Meet speakers from previous Bold Gatherings!
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2022 speakers
october 2022 – national gathering – ashland, ne
JIM TROE
Jim Troe is a Christian lay leader, family man, career businessman, and writer. He is a founding board member of AZ-One, a Christian nonprofit organization charged with creating opportunities for Christian churches to work together as one to build God’s kingdom, especially in men’s ministry. Jim is a certified coach through Coachnet and has worked as a trainer for the Tentmakers organization. He has served as the small groups director at Crossroads Church in Albert Lea. As an avid writer, Jim is working on his second novel. His first book, A Kingdom’s Quest, is a coming-of-age fantasy.
Over the course of three talks, Jim will guide and coach us in “Getting a Grip: Laying hold of God’s plan for your life!”
Talk #1: Where’s the Hook?
Who’s the main character in your story? What does he want more than anything? What is he willing to do to get it?
Talk #2: Some Assembly Required
If children came with some assembly required, would you follow the instructions or wing it and hope for the best? By faith in Jesus, we’ve become body parts—members of the body of Christ—and Romans 12 provides our assembly instructions. So, let’s not wing it.
Talk #3: Discovering Your Calling
Ephesians 2:10 claims that your Creator has already prepared your work. Have you discovered it yet?
Chad Borgestad
CASTING YOUR NETS – A LEGACY OF IMPACT
We often go through our day, simply living for…that day. But we if we began to open our eyes to see more of that which was going on? The bigger narrative of life. What if we began to see (and plan) for things that were bigger than us? What if we opened ourselves up to the God who wants to generously work in us and through us? It’s how we live today that will determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.
Chad Borgestad has served in the non-profit world for over 20+ years. Starting in 1995, Chad served on Young Life staff as an Area Director and Associate Regional Director. In 2014, Chad became a Certified Professional Leadership Coach. He has helped leaders in the ‘for-profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ world to become principled leaders working with CEO’s and frontline level leadership.
From 2015-2018, Chad served as a Campus Minister at Lutheran Church of Hope – Waukee Campus, in the Greater Des Moines area, discipling and developing leaders and their teams. In the fall of 2018, Chad joined The FOCUS Group as a Consultant. The FOCUS Group has helped hundreds of non-profits to develop a solid fundraising strategy and plan to become fully-funded, allowing these non-profits to fulfill their mission a financially healthy way.
Chad currently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife Misti of 28 years. Together, they have 3 adult children, 2 daughter-in-law’s and their dog Zoe. They have their first grandbaby, Everleigh Lenora, who is a little over 1. They have their 2nd on the way. In their free time, you will find Chad and Misti, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, or traveling the country to visit their kids.
SPRING 2022 – virtual
Rev. Robert Johnson, Sr.
Have You Had Your Christian Checkup Lately? (Psalm 139:17-24 )
Christians should examine their walk with Jesus Christ regularly! Do we live the life of a Christian and demonstrate our faith and beliefs? Many of us go to the doctor for our yearly physical, but do we examine ourselves to see if our Christianity lines up with what we believe.
Rev. Robert Earl Johnson, Sr., is a pastor in United Methodist Church. He pastors three churches in and surrounding areas of Lafayette, LA. He is one of the leading black pastors who pastor black and white congregations. One of the churches he currently serves as the senior pastor is The Avenue. Under his leadership founded Impact Ministry. This ministry takes the church to the streets, praying with the homeless population and feeding over 200 people monthly throughout the city of Lafayette.
Robert has won the Harry Denman Evangelism Award in 2008 and 2012 in the Louisiana Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Rev. Johnson is a leader who believes in helping others to find their gifts and talents and use them to build the ministries of the church. He lives by the mission of his congregation “Meeting people at the point of their needs, where Jesus meets us all.”
Pastor Casey WaIT
“How We Tell”
Casey will shared with us the importance and power of the shared story. Casey Wait is the pastor of the John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, VA. She is a master biblical storyteller, and a mixed media artist. Casey continually strives to see God’s world with fresh eyes-retraining her brain toward delight- largely through the practices of biblical storytelling and painting.
She loves depth and absurdity in equal measures. Though Casey has performed biblical stories and lead storytelling workshops in various settings across the country, these days her “down time” is generally spent at home covered in paint. You can check out her art at www.caseywaitart.com or on social media at @caseywaitart.
Mark Lubbock
“God Gave YOU Something Important to Share” (2 Timothy 2:2)
Mark will share how our personal life journey can be used by God to equip and inspire others.
