Dennis Allan serves as a pastor at Garden City Church and leads Garden City Commons, an affordable housing community development initiative, both based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Prior to planting Garden City, Dennis worked at Alcoa Inc. as an analyst in the company’s Global Internal Audit Department, and then served on-staff at North Way Christian Community, a multi-site church with six locations around the Pittsburgh region, as a High School Ministry Director, Associate Pastor, and Campus Pastor.

He graduated from Grove City College with Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Education and studied theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Dennis and his wife, Julia, married in 2009 and have five kids.

Nathan Beacom is the founder and Executive Director of the Lyceum Movement, dedicated to building a better culture of public conversation by bringing communities together to discuss first principles. He writes on philosophy, culture, and religion for Comment Magazine, Plough Quarterly, America, the Dispatch, and other outlets. He also works with the Serva Fidem Foundation, dedicated to providing mentorship for Catholic high school students.

Miriam Blankenship Boone is a community developer, a chaplain, a poet, and an adoptive mom. She earned her Master’s degree in practical theology from The University of St. Andrews, where her research focused on prophetic imagination as a resource for cultivating resilience in communities experiencing ongoing trauma. Miriam has spent her professional life centering the marginalized and learning from her relationships with her neighbors. Her training along with her experiences in her neighborhood and as an adoptive parent and former police chaplain have made her passionate about the intersection of trauma, resilience, and hope. Miriam also has a certification in Biblical counseling from CCEF and is an alumni of Lead North and the Mine Fellowship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She currently serves as the Executive Director at One Hope Tulsa, where she has developed and directed a variety of programs and community projects over the past decade, including a fellowship for young adults who want to experience spiritual formation in the context of ministry among the poor.

Miriam coaches middle school basketball for fun, plans her year around March Madness, and loves having a full table. She and her husband Nate are parenting four amazing kids and have spent fifteen years living on the same block and being a part of God’s family at their local church, Springs of Grace.

AJ Calhoun is the Director of Research and Impact at Leading on Opportunity, an initiative of Foundation For The Carolinas. In this role, he leads a team of designers and social scientists to build inclusive, data-driven tools to advance economic mobility.

Before Leading on Opportunity, AJ worked on similar projects with the United Way, Knight Foundation, World Resources Institute, Chicago Community Trust, and Consultive Group to Assist the Poor at the World Bank. He serves on the board of directors for the affordable housing developer DreamKey Partners and is an Associate Fellow of the Kirby Liang Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge (UK), where he is a member of the Economics Research Hub.

He holds a master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago, a bachelor’s in urban studies from Furman University, and spent two years in Malaysia as a Fulbright Scholar. Currently, he's completing a master's in religion at Reformed Theological Seminary (DC) where his research explores how experiences of desire and delight shape behavior.

AJ lives in Charlotte with his wife Emery where they enjoy cooking for friends, debating literature, and racing each other in the daily NYT games. They are members of Christ Central Church and were recently featured in the film "A Kingdom of Tea and Strangers", a documentary about English L'Abri.

A serial entrepreneur and government professional, New York State Notary Public Sabriena’s life purpose is to be a resource to everyone that comes into her presence.

Her career in government began in June 2015 as an intern in the New York City Council. Over the span of 9 years she served in the 11th and 12th City Council Districts as well the Community Engagement Division within the office of the Speaker of the City Council. She held various roles such as Constituent Services Advocate, Scheduler and Legislative Director. Sabriena is currently a Chief of Staff within the New York State Assembly. She leads a team of 5 staff, interns and volunteers.

Sabriena is the Founder of Velvet Luxe Cosmetics Inc. an independent luxury beauty brand based in New York City. She is the founder of Becoming the CEO Network. Becoming The CEO Network is a professional community and educational platform dedicated to empowering aspiring and established entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders. The vision of our organization is to Educate, Empower and Energize those ready to become. Founded with the mission of fostering leadership development, the network serves as a hub for knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and professional growth across various industries.

Sabriena is dedicated to building of communities, the development of young people and the advancement of the entire human race.

Lydia Dugdale, MD, MAR (ethics), is the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center and Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She also serves as Co-Director of Clinical Ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She cares for patients both as a primary care doctor and as a hospital ethics consultant.

Dr Dugdale moved to Columbia in 2019 from Yale University, where she previously served as Associate Director of the Program for Biomedical Ethics. Her scholarship focuses on end-of-life issues, hope and imagination, moral injury, and the doctor-patient relationship. She edited Dying in the Twenty-First Century (MIT Press, 2015) and is author of The Lost Art of Dying (HarperOne, 2020), a popular press book on the preparation for death. She recently completed a forthcoming book on hope.

