Pastor Fred Luter serves as pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, La., and made history when messengers of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention elected him as the convention's first African American president. Prior to his election as president, Luter was the first African American to be elected as Vice President of the convention in 2011. When Luter first became pastor of Franklin Avenue, the church had 65 members. By 2005—the same year that Hurricane Katrina destroyed the church building and scattered members throughout the United States—the church had grown to 7,000. Luter led the church through the tragic hurricane, ministering even when his own home had been destroyed, and welcomed the congregation to a new sanctuary in 2008.

Dr. Freda McKissic Bush serves as Medical Director for Pregnancy Choices Metro Jackson and the Henry M. Johnson Women’s Resource Crisis Pregnancy Center. After earning her medical doctorate from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1983, Bush went on to become a partner in private practice with East Lakeland OB-GYN Associates in Jackson, Miss. She also serves on the medical staffs of four hospitals. Bush, who co-authored Hooked with Joe McIlhaney, works to promote abstinence outside of and fidelity within marriage.

Dr. Antony Bradley serves as associate professor of theology at The King’s College in New York City and as a research fellow at the Acton Institute. The author of several books, including Liberating Black Theology (2010) and The Political Economy of Liberation (2012), Bradley often contributes articles to WORLD magazine and has appeared on C-SPAN, NPR, CNN/Headline News, Fox News and Court TV Radio. Bradley received his M.A. in Ethics and Society at Fordham University, his M.Div. at Covenant Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Dr. Antony Beckham serves as Assistant Professor of Business at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill. Beckham, who earned his Ph.D. at Biola University, has served as pastor, professor and personal coach in America, Asia, Guam and Africa. Beckham holds master’s degrees from both Azusa Pacific University and Vanguard University.

Walter B. Hoye II serves as founder and president of the Issues4life Foundation and the California Civil Rights Foundation. He also founded the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California. After his son’s premature birth at six months, weighing only 2.1 pounds, Hoye further understood that a fetus is a living, breathing human being. The experience led him to become an earnest defender of the unborn. Hoye holds a master’s degree in sociology from Michigan State University, where he also played football. Hoye is also a graduate of the United States International University, now Alliant International University, and is author of Leadership from the INSIDE Out.

Dr. Craig Mitchell serves as Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) where he also serves as director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement. In addition, Mitchell is a Research Fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and serves as a part-time lecturer in economics at the University of Texas at Arlington. Mitchell, the author of two books, Charts of Christian Ethics and Charts of Philosophy and Philosophers, has completed seven degrees including master’s degrees in engineering management and information systems, both from West Coast University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern. In 2005 he completed a PhD in Christian ethics and philosophy of religion from Southwestern and in 2011 a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of Texas at Arlington. Before attending seminary, Mitchell spent two years in the commercial space launch business as the Base Operations Manager for E’Prime Aerospace Corporation at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and served in the United States Air Force for 12 years.