Mark formerly served as senior pastor over a 15-year period with the United Methodist Church in Louisiana. Mark is “Deployed Staff” with the General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM).
He is also the founder and CEO of Gulf South Men (GSMEN), a 501c3 nonprofit Men’s Ministry. GSMEN transforms men into Disciples working with churches and men’s organizations across the nation.
Mark is currently the National Vice President of United Methodist Men and a Regional Ambassador Field Director for “Promise Keepers”.
Angie Smith
Journey Transformations
Join Angie as she shares about the profound spiritual and personal transformation she has seen first hand in the men she knows who have experienced the One Year to Live (OYTL) men’s retreat!
Angie began seeing OYTL Journey Transformations back in 2009 when her husband went on his first OYTL weekend! Since that retreat, Angie and her mother have been key volunteers for the South Carolina area OYTL retreats by providing meals through those weekends!
Angie has been in education for 25 years and has taught 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades. Angie is a public-school teacher with a Bachelors in Elementary Education as well as a Masters in Divergent Learning. She lives in West Columbia, SC with her husband of 21 years, Jimmy, and their 16-year-old daughter, Victoria. Angie leads her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, sings in the Praise Band at church, is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, loves to cook, and enjoys watching her daughter do competitive gymnastics.
Pastor Joel Martyn
“Into the Wilderness, Whether You Want To or Not”
Pastor Joel Martyn will share with you his most recent “Wilderness Experience” story (Think Luke 4:1-13) and encourages you to move bravely into the wilderness yourself, because it is there that spiritual, emotional, and physical growth of faith occur. Hint: It’s not for the faint of heart.
Pastor Joel Martyn is a Pastor in the ELCA, a husband, father, friend, outdoor enthusiast, and recent cancer survivor. He has been a pastor in the ELCA for close to twenty years, the last five being in Hawaii at Kihei Lutheran Church on the island of Maui. He was also a member of the A-Team group of visionaries that helped dream up Project XII for Lutheran Men in Mission. Pastor Martyn enjoys spending quality time with his family, fishing, spearfishing, hunting, camping, surfing, and anything in the outdoors.
Julian Dismute
“Equip for Victory”
Three things are crucial in our journey…. Strong prayer life, daily bread (God’s Word), and community. Though these are simple things, we often take them for granted! Join Julian Dismute as he feels Spirit-led to share why these three things will equip us for victory!
Julian Dismute is an Iowa native with a heart for God! Growing up, Julian had dreams of playing college basketball and making it to the NBA but after a few unfortunate situations, that got cut short. Not wanting to waste the experience, he decided to use what he learned to help others overcome adversity. With over 4 years of speaking, Julian has impacted teachers, coaches, students, athletes, city employees and more.
Julian Dismute and his wife Amber have been together for 12 years. Both were raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They have a 9 year old son named Kyrie. In 2015, they moved to West Des Moines, Iowa where they still live today. Throughout the past several years, they have discovered so much truth about life and more importantly, about themselves. In life, they’ve learned many lessons about marriage, personal development, self care, and mental heath and now desire to help others succeed in those areas as well. Their story is a unique one filled with moments of overcoming adversity, living with purpose, and being unapologetically themselves. There is no doubt that when it comes to transformation, motivation, and inspiration, these two can help you discover A Greater You!
More info about Julian can be found at https://www.houseofpillars.com and at https://www.remissiondsm.com
2021 speakers
OCTOBER 2021 – virtual
Sean Forde
You Give What None of Us Can!
Sean will share about the give and take in servant leadership. Leaders give and serve, but they also receive great gifts from those they lead and serve. LMM’s Young Men’s Ministry Team was a special time with servant leaders who served and blessed the Lord in ways we did not imagine.
Rev. Dr. Sean L. Forde is a pastor, teacher, and author who likes to engage the living Word of God and relate it to everyday life. He has served alongside Lutheran Men in Mission on the local, regional, and national levels helping men of all ages become bold, daring followers of Jesus Christ. He is a proud husband and father of three with two sons involved in leadership in men’s ministry. He serves joyfully at Christ Church and Preschool in Coral Springs, FL.
Nathan Anenson
The Adventure of the Relational Church
Nathan has always had a hunch that church could be different: more about relationships than religion, more adventurous than boring, and more about meeting men where they are, instead of expecting them to come to us. Lutheran Men in Mission helped me realize I wasn’t crazy, and it’s led to an epic journey of seeing God transform the lives of men—including my own. In this talk, I’ll share three simple ways you can start your adventure.
