Plenary Speakers & Worship Leaders
Dr. Israel Gaither
Among Dr. Gaither's distinguished leadership positions held with The Salvation Army during his nearly 48 years of active service have been Territorial Commander for Southern Africa; Chief of the Staff, second-in-command, of the international Salvation Army; and USA National Commander. Dr. Gaither is the first African-American to hold these senior leadership offices in the 146 years since the founding of the organization. Among the many honors received are honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Asbury University in May 2005, and honorary Doctor of Divinity from Taylor University in May 2008.
Speaking Schedule: Thursday Evening Plenary and Friday Midday Plenary
John Stonestreet
John Stonestreet's passion is to illuminate a biblical worldview for today's culture. He's a speaker, writer, cultural commentator and collaborator of worldview initiatives. In his shared role with the Colson Center/Breakpoint and Summit Ministries, Mr. Stonestreet directs conferences and curriculum projects, speaks to groups nationally and internationally, consults on worldview education for schools and churches and appears frequently on web and radio broadcasts.
As the new host of The Point, a daily national radio program, Mr. Stonestreet provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. This short-feature speaks to listeners right where they're at…facing challenges and cultural questions that all of us deal with on a daily basis.
Mr. Stonestreet holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Illinois) and Bryan College (Tennessee), and is the co-author of
Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview (Sheffield Press). He and his wife Sarah have three daughters and a dog, and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information on Mr. Stonestreet and his ministries, visit
ThePointRadio.org.
Speaking Schedule: Friday Evening Plenary
Rev. Rico Tice
Rev. Rico Tice joined the All Souls staff (London, England) in 1994 as Associate Minister (Evangelism). Born in Chile in 1966, the son of a businessman and a nurse, Rev. Tice grew up in Uganda and Zaire. He was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and spent a gap year working as a youth worker in inner-city Liverpool. He then studied history at Bristol University, where he captained the rugby side.
His progress towards full time Christian ministry began with a period as a Lay Assistant at Christ Church Clifton in Bristol. He found it thrilling to teach the Bible and so after working briefly for Hewlett Packard, he moved on to train for ordination at Wycliffe College, Oxford. Again, he was a regular member of the university rugby team.
He was ordained in 1994 and soon after was appointed to the staff at All Souls Church. His main role is to help the hundreds of enquirers about the Christian faith who come through the doors of the church each year. He has spent the last few years developing Christianity Explored which he co-wrote with Barry Cooper, Christianity Explored product developer. Further information about the course and the full range of resources available can be found on the Christianity Explored website. In 2003, Rev. Tice led the Oxford University Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (OICCU) Mission, and he is a National Director of Christians in Sport. His hobbies are rugby, golf (he has a handicap of 9.6) and films. He married Lucy in December 2008 and their little boy Peter was born in October 2010.
Speaking Schedule: Friday and Saturday Morning Plenaries, and Sunday Morning Worship Service
Jean Wright, MD
Jean Wright is the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast. CMC-NorthEast is a 435-bed tertiary care referral hospital and part of Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS). Before coming to North Carolina, she was the Executive Director for the Women’s & Children’s Hospital at Memorial Health in Savannah, Georgia. She has also served as the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics for Mercer School of Medicine and in various other positions.
In May 2011, Dr. Wright was named the principal investigator of the Beacon Grant for the Southern Piedmont region of North Carolina. This $15.9 million grant is only one of 17 awarded nationally. She has authored more than 42 publications and book chapters, has served on three federal advisory committees and chaired the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Dr. Wright has given testimony before the U.S. House and Senate, and has appeared on 20/20, the O’Reilly Factor, CNN, Prime Time America and Janet Parshall’s America.
Speaking Schedule: Saturday Midday Plenary and Saturday Afternoon Workshop
Reggie and Ladye Love Smith - Worship Leaders
Reggie and Ladye Love Smith have been part of the Gaither Homecoming family for over a decade, first as backup singers in Nashville and later as a vocal duet featured on countless Homecoming concerts, tapings and recordings. These internationally loved musicians have performed in more than 12 countries and in such prestigious venues as the Super Bowl, New York's famed Carnegie Hall and the Kremlin in Moscow. They frequently sing on The Grand Ole Opry with The Carol Lee Singers, and their voices have complemented some of the top talents in both country and gospel music including: Patty LaBelle, Josh Turner, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Lee Greenwood, Brenda Lee, Ricky Skaggs, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bob Carlisle, Ray Boltz, Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris and Vestal Goodman, just to name a few.
Regardless of the prestigious places and people that have filled their musical journey, Ladye Love and Reggie are equally comfortable in small retreat settings, churches and conferences. Their capacity for lighting up any room with their energy, and making friends with anyone, has given them numerous opportunities for ministry in all kinds of settings. Musically, the Smiths' versatile voices and broad range of influences lend themselves to a variety of styles, from country to big band to contemporary worship. Yet in all of its refreshing variety, the music of Reggie and Ladye Love Smith always retains their signature, heartmelting sound. With smooth, soulful vocals and impeccable musicianship, their communication beautifully reflects what is true of them both on and off stage...authenticity.
