Speakers

Larry Fowler is the founder of the Legacy Coalition. His 40 years plus of ministry leadership, including experience as youth pastor, missionary and senior executive for Awana, has prepared him for this significant new calling in life. Larry has authored several books on children’s and family ministry including Raising a Modern-Day Joseph and his most recent, Overcoming Grandparenting Barriers. In 2012, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the International Network of Children’s Ministry. Larry and his wife, Diane, live in Riverside, California. They have two children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Tony Evans is one of the country’s most respected leaders in evangelical circles. As a pastor, teacher, author and speaker, he serves the body of Christ through his unique ability to communicate complex theological truths through simple, yet profound, illustrations. While addressing the practical issues of today, Dr. Evans is known as a relevant expositor. New and veteran pastors alike regard him as a pastor of pastors and a father in the faith.

Dr. Crawford Loritts is founder and president of Beyond Our Generation, a ministry committed to encouraging and helping shape the next generation of Christian leaders. For 15 years, he served as senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia and has authored nine books including Your Marriage Today … and Tomorrow. He travels the world as a featured speaker and is the host of two radio programs, Living a Legacy and Legacy Moments. He serves on the boards of several ministries including Cru, FamilyLife and Chick-fil-A. He and his wife Karen have four grown children and eleven grandchildren.

Dr. Mark Yarbrough began his tenure as the 6th president of DTS on July 1, 2020. He also serves as Professor of Bible Exposition. Along with his responsibilities of leading DTS, he serves as an elder of Centerpoint Church in Mesquite and travels extensively leading tours and speaking at conference centers. Mark has authored several books, including, How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor, Jonah: Beyond the Tale of a Whale, and Tidings of Comfort and Joy. He has been married for over thirty years to Jennifer, his high school sweetheart. They have four adult children, one son-in-law, and reside in Sunnyvale, Texas.

Dr. Walt Mueller is the founder and President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding and has been working with young people and families for over 40 years. As a result of his work with CPYU, Walt has become an internationally-recognized speaker and author on contemporary youth culture. He has written extensively on youth culture and family issues and is the author of dozens of books: The Space Between: A Parent's Guide to Teenage Development (Zondervan, 2009); Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore: Where Faith, Family, and Culture Collide (Standard Publishing, August 2007); Youth Culture 101 (Zondervan, June 2007); Engaging The Soul of Youth Culture: Bridging Teen Worldviews To Christian Truth (InterVarsity Press, February 2006); and the critically acclaimed Gold Medallion Award winner, Understanding Today’s Youth Culture (Tyndale House, 1994). A graduate of Geneva College (B.A.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Walt earned his doctorate at Gordon-Conwell in “Ministry to Postmodern Generations.”

Dr. Kathy Koch (pronounced “cook”) is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids, Inc., based in Fort Worth, TX, and a cofounder of Ignite the Family, based in Alpharetta, GA. She has influenced thousands of parents, teachers, and children in 30 countries through keynote messages, seminars, chapels, and other events. She is proud to be represented by the Ambassador Speakers Bureau of Nashville, TN. She is a featured speaker for the Great Homeschool Conventions, on the faculty of Summit Ministries, and a frequent presenter for Care Net, Axis, and other organizations. She speaks regularly at schools, churches, and pregnancy resource centers.

Mike Singletary is perhaps most recognized as the Chicago Bears' Middle Linebacker with the ferocious eyes peering across the line into the opposing quarterback's face. He participated in Super Bowl XX where the Bears defeated the New England Patriots and made 10 trips to the Pro Bowl in his 12 years of professional football. He also led the NFL as Defensive Player of the year three times, and was Bears' team captain for 10 years. Since his retirement from professional football, Mike Singletary has been a regular on the Fortune 500 company lecture circuit. As a motivational speaker, he's known for dynamic talks on leadership, teamwork, and corporate diversity--a very hot topic today.

Jerry is from Des Moines, Iowa and has been married to Nancy for 45 years.  They have four children and 15 grandchildren.  They also have been foster parents for numerous children throughout the years.  Jerry and Nancy were speakers at FamilyLife's "Weekend to Remember" marriage conferences for 22 years and Jerry had been a speaker at various international conferences on leadership. He is the author of LifeFocus, Achieving a Life of Purpose and Influence (Revell). Jerry is the founder of Foster Group, a financial planning and wealth management company.

Hal and his wife, Vicki, live in Plano, Texas. They have three children and six grandchildren. Hal has served for 43 years in three different Dallas-based ministries: First Baptist Church, Dallas, The Christian Medical & Dental Associations, and Dallas Bible Church. In 2015, he launched Finishing Well Ministries, encouraging and mobilizing retiring boomers and a senior generation for the kingdom of Christ. He is a graduate of Taylor University (‘71), and Dallas Seminary (ThM.‘78) and Denver Seminary (DMin.‘88). Connect with Hal at finishingwellministries.org.

Samuel Rodriguez, lead pastor of New Season, one of America’s most influential megachurches according to Newsmax, is the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, one of the world’s largest Christian organizations. Rodriguez stands recognized by CNN, FOX News, Univision, and Telemundo as America’s most influential Latino/Hispanic faith leader. Charisma magazine named him one of the 40 leaders who changed the world. The Wall St. Journal named him one of the top 12 Latino leaders and he was the only faith leader on that list. He has been named among the “Top 100 Christian Leaders in America” (Newsmax 2018) and nominated as one of the “100 most influential people in the world” (TIME 2013). Rodriguez has advised Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump and frequently consults with members of Congress to advance life, religious liberty, and biblical justice initiatives including immigration and criminal justice reform. He is the best-selling author of “Be Light” and executive producer of three films including BREAKTHROUGH. Rodriguez is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award.

Dr. Gillies is trained jointly in psychology and theology and retired from private practice after 25 years of clinical counselling focused primarily on individuals struggling with complex traumatic stress as a result of chronic childhood sexual abuse. She is an ordained pastor, international speaker, author, and founder of Restoring the Mosaic a ministry that seeks to educate and inform politicians, community leaders, and pastors across Canada to Restore the Mosaic of our God-given identity: individually and nationally. She's authored a number of books with more on the way.

Jean and Jeremiah Castille are a remarkable Christian couple who have made it their life's mission to spread the Word of God and inspire others. With over three decades of marriage and unshakable faith, they have become well-known figures in the Christian community. Jean is an accomplished author and speaker, while Jeremiah is a former NFL star turned minister. Whether through their books, sermons, or personal encounters, the Castilles are true ambassadors of the gospel and a shining example of what it means to walk in faith.

Mark Gregston is an author, speaker, radio host, and the founder of a residential counseling center for struggling teens located in Longview, Texas.  Mark’s passion for helping teens can be seen in his 50 years of involvement with families as a youth pastor, Young Life area director, and now, as the Executive Director of Heartlight, a residential counseling center where he has lived with and helped over 3,000 teens. Mark has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jan, for 48 years, and has 2 kids and 4 grandkids. He lives in Longview, Texas with the staff at Heartlight, 60 high school kids, 25 horses, and a prized donkey named Toy.