Nathan is married to Lisa, and they have two boys (Luke and Levi) who keep them moving and laughing. Nathan has served Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona, Iowa, since 2012 as Sr. Pastor. He enjoys golfing and going on adventures with his family. Nathan was privileged to serve as an intern for LMM in 2004-2005 and continued work with the Young Men’s Ministry Council after that. Nathan loves seeing Jesus transform lives and is passionate about training leaders to be catalysts for the Church living into God’s mission in the 21st Century.
Tim Schroeder
How Young Men’s Ministry Can Change the Church
As a product of Lutheran Campus Ministry at his University and the outpouring of support through Lutheran Men in Mission, Tim found his calling to be a minister of the ELCA. It was individual men who invested in his life that made a lasting impact on the decades to come!
Tim is an ELCA Pastor serving a congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up as the youngest of nine children in rural northern Wisconsin. Tim first found Lutheran Men in Mission at the 2008 Omaha LMM Gathering while he was still in college. He then served a number of years on the LMM National Young Men’s Ministry Council as well as served on the planning teams for Wisconsin and Minnesota One Year to Live Retreats.
Rocky Vest
Breaking the Cycle of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is happening in your community even if you don’t see it. Join Rocky Vest as he shares how God has given him a passion for breaking the cycle of human trafficking locally and globally. Rocky will share with us what human trafficking looks like, how to make a difference in our communities.
Rocky is a cycling enthusiast and moved to Iowa from Mississippi in 2002. His love for cycling was fostered after starting his first endurance bike ride on a 1983 steel-framed Raleigh. Several bikes later, Rocky still loves the joy only found on pedals and two wheels.
Rocky Vest co-founded Break The Cycle 200 with Andy McCoy in 2011 and has been on every BTC 200 campaign. He and Andy thought of this crazy idea for a 200 mile ride while talking about life on his back porch, probably late at night.
Rocky and his wife Kortney have four children, Porter, Anna, Barrett, and Mabel (all cyclists, just some with shorter legs).
With a career that has ranged from non-profit youth ministry, sub-contracting, to medical device sales, Rocky has developed a wide range of skills and interests. However, his truest passion for loving God and others has been most fully realized in using an act of physical sacrifice to care for others.
Rocky says, “This 200 mile [in one day] bike ride has shown me what God can do through a simple faith and has broken my heart for sex trafficking survivors and current victims.” This passion has driven Rocky to bring others into the BTC 200 family so that they can experience the same thing.
Jeff Jones & Travis Faile
Water Walkers and Frozen Flowers
Join Jeff and Travis to learn more about the background and mission of The Scooter Scott Project, as well as its key ministry objectives and programs (physical presence, relationship based).
Jeff has a BS degree in Criminal Justice from University of South Carolina. He is a business owner and Executive Director of the faith based nonprofit organization, The Scooter Scott Project.
Butch Douglas
When God Shows Up
Butch will bring high challenge to you about letting God change your life, regardless of your past! Through a combination of personal testimony and sharing simple next steps that anyone can take, Butch will share about addiction and redemption, and walking through the doors that God opens in our lives every day!
Butch Douglas is a husband, father, and grandfather in Des Moines, IA. Butch serves on the men’s leadership team at Hope-Elim, the growing urban campus of Lutheran Church of Hope.
april 2021 – virtual
Terry Howell
PRIDE – FROM SABOTAGE TO SURRENDER
Terry will be sharing about how pride, if unchecked, will destroy our lives and sabotage our integrity, relationships, careers, and our livelihood.
Terry is currently one of the key leaders in the Men’s Ministry at Hope+Elim in Des Moines, IA and has a heart for teaching men how to overcome pride. He is also a freelance writer and has written many articles dealing with pride and men’s mental well-being.
Terry was born in Toledo, Ohio, but has lived in several different states while growing up. Because of the constant moving, Terry became very introverted and lacked hope for building friendships. While Terry did grow up in the church, he has experienced, firsthand, the negative effects of pride.
Although the church was a part of his upbringing, he did not know God! This dynamic is seen throughout the church – particularly for men! Through his experiences and his surrender to God, Terry will share how you can move from Sabotage to Surrender and how to experience God on a whole new level in your lives.
KEITH SMITH
The Enemy Within
Keith will be sharing about unwillingness to speak out and remain silent on issues that are detrimental to our character, our performance and our livelihood will destroy us from the inside out.