Dr Dugdale attended medical school at the University of Chicago, completed residency training at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and holds a MAR in ethics from Yale Divinity School.

Tim Heishman is the Senior Advocacy Teams Manager for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. At FCNL he leads grassroots advocacy campaigns and a national network of 135 Advocacy Teams in 48 states that lobby Congress for peace and justice. Tim’s passion for creating a more peaceful and just world comes from his faith in Jesus and three generations of conscientious objectors in his family.

Tim previously shared three ministry roles with his wife, Katie. They co-pastored a Church of the Brethren congregation in Ohio, served as Program Directors of a camp and retreat center in Virginia, and together planned the 2014 National Youth Conference for the Church of the Brethren. He holds degrees in History and Biblical Studies from Eastern Mennonite University and a Master of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary.

Tim is the son of two pastors and missionaries. He grew up first in inner-city Harrisburg, PA and later in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As a child and youth, he saw injustices and human need up close while also having relationships in lower, middle, and upper class circles. These formative experiences inspired Tim to pursue a career at the intersection of faith and public life that seeks the common good for all, guided by Jesus.

Tim and Katie have two adorable children and live in Virginia.

Johnnie Simpson, Jr. was born in Freeport, IL, raised in Indianapolis, IN, and moved to Texas to attend Prairie View A&M. While at PVAMU, Pastor Simpson earned a bachelor’s in business management; he then earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a master’s in divinity from Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology. Johnnie Simpson is the Senior Pastor of St. Mary's UMC and Riverside UMC, both in Houston, TX.

Before becoming a pastor, Johnnie worked as an AV/IT field service engineer, assisting with designing, installing, and supporting technology systems. Pastor Johnnie is still involved in technology even though he is a pastor at a church. Johnnie Simpson is also a Prince Hall Mason, a member of the National Black MBA Association, a life member of the NAACP, serves on the Board of Directors for Mainland Community Partnership, is Treasurer of the Galveston County Long Term Recovery Group, President of the Dickinson Management District, Dickinson City Council, Board Member of the Houston Galveston Area Council, and a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Johnnie. Simpson is married to Lataya Ballard Simpson, also a pastor in the UMC, Pastor Johnnie and Lataya have three children.

Krista Kartson is the Senior Director for Sponsorship Initiatives with Welcome.US, a national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans and American institutions from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here. Krista’s work sits at the intersection of her faith, migration, and policy.

Growing up in a globally-minded church in Ohio, Krista was inspired to learn more about the world, leading her to pursue a degree in International Studies at American University. She began an international development career in Washington, DC until joining Peace Corps Response in Ukraine, where she witnessed the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution. Krista moved to Iraq the following year to serve families displaced by ISIS. Her work with migrant populations in the region took her across Europe and the Middle East.

Krista earned a masters degree in Development Studies from the London School of Economics in 2019, and promptly returned to Iraq for a year working with the federal government to improve public service delivery in the post-conflict environment. In 2021, Krista led Samaritan’s Purse’s Afghan Resettlement Program, mobilizing churches across the U.S. to sponsor Afghan allies evacuated after the fall of Kabul. It was in this role that she first understood how the support that she received from churches while overseas had the ability to transform generations through private sponsorship right here in America.

Krista is passionate about supporting policies that enable the public’s participation in immigration through sponsorship, and engaging the Church to “welcome the stranger”.

Jazzalyn Livingston serves as the National Program Director at the One America Movement, where she leads the organization’s multi-faith grassroots initiatives in cities across the country, including Danville, VA; Chicago, IL; Jackson, MS; Northwest Arkansas; Charlottesville, VA; and Tulsa, OK, with plans for further expansion. In this role, she supports an outreach team that brings faith leaders and their communities together across religious, racial, and political divides to foster collaboration and transcend toxic polarization. Her work focuses on advancing long-term initiatives that sustain deep multi-faith and cross-partisan relationships, empowering faith communities to address local challenges and dismantle the root causes of division.

Beyond her work with the One America Movement, Jazzalyn co-founded a national nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the leadership potential of young girls and women. Previously, she served as the National Program Manager at the NAACP, where she directed programs spanning criminal justice reform, civic engagement, education, voting rights, environmental justice, and economic empowerment.

Jazzalyn earned a Master of Science degree in Multicultural Counseling and Social Justice Education from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Public Health from the University of California, San Diego.

