The Exiles in Babylon conference is a collective of Christians and seekers who crave curious dialogues about important biblical, theological, and cultural l issues, and who long to see different perspectives presented in a gracious and humanizing manner. The conference is aimed to be diverse, Christ-centered, biblically based, and dialogical. Some of the speakers you’ll agree with; others you won’t. “Exiles” is not an echo-chamber where everyone agrees on everything; rather, it’s an exploration of different viewpoints where Christians are forced to think critically and engage different perspectives humbly and worshipfully.
Preston Sprinkle (Ph.D.) is an international speaker and a New York Times bestselling author, who’s written a dozen books including People to Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is not just an Issue. Preston currently serves as the president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, an organization that equips Christians to engage questions about faith, sexually & gender with theological faithfulness and courageous love. Preston also hosts the popular podcast “Theology in the Raw” and posts regularly on his YouTube channel “Preston Sprinkle.”
Tinika Wyatt is a singer, songwriter and children’s book author. She has traveled the world using her gifts, shared the stage with many renowned artists, and made appearances on television and in film. She has contributed to three volumes of The Ethnos Project, a musical collection of multilingual worship through global partnership, and featured on the “Urbana 18 Live: Faithful Witness” and “InterVarsity Live! Worship, Volume One” albums. Her purpose is to use her voice primarily to connect people to Jesus Christ and secondarily to amplify the voices of others for the sake of understanding and reconciliation.
Along with his lovely wife of 29 years (Tinika), Jason serves as a Marriage and Family Mentor and Worship Leader at Parkhill Church in Pt. Loma, CA. At different seasons of life, Jason has served local churches as an Associate Pastor, Children’s Ministry Director, Youth Pastor and Worship Leader!
Jason currently works full-time in healthcare but has an extensive background in the non-profit sector directing programs that support youth and families. For leisure, Jason enjoys fishing and coaching youth sports and has an accomplished history as a certified official and master’s track and field athlete. He is currently ranked #2 in the US for his event.
The Wyatts recently launched “Transformed Families Counseling and Community Services” a non-profit that will support youth and families throughout the greater San Diego area. This organization will be the first step towards their vision of opening a community center that will be a safe haven for youth and families, a place where generational, ethnic, and cultural barriers are bridged and people ultimately experience the love of the Father.
Evan Wickham is a worship leader, songwriter, speaker, and lead pastor of Park Hill Church in San Diego, CA, which he co-founded in 2017 with Sandy, his wife of 23 years (and their five kids). In addition to helping people encounter Jesus through teaching and meaningful, rooted worship experiences, he has released four albums of worship songs, several of which are sung across the world. He holds an MDiv from Western Seminary and helped launch Searock Sessions, a cohort and growing community for hundreds of leaders seeking renewal in the Western church.
Sandy was born and raised in San Diego and has always had a deep love for Jesus and the church. In 2017, Sandy and Evan planted Park Hill Church together. As Co-Lead Pastor, Sandy provides overall vision and direction for Park Hill in partnership with her husband and Lead Pastor, Evan. She is most passionate about curating a space for beautiful things to happen by leading the church in engaging in prayer, communion, and worship.
As a musical & spoken word artist, writer, producer, & battle rapper— Street Hymns is as diverse as he is passionate about people.
He’s found that many of his perspectives have helped bridge gaps in seemingly contrasting places (whether in music or relationships).
Stirring up gifts, challenging stagnation, and pushing for reconciliation are his life goals and purposes because creating a controlled and safe environment where people can express differing views in a respectable way is important to Street.
Kaitlyn Schiess is an author, speaker, and Senior Editor at the Holy Post. She is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor (IVP, 2020) and The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Brazos, 2023). Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, RELEVANT, and Sojourner. She has a ThM in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student in theology at Duke Divinity School.
Rev. Dr. Efrem Smith is a pastor, consultant, internationally recognized speaker, and author. He is passionate about, racial righteousness, thriving churches, civic engagement, and community development. He also serves as a national catalyst for African American Church Development, Disciple Making, and Urban Empowerment Movements.