Keith was a third-generation police officer who battled a 8-year addiction, sentenced to prison for 10 years and walked out of prison four years and two months ago. He was homeless with borrowed clothes on his back. He had nothing and today he has everything. He now has his daughters and grandchildren in his life, as well as a new family and career again with a wonderful corporation. He is a business owner, a 501c foundation owner, a motivational/inspirational speaker, a soon-to-be author and most importantly a servant of Jesus Christ. God changed his life in the worst circumstances, and is now living the best life, just for years removed from incarceration.
MARK HADLEY
“FEEDING THE HUNGRY AS WELL AS OUR SOULS – The secret power of running a community food pantry”
Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas has been operating a community food pantry for over five years. Pastor Mark Hadley has overseen this ministry since its inception, and in this presentation, he will offer insights into how to create a sustainable food ministry. He will also share the surprises he has discovered along the way, including how a food pantry can activate a congregation in ways never seen before.
Pastor Mark joined the staff of Shepherd of Life in January 2011 after a 21-year career in professional theater management. He held the position of Director of Adult Ministries at Shepherd of Life until October 2017, at which time he was ordained. Pastor Mark is a graduate of Texas A&M University, earning both a B.S. in Psychology and an M.B.A. Pastor Mark has been married to his bride Lanell since 1993, and they have two daughters, Harper and Piper. He is an avid soccer fan and loves to root for his adopted team in England, Tottenham Hotspur.
JACK RUSSELL
Where God is Present in Our Lives
Rev. Russell will share about a food pantry outreach program during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Reverend Jack Russell was born in Oklahoma and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. He is a “cradle” Lutheran. He served in the US Navy and lived in Virginia until he began his journey in ministry. In 2004, he was asked to go to Milwaukee, WI to assist an elderly Pastor in ministry. He and his family moved to Milwaukee. He was accepted into LSTC seminary in Chicago. He was ordained by the Bishop Peter Rogness of the Greater Milwaukee Synod. He has served as pastor for Lutheran congregations in WI, KS and OK. He is currently serving as Mission Developer for Living Waters LC in Cherokee, NC. He and his wife, Lisa, Iann and Le currently reside in Franklin, NC.
DAVID MORELLI
A Biblical View of Suffering
David will be sharing his story with the hopes of challenging our view of suffering and opening our eyes to how God is moving through the difficult moments of our lives.
David is the Pastoral Resident at Central Christian Church – Machesney Park Campus in Machesney Park, IL. David is passionate about sharing the good news of the gospel with others. He has served in his current position for the past 6 months. Before that, he and his wife were working as missionaries in Paris, France, sharing the gospel with college students. Some of his hobbies include watching sports, running, and biking. He also enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, and camping with his wife, Lauren.
JIM TROE
Harnessing the Power of Focus
Are you struggling to get focused? In his iconic business book, Good To Great, Jim Collins describes the Hedgehog Concept. It is a three-pronged business strategy for harnessing the power of focus. Did Collins stumble upon a set of principles that find their origin in God’s word? Jim will show us how to personally apply this concept to our spiritual lives, helping us invest eternally and live more fruitfully.
Jim Troe is a Christian lay leader, family man, and career businessman. He is a founding board member of AZ-One, a Christian nonprofit organization charged with creating opportunities for Christian churches to work together as one to build God’s kingdom, especially in men’s ministry. Jim is a certified coach through Coachnet and has worked as a trainer for the Tentmakers organization. He has served as the Small Groups Director at Crossroads Church in Albert Lea, MN.
2020 speakers
FALL 2020 – virtual
MALLORY EVERETT
Dr. Mallory Everett, PsyD., LPC has more than 10 years of clinical experience. She received her Educational Specialist Degree from Hampton University in 2013 and her Masters of Arts in Counseling from Hampton University in 2010. She recently completed her PsyD in Counseling Psychology in August 2019 from the University of St. Elizabeth. She presently holds her New Jersey Professional Complex Trauma and working with clients who are attempting to establish and maintain recovery, Co-Occurring (diagnosis of mental health disorder and substance abuse), Crisis Management, College students who experience adjustment and academic deficiencies, Children and families in need of psychoeducation and resources to meet family needs, Incarcerated and Diversity Challenges. In addition she has worked in a plethora of settings to include College Counseling Center, Correctional, Intensive Outpatient, Residential, Partial Hospitalization, and Community Agencies. Mallory is committed to serving those in need and dedicated to make it her life’s work.
