Participant Bios

Keynote Speaker

Steve Bell

Steve Bell, C.M.,O.M., is a Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is among the best-known Christian musicians in Canada and is an accomplished songwriter and record producer. Before embarking on his solo career, he was a long-time member of the group Elias, Schritt and Bell. In 1989, Bell founded the independent recording label Signpost Music along with Dave Zeglinski, long-time friend and co-producer. His first solo album, Comfort My People, was released on Signpost that same year. Bell now has twenty albums to his credit. Among his many awards are two Junos, several GMA CanadaCovenant Awards and the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Workshop:

Psalms, Saints & Ancient Prayers: Nourishing the Faith Community

Anna Carter Florence

Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and holds degrees from Yale University (BA) and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv and PhD). Before joining the Columbia faculty in 1998, Anna served as an associate pastor for youth and young adults at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.

Anna’s books include Preaching as Testimony, Inscribing the Word, Rehearsing Scripture: Discovering God’s Word in Community, based on her 2012 Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at Yale Divinity School, and A is for Alabaster: 52 Reflections on the Stories of Scripture (2023). She has also published articles and chapters in numerous books and journals, including a year’s worth of lectionary text commentaries for www.WorkingPreacher.org.

Anna’s research focuses on testimony, preaching pedagogies, and creative strategies for communities to engage and encounter the biblical text for our present context. She is a frequent preacher and teacher in the U.S. and abroad, which gives her plenty of opportunity to do what makes her happiest: sitting around a table with a group of people, a big passage of Scripture, and a big block of time to dive into it. She and her husband, the Rev. David Carter Florence, have two grown sons, Caleb and Jonah, and two new daughters-in-law, Kate and Kyra. They also have a dog, a cat, a log-splitter to keep their wood stove going, and way too much knitting yarn.

Workshop:

A Parable Universe: When Preachers Start Looking for Parables in Everyday Things

Malcolm Guite

Malcolm Guite is an English poet, singer-songwriter, Anglican priest, and academic. Guite earned degrees from Cambridge and Durham universities. His research interests include the intersection of religion and the arts, and the examination of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Owen Barfield, and British poets such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was a Bye-Fellow and chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge and associate chaplain of St. Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge.  On several occasions, he has taught as visiting faculty at several colleges and universities in England and North America.

Guite is the author of five books of poetry, including two chapter books and three full-length collections, as well as several books on Christian faith and theology. Guite has a decisively simple, formalist style in poems, many of which are sonnets, and he stated that his aim is to “be profound without ceasing to be beautiful”. Guite performs as a singer and guitarist fronting the Cambridgeshire-based blues, rhythm and blues, and rock band Mystery Train. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares his passions and musings with his viewers.

Workshop:

Poetry and the Preacher , Open Session Poetry Reading

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Leader – Fine-Tuned & Workshop

Sarah Han

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Han is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Director of the Tyndale Centre for Pastoral Imagination at Tyndale University Seminary and brings practical ministry experience as an ordained minister and theological expertise as an academic. Dr. Han considers herself to be “third culture” Canadian-Korean-Chinese and her formative theology was shaped on the mission field abroad. She has provided leadership in the Canadian immigrant church context for over a decade and has diverse experience in the Canadian public and private sectors. Dr. Han’s vocational commitment and theological passion are to critically observe and reflect on how ecclesiology shapes and informs missiology, and her research focuses on an intercultural, intergenerational, missional ecclesiology for Canada.

Workshop:

Sparking Gospel Power Within Our Preaching, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 4 with Paul Scott Wilson

Scott Hoezee

The Rev. Scott E. Hoezee is an ordained Pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. From 1993-2005 he was the Minister of Preaching and Administration at Calvin CRC in Grand Rapids, MI. In the spring of 2005 Scott accepted the Seminary’s offer to become the first Director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching. He has also been a member of the Pastor-Theologian Program sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey, where he was pastor-in-residence in the fall of 2000. From 2001-2011 Scott served on the editorial board of Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought and was co-editor of that journal from 2005-2011.

Rev. Hoezee is the author of several books including The Riddle of Grace (1996), Flourishing in the Land (1996), Remember Creation (1998), Speaking as One: A Look at the Ecumenical Creeds (1997), Speaking of Comfort: A Look at the Heidelberg Catechism (1998), Proclaim the Wonder: Preaching Science on Sunday (2003), Grace Through Every Generation (2007), Actuality: Real Life Stories for Sermons That Matter (2014), and Why We Listen to Sermons (2018).

