Speakers

	ADRIAN DESPRES Adrian is one of the most passionate, high-energy speakers to stand on an Ichthus stage—and that’s saying something. But the last time he spoke at Ichthus was in 2005 when he spoke the final message of the festival in the snow! Since then, the festival has moved to the summer, and Adrian can’t wait to get back on the Ichthus main stage to speak in the heat! He’s a big guy (6’5) with a big heart and a big passion for God’s Word. He’s also passionate about college football, and he serves as chaplain of the University of South Carolina football team.

	COLMON ELRIDGE Colmon serves as the Executive Assistant to the Governor of the state of Kentucky. He also serves as one of the Executive Directors of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He speaks around the nation, weaving his faith in God with a challenge for people to be involved in the life of their local communities. His warmth, energy, and heart for people make him a powerful Ichthus communicator.

	LECRAE Born and raised by his mother in a poor community, LeCrae moved around a lot as a kid. God flipped his world upside-down at the age of 19 when he gave his life to Christ. Since then, he has become one of the premiere hip-hop artists in Christian music. His newest release, Overdose, is already setting sales records for Christian hip hop. But LeCrea is more than an artist. He’s also an incredible speaker with an incredible story to tell and an incredible message to share.

	MATT PITT Following a drug overdose that almost took his life, Matt gave his life to Christ in his family’s basement. Years later, he now leads a high-energy ministry in the Birmingham, Alabama area called “The Basement,” where he speaks to thousands of young people each week. Matt is a high-energy speaker who travels with a DJ and brings a unique mix of music, message, and even a little dance movement to a number of music festivals each summer.

	EFREM SMITH Efrem Smith is an internationally recognized leader and speaker who often speaks to groups of tens of thousands of people. But he’s just as interested in connecting with people off stage as he is on stage. He’s passionate about the urban church, ethnic reconciliation, and seeing the church become a loving, serving, transformational force in the world. He’s currently the superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church where he provides leadership to 157 churches. He is the author of three books: Raising Up Young Heroes, The Hip Hop Church, and Jump.

	T.D. & VERONICA BENTON T.D. and Veronica live as full-time gypsies in their RV and perform in a group they created called The White Collar Sideshow, a disturbing program about the horrors of addiction to pornography. T.D. is the ringleader of the show, and Veronica plays the faceless woman. They’ve both struggled with their own addictions and inner pain, and now they travel the country sharing their story and encouraging others to use honesty and integrity to find hope and restoration in Jesus.

	CLINTON FAUPEL Clinton has never met a microphone he didn’t like—whether it was for speaking on a stage or hosting a media program. His low voice and high energy make him powerful as both a speaker and media personality. Clinton is the director of Remedy.fm, the official web station of Ichthus. As an 18-year youth ministry veteran, he’s studied and adapted his ministry to a number of shifts and trends in youth culture. He now helps other youth leaders and ministries understand and adapt to those changes as well—so that they can have a greater impact on the lives of students. Clinton is also the host of Ichthus’ weekly web video program, “Backstage Pass,” an artist-interview show that airs every Saturday night at www.remedy.fm.

	AARON GILLESPIE Aaron Gillespie toured the world as drummer and vocalist for the band Underoath. He left Underoath in 2010 to focus on his band The Almost and a solo recording project, “Anthem Song,” which was recently released. Aaron is also a high-energy speaker. He brings the same passion to his speaking that he brings to his music—it’s a passion rooted in his love for God.

	SEAN GLADDING Sean is a member of Communality, a missional community that serves as one of the host “schools for conversion” for the New Monastecism. There he and his wife, Rebecca, acclimate new participants in community life and provide pastoral care for the community. He’s also the author of The Story of God, the Story of Us, a narrative account of Scripture that helps God’s story become our story.

	TOMMY GREEN Tommy is best known as the lead singer for the hardcore band Sleeping Giant. But if you’ve been to a Sleeping Giant concert, you know that he’s a powerful speaker as well. Each year, hundreds of youth and young adults become followers of Jesus through Sleeping Giant’s music and Tommy’s preaching. Much of Tommy’s message is aimed at kids who have felt cut off from the church because they’re different or because they don’t understand.

	AMY LAMBERT From an early age, Amy’s life was consumed by drugs and alcohol. At the age of 19, she found herself lying in a hospital bed with a drug overdose—close to death. She turned to God in that critical moment, and her life has never been the same. She has since shared her story in web, radio, and TV broadcasts—as well as on stages all over the world. Amy’s passion for God and His life-changing Word is powerful and contagious. Thousand of people become followers of Christ each year through her ministry.

	MICAH & AUDREY McELVEEN Micah and Audrey started Vapor Sports Ministries in 2005 after Micah traveled to an African slum and was deeply moved by the humanitarian crisis that he witnessed there. Rocked by his exposure to abject poverty and spiritual darkness, God birthed in him a vision to bring aid and sustainable life to people in Third-World countries. Micah and Audrey speak all over the U.S., exhorting God’s people to give of themselves for the sake of the poor.

	MATTIE MONTGOMERY Mattie is best known as the lead singer for the hardcore band For Today. But he’s a powerful speaker as well. Each year, hundreds of youth and young adults become followers of Jesus through For Today’s music and Mattie’s preaching. His preaching is as hardcore as his music!

	ERIC SAMUEL TIMM He’s part artist, part speaker, and part author…and he’s all passion. That’s why Eric is so effective at communicating with audiences of all ages. He mixes story, art, scripture, and biblical truth in a way that is attractive to both Christ followers and those who aren’t. Eric is also quickly becoming an Ichthus favorite!

	JOHN VERMILYA John challenges tens of thousands of students each year at festivals, conferences, chapels, church services, and events of all kinds. He is a part of the Kingdom Building Ministries speaking team and also the lead pastor at Buckley Tabernacle, a nondenominational church in the barbarian wilderness of Northern Michigan. John’s honest and hard-hitting approach to speaking have made him an Ichthus favorite.

	DAVE SPRING Dave Spring and his wife, Kristi, have done ministry in 23 countries on five continents. He has a passion for God and life, and he desires to see the face of American Christianity shaped to look more like Christ. He was Executive Director of The Doorpost Project, a film festival that focuses on developing emerging filmmakers.

	KEVIN BURGESS Kevin S Burgess is the husband of one, (Nicole) and the father of three, (Attyson Faith, Aiden Josiah and Anna Grace). Having been told about the “dos and don’ts, Jesus” during his childhood, Kevin didn’t surrender his life until he personally met the “love you as you are, but love you too much to leave you there, Jesus,” in an LSD overdose after college. Through 14 years of youth ministry and most recently as the Ministry Coordinator with Ichthus Ministries, Kevin has seen hundreds of lives changed by the Power of the Gospel. Through his ministry, Co-laboring, Inc., (www.co-laboring.com), Kevin now co-labors with Holy Spirit and his friends at Transformational Leadership, to provide opportunities to assess and break through personal and professional constraints, which leads to transformation for individuals, families, churches and businesses. Transformational Leadership provides speaking engagements, intensive trainings, and coaching in order to build healthy teams that empower, equip and launch personal transformation for others.