ULYSSES BURLEY
Dr. Ulysses W. Burley III is founder of UBtheCURE LLC, a consulting company on the intersection of Faith, Health, and Human Rights. Although his primary training is in medicine and public health, Ulysses is dedicated to a vocation of social justice advocacy through faith and community-based initiatives. His primary work has been in the area of HIV and AIDS awareness, advocacy, and capacity building, but also includes mass incarceration, LGBTQIA+, gender and racial justice, food security, and peace in the Middle East. When Ulysses is not working to overthrow patriarchy, racism, anti-intellectualism, and poverty he enjoys spending time with family, rollerskating, and traveling when there isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic trying to kill us. Ulysses lives by a personal mantra that “We all used to be somebody else — what’s most important is that we’re always working to be better today than we were yesterday.” He works by a professional mantra to: “Treat people, and not just disease.”
ADRIAN CLARK
Adrian is a North Carolina native son, who was born and raised in Rockingham, NC. As he fondly recalls, he grew in Rockingham as one of the kids from “the Block”. Adrian is a life-long athlete and graduated from Gardner Webb University where he was a starter on the varsity football team during his time in college. He is married with two sons and now lives in Hendersonville, NC.
Still very active in the athletic field, he currently serves as a Physical Educator and the Athletic Director at Asheville Middle School and coaches high school football there in Asheville, NC. Adrian along with his entire family are very active members at Grace Lutheran Church and he is one of our LMM One Year to Live brothers.
KELLY SHERMAN-CONROY
Kelly Sherman-Conroy; Mato Wašté Winyan (Good Bear Woman), has grounded her life in the Holy Spirit and the deep spiritual practices intertwined between her Lakota identity and Christian beliefs. As a proud member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Kelly dedicates her time to social justice, racial reconciliation, trauma and healing, Indigenous leadership, and family ministry. Kelly is a Doctoral student at Luther Seminary, where she continues her much-anticipated studies on Lakota Spirituality, history and culture, and how these forms inform Christianity and move past trauma to healing.
Walking with people of all cultures, she actively provides ministry around the exploration of intersections of identity, personal narratives, and faith. She is currently serving at Nativity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis as the Minister of Social Justice and Advocacy for Children, Youth, and Family Ministry.
ELVAUGHN RILEY
Elvaughn Miles Riley was born and spent most of his life around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born into the Lutheran Church, his home congregation is Hephatha Lutheran and he was a 3 year Lutheran camp counselor. He served our country and is a 5 year Navy veteran. Currently he is a community advocate, in school for political science and working on a heavy equipment/ machinery license.
Joe Davis is a nationally-touring artist, educator, and speaker based in Minneapolis, MN. His work employs poetry, music, theater, and dance to shape culture. He is the Founder and Director of multimedia production company, The New Renaissance, the frontman of emerging soul funk band, The Poetic Diaspora, and qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. He has keynoted, facilitated conversation, and served as teaching artist at hundreds of high schools and universities including New York, Boston, and most recently as the Artist-in-Residence at Luther Seminary where he earned a Masters in Theology of the Arts. To connect or learn more, visit JoeDavisPoetry.com.
fall 2020 – SOUTH CAROLINA
Pastor Ron Waters
Pastor Ron will share about outreach ministry in his talk called “Are You Reached Out?”
Join him as he discusses the lack of true outreach and the need for believers to do just this!
Pastor Ron Waters is Senior Pastor of Freedom of The Met (Non-Denominational Church). Freedom of The Met is a ministry founded on the love and outreach of Christ. He is a proud husband to Co-Pastor Tam Waters and a father of five wonderful children. His mission through Christ is to reach the lost and looked over.
Will Altman
Will is speaking on Kingdom Builders. Join him as he asks what does the kingdom of heaven look like? Is God’s kingdom just for me or the whole world? God is constantly building the kingdom of heaven here. Do you want to join the work God is doing?
Will Altman is from Galivants Ferry, SC, but lives and pastors two United Methodist Churches in Blythewood, SC. Will just finished his MDiv with Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. His favorite past times are riding horses and hanging out with his dog, Huck. His favorite scripture verse is 1 Peter 5:7.
Pastor Jackie Utley
Join Jackie to hear her message on a journey through inclusivity! Serving as an African American female clergy in the ELCA, Jackie will share details of her experiences of inclusivity in a predominantly Caucasian Lutheran denomination. These details will speak of how instrumental the men of the SC LMM have been in her advancing forward successfully in ministry within the state. Her talk is app
The Reverend Jacqueline Utley (fondly called Jackie) is a native of Lake View, S.C. Jackie graduated with honors from Coker College (Hartsville, S.C.), earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. She attained a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) in Columbia, S.C., as a non-Lutheran. Jackie is a product of the Church of God In Christ (COGIC) and Methodist (AME) traditions. In 2013 Jackie made history as the first African American to be ordained as a rostered leader of the South Carolina Synod of the ELCA. At that time, she became the first African American and female pastor of the Ascension Lutheran Church, in Columbia, S.C.; where she currently serves. Jackie is energetic, passionate, and has a heart for God and for God’s people.
