Antiphony speakers and special guests

Sam Davidson, speaker

Sam Davidson is just a guy - a guy trying to save the world. Three years ago, he embarked on a journey known as Cool People Care. This journey has allowed him to use such vehicles as CoolPeopleCare.org and his book, "New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours," to educate and motivate people to make the small but important changes in their community in order to create a better tomorrow. He speaks to student groups, churches and at conferences all over the US on topics related to the environment, social justice, and community organizing.
 

Julie Pennington-Russell, speaker

Julie Pennington-Russell serves as lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., which is the host site of Antiphony. Julie came to Decatur First Baptist in August 2007 having previously served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco, Calif. Julie is married to Tim Pennington-Russell, a website designer and sometimes poet and bass player. They have two teenage children, Taylor and Lucy. Willie the bulldog completes the family. Because of their ridiculously long last name, many people simply refer to the Pennington-Russells as "The P-Rs."

Julie received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders from the University of Central Florida in Orlando in 1981; an M.Div. From the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, California, in 1985; and is in the final phase of completing a D.Min. at Baylor's George W. Truett Baptist Theological Seminary. She loves the poetry of Billy Collins, movies about redemption and second chances, long dinners with friends, Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk and jotting down notes for that book she’s been writing for about 20 years. Mostly Julie is crazy about the Church and loves to lean with the people of God toward “big picture, kingdom of God stuff.”
 

Amy and John Wiles, Worship Leaders

Amy and John Wiles have been leading worship services together for 10 years.  Residents of Austin, Texas, both are actively serving in local churches.  Amy is the music assistant at First Baptist Church, Austin and John is the Director of Music Ministries at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church.  Intentional about diversity, Amy and John have served as musicians and ministers at Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and non-denominational churches of varying ages, worship styles and cultural heritages.  Amy is currently a student at Austin Presbyterian pursuing a Master of Divinity and John is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Choral Music at The University of Texas at Austin.
 

Ruth Perkins Lee, speaker

Ruth Perkins Lee serves as Minister of Students at Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, AL. She is a graduate of McAfee School of Theology and is the current Moderator of Alabama CBF. Ruth pretty much loves being a wife and mom. She also enjoys reading, laughing, Facebooking and listening to her ipod.

 

Mike Young, speaker

Mike Young serves as missions coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Tennessee. He previously served as a campus minister in Louisiana.