sat, feb. 29 | 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

After spending 7 years in the business world, Pastor Ron and his wife, Jody, felt called to plant a church. He quit his job, went to seminary, and in the year 2000, stepped out in faith with Jody and a handful of people to plant Highpoint Church. What started as a small gathering of people in a high school auditorium has grown to be a multi-site church reaching thousands in the western suburbs of Chicago. Pastor Ron has since raised up and sent out church planters to plant vertically oriented, gospel-centered churches around the country.

Highpoint Ministries, the teaching ministry of Pastor Ron, was launched in 2013 to provide comprehensive teaching from God’s Word through weekly and daily radio broadcasts, conferences, and resources. Highpoint Ministries currently airs on over 400 stations around the United States.

Pastor Ron is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He and his wife Jody live in Wheaton, IL and have three daughters Allie, Erin, and Emily.

Darrin Patrick is a teaching pastor at Seacoast Church. He is the founding pastor of The Journey Church and is the author of multiple books including the Dude’s Guide to Marriage.

Darrin is the former chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals and former vice-president of the Acts 29 church planting network. He has appeared in the New York Times, The Today Show and Fox and Friends for his innovative approach to reaching the un-reached.

Darrin is married to Amie and they have four children. He enjoys reading, writing and coaching his kid’s sports teams.

Dr. Hill’s research at Wheaton College explores the relationship between rhetoric and social change related to race, culture and American politics. Specifically, he examines the role of radical rhetoric as a crucial form of civic engagement and public advocacy. His previous work on rhetoric and social change in political, social movement, and religious contexts has appeared in edited collections and scholarly journals.