A proud native of South-Central Los Angeles, she now calls Washington, DC, home. In her free time, Jazzalyn enjoys traveling, reading thought-provoking literature, learning to play new instruments, and teaching yoga.

Clarissa Moll is an award-winning writer and podcaster who helps bereaved people find flourishing after loss. She produces and moderates Christianity Today's flagship news podcast, The Bulletin. She co-hosted CT's Surprised by Grief podcast and produced and hosted The Writerly Life podcast. Clarissa’s writing appears in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, RELEVANT, Modern Loss, Grief Digest and more.

She is the author of four books on bereavement including the bestselling Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving After Loss and Hurt Help Hope: A Real Conversation about Teen Grief and Life after Loss.

Michael Reneau is a managing editor at The Dispatch. Prior to joining the company in 2022, he was editor of WORLD Magazine and for several years was editor of a daily newspaper in East Tennessee, where still lives with his wife and four children.

Brandon serves as an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Research Scholar in Philosophy of Technology and Culture at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, including Minds, Bodies, and Persons, Theories of Knowledge, Philosophy of Technology, and Spiritual Formation.

As the founder and director of NOVUS, a center dedicated to applying Christian wisdom for the renewal of public life and academia, Brandon is passionate about integrating faith, philosophy, and formation. He also serves as a Cultura Fellow at The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture. Brandon’s work has been published in academic journals and books.

He is the co-author of The Substance of Consciousness (Wiley-Blackwell, 2023) with JP Moreland and the author of two forthcoming books: What is Consciousness? (IVP Academic) and The Unity of Consciousness and Self (Bloomsbury). His research explores applications of Christian wisdom and knowledge for understanding human nature, the reality of God, Christian spiritual formation, and the cultural and spiritual implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

In his free time, Brandon enjoys films (especially Christopher Nolan and Charles Malik), traveling, Indian food, playing guitar, and spending time with his family.

He holds a B.A. in philosophy (University of California, Irvine), an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics (Biola University), and a PhD in philosophy (Baylor University).

Dr. Aaron Gabriel Ross is the Chief of Staff at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., where he oversees operations, spearheads guest relations, and ensures strategic alignment across the organization. In his role, he represents the CEO in critical and external engagements, progressing the museum’s mission and impact.

Previously, Dr. Ross served as Chief of Staff to the President of Ashland University, where he played a pivotal role in advancing institutional goals, including the successful completion of a $100 million capital campaign. He has also served as an Assistant Professor of Theology at Southeastern University and is currently a Visiting Lecturer of Theology at London School of Theology.

In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Ross is the founder and host of the Everyday Theology podcast, where he explores the intersection of faith and daily life. His forthcoming book, Faith as a Life in the Spirit, will be published by T&T Clark in July 2025.

Dr. Ross is an ordained priest in the Anglican church. He holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Birmingham (UK) and continues to bridge academic thought with practical insights through his work.

Nadya Williams is Managing Editor at Current, where she also edits The Arena blog. She holds a PhD in Classics from Princeton University, and after fifteen years in secular academia, she walked away to focus on homeschooling her children and writing for the church.

She is the author of Cultural Christians in the Early Church (2023), Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic (2024), and Christians Reading Classics (2025). She is a Contributor for Christianity Today and Contributing Editor for Providence Magazine and Front Porch Republic. She has also written for other magazines, including Plough, Law & Liberty, Religion & Liberty, and The Dispatch.

She and her husband, Dan, live in Ashland, Ohio. They have one adult son and two children still at home.

Lanre currently serves as Senior Vice President for International Programs at World Relief, leading a team that provides humanitarian relief around the world in partnership with the church.

A proud Nigerian-American, Lanre’s upbringing across Africa and coming to the US as a teenager deeply informed her passions for high quality, faith-informed support to local efforts that promote human flourishing. Lanre is a public health nerd, an Afrobeats aficionado and loves to talk about authentic relationships and human connection.

Over her twenty-year career, Lanre has specialized in strategy and systems building for program design, implementation, monitoring, accountability and learning. She has worked for faith and secular development organizations and has had the opportunity to travel extensively to hard-to-reach communities around the world.

Lanre is a sought-after public speaker on faith and development and serves as a board member, coach and advisor to several organizations. Lanre has master’s degrees in International Development and Public Health from George Washington University, and a certification in Human Centered Design from Johns Hopkins University.

Lanre speaks four languages at various levels of proficiency and currently lives in Sterling, Virginia with her husband Yomi. They have been long-term members of Fairfax Church where Lanre serves on the care team as a lay counselor.