Special Guests

Be introduced to our special guests who have a heart and passion for worship.  God has gifted and positioned these men to provide great influence in the area of music & worship in today’s local church.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity to heart their heart and knowledge of the Biblical foundations of worship.

 

 

Mike Harland

Mike Harland came to LifeWay in May 2005 as director of the LifeWay Worship. Prior to joining LifeWay, Harland served as associate pastor for music at First Baptist Church, Carrollton, Texas, for three years. 

An accomplished writer, Harland has published more than 150 songs and produced numerous choral musical projects. Artists Steve Amerson, Chris Machen, Luke Garrett and The Imperials have recorded Harland’s songs. His best known songs include "Bow the Knee," "The Glory of God," and "Run to the Cross." He has produced several musicals for LifeWay including "America, We Must Not Forget," a tribute to the "9/11" tragedy, "Hearts of Worship, Songs of Praise" and the 2005 Christmas musical drama, "Jesus Our Treasure." 

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from Delta State Univeristy in Cleveland, MS and later graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Church Music degree. Harland and his wife, Teresa, have three children: Lee, Elizabeth and John.

Developing a Pastoral Worship Ministry - In this class we will explore practical ways to develop a ministry that pastors people you serve and the people you lead in worship. (Thursday, 2:30 p.m., Friday, 8:45 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.) LEADER, Mike Harland / C-217

Derric Johnson

As a Musician... he has written 150 original songs, 23 cantatas and 2800 musical arrangements, published 32 books of choral collections and has been involved in producing 98 recorded albums on fourteen labels.

As a Creator... he founded and directed THE RE'GENERATION, a touring ensemble of singers who traveled for twelve years, logging over a million miles, performing to more than 12,000,000 people in 6,000 concerts.

As an Author... he has written eleven books, including EASY DOESN'T DO IT; EXCELLENCE IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT; THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS and LIFE LESSONS FOR LEADERS

As An Educator... for six years he held the position of Artist in Residence /Director of Music at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon.

As a Speaker... he is recognized as a Staley Foundation Lecturer, is often featured in National and International Conventions with his inspirational and motivational delivery.

As a Consultant... he has served Church and Parachurch Ministries, has been a specialty writer for Radio City Music Hall and for thirty-three years served as a Creative Consultant for WALT DISNEY WORLD where he arranged and produced Epcot Center's THE VOICES OF LIBERTY, America's premier a cappella stylists and the CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT PROCESSIONAL, Disney’s most popular live show. For three years he arranged and directed THE DOLPHINS VOICES for the NFL professional football team, the Miami Dolphins.

As a Visualizer... he is listed as an Event Conceptualist by Masterplanning Associates of Orlando, Florida.

As an Achiever... he has been named Azusa Pacific University ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR, by SESAC as INSPIRATIONAL SONG WRITER OF THE YEAR, twice has been awarded the GEORGE WASHINGTON HONOR MEDAL by the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, has been awarded the prestigious MOUSCAR (the Walt Disney version of the Oscar) for outstanding creative achievement and is currently listed in THE INTERNATIONAL WHO'S WHO IN MUSIC

The Re-emergence of Choir in Worship - Nine Reasons Why Including … Why choir is God’s idea and who needs to sing there.  Finding the right people, motivating them in music ministry and maximizing their sound.  Covering the ten secrets every choir member should know. (Thursday, 2:30 p.m., Friday, 8:45 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.) LEADER, Derric Johnson / A-224

 

Tom Kraeuter

Tom Kraeuter (pronounced Kroyter) is one of America's leading voices on Christian worship. He serves as Executive Director of Training Resources, a ministry devoted to strengthening Christians in their relationships with God and with one another. He is an author, worship leader, and gifted communicator who has ministered in hundreds of churches to tens of thousands of worshipers. Tom's ministry is marked by his ability to apply Scripture to everyday situations.

Churches of all sizes have hosted Tom Kraeuter as a special guest and conference speaker. His most popular teachings are on worship and Christian community. He has been welcomed by churches from more than 40 denominations, including Baptist, Evangelical Free, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Vineyard and many more.

Kraeuter is author of 20 books including Worship in Heaven ... and Why On Earth It MattersThe Worship Leader's Handbook and Reflecting God’s Mercy in an Unmerciful World. He has attended Christian Outreach Church near St. Louis, Missouri, for more than thirty-five years. He and his wife Barbara have three grown children.

The Too-Often Missing Element of Worship - Want to learn how you can have a positive effect on the congregational worship experience at your church? According to Scripture, our relationship with one another will impact our worship. This class will challenge and equip you with practical tools to help bring these proven concepts back to your congregation. (Friday, 8:45 a.m.) LEADER, Tom Kraeuter / C-216


Envisioning Worship - Tom will take you on a journey that will help you to “see” worship like you’ve never seen it before. What does it really mean to worship God, and what are the primary biblical motivations for doing it? This class will offer a solid foundation on which you can build your church’s worship ministry. (Friday, 2:30 p.m.) LEADER, Tom Kraeuter / C-216

Vance Pitman

Senior Pastor, Hope Church, Las Vegas. Vance responded to Gods call to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2000, as a church plant from First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia          

With a passion for God’s kingdom, he had a vision to launch a church focused on joining in God’s activity locally and globally, thus Hope Church was born in the fall of 2001.  From a small group of eighteen adults in a living room, Hope’s fellowship has grown to over 3000 people in small groups desiring to connect people to live the life of a Jesus follower. Vance has led Hope to understand that what God is doing is bigger than one church, and plans are well underway to launch a network of church plants that would work together to impact the community and partner globally. Since its launch in 2001, Hope Church has sent hundreds out of their fellowship on mission, invested millions of dollars in God’s global activity and planted 21 churches in the Western U.S.