Bishop Herman R. Yoos III
Title: Reaching Across the Racial Divide Towards Reconciliation
Description: Bishop Yoos and guest Rev. Leroy Cannon will address how individuals and congregations can take significant first steps towards reconciliation.
Bishop Yoos is a native of Concord, North Carolina. He was ordained in 1979 and served as pastor in churches in North Carolina and South Carolina prior to being elected as the South Carolina Synod Bishop in 2008. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC, (M.Div)., and Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA, (D.Min.). He has a passion for prayer and the sharing of God’s Word, an ability to listen and connect deeply with people who are struggling and an openness to creative new possibilities for ministry and mission. Bishop Yoos and his wife, Cindy, have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Pastor Leroy Cannon is with Christ Mission Lutheran Church in South Carolina.
Bishop Tim Smith
Title: Unity, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness: The Essence to Cultural and Church Vitality
Description: Jesus prays his last earthly prayer before his crucifixion in John’s Gospel that all of his followers might be one. He prays for unity. Unity requires reconciliation in a world of sin that separates us from God and from one another. Reconciliation depends on forgiveness. We’ll focus on how we might begin both as Church and Culture to move the needle away from the rugged and absolute individualism that stands in the way of the joy of abundant living through unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Bishop Tim Smith of the North Carolina Synod was elected five years ago. Prior to that, he served congregations in Startown (Newton), NC, Boone, NC, and Atlanta, GA. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University. He is married to Wendy, a retired school teacher. They have three grown children and four under-four grandchildren, three of whom were born the same week!
Coz Costner
In my story I would like to share how I walked alone for many years. After my daughter unexpectedly passed, God used men around me to bring me through this tragedy and began my journey to find my mission!
My name is Dwayne but everyone calls me Coz. I’m 47 years old and am from West Columbia, SC. I am on a journey to become a better husband, father, grandfather, and disciple. I feel called to bring men to Christ by meeting them where they are at and being an example of the power of God through my story.
2019 SPEAKERS
november 2019 – SAN ANTONIO
ERIK GRONBERG
“The Freedom of Being Claimed” – Through the gift of faith God claims us as his children and sets us free. This freedom is not our doing but is given so that we might give ourselves for the life of the world. This talk will explore how as men we are called in many and unique ways to live into this freedom by serving our families and our neighbors.
Bishop Erik K. J. Gronberg, PhD serves the North Texas – North Louisiana Synod. Prior to his election, he had served as Pastor in Fort Worth, TX and Oconomowoc, WI. He is also serving on the Lutheran Men in Mission Board.
ROBERT MANGER & DAVE SCHULTE
Bold Faith – to be who we are even when others don’t understand…being accepted and welcomed into a Faithful Community.
DAVID UMLANG
In 2017, the U.S. Virgin Islands were hit with a pair of hurricanes that devastated the islands. Unfortunately, FEMA was unable to offer direct assistance to many families who suffered losses due to the hurricanes. The USVI Lutheran Disaster Response has partnered with LMM to bridge the assistance gap. David will be presenting his experiences while he served on a ten member recovery team of varied skills in St. Thomas. He will also share how you can be part of the effort in 202 in St. Croix and St. Thomas.
David Umlang is a retired Chief Master Sergeant with U.S. Air Force. He now works as a cyber security professional, enjoys woodworking, and is an active member of the Zion Lutheran Men in Mission in San Antonio, Texas.
TIM WRIGHT
Raising Boys of Bold, Resilient Faith – 70-90% of all boys will leave the church in their teens and 20’s and most won’t come back. But we can change that storyline by calling our boys to follow Jesus into resilient faith.
Tim Wright is the Sr. and Founding Pastor of Community of Grace Lutheran Church in Peoria (Phoenix), AZ. He is also the co-host, of the weekly international podcast The Wonder of Parenting: A Brain Science Approach to Parenting.
