Confirmed Staff and Presenters
David Bruce, HJ HostKeynote Speaker
David is a graduate of North Park University/Seminary in Chicago (MDiv, 1988) and has pastored several churches. Currently, David provides consulting to several emerging multimedia churches. He has worked in production and administration for NBC-TV and several radio stations, and has published several magazines. He began Hollywood Jesus in 1997.
Peter T. ChattawaySpecial Guest
A resident of Vancouver, B.C., Peter has been on the staff of BC Christian News since '99. He also reviews films for Christianity Today's website and for ChristianWeek, and has been a semi-regular contributor to Books & Culture since '98. His award-winning articles have also appeared in Bible Review, Faith Today, The Vancouver Sun, and Beliefnet.com. He is also a member of the Faith and Film Critics Circle.
James Harleman, Mars Hill ChurchSpecial Guest
James is a pastor at Ballard's Mars Hill Church, and oversees Mars Hill’s communications department. He provides the leadership for various ministries including Film and Theology, Vox Pop, information technology, and the Mars Hill resource center.
Bryan Zug, Harambee ChurchSpecial Guest
Bryan is a pastor at Harambee Church in Renton, Washington, where he lives with his wife Jen and their children. He leads Film & Theology discussions at Harambee, and was part of crew that launched those discussions at Mars Hill Church many years ago. He speaks locally on film, and works in the technology sector.
Maurice BroaddusWorkshops and Panels
Maurice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (with an undeclared major in English) from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He works as an environmental toxicologist by day and is a horror writer by night. He is helping plant The Dwelling Place, a missional faith community. His areas of interests include religious studies, folklore, and myths.
Kevin MillerWorkshops and Panels
Kevin Miller is a freelance writer, screenwriter, editor and educator who has written, co-written and edited thirty-six books, both fiction and nonfiction. He has also co-written one produced film (After...), which will be released in 2006. A film reviewer for several years, Kevin, his wife Heidi, and their three children reside in Abbotsford, British Columbia, where they attend Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship.
Mike FurchesWorkshops and Panels
Mike is the Senior Pastor at United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kansas. Mike also speaks nationally on various topics, and is a freelance writer. In the arts, Mike has worked with top music artists such as Steppenwolf, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Kansas. He was also a member of the band Route 66.
Greg WrightWorkshops and Panels
Writer in Residence at Puget Sound Christian College in Everett, Washington, Greg is the author of Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's The Lord of the Rings (Hollywood Jesus Books, 2004), as well as Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter (VMI, 2003). He is Senior Editor for Hollywood Jesus.
Jenn WrightWorkshops and Panels
Jenn is an editor and writer with degrees in Literature and Theology. She was a regular columnist for the online HJ journal After Eden until it ceased publication in 2005, and contributed to Two Roads Through Narnia (Hollywood Jesus Books, 2005). In her spare time, she is a unit secretary at Regional Hospital in Tukwila, Washington.
Chris UtleyWorkshops and Panels
Chris received his BA in Theatre from
Kathy BledsoeKathy is a writer with a degree in Theology from Puget Sound Christian College in Everett, Washington, and contributed to Two Roads Through Narnia (Hollywood Jesus Books, 2005). She is also an office administrator for the Highline School District.
Jim DavisJim is the Director/Program Administrator of a Christian organization called “God’s Havens For Children�, San Luis Obispo, California. GHFC currently operates a licensed Foster Family Agency and a youth mentoring program. He received degrees in Organizational Communication (B.A.) and Public Administration (M.P.A.) from California State University, Stanislaus (Turlock, CA). A native San Franciscan, he now lives on the California Central Coast with his wife Eileen (employed as a teaching assistant for autistic children) and their 4 children. Jim appreciates an eclectic variety of music styles, and says that, “music has a considerable amount of influence on people of all ages and popular culture in general.�
Elisabeth LietchElisabeth is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, with a BA in Literature-Writing. A person who has always loved movies, she never ceases to be amazed by the way movies impact viewers by both reflecting and asking questions about the culture and world in which we live. Currently, Elisabeth spends her days working in a local bookstore in northern New Mexico, writing for various sources, and seeking what God has in store for her future.
Ken PriebeKen earned his BFA from University of Michigan School of Art and Design, where he majored in Film and Animation. He has a Classical Animation Certificate from VanArts, where he currently works as a manager and instructor. Ken lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife Janet, who is also an artist. They are currently working on an animated short film, and are involved with graphic arts, outreach, and Bible studies at Cedar Park MB Church.
Michael SmithMike works in the shipping container industry, and serves as Prayer Deacon with his wife Sandy at Harambee Church in Renton, Washington.
Mark Ezra StokesMark lives in Mt. Vernon—a tiny, peaceful town in southeast Georgia—where he teaches undergraduate drama classes at Brewton-Parker College. He is also a film critic for HIS Voice, a Christian newspaper in central Georgia. Mark recently received an MA in Screenwriting and Film Studies at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.
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