Dr. Smith was the founding pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church, a multi-ethnic church in Minneapolis, MN, He also co-founded and was President of The Sanctuary Community Development Corporation. Dr. Smith served as the Superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, providing leadership to 160 churches within California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Utah. He also served as the President and CEO of World Impact, an urban missions organization committed to empowering urban leaders and planting churches in under-resourced communities. Currently, Dr. Smith is the Co-Lead Pastor of Midtown Church, a thriving and multi-ethnic congregation in Sacramento, California. He is the President of Influential Global Ministries, which focuses on equipping leaders, strengthening churches, and missions in the African American, multiethnic, and urban context. He is also the Co-owner of Influential LLC, an organization committed to equipping faith leaders, executives, and the organizations they serve.
He is the author of Raising Up Young Heroes, The Hip Hop Church, Jump: Into A Life of Further and Higher, The Post-Black and Post-White Church, Killing Us Softly, and his latest book, Church for Everyone.
Dr. Smith is a graduate of Saint John’s University and Luther Theological Seminary. He completed the Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and received an honorary Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary. Dr. Smith is married to Donecia and has two daughters, Jaeda and Mireya. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.
Latasha Morrison is a distinguished author, renowned for her transformative work in fostering racial reconciliation and unity. As a New York Times best-selling author, she has captured the hearts and minds of readers worldwide with her powerful words and insightful perspectives. Her influential book, Be the Bridge, has become a beacon of hope, guiding individuals and communities towards a future free from racial division. And her recently released book, Brown Faces, White Spaces continues that influence by looking at what it means to recognize and confess the truth about inequities in the system (preparation), commit ourselves to changing the system (dedication), and move into true freedom as a society (liberation).
She founded the nonprofit organization, Be the Bridge, in 2016 to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation. Through her work, Latasha Morrison continues to ignite
conversations, challenge societal norms, and empower others to take action to increase racial literacy and
pursue racial justice. Her commitment to fostering unity and dismantling racial barriers has made her a
beacon of hope and an inspiration to all who aspire to create lasting change.
Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and cross-cultural bridge builder. He’s the lead strategist for Content Mercenaries, a ministry that creates, curates, and facilitates conversations around great content for organizations pursuing a Christian vision of life in culturally significant spaces. Ed has ministered for over three decades to college and professional athletes, and recently wrote Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need to Know and Why It Matters (IVP). He speaks with his wife Amy at Weekend to Remember and other church-based marriage conferences across the country. They have four kids and live in Xenia, OH.
Brian assumed the role of Deputy Chief of Police with the Crystal Police Department in August, 2018. In this role, Brian manages the day-to-day operations of a busy inner-ring suburban law enforcement agency.
Prior to coming to Crystal, Brian spent 12 years as a Police Officer, School Resource Officer, and Sergeant with the Edina Police Department. During his time with Edina PD, he developed the Police Citizens’ Academy Program, hosted the Department’s Beyond The Badge cable TV show, taught children and teens through the DARE, Junior Police, Safety Camp and Teen Safe Driving programs, and represented the Police Department on the City’s Race & Equity Task Force. Brian has been certified as a Drug Recognition Evaluator, a Crisis Intervention Officer and Instructor, a DARE Instructor, and a Field Training Officer. Brian received the 2017 Officer of the Year Award and received a Department Commendation.
Brian also serves as adjunct faculty and lead instructor in the law enforcement program at Hennepin Technical College. Before joining the Police Department, he served for two years as a Corrections Officer at the Sherburne County Jail.
Prior to entering into the field of Law Enforcement, Brian had a successful 17-year career with the YMCA. Working in numerous communities throughout the Twin Cities, he served as a Youth Worker, Summer Camp Director, and Community Development Director. His final assignment before making the difficult decision to leave the Y to be able to spend more time with his family was as the Executive Director of the YMCA in Woodbury for five years. Brian received many certifications and recognitions in the Y and was highly regarded in the YMCA system, specifically as an expert in youth work.
