Pastor, author, artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist... international influence, Thomas Dexter "T.D." Jakes entered the ministry in 1979 when he and a congregation of ten people founded the Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith in West Virginia.

More than 25 years later, Christianity Today magazine called Bishop Jakes' church in Dallas, The Potter's House, "one of America's fastest-growing megachurches." In 2001, a TIME magazine cover asked, "Is This Man the Next Billy Graham?" Multiracial and nondenominational, the Potter's House has 50-plus active outreach ministries, more than 30,000 members, and a full-time staff of 300.

Joel Johnson started preaching at the age of fourteen. Since then he has traveled to over fifteen nations around the world to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Joel underwent two years of ministry training at Abundant Life School of Ministry and in 1999 went through a yearlong speaking mentorship with Ron Luce (CEO and President of Teen Mania Ministries). Since 2000, Joel has co-hosted "Acquire the Fire" youth conferences.

In the past two years, Joel has ministered in over four hundred churches Worldwide. He has traveled speaking with such bands as Newsboys, Third Day, The Waiting, Petra, Gospel Gangstaz, and Project 86.

Joel's powerful testimony shows the power of God can take people through the hardest of times. As a young man he faced issues such as: growing up with an alcoholic stepfather, abuse, and obesity.

Joel's side-splitting humor, passion for God, and desire to see the church walk in holiness has blessed and challenged thousands around the world.

Mike Guzzardo grew up in Northern California. After turning his back on the Lord as a young teenager, God grabbed a hold of Mike’s life after high school and began to fashion in him a heart of uncompromising commitment to His savior. Upon graduating college with a degree in Business Administration, he spent the next six years serving full time at Teen Mania Ministries where he helped mobilize over 20,000 students and young adults for short term mission trips. During his time at Teen Mania, God also began to cultivate a gift in Mike to boldly proclaim the gospel in a variety of different forums to groups of all ages and religious backgrounds.

For the last several years Mike has dedicated the entirety of his energies to traveling the United States and the world inspiring people to a deeper commitment to Christ. Mike is a frequent speaker at conventions and conferences such as “Acquire the Fire” with over 200,000 in annual attendance. He has also proven to be a sought
after speaker for retreats, camps and churches both domestically and internationally. Mike also just finished co-authoring his first book entitled “Battle Cry for My Generation” with Ron Luce.

Mike currently resides in Rockwall, Texas with his wife Alicia. His passion continues to be encouraging people to live with a whole-hearted commitment to Christ and to walk in the fullness of the potential that God has placed inside of them.

After Phil Joel’s second solo record, Bring It On, he made the decision to put his own music aside for a time to concentrate on deepening his relationship with God.

“It was four years ago that I felt the Lord was telling me to take some time away from the stage to get better equipped for ministry. God really forced Heather and I to take an honest look at what our relationship with Him truly looked like,” says Phil. “We knew we had a passion for the Lord, but we also knew that our pursuit of God was sporadic and hap-hazard at best. We didn’t have a daily and deliberate plan to pursue Him and deepen our relationships with Him. We were desperate for more.”

It was at this point that Phil and Heather were introduced to a one-year Bible reading plan by their pastor. He challenged their entire church body to commit to waking up early each morning to spend time with the Lord reading His Word, in prayer and worship, cultivating a lifestyle of daily devotion. They took the challenge.

“To say that this simple practice has radically changed everything about our lives is an understatement,” the Joels say.

“Every morning, we’re taking advantage of the chance to meet and connect with the Lord to learn more of who He is and who He’s made us to be. His presence is not just an intellectual fact; it’s a real and living experience to be entered into every day.”

“We are so excited to share this message and these resources with others. We hope to see a growing community of like-minded believers who hunger for more spiritual depth through the renewing of their minds in the Word of God.”

Rev. A.R. Bernard is the founder and CEO of the Christian Cultural
Center (CCC). Located in New York City.

Through his practical application of principles approach, and the successful leadership programs he has created, Bernard has become much in demand as a speaker.

Reverend Bernard believes his mission in life is to dynamically present and communicate the teaching of Christ in Culture. And whether it is world affairs, politics, pop-culture, the family, etc., he is determined to see and teach a practical approach to life, from a traditional biblical perspective.

Ron is the President and Founder of Teen Mania Ministries, a Christian youth organization that reaches millions of young people worldwide. Ron passionately declares the truth of the Gospel without compromise as he challenges teenagers to take a stand for Christ in their schools, communities, and throughout the world.

Raised in a broken home, Ron ran away at the age of 15 and became involved in drug and alcohol abuse before finding Jesus at the age of 16. The life-transforming impact of Christ inspired Ron to dedicate his life to reaching young people. After receiving both bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling and psychology, Ron and his wife, Katie, started Teen Mania in 1986 with nothing more than a hatchback car and a dream to raise up an army of young people who would change the world. He has received an honorary doctorate by Jerry Falwell from Liberty University and was appointed by President Bush to serve as an advisory member for the Commission and Drug free Communities from 2002-present.

Ron is a sought-after speaker who has traveled to more than 50 countries and has made numerous media appearances, such as Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio broadcast and The 700 Club. He is also a frequent host and guest on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Ron and Katie live in Garden Valley, Texas with their three children, Hannah, Charity, and Cameron.