KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Andy Lewis

Lead Pastor, Faith Community Church, Santa Cruz CA

Andy Lewis is lead pastor at Faith Community Church, a new church that gathers for worship in an old art-deco theatre in the epicenter of Santa Cruz, California. He is excited about what we as the church can be and do when we un-learn our many ministry assumptions and re-learn the relational ways of Christ. He always wanted to be a rock star until God dragged him into the pastor gig, but now he loves building the kingdom of God along with his amazing wife Aleta, his three great kids - Cassidy, Michael, and Josh - and the people of his faith community.

BIBLE TEACHER

Sandra L. Richter, Ph.D.

Professor of Old Testament, Wesley Biblical Seminary

Sandy Richter is currently Professor of Old Testament at Wesley Biblical Seminary. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard University, her areas of expertise include pre-exilic Israelite history, biblical archaeology, and Hebrew grammar. One of her unique contributions at Wesley is an Israel Studies program in which students travel to Israel to study historical geography and archaeology.

Sandy taught for nine years at Asbury Theological Seminary as a professor of Old Testament, as an adjunct professor at Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as an instructor at Harvard Divinity School, and as a teaching fellow at Harvard University. Her academic accomplishments include a number of teaching awards and scholarships, academic papers, books and articles, as well as her recently released The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament (InterVarsity Press, 2008). Prior to her service as an academic, Sandy spent ten years in pastoral ministry. Because of her passion for the Church, she continues to serve as a speaker and lecturer in numerous church and para-church settings.

She is married to Steven Tsoukalas, who serves as a professor of comparative Christian theology and apologetics at Wesley Biblical Seminary. They have two (perfect) daughters, Noël Christianna and Elise Anastasis.