Brian currently serves as President for the MN Law Enforcement Memorial Association, which is the organization responsible for coordinating Line Of Duty Death funeral arrangements for any officer in the state. He also serves on the Board of Directors of SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, and served as Board Chair for New Life Family Services, President of the West Metro Fire Rescue District Board, and as a Board Member with the YMCA of the North. Brian’s education includes a B.S. in Police Science from St. Mary’s University, and an A.S. in Law Enforcement from Minneapolis Community & Technical College. He has done additional studies in Non-Profit Administration from Metro State University. He is a graduate of the FBI-LEEDA Executive Trilogy and the Northwestern Supervision School.
In his free time, Brian likes to exercise, camp, play games, and spend time with family and friends. Brian and his wife, Heather, attend Eagle Brook Church, have three adult children and reside in New Hope, Minnesota.
Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley serves as the Special Advisor to the President of Baylor University for Equity and Campus Engagement and as a pastor at Mosaic Waco, an intentionally multi-cultural, non-denominational church in Waco, TX.
Rev. Dr. Foley holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Baylor University and an MDiv from Yale Divinity School. His research investigates African American Protestants responding to lynching from the late 19thcentury to the early 20th century. His book with Brazos Press, The Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money is the Root of Racism and How The Church Can Create a New Way Forward, argues that the only truly antiracist Christian communities are the ones that resist greed and exploitation
Thaddeus Williams (Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) serves as tenured professor of theology for Biola University. He is also the author of the best-seller Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice.
He has also taught Philosophy and Literature at Saddleback College, Jurisprudence at Trinity Law School, and as a lecturer in Worldview Studies at L’Abri Fellowships in Switzerland and Holland, and Ethics for Blackstone Legal Fellowship the Federalist Society in Washington D.C.
Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences.
During the genocide in Gaza, Munther gained global attention for his sermon, Christ under the Rubble which was heard by tens of millions of people and subsequently quoted in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. He has appeared on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, CBS, TRT and Democracy Now!
Munther is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology. He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theology of the land, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian theology, holistic mission and reconciliation. He is the author of “The Other Side of the Wall”, “From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth”, “An Introduction to Palestinian Theology” (in Arabic), a commentary on the book of Daniel (in Arabic), and more recently has published a book on women ordination in the church, also in Arabic. His new book is “Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible and the Genocide in Gaza” will come out in 2025.
Munther is also involved in many reconciliation and interfaith forums. He is also a Kairos Palestine board member.
Munther originally studied civil engineering in Birzeit University in Palestine. He then obtained a Master in Biblical Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and then a PhD from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
Munther is married to Rudaina – an architect, and together they have two boys: Karam (11) and Zaid (9).
Adam Davidson is co-founder of NPR’s Planet Money. He was economics writer at The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker. He wrote, The Passion Economy, and was technical advisor on the movie The Big Short. He lives in Vermont with his wife and son.
Adam is Jewish and, like many Jews, has a deep cultural and ritual connection to Judaism but has never had any faith in god. He also practices a non-theistic form of Buddhism. Adam studied History of Religion at University of Chicago with a focus on evangelical Christianity. He grew up in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York City, where there were, at least to his knowledge, no evangelicals. So, he wanted to understand this mysterious group. Since then, he’s written articles about evangelicalism and has engaged in dialogue with Sean McDowell and many other Christians.
Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is an associate professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over twenty books including End the Stalemate. Sean has a popular YouTube channel in which he discusses apologetics, cultural issues, and often engages skeptics, atheists, and other non-Christians. Sean and his wife Stephanie have been married twenty-five years and they have three kids. And yes, he loves Spider-Man.
Preston Sprinkle (Ph.D.) is an international speaker and a New York Times bestselling author, who’s written a dozen books including People to Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is not just an Issue. Preston currently serves as the president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, an organization that equips Christians to engage questions about faith, sexually & gender with theological faithfulness and courageous love. Preston also hosts the popular podcast “Theology in the Raw” and posts regularly on his YouTube channel “Preston Sprinkle.”
Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D., is the Dr. Arthur P. and Mrs. Jean May Rech Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, where he also directs the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute. Dr. Yarhouse has been a consultant to the National Institute of Corrections to address issues facing sexual and gender minorities in corrections, and he was part of a consensus panel from the American Psychological Association on sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts that convened to provide input to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Washington, DC. Dr. Yarhouse is currently the Chair of the task force on LGBTQ+ issues for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and is author or co-author of several books, including Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture and Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth.
Julia Malott is a transgender columnist for Canada’s National Post, a recurring panelist on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Canada Tonight, a social media influencer, and the creator of Alotta Thoughts — a video blog dedicated to fostering calm and constructive conversations on transgender issues.
Raised in a deeply religious family in rural Ontario, Julia was immersed in the Evangelical Christian Church from childhood. Despite experiencing gender dysphoria from an early age, Julia remained silent about matters or sex and gender throughout young adulthood. At 28, following several years working as a Site Coordinator at The Meeting House, Canada’s largest multi-site church, Julia made the decision to leave the Christian faith, publicly acknowledge gender dysphoria, and begin a gender transition.
Upon transitioning, Julia became increasingly concerned with the polarizing and dogmatic approaches to transgender issues within both LGBT and non-LGBT circles. Determined to bridge divides and foster more productive discourse on transgender policy, Julia entered the political sphere to advocate for nuanced, unifying solutions.
Chloe Cole, a poised and articulate 20-year-old young woman, passionately advocates against the practice of transitioning minors. Driven by a noble mission to safeguard children from potentially harmful ideologies and medical interventions, Chloe draws from her personal experiences to shed light on the distressing consequences of gender-affirming care for adolescents. Having embarked on her own transition journey at the tender age of 12, only to subsequently detransition at 16, Chloe speaks with firsthand authority on the deeply traumatic effects experienced by minors undergoing such treatments.
Lynn H. Cohick (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Director of Houston Theological Seminary at Houston Christian University. She is a well-respected scholar and highly sought-after speaker who has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited over fifty works. Dr. Cohick has delivered a keynote address in the main concert hall of the Sydney Opera House, and she has preached a Sunday morning service in a Masai mud hut in the Rift Valley near Mai Mahu (Kenya). She enjoys speaking and teaching on New Testament topics and women in the church and exploring issues on the historical relationship between Jews and Christians.
Bill is founder of Posture Shift, author of Guiding Families, and creator of Youth Belong. He has served as President since founding our missionary organization in 2006.
Posture Shift offers a credentialed, biblically-sound missional training curriculum on LGBT+ inclusion and care. Over 300,000 pastors and leaders around the globe have been trained.
Guiding Families is one of the most comprehensive and highly endorsed care plans available. Over 50,000 copies of the book have been sold in multiple editions and languages.
Youth Belong Digital is our latest resource with a focus on protecting gender minority youth.
Bill previously served as a board member of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. He has taught Posture Shift at Denver Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
“I formed Posture Shift after witnessing the impact of mistreatment and trauma in the lives of countless LGBT+ youth. I am passionate about fostering safe churches and homes. It is a privilege to train and consult church leaders around the world – as well as serve LGBT+ people of all ages and offer thoughtful guidance for their families. The gospel calls us to faithfully honor God – and importantly, to radically love LGBT+ people.“
Our board, advisory council, and teaching staff hold to a traditional biblical view.
Bill enjoys family time, photography, hiking, adventure travel, and staying healthy. Bill and his wife Kang have two grown children. Anna is a registered nurse, and Andrew is a junior in college studying marketing and finance.
Dr. Joel Lawrence serves as the President of the Center for Pastor Theologians. Prior to this role, Joel served as the Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in St Paul, MN, Teaching Pastor at Calvary Church in White Bear, MN, and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Bethel Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota. Joel holds degrees from Texas A&M University (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM.), and Cambridge University (MPhil. and PhD.). He is the author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, 2010) and co-editor of Confronting Racial Injustice: Theory and Praxis for the Church (Cascade, 2022), Reconstructing Evangelicalism (Cascade, forthcoming), and Power and the Pulpit (Cascade, forthcoming). In addition, Joel has an active ministry speaking in churches, seminaries, and conferences worldwide.
Joel and his wife Myndi live in St Paul, MN, with their four children and small, decorative dog.
