Instructors & Speakers

K. Edward Copeland

K. Edward Copeland serves as the pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. He is also an independent consultant for the Bureau of Justice and Michigan State University’s College of Criminal Justice and a member of the working group for the DOJ National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. He attended the University of Illinois (BA), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), and University of California, Berkeley (JD) and is also a former criminal defense attorney. He has authored Riding in the Second Chariot and is a contributing author to Entrusted with the Gospel. He and his wife, Starla, have three children.

Kabrina Bass

Ms. Kabrina Bass is the Executive Director of Midlands Mediation Center in Columbia, South Carolina, an independent Christian consultant and owner of KWVision LLC, a consulting firm specializing in non-profit, faith-based organizations, small and rural ministries. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Columbia College and a Masters of Arts Degree in Religion from Lenoir–Rhyne University/Lutheran Theological Seminary and received an honorary doctorate from The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta GA. She has extensive experience in Christian Education. As the Christian Education Director, she brings creative and innovative vision and takes an “out of box” approach to ministry. She believes Christian Education is holistic and must address all aspect of Christian life.

Tonya C. Evans

Tonya is a graduate of Grambling State University with a Bachelors of Arts in English/Liberal Arts. She also has a Masters in General Administration with an emphasis in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. She presently serves as the Bureau Director of the Milwaukee Enrollment Services for the Department of Health Services of the State of Wisconsin. By providing a vision and plan for about 450 staff, she is responsible for ensuring that almost a half million citizens of Milwaukee County receive the medical and food benefits that they both need and are entitled.

Tonya has been blessed to be a regular Women’s Day Speaker for churches in the Midwest. She also serves as a teacher for various conferences and institutes for the Women’s and Minister’s Wives Divisions. Tonya continues to be involved in all ministries of Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church. She serves as a Sunday School teacher of the Women’s Class, instructor of the Women’s Bible Study, coordinator of Women’s Day and coordinator of various women fellowship activities.

Believing that God was the ultimate strategic planner by developing the plan of salvation even before the formation of the world, Tonya consults with churches in developing Strategic Plans. It only makes sense that churches begin to plan for the future and be prepared for environmental, external and internal changes – ensuring that God’s work is done in decency and in order.

She is a firm believer that it is not only important to know what the Bible says but it is also important to apply the word to our lives so that we can become excellent examples of who God really is. Because she loves professional basketball and football, she often uses sports analogies and she believes that we, should always bring our “A” game when representing Christ!

Dr. Larry L. Harris

Dr. Larry L. Harris is the founder and former Pastor of the Word Fellowship Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. He also served as the Chairman of the Christian Ministries Department of the Temple Baptist College in Springdale Ohio, where he taught: Systematic Theology, Christian Leadership, and a variety of Biblical Studies courses.

Dr. Floyd D. James

Dr. Floyd D. James is a native of Chicago, Illinois and is the senior pastor of the Greater Rock M.B. Church in Chicago where he has pastored for 25 years. He is the President of the Biblical Exposition Conference (BEC). Pastor James served as Vice President and Instructor for New Baptist Ministers Fellowship of Chicago and Vicinity, President of the Network of Urban Black Baptist Churches; Assistant Director and Instructor for Minister’s Division of National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, and General Secretary of the Moderator’s Auxiliary of National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. He holds a Bachelors Degree from Blackburn College, University of the Americas in Pueblo, Mexico; a Master of Theological Studies degree from Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, and an Honorary Doctorate from Gospel Outreach Theological, Houston, Texas.

Dr. Lamonte King

Dr. Lamonte King serves as Senior Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in South Los Angelos. He has served there for 10 years. He currently teaches Old Testament Prophets at Bethany Christian Bible College and formerly taught Biblical Preaching and Pastoral Theology at Los Angeles Bible Training School. He holds a B.S. Finance (Arizona State University), M.A. Bible Exposition (Talbot Seminary), M.Div. (Azusa Pacific Graduate School of Theology), and a D.Min Preaching (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) with Dr. Haddon Robinson.

Rev. Rodney Lake

Rev. Rodney Lake serves as pastor of the Pembroke Fellowship Church located in Pembroke, Illinois. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Trinity International University, majoring in Christian Ministry and Organizational Leadership. He holds a Masters of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.

Rev. Joseph Lightfoot

Rev. Joseph Lightfoot is the Associate Minister of the Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in Kankakee, IL, where Rev. Howard Wills, Sr., is the pastor. He is passionate about his relationship with God and preaching God’s Word. Prior to completing his degree at Western Kentucky University, Rev. Lightfoot graduated with an associate degree in Liberal Studies from KCC in 1989. He is a 1987 graduate of Kankakee High School and currently works as the Coordinator of Brother to Brother and Academic Advisor at KCC. He and his wife Staci reside in Kankakee and are the proud parents of Joseph Willie III, Sion Joseph, and Jace Sanaa.

Rev. Tyler J. Prude

Rev. Tyler J. Prude is the pastor of Second Baptist Church located in Kankakee, Illinois. Pastor Prude attended Kankakee Community College, Olivet Nazarene University, and graduated from Governor’s State University. He is Vice President of Biblical Exposition Conference (BEC).

Rev. Romell Williams

Rev. Romell Williams is a native of Chicago and represents the third generation of men in his family to preach the Word of God. Rev. Williams was educated at the historical Moody Bible Institute. He has served as an assistant pastor of the Bright Star Church in Chicago and as the youth pastor at Rock of Ages Baptist Church Maywood, IL. He has been pastoring at Lilydale Progressive Baptist Church since 2004, and he has committed himself to the spiritual health and growth of the members and the Roseland community.