Workshop:

Show, Don't Tell: Detail and Vividness in Preaching, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 2 with Karoline Lewis

Mark Jefferson

The Rev. Dr. Mark Andrew Jefferson serves as the John Gladstone Chair of Preaching and the Dean of Sarah Daley Nickerson Chapel at Acadia Divinity College at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Mark has served churches in both Virginia and Georgia and more recently served on the faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary where he developed innovative courses in prophetic proclamation, homiletics, and leadership formation. His work explores the confluence of race, class, technology, contemporary cultural expressions and preaching. His forthcoming book, I, Too, Preach America: Race, Class and the Future of Christian Proclamation (Wipf & Stock, 2025) reexamines Black preaching through the perspectives of the Hip-Hop emcee and the folk preacher. His next project, The Algorithm and the Anointing: Proclamation at the edge of Surveillance and Spirit investigates the theological ramifications of preaching in an era dominated by digital algorithms.

Dr. Jefferson has preached around the globe – in South Africa, Israel, the Caribbean, and throughout the United States. He is also a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College. Whether in pulpits, classrooms, or digital platforms, Dr. Jefferson brings a theologically rigorous and culturally resonant vision for Gospel witness.

Workshop:

Rhythms and Algorithms: Embodied Preaching in the Digital Age, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 1 with Gail Ricciuti

Karoline Lewis

The Rev. Dr. Karoline M. Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, where she has taught since 2007.

Lewis is the author of A Lay Preacher’s Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon (2020), SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry (including an accompanying facilitator guide, participant guide, and DVD) and John: Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. She was one of the 100 religious scholars in the United States to contribute to the Values and Voices Campaign (valuesandvoices.com). Her next book, to be released in August, is Embody: Five Steps to Leading With Integrity.

Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Lewis holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Luther Seminary (M.Div.), and Emory University (Ph.D., New Testament Studies and Homiletics). She has served as Treasurer of Academy of Homiletics and Regional Coordinator for the Upper Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature. Lewis is the Program Director of the Festival of Homiletics and Chair of the Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Lewis leads conferences, workshops, and retreats internationally on the Gospel of John, the New Testament, interpreting the Bible, preaching, leadership, and women in ministry. She is a contributing writer for Working Preacher, co-host of the site’s weekly podcast, Sermon Brainwave, and regularly authors the Dear Working Preacher column. Visit karolinelewis.com for resources on preaching, leadership, and being a woman in ministry.

Workshop:

The Strength of the Word: Preaching John's Gospel for This Time and Place, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 2 with Scott Hoezee

Susan Sparks

The Rev. Susan Sparks is a trial lawyer turned standup comedian and Senior Pastor of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in NYC. Installed in 2007, she is the 15th Senior Minister of MABC and the first woman in its 175-year history. A North Carolina native, Susan received her B.A. at the University of North Carolina, a law degree from Wake Forest University, and her Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

An award-winning nationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author of five books, Susan is also a nationally known speaker (including TEDx), preacher, and professional comedian touring nationally with a Rabbi and a Muslim in the Laugh in Peace Comedy Tour. Her work with humour, healing, and spirituality has been featured in O (The Oprah) Magazine, the New Y ork Times, and on such networks as ABC, CNN, and CBS. For more information, check out SusanSparks.com.

Workshop:

Cross-training for Preachers: Leveraging Lessons from Unexpected Disciplines, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 3 with Michael Knowles

Emily Bisset

The Rev. Dr. Emily Bisset has been the minister of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Toronto for 13 years, where Calvin shares in ecumenical shared ministry with Deer Park United Church. Emily has her Th.D. in Homiletics from Knox College/The University of Toronto. She was raised and ordained in the PC(USA). Emily was received into The Presbyterian Church in Canada in 2007 and became a Canadian citizen in December 2020. Emily has been involved in the life of The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) in a variety of ways including preaching and coordinating worship for the General Assembly, National Women’s Gatherings, and national Stewardship conferences. Emily has written curriculum and worship liturgy for the PCC on issues such as what it means to be the church in today’s society, human sexuality, and preaching/sacraments. She has led congregational renewal retreats and women’s gatherings for local and regional groups. She is an adjunct faculty member at Knox College, where she teaches a course in advanced preaching. She is married to another Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Alex Bisset, and is mom to a wonderful teenager.