JIM MONKMAN & OYTL ALUMNI
A panel discussion on the One Year to Live Kick Off retreat led by a retreat platform leader who has led over 30 one year retreat in all leadership roles for the retreat, Jim Monkman. The panel will begin with the MC of the panel doing: An introduction to the retreat and its follow up work. A description of the work done at the retreat. An overview of the structure of the retreat. The panel will continue with stories of how the retreat has affected attendees. The conclusion will be an opportunity for questions from the audience on the retreat that does not violate attendees confidentiality and our promise to the author, Lyman Coleman that we will honor his ownership of the retreat.
JOHN SUNDQUIST
AUGUST 2019 – des moines
JUSTIN WISE
The Love of Money: Finding the Path to Financial Success: Ever felt guilty for wanting financial success in your business or career? Ever felt like the pursuit of success is somehow in conflict with your values or Christian faith? This talk will serve as your guide to building MASSIVE success, all while maintaining your integrity, your values, and respecting the traditions of your Christian faith.
Justin Wise teaches businesses how to keep their faith while growing their profit. As a former pastor with an MDiv, and the founder of the digital marketing consultancy, Think Digital, Justin believes you can build massive success, all while maintaining your values in the process. He lives in Des Moines, IA with his wife and three children. Learn more: JustinWise.net.
PERRY ROSS
Making REGRET a thing of the past.
Perry is a husband to Carrie, father to Ace and CJ, one of the worship leaders at Lutheran Church of Hope’s West Des Moines Campus, coffee roaster and enthusiast, movie quoter and Fortnite dad. He has 2 dogs, Rocket and Drax.
NATE NOBLE
The Difference Between Breaking Down and Breaking Through. (John Chapter 5)
Dr. Noble is the medical director of the Anna Blank Developmental Center in Des Moines, Iowa, specializing in the care of children with special healthcare needs. Dr. Noble completed pediatric residency training at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, and went on to complete fellowship training in both Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics and Clinical Genetics at the University of Iowa. He has conducted research on various genetic disorders, focusing on genotype-phenotype correlations and care coordination. Dr. Noble lives in Clive, Iowa with his wife Heather and their four children.
JIM LOGGINS
2 Truths and 1 Lie. How the image in your head of how things are supposed to be might just be your greatest barrier to freedom.
Day to day, Jim leads business development in the financial services sector for a global consulting firm. Hour to hour, he’s in pursuit of being an authentic example Jesus’ love and grace to those placed in his midst, and has an intense passion for missions. He resides in Johnston, IA with his wife Michele, 3-6 children (long story) and 2 dogs Hawk and Jax.
CHAD BORGESTAD
Making Your Marriage A Priority – This talk will be diving into the value of investing in your marriage and the learned value system this will have on your kids.
Chad Borgestad, Consultant with The FOCUS Group, Campus Minister at Hope Waukee, and Executive Leadership Coach has over 25 years of experience developing leaders and teams, and training individuals to reach their full potential. He has overseen the startup of four non-profits, raising millions of dollars using the Taking Donors Seriously® framework. Chad has also served as a campus minister at Lutheran Church of Hope, the largest ELCA church in the US. Prior to that, he spent 4 years coaching executives to become principled leaders through individual and team coaching, and spent 20 years with Young Life, serving as an Area Director and Associate Regional Director.
Chad earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota before pursuing studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is also a certified Co-Active Leadership Coach. He lives here in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife of 25 years. They have 3 sons and a new daughter-in-law as of July 2018. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, running, biking, or reading a good book. You may also find him on the lake fishing with his sons, hiking 14’ers in Colorado, or spending quality time with his wife Misti.
BEN MASON
The Greatest Enemy of Bold Living, and How to Combat It. As we think, talk, and pray about walking out our faith in boldness, we often get tripped up before we even start by an adversary that is so close to home we are completely blind to its existence, much less to its looming menace. Unaware, this is a battle we can never win, but empowered and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, there is no way that we can lose!
Ben was called as a pastor at Lutheran Church of Hope in 2015, and has been focusing on marriage and parenting ever since. This is a great fit because he and his wife get to work together, and they have always considered his call to the ministry their call to the ministry; needless to say, missional marriage is a passion area. Ben and Steph have been married since 2003, and have two kids, Lydia, who is 5, and Sam who is two. He has an MDiv from Luther Seminary, and a BS in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership from Colorado Christian University.
2018 speakers
fall 2018 – fargo
ROLLIE JOHNSON
Rollie Johnson has worked with youth of all ages for 35 plus years. He is currently a Lay Pastor at First Lutheran Church where he has worked the past 23 years. His current duties include leading worship, preaching and Men’s ministry. Rollie is also a motivational speaker, and is frequently hired by organizations, schools, and businesses for his high energy and inspirational messages and team building retreats. His wife Ady, is an Associate Professor at Concordia College where she teaches Spanish. They have been richly blessed with three wonderful children Karina, Marissa and Shane. Rollie has many interests and passions including; bow hunting, bow building, sewing, flintknapping, and canoe building.
