Seminar Experts

Theresa M. Agostinelli is a Pennsylvania Licensed Psychotherapist and founder and owner of Glen Mills Counseling Center. At her church, Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, she assists her pastor in counseling and speaks to groups on single parenting, grief, loss and other significant life changes. She became a single mom after her husband’s death.

Sandra P. Aldrich is president and CEO of Bold Words, Inc., in Colorado Springs, and is an international inspirational speaker. Former senior editor of Focus on the Family magazine, she has authored several books, including From One Single Mother to Another: Heart-Lifting Encouragement and Practical Advice. She is a widow and the mother of two.

Dr. Bob Barnes is president of Sheridan House Family Ministries, a Residential Treatment Program for teenage boys and girls and a Marriage and Family Counseling Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bob is an author and presents nationwide seminars and conferences on parenting and marriage. He was raised in a single-parent home.

Sabrina D. Black, author and speaker, is CEO and clinical director of Abundant Life Counseling Center. She is a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Addictions Counselor and Certified Biblical Counselor with experience in individual, family and group counseling.

Dwayne Bond is founding pastor of Wellspring Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. His focus is gospel-centered preaching, counseling and family ministry. Previously, Pastor Bond served at Woodstream Church as minister of counseling and men’s ministries.

Bill Butterworth is a communicator, addressing such clients as Disney, Microsoft, American Express, Ford and several teams in the National Football League. His many books include New Life After Divorce and When Life Doesn’t Turn Out Like You Planned. Bill was a single parent of five children.

Elsa Kok Colopy, speaker and author, is an author of many books, including The Single Mom’s Guide to Keeping It All Together and Pure Love, Pure Life, a purity book for teen girls. The former editor of Thriving Family magazine, Elsa now writes and speaks full time, traveling around the country leading retreats, seminars and workshops. She was a single parent for 12 years.

Ron L. Deal, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, is founder and president of As For Me And My House Ministries. He is a family consultant and speaker specializing in marriage and stepfamily enrichment, and his books include The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family and The Remarriage Checkup.

Dr. Michael R. Emlet, counselor and author, is a faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Before joining CCEF, he worked as a family physician for 12 years.

Elyse Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in biblical counseling and is a member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors. She has authored and coauthored many books, including Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus; Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life; When Good Kids Make Bad Choices; Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety; and Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone.

Carol Floch is a counselor at Haven Counseling in Dallas, Texas, and she helped design and launch Parenting Alone, a community agency serving single-parent families in Carrollton, Texas. She is a speaker and is author of The Single Mom’s Devotional, writing from her experience as a single mom of three.

Brad Goad is pastor of the single-parent ministry at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Brad oversees the Bible study classes for single parents, DivorceCare classes and special events, including an annual single-parent family vacation.

Dr. Laura Hendrickson is trained as a medical doctor and is a board-certified psychiatrist. She ministers as a professor of biblical counseling, an author, speaker and consultant through Gospel Balm Ministries. The single mother of an adult son who has recovered from autism, she is author of Finding Your Child’s Way on the Autism Spectrum and coauthor of When Good Kids Make Bad Choices.

Michele Howe has authored several books for women and published over 1200 articles and reviews. She has been featured on numerous radio shows across the country speaking on parenting and other topics. Michele’s single-parenting titles include Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom and Still Going It Alone.

Linda Ranson Jacobs is a speaker and child care expert with over 30 years experience working with single parents, children and teenagers. Having been both divorced and widowed, Linda was a single mom who learned firsthand the emotional and support needs of single-parent families. Linda is the creator and developer of DivorceCare for Kids, a weekly program helping children whose parents are separated or divorced.

Dr. Robert D. Jones is assistant professor of biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is a speaker and the author of the Resources for Changing Lives booklets “Forgiveness,” “Angry at God?” and “Bad Memories.” He was raised in a single-parent home.

Monica Kim is a counselor at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She has been counseling for over seven years and has been working in church ministry for over 16 years, teaching and counseling women, youth and families.

Mike Klumpp is senior pastor for Bible Fellowship Church of Dighton, Kansas, and director of EASE (East African Service and Empowerment), teaching life skills to young men and women in Africa through martial arts and theater arts. After his divorce, Mike raised four children as a single dad. He authored The Single Dad’s Survival Guide.

Julie Smith Lowe is associate faculty at CCEF and has been counseling for over 13 years. She has a master’s degree in counseling, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is trained as a Certified Christian Conciliator, having extensive experience with foster, adoptive families and child maltreatment issues. Julie was a single mom for a season: she had two foster children that she later adopted.

