaches Bible studies.

Lester and Janeese, have been married over 30 years and have 3 children and a son-in-law.

Rev. Dr. Brad Strait loves people – a hyper-extrovert who gets recharged hanging out with people. He is a global-hearted shepherd and loves traveling. He has studied, learned from, worked among, and laughed with people all over the world. Brad serves as Lead Pastor of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, Colorado, and was Moderator of the 41st Evangelical Presbyterian Church General Assembly in 2022. He also teaches at Denver Seminary. He has also served as a Chaplain for fire and police departments and the Colorado House of Representatives.

Clark is an Executive Regional Director of PastorServe. Previously, he led a mega-church for many years. His mission is to engage, equip, encourage and ignite pastors to become the leader God designed them to be. Clark conducts leadership seminars that coach and equip church leaders. He also loves helping redirect churches that have lost their focus and passion. Another focus area is succession planning for the local church. Clark and his wife, Glennie, enjoy sharing ministry together and live in Portland, OR.

Matt  serves as an Executive Minister at Highland Park UMC in Dallas, Texas where he leads HPUMC’s contemporary worship community, Cornerstone.  Matt is known as a gifted preacher and teacher, with a passion for helping people engage with the bible and a conversational style that helps people connect with his messages. Previously, he served churches in Georgia and Virginia. Prior to being in ministry, Matt worked in special education and as a nature guide. Matt is married to Amy and they have three children. Matt spends most of his time with his family or congregation, but also enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and reading.

Amy Van Dyke, Lead Curator of Art & Exhibitions at the Museum of the Bible, has training and degrees in art history, secondary education, and museum studies. She has taught various courses in art, art history, and world history. She also developed and wrote a school-wide art curriculum. Amy has given several lectures, including “Biblical Art and Theology: How Artists Influence our Understanding of the Bible” and “How to Illustrate God: The Difficulty in Depicting the Divine.” Since joining Museum of the Bible in 2012, Amy has coordinated, written, or assisted with over 50 exhibitions. Her current work as lead curator of art and exhibitions involves developing content, coordinating and curating exhibitions, and researching, lecturing, and curating the art within the museum collections.

Magrey deVega is the senior pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. He is the author of eleven books, most recently The Bible Year: a Journey through Scripture in 365 Days and Questions Jesus Asked: A Six-Week Study in the Gospels, both by Abingdon Press. He has been the featured speaker and workshop presenter at conferences nationwide and is the proud father of two college-aged children who share his love for reading, Marvel movies, and live theater.