Workshop:

Preaching and Poetry, Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 5 with Jeff Crittenden

Jeff Crittenden

The Rev. Dr. Jeff Crittenden has served in congregational ministry for over thirty years throughout Canada (ON, QUE, NB, AB, NFLD) and is currently serving St. Andrews (TO). Jeff holds Doctoral degrees in Theology (PhD) and Homiletics (DMin). He is an Assistant Professor in Practical Theology at Huron University (Western); the Founding Director of CPT (The Centre for Practical Theology) and the author of Leisure Resurrected.

Workshop:

Remembered Voices – Whispers of Grace and Shouts of Strength , Fine-Tuned Preaching – with Emily Bisset

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Leader – Fine-Tuned Preaching

Michael Knowles

The Rev. Dr. Michael Knowles is a graduate of Wycliffe College and the Toronto School of Theology. Dr. Knowles retired in 2024 from the George Franklin Hurlburt Chair of Preaching at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, where he now serves as Professor Emeritus. His most recent book-length study, Third Voice: Preaching Resurrection (2021) addresses the spirituality of preaching in light of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Dr. Knowles is ordained within the Anglican Church of Canada.

Workshop:

Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 3 with Susan Sparks

Gail Ricciuti

The Rev. Gail Ricciuti (Presbyterian Church USA) is Professor Emerita at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, where she taught preaching and practical theology for 23 years. During the 25 years preceding her teaching career, she and her husband (the Rev. Anthony Ricciuti) pioneered the field of co-pastoring in Byron, New York and at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, she earned degrees from the University of Puget Sound and Princeton Theological Seminary, with an honorary Doctor of Divinity conferred by Keuka College. She co-authored the two-volume Birthings and Blessings: Liberating Worship Services for the Inclusive Church.

Workshop:

Fine-Tuned Preaching – Group 1 with Mark Jefferson

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Leader – Workshop

Leanne Friesen

The Rev. Leanne Friesen is the author of the book Grieving Room: Making Space for All the Hard Things After Death and Loss, which recently won the Christopher Award for works that celebrate the best in the human spirit. She is also the curator of the popular Instagram group @grieving.room which has 42,000 followers from around the world. In her day job, Leanne was a pastor for eighteen years and is currently the Executive Minister of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ). She has preached through many seasons of her own grief.

Workshop:

The Grieving Preacher: Preaching Hope When Your Heart is Broken

Pamela McCarroll

The Rev. Dr. Pamela McCarroll is Vice Principal and Jane and Geoffrey Martin Chair in Practical Theology at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a Certified Supervisor-Educator with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care and a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario. Her research focusses on lived experiences and theologies of trauma and hope, especially as these are known in the context of the global climate crisis. She also publishes on spiritual care/chaplaincy theory and practice. Pamela inspired us as a keynote speaker at the LRPF in 2015. We are delighted to have her back with us.

Workshop:

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

Sheryl Spencer

The Rev. Dr. Sheryl Spencer’s lifelong curiosity about the human condition lends itself well to both her work as a minister and as a writer. Sheryl is the minister at Tobermory United Church at the tip of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. She graduated with honours in May 2025 as part of the first cohort in the D.Min. program in Creative Writing and Public Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Her work has been published in Broadview, the Porch Magazine, the United Church Observer, the Globe and Mail, CBC Radio and other places. She is the proud mother of three adult children and also recently became a grandmother!

Workshop:

Bringing Life to the Dead: Employing the Writer's Craft in Funeral Sermons

Sarah Travis

Sarah Travis is Associate Professor, Ewart Chair in the Practice of Ministry and Faith Formation at Knox College, University of Toronto. She has written several books including Decolonizing Preaching: The Pulpit as Postcolonial Space; Metamorphosis: Preaching after Christendom; Unspeakable: Preaching and Trauma-Informed Theology; Unsettling Worship: Reforming Liturgy for Right Relations with Indigenous Peoples and Remembering the Body: Preaching that Affirms Sexuality. Sarah is passionate about training lay and ordained people to preach in a rapidly changing world.

Workshop:

Deeply Grieving: Preaching Traumatic Texts in Advent

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Lecturer

Jason Byassee

The Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee is the senior minister of Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto, Ontario. He previously served as the professor of Homiletics and Biblical Hermeneutics at the Vancouver School of Theology. His primary vocation is to reinvigorate today’s church with the best of ancient and contemporary wisdom for creatively faithful living.

