Kristin L. Kellen (MA, EdD, PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). Her focus is counseling children, teens, and their families. Kristin is the co-author of The Gospel for Disordered Lives, set to be released in October of 2021. Julia B. Higgins (MDiv, PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Ministry to Women and Associate Dean of Graduate Program Administration at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). She teaches in the Ministry to Women degree programs at Southeastern, with her ministry focus being college-aged and adult women. She is married to Tony, who serves as Executive Director and staff counselor at Bridgehaven Counseling Associates. They live in the RDU area and worship at The Summit Church. Missie Branch is the Assistant Dean of Students to Women at Southeastern and is focused on discipling and equipping women for ministry. Missie and her husband William were church planters for eight years in Philadelphia before moving to Wake Forest, NC. Emily Dean (MDiv, PhD) serves as Assistant Professor of Ministry to Women at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College. She and her husband Jody, along with their two children live in the New Orleans area where Jody serves as Senior Associate Regional Dean for Extension Centers and Associate Professor at NOBTS. Her ministry focus is preparing women for ministry leadership. Tara Dew (MEd, EdD) serves in ministry alongside her husband Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). She is the mother of four children and has been a pastor's wife for over 20 years. Tara's ministry focus is training and equipping women for ministry, particularly ministry wives. She teaches adjunctively and directs Thrive: A Minister's Wife Certificate Program at NOBTS. Lesley Hildreth (MA) is the Women's Discipleship Director at The Summit Church. Lesley and her husband Scott served eight years overseas with the International Mission Board (IMB) before coming back to the states to work in full-time ministry and education. She is a frequent contributor to the IMB and has written for Lifeway, the Baptist Press, the Biblical Recorder, SEBTS, and other online resources. Kelly D. King (ThM) is the Manager of Magazines/Devotional Publishing and Women's Ministry Training for Lifeway Christian Resources. She is the author of Ministry to Women: The Essential Guide to Leading Women in the Local Church, the Bible study Living By Faith: Women Who Trusted God, and is a contributor to The Whole Woman: Ministering to Her Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. She has also contributed to Lifeway's Advent and Easter studies and is the co-host of the Lifeway Women's Marked podcast. Prior to coming to Lifeway, she served as the Women's Missions and Ministries Specialist for Oklahoma Baptists and taught women's ministry courses at Oklahoma Baptist University. She holds a Master of Theology degree from Gateway Seminary in Ontario, CA, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree. Christy Thornton (MA, PhD) is the Director of the ThM program, and Associate Director of PhD studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). She completed a PhD in systematic theology in which she focused on Trinitarian, Christocentric Dogmatics. She teaches adjunctively at Southeastern and is a member of The Summit Church. Amy Whitfield (MA) is Executive Director of Communications at The Summit Church. She is cohost of the podcast SBC This Week and has served in various professional capacities for the Southern Baptist Convention for over 20 years. Amy co-authored the book SBC FAQs: A Ready Reference and in 2019 she helped launch the SBC Women's Leadership Network. She is married to Keith, who serves as Provost at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They have two children and live in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