Susan Lutz served as a counselor at CCEF for over 15 years. She now counsels through her home church, New Life Presbyterian Church of Dresher, where her husband is senior pastor. While at CCEF, Sue edited a series of books and booklets by the faculty and staff, including her own booklet, “Thankfulness: Even When It Hurts.”

Adam Malcolm is a family life pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, serving families that have youth from the age of middle school through late teens. He also leads the single-parenting ministry.

Dr. Wayne D. McDill was senior professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and has written several books. He is an expert in the area of emotions, authoring The Message in Your Emotions.

Rev. Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr., is founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. He has authored Moving from Fear to Faith and other books. He is president of Heritage and Hope Ministries, Inc., an organization with the mission of equipping people to be successful in their relationship with God and in their families, calling and career.

Dr. Larry Mercer is president of Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary and has over 30 years of leadership and ministry experience, with past positions that include work at a children’s home, a Christian social service agency and a residential placement facility for adjudicated youth. He is author of A Gift from God: Foundational Principles of Biblical Parenting. Larry was raised in a single-parent home.

Dan Miller is author of 48 Days to the Work You Love and No More Dreaded Mondays. He writes regularly for many magazines and web portals, including CBN.com, Crosswalk.com, New Man, AARP and Success, specializing in creative thinking for increased personal and business success.

Joanne Miller, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse and has been a pediatric nurse for over 25 years. She is cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting and has coauthored books on parenting, including Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes in You and Your Kids, a book about honor and how to teach it in family life.

Dr. Jim Newheiser is pastor at Grace Bible Church in Escondido, California, and director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. He has authored several books, including Opening up Proverbs and Help! Someone I Love Has Been Abused, and coauthored When Good Kids Make Bad Choices and You Never Stop Being a Parent.

The late Dr. David Powlison was a faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and edited The Journal of Biblical Counseling. David counseled for over 30 years and authored Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community, Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture and Power Encounters.

Lois Rabey, author and speaker, focuses on relationship issues for those who have suffered a loved one’s death and/or are raising children as a single parent. Lois was widowed at the age of 34 when her two daughters were elementary-age. She has authored many books, including Daughters Without Dads and The Snare: Understanding Emotional and Sexual Entanglements.

Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, national radio and television personality, speaker and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover. Dave understands financial peace from the personal experience of establishing a four-million-dollar real-estate portfolio only to lose it four years later. He has rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right—financially, emotionally and spiritually.

Gary Richmond is pastor to single parents at the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California. He teaches and provides oversight to Friends Becoming Family. Gary has authored over 20 books for adults and children, including Successful Single Parenting and The Divorce Decision.

Eduardo Salazar, Licensed Professional Counselor, founded Compass Counseling Solutions, Inc., a private practice in Houston focusing on children and families. Since January 2009, he has served at Champion Forest Baptist Church as associate pastor of counseling in the pastoral care ministry.

Dr. Paul David Tripp is president of Paul Tripp Ministries and has authored several books, including Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens and A Shelter in the Time of Storm. He is professor of pastoral life and care at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and executive director of the Center for Pastoral Life and Care in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Scott Turansky is a full-time Calvary Chapel pastor and cofounder of the National Center for Biblical Parenting. He has coauthored books on parenting, including Parenting Is Heart Work, along with developing curriculum for parents, teachers, churches and Christian schools.

Dr. Stephen Viars has served as pastor and a biblical counselor for 25 years at Faith Baptist Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, colleges and seminaries in the United States and abroad. He recently authored Putting Your Past in Its Place.

Dr. Edward Welch is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania. He has been counseling for over 30 years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear and addictions. His books include When People Are Big and God Is Small, Depression: A Stubborn Darkness, Running Scared and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety.

Dr. Thelma Wells (Mama T) is an inspirational speaker and founder of A Woman of God Ministries. Her book titles include Ready to Win over Depression, Ready to Win over Worry and Anxiety, and Don’t Give In … God Wants YOU to Win! She is also heard daily on the radio through her “Mama T Says …” radio spots.

Helen Wheeler, Licensed Professional Counselor, is a Family Court Mediator at The Center for Families and is currently in private practice. After being a single mom for nine years, Helen and her husband established the nonprofit organization Changing Families, providing ministry to single parents and training for single-parent family ministry leaders. She is author of Help for Single Parent Families: Information and Inspiration.

H. Norman Wright is a grief therapist and certified trauma specialist. He is the author of over 70 books, including Experiencing Grief and Recovering from Losses in Life.