Rollie is an accomplished writer and has had dozens of articles published in national outdoor and hunting magazines. His first book, “Paying Attention” has just recently been published. The Johnson’s make their home in Moorhead, MN.
DAN CARLSON
Pastor Dan Carlson retired as Police Chief of the City of Eden Prairie Minnesota in January of 2007. After serving 25 years in the law enforcement profession as a police officer, he has transitioned to a new role serving the profession as a police chaplain. He currently serves as the Chaplain for the Minnesota Chiefs of Police, Hennepin County Chiefs of Police and the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association. Pastor Carlson is also the founder and president of Public Safety Ministries Inc. a nonprofit ministry with the mission: “Serving Those Who Protect – Promoting Spiritual Fitness in the Public SafetyProfessions.”
Dan was ordained as a pastor in the Minneapolis Area Synod of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on August 15, 2010. He has been “called” and “deployed” to be a mission pastor serving Public Safety Ministries, Inc. Dan’s home base and office is located in Excelsior Minnesota, but he serves public safety professionals throughout the entire state of Minnesota.
MATT CORDES
Pastor Matt Cordes has been in the ministry for 20 plus years, serving as a Youth Minister, Coach, Director of Campus Ministry and as Ordained Pastor. He is a believer that life should be lived on the edge of our seats and has a love for adventure. He loves man stuff, like Fleet Farm, grilling, ESPN, Saturday morning fishing shows, building stuff, and has a passion for the outdoors. Men have a higher calling than just taking the garbage out, changing furnace filters and making sure the lights are turned off. Men and especially fathers have the greatest impact on the passing on of faith to our Children and families. Matt believes the Good News is to be proclaimed in Churches, in fishing boats, in corporate offices, at hunting camps, and in our homes. Matt and his wife Raea have 3 adult daughters, Madeline, Anna and Lilly. They live in Fargo North Dakota where Matt Serves as a Pastor at Hope Lutheran Church.
DAVID TODD
Chief David Todd has worked with the Fargo Police Department since 1987. David has served in a variety of capacities ranging from downtown resource officer, sergeant, lieutenant, oversight of the K-9 teams, SWAT Commander, Captain of the Field Services Division, Deputy Chief, and most recently Police Chief since 2015. David Todd was appointed by the ND Governor to the Stop Violence Against Women Advisory Committee and was appointed by the ND Attorney General to the ND Drug and Violent Crime Policy Board. He was also appointed by the ND Attorney General to the ND Open Records Advisory Committee.
David Todd is involved in his community – serving in leadership positions with his church and with public service organizations.
TIM “TIMO” OLSON
Tim lives in Fargo North Dakota with his wife and three kids. Tim is a small business owner. Tim’s goal is to help others live a full and peaceful life. Tim is the author of the book “Growing Up Nobody” The book if Tim’s personal story of how he endured being bullied, living with a father who suffered from mental illness. How both of his parents died by the time he was 24 and his own feelings of loneliness and anger. His saving grace was when someone asked “Can we pray for you?” This all lead to a journey of forgiveness, not only of those who hurt Tim but also of himself. Today Tim uses his personal experiences to encourage others to learn how to forgive and to grab hold of your life and rewrite your story. To break the line of dysfunction that plagues so many families. To let Christ be your guiding light and know that He loves you when you feel as if no one else does. Tim is currently the Volunteer Communication Director for Men of Hope at Hope Lutheran Church in Fargo. Tim has been featured on many podcasts including “The God Zone Show” “Compassionate Love Radio” and “Breathe Again Radio”. He was also a featured speaker at Purpose Walk 2016
JAYSON BRUNETTE
Jayson Brunette is an Inventory Control Analysist at Essentia Health in Fargo. Prior to becoming a Inventory Control Analyst, Jayson spend 16 years in the Operating Room as a First Assistant helping reconstruct patients with head and neck cancers. At home, Jayson loves to spend time with his wife Leslie and 3 children Zayne, Zaylea, and Zandyr. He enjoys hunting, fishing and the outdoors. Jayson has a distinct passion for the Lord that he loves to share with kids of all ages. Jayson has many stories on how the Lord has worked to change his life and his marriage.
THE BOLD GATHERING 