GUEST SPEAKERS
Wayne Faison
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BGAV
SENIOR PASTOR, EAST END BAPTIST CHURCH, SUFFOLK, VA
Rev. Dr. Wayne Faison is the executive director of Baptist General Association of Virginia. He was elected to the position by the messengers to the 199th BGAV Annual Meeting in November 2022. Dr. Faison previously had served on the staff for 21 years, contributing especially in the areas of African-American church development, evangelism, and church planting. At the time of his election as executive director, he was the leader of the Growth/Venture Team as well as the national coordinating officer for the BGAV’s Ascent Team. A native of Florida, Dr. Faison and his wife, Carmen, were easily and enthusiastically welcomed into the life and work of Virginia Baptists and have found a home among them. He serves as senior pastor of the East End Baptist Church in Suffolk, VA. Prior to going into the Gospel ministry, he worked in the banking field. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree as well as a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also earned a “mini-MBA” from the University of Richmond.
Miriam Swanson
National Director, Fusion USA
Miriam Swanson has been equipping local churches to love, reach and disciple university students through the Fusion Movement for over a decade, across the UK and the world. She moved to Florida in 2019 from the UK, married Ben and is now pioneering Fusion USA whilst raising three small people.
Alan Hirsch
Author, Entrepreneur, and Thought Leader
Alan Hirsch is widely considered to be a global thought-leader on missional movements and leadership. Hirsch is the author of numerous award winning books including The Forgotten Ways, The Shaping of Things to Come, 5Q, ReJesus , Reframation, Untamed, and The Permanent Revolution. He has worked with churches and organizations across the world, but mainly in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Alan is a founder of the Movement Leaders Collective, Forge Mission Training Network, and the 5Q Collective. He is movement mentor for NewThing International and is a consultant for Redeemer City To City among others. His experience includes leading a local church movement among the marginalized, developing training systems for innovative missional leadership, training leaders in movement dynamics, and heading up the mission and revitalization work of his denomination.
Rick Warren
Pastor, Author, and Executive Director of Finishing the Task
A Time magazine cover article named Rick Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Tens of millions of copies of Pastor Rick’s books have been published in 200 languages. His best known books, The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, were named three times in national surveys of pastors (by Gallup, Barna, and Lifeway) as the two most helpful books in print.
Rick and his wife Kay founded Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan and Hope for Mental Health. He is cofounder of Celebrate Recovery with John Baker.
Pastor Rick has spoken in 165 nations. He has spoken at the United Nations, US Congress, numerous parliaments, the World Economic Forum, TED, Aspen Institute, and lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and other universities.
Rick is executive director of Finishing the Task, a global movement of denominations, organizations, churches, and individuals working together on the Great Commission goals of ensuring that everyone everywhere has access to a Bible, a believer and a local body of Christ.