Vance speaks all over the nation to stimulate awareness that the Gospel is very needed in our own country as well as all over the world.  His expositional teachings and command of the diverse biblical vernacular captivate his audience to where the question is raised of “How can I be more involved in the Kingdom?”

Raised in a Christian home and mentored by his father, a Southern Baptist Minister, Vance surrendered control of his life to Jesus Christ at age seventeen.  At age eighteen, in response to God’s call, he relinquished his life to preach the Gospel and has vowed to serve the Lord the rest of his life.  He was licensed to the Gospel ministry on December 12, 1990 and ordained to the Gospel ministry on June 22, 1994 at First Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in History and a minor in Business Management from the University of North Alabama, and a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

 Vance resides in Henderson, Nevada with his wife Kristie.  They have four children: Hannah, Caleb, Elijah, and Faith. 

Herb Reavis

Dr. Herb Reavis, Jr. was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas. He is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, Milligan College and the Southern Baptist School for Biblical Studies. He became the Senior Pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida in 1991. He and his wife Lisa have three married sons, Joshua, Jonathan, and Joseph.

 

 

 

 Bob Pittman

Bob Pitman began preaching at age sixteen and has been preaching for fifty years.  For thirty-three years he served as a Senior Pastor in churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (Wall Highway Baptist Church, Madison, AL, three years; First Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, AL, eleven years; Kirby Woods Baptist Church, Memphis, TN, nineteen years). 

He is a native of Florence, AL where he graduated from Coffee High School in 1965.  He is also a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, AL (B.A. degree, 1970), and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN (M.Div. degree, 1977; Ph.D. degree, 2004). 

He served for eight years as Dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching at the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN.

He has served as President of the Pastor's Conference of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.  He also served as First Vice-President of the Pastor's Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Additionally, he served for nine years as a Trustee of the Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (currently Lifeway).

He has preached over 900 revival meetings and Bible conferences in the USA and has also preached in several conferences in Europe and Africa.

He is the author of three books:

                "The Truth About Trouble"

                "Words of Encouragement"

                "Words of Cheer"

He and his wife Sheryl have two sons, Vance and Brett, and seven grandchildren.  Vance is the Senior Pastor of the Hope Baptist Church in Las Vegas, NV.  Brett is the Pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church in Muscle Shoals, AL.  

Vernon Whaley

Dr. Vernon  M. Whaley came to Liberty in 2005 as part of Dr. Falwell’s vision to have the most dynamic worship program in the world. In less than 10 years, the Center for Worship has grown from 89 students to over 650 undergraduate and 400 graduate students.

As the son of church planters, Dr. Whaley grew up in both North Carolina and Alaska.  It was in the old wooden pews of a small church in Alaska where he first experienced what he would later understand to be “uninhibited worship” to God Almighty. 

Today, Dr. Whaley is Dean of the School of Music and one of the most prolific voices in modern worship. He is uniquely gifted as a musician, a minister and an academic. A practitioner for more than 30 years, he has served churches in GA, FL, OH, OK, TN and VA. He holds the BA in Bible and Music from the Welch College; the Master of Arts from Middle Tennessee State University; Master of Church Music and Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary; and a PhD in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma. He has published 5 books, multiple musicals, two hymnals, compositions and orchestrations for numerous publishers – many of which are sung in churches across the world each week.

More than anything, Dr. Whaley is passionate about helping people of all ages understand that worship is not just something you do in the pews or on Sundays – it a lifestyle daily practiced on into eternity.

Dr. Whaley lives with his wife, Beth, in Lynchburg, VA. They have two adult children and five grand children.

Dr. Whaley and his wife of 42 years are active members at Thomas Road Baptist Church. They have both taken repeated mission trips to Kazakhstan, Trinidad and Germany, and enjoy spoiling their grand children as much as possible.

Jesus Leads Worship - Learn how Jesus accepts the role of worship leader in the congregation, and how we can boldly come to the throne of God because of Jesus as the giver and receiver of worship. (Thursday, 2:30 p.m., Friday, 2:30 p.m.) LEADER, Vernon Whaley / A-226

God’s Musician for God’s Time - Do you sometimes feel like God is not using you to accomplish anything of significance? Dr. Vernon Whaley, Dean of the Liberty University School of Music, shares the inspiring scriptural story of Jahaziel, and what it means to be God's messenger through the instrument of music. (Friday, 8:45 a.m.) LEADER, Vernon Whaley / A-226