Ben Norquist (PhD, Azusa Pacific University) serves as Director of the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East. Previously, he worked as a leader on the spiritual formation and community engagement team at Bryan College (Dayton, TN) and with the Center for Faith and Innovation at Wheaton College (Illinois).
Ben holds his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University (Los Angeles) and his M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College (Annapolis). Ben’s dissertation is a qualitative regional case study exploring adaptive Palestinian approaches to pedagogy.
Ben is the coauthor (together with Dr. Brian Miller) of Every Somewhere Sacred: Rescuing a Theology of Place in the American Imagination (forthcoming from InterVarsity Press). Ben’s writing has also appeared in Religion News Service, The Christian Century, Baptist News Global, and the Christian Citizen among others.
Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences.
During the genocide in Gaza, Munther gained global attention for his sermon, Christ under the Rubble which was heard by tens of millions of people and subsequently quoted in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. He has appeared on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, CBS, TRT and Democracy Now!
Munther is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology. He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theology of the land, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian theology, holistic mission and reconciliation. He is the author of “The Other Side of the Wall”, “From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth”, “An Introduction to Palestinian Theology” (in Arabic), a commentary on the book of Daniel (in Arabic), and more recently has published a book on women ordination in the church, also in Arabic. His new book is “Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible and the Genocide in Gaza” will come out in 2025.
Munther is also involved in many reconciliation and interfaith forums. He is also a Kairos Palestine board member.
Munther originally studied civil engineering in Birzeit University in Palestine. He then obtained a Master in Biblical Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and then a PhD from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
Munther is married to Rudaina – an architect, and together they have two boys: Karam (11) and Zaid (9).
Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah is Robert B. Munger Professor of Evangelism at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009); Many Colors (Moody, 2010); Prophetic Lament (IVP Books, 2015); co-author of Forgive Us (Zondervan, 2014); Return to Justice (Brazos, 2016); and Unsettling Truths (IVP Books, 2019).
Soong-Chan received his B.A. from Columbia University; his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; his Th.M. from Harvard University; his D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and his Th.D. from Duke University.
Rah is formerly the founding Senior Pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church (CCFC), a multi-ethnic church living out the values of racial reconciliation and social justice in the urban context. He has previously served on the boards of World Vision, Sojourners and the Christian Community Development Association.
He has extensive experience in cross-cultural preaching as well as on numerous college campuses. Soong-Chan has been a main stage speaker at the Urbana Student Missions Conference, the Congress on Urban Ministry, the Urban Youth Workers Institute Conference, the CCDA National Conference, the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary National Preaching Conference, the Fuller Missiology Conference, the Justice Conference, and Verge, Catalyst, and Calvin Worship Conferences.
Laurie Krieg is the Director of Parent Programs & Development at The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, where she also serves as a founding board member. Laurie has a master’s in evangelism and leadership from Wheaton Graduate School, and she and her husband, Matt, are the co-hosts of the Hole in My Heart Podcast, co-authors of An Impossible Marriage (IVP 2020), and together wrote the forthcoming parenting book, Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Confused World (IVP 2026). Laurie and Matt live in West Michigan with their three kids.
Brian and Karen Mulder are the Lead Facilitators for Helping Parents Love – a faith-based, peer-facilitated support initiative for Christian parents with LGBTQ children. Brian and Karen initially shared their parenting journey as part of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender’s Parenting LGBTQ Kids curriculum. Then in 2023, they partnered with The Center in launching Helping Parents Love and over the past two years, have ministered to over 250 parents in the US and around the world. Brian and Karen live in central Indiana and have 3 married sons and 2 grandchildren.
Brian and Karen Mulder are the Lead Facilitators for Helping Parents Love – a faith-based, peer-facilitated support initiative for Christian parents with LGBTQ children. Brian and Karen initially shared their parenting journey as part of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender’s Parenting LGBTQ Kids curriculum. Then in 2023, they partnered with The Center in launching Helping Parents Love and over the past two years, have ministered to over 250 parents in the US and around the world. Brian and Karen live in central Indiana and have 3 married sons and 2 grandchildren.