2021 Speakers
Our Grounding Text: Acts 13: 1-3
Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
Jim O’Neill
Frontier Ventures | NextGen
Dr. Jim O’Neill, is a leader of leaders with a heart for the mission field. Before serving with Frontier Ventures, Dr. O’Neill was the President and Founder of the Center for Global Mission, which equips emerging leaders to make a global impact for Jesus Christ.
Jim is also a Professor at the Liberty University School of Divinity where he teaches Global Studies and other other Graduate courses.
Josh Davis
Founder and Executive Director
Proskuneo Ministries
Josh Davis loves people and loves to make safe space for complexity. A third-culture person himself, Josh served as a missionary to the Dominican Republic before founding Proskuneo Ministries (www.proskuneo.org), a ministry that exists to bring nations together in worship on earth as it is in heaven.
Josh is a creative pastor and the co-author of the book “Worship Together [in your church as in heaven].” He also helps people engage with themselves, others, and God at www.patreon.com/justjoshdavis.
In his spare time, loves to walk long distances, learn languages, and drink coffee. Josh lives with his wife and four children in Clarkston, GA where over 60 languages are spoken in a 1.5 mile radius.
Kevin Higgins PhD
President, William Carey International University; General Director, Frontier Ventures
Kevin served in the Muslim world in two countries in South Asia. In one country he helped develop a work that has resulted in emerging movements to Jesus within more than a dozen language groups, and in the other he served alongside the leaders of a growing movement to Jesus.
He served as International Director of Global Teams from 2000 to 2017, during which time GT grew from 11 to over 600 people serving cross-culturally, sent from more than 30 bases globally. He continues to serve alongside a number of so-called “insider movements” among Muslims.
Kevin also received a PhD in 2013 from Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies, in the area of translation. In 2017 he was appointed to be the President of William Carey International University, and in 2019 also became the General Director of Frontier Ventures (formerly, the US Center for World Mission).
Kevin and Susan have three grown daughters, Rachel (married to Rob), Sarah, and Emma (married to Cameron), and one grandson, Henry.
Virgil Tanner
Director of Development | CW Spain
Virgil pastored for 9 years in the States before leading a CPM team in Central Asia for 8.
For the last few years, he led a team in Central Asia working with expat workers in collective discernment and concerted obedience.
Jay Holland
Family and Student Pastor, Covenant Fellowship
Jay has pastored for over 20 years and hosts the weekly marriage and parenting podcast Let’s Parent on Purpose. Jay is the husband of Emily and the biological and adoptive father of four children.
He has a passion for helping multigenerational families serve the local church and greater kingdom of God.
Shane O’Neill
Proven Men
Shane has an undergrad in Biblical Studies and is working on his M.A. in Apologetics at Liberty University Rawling School of Divinity. Shane was born in the Philippines as a missionary kid and has lived in many different locations on the United States east coast.
He met Jesus as Lord and Savior in his late teens and since then has engaged with developing communities around Jesus.
Kwashie Amenudzie
West Africa Missionary Training Center
Kwashie is from Togo in West Africa where he presently serves as the founder and director of West Africa Missionary Training Center in Akoumape, Togo. His goal is to train African missionaries to reach the unreached peoples on the continent with the gospel.
Formally, he served in Senegal for 23 years both as a pastor and as a missioanry with Crossworld. Kwashie is married to Davi, they have three grown-up children and an 11-year-old.
Jaewoo Kim
PR and Development, Proskuneo Ministries
Jaewoo Kim is a multicultural worship leader and persistent alongsider for diverse, young creatives. He serves in public relations and ministry development at Proskuneo Ministries, which aims to help the body of Christ to see, live and share the vision of Jesus-centered, multicultural worshipping communities around the world.
Jaewoo has spoken at Urbana Missions Conference, Fuller Seminary Chapel and Missions Korea conference. Recently, he published his first book ‘WIlling Uncomfortable Worship’ in South Korea.
He and his family live in Clarkston, Georgia, where over sixty languages are spoken within a 1.5-mile radius.
Nancy W
Church Planter, Persian Gulf
Nancy enjoys serving God by loving and serving his laborers cross-culturally. After serving with her husband, Tom, as church planters in Africa for 20 years, they relocated to the Persian Gulf to serve teams in the Middle East and South Asia. As a regional leader with their organization, Nancy is a mentor, coach, and counselor to women serving in a variety of locations.
As a Certified Biblical Counselor, Nancy also counsels women virtually through a counseling center in Florida. She and Tom have four married daughters and 12 grandchildren (with two more on the way!). Although hardly ever in the same place for very long, Nancy is thankful you can find coffee and community just about anywhere.