Jason is the author or editor of a number of books, including, most recently, Northern Lights: Resurrecting Church in the North of England, with Ross Lockhart, Better than Brunch: Missional Churches in Cascadia (both with Cascade) and Surprised by Jesus Again (Eerdmans).

He was previously senior pastor of Boone United Methodist Church in Boone, North Carolina. He has also served as pastor of a small, rural congregation in NC, as interim preacher at First Baptist Vancouver, and as preacher to the English-speaking congregation at Chinese Presbyterian in Vancouver. He is married to Jaylynn and together they have three boys.

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Moderator – Keynote Panel

Katie Givens Kime

The Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime is President and Executive Producer, Alliance for Christian Media, and Host of “Day1”. Katie leads ACM and Day1 after years of collaborations at the intersection of faith, media and the public square. Katie first joined ACM in 2022 as grant writer, then director of the 4-year project funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, then as Interim Executive Director in 2023. Previously, as the Director of Religion and Civic Engagement for the faith-based media non-profit Odyssey Impact (2018-22), Katie envisioned, launched, and obtained external funding for the international Odyssey Fellows Program, equipping faith leaders with new media skills. She holds a M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary (NYC) and a Ph.D. from Emory University and was a member of the Post-Doctoral Teaching and Research Faculty at the Universität Bern in Switzerland in 2017-18, and served as the Associate Pastor for Mission, Adult Education and Young Adults at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Ga., for six years. Before that, Katie worked at Marble Collegiate Church and at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, both in New York City.

Katie and her husband and daughter live in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Moderator – Poetry Reading

David Kent

Dr. David A. Kent is retired from Centennial College, Toronto. He has published widely on English and Canadian literature, including Early Modern English, English Romantics, and Christina Rossetti. He edited or co-edited two parish histories (1993, 2024) for St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, Toronto, edited Christian Poetry in Canada (1989, 1993), and is the general editor for The St. Thomas Poetry Series which has published nearly forty books of Christian poetry over the past thirty years. His biography of Canadian Christian poet Margaret Avison is forthcoming.

Workshop:

Open Session Poetry Reading

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Paul Scott Wilson Preacher

Kimberly Heath

Ordained for twenty-six years, the Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath has been serving at the Wall Street United Church, in Brockville, Ontario, for eighteen years. Kimberly’s recent Doctorate in Ministry thesis, Aware, Repair, Renew: Preaching into Transformation in a Mainline Church, deepened her understanding of the power to effect transformation, in ourselves and in the world, through small steps and minor shifts. Kimberly is married with four children and makes time in her life to sail, swim, ski and skate.

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Poetry Reading – Guest Artist

Margo Swiss

Margo Swiss has published three books with the St. Thomas Poetry Series: Crossword (1996), the anthology Poetry as Liturgy (2007), and Second Gaze (2020). She has also published a chapbook Here Now (Arkward Press, 2012) and The Hatching of the Heart (Wipf & Stock, 2015). Her academic publications include essays on Milton and Donne, and two co-edited collections with David Kent: Heirs of Fame: Milton and Other Writers of the English Renaissance (1995) and Speaking Grief in English Literary Culture from Shakespeare to Milton (2002). She taught Humanities, English, and Creative Writing at York University until her retirement in 2018. Her next book is entitled View From the Body.

Workshop:

Open Session Poetry Reading

John Terpstra

John Terpstra is a poet, writer and woodworker. He started writing poems for special days on the liturgical calendar when the music director at his church asked him to write a poem for Pentecost that he could read aloud to piano accompaniment. His one rule for himself was that anything he write for Sunday morning be fit to read on any other day of the week, in any other venue. His poems are often midrash-like explorations of the scriptural text. When his Presbyterian church became minister-less he also began to write liturgy, and has since published two books of prayers with The St. Thomas Poetry Series. In 2024 Knox College in Toronto presented John with an Honarary Doctor of Divinity degree.

John has published ten volumes of poetry and six books of creative non-fiction. His books have won or been short-listed for national and local awards. In 2025, he was given a City of Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award. One of his poems, called Giants, is inscribed on a plaque that stands at the edge of the Niagara Escarpment overlooking downtown Hamilton, where he lives and continues to make the occasional piece of furniture in his backyard woodshop.

Workshop:

Open Session Poetry Reading

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