Symposium Speakers

Symposium Speaker

Apostle Dr. Dana Carson

Conference Host, The Reflections of Christ’s Kingdom

Dr. Dana Carson is the founder and senior pastor of the Reflections of Christ’s Kingdom World Outreach International (The R.O.C.K.) in Houston, TX. – a Bible-centered, Spirit-filled, community-building, Kingdom-minded ministry founded in 2003. Dr. Carson has over 37 years of full-time and pastoral ministry experience. 

He is one of the nation’s foremost Kingdom theologians and down-to-earth pastors whose radical message and raw delivery are known all over the world. Dr. Carson’s call and purpose is to educate people of every age with the message of the Kingdom of God that is both exegetically sound and spiritually nourishing.

Dr. Carson has an exceptional concern for youth and children and personally invests his life in their training and development. Dr. Carson’s anointing represents a combination of Spirit-filled fire and formal academic training, with a touch of the lessons learned in the ghettos of Chicago. With this rare anointing, he touches the hearts of people from all cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds worldwide.

Symposium Speaker

Dr. Brad Young

TOPIC: Biblical Models for Building Kingdom Community Today

Brad H. Young, Ph.D. is the founder and President of the Gospel Research Foundation, Inc. Residing in Tulsa, OK, Dr. Young is an emeritus professor of the faculty of the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University (ORU), where he served as a Tenured Professor of Judaic-Christian Studies teaching Bible and theology for 31 years.

A native of Sapulpa, OK, he received his B.A. from ORU. Then at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he pursued graduate studies in early Christianity and ancient Judaism. During this time, he lectured at the Jerusalem University College, served as Research Assistant to Dr. David Flusser, and earned two degrees, an M.A. and Ph.D., both from Hebrew University. He was a lecturer in Comparative Religions at Hebrew University for two years. Paulist Press published Dr. Young’s doctoral dissertation under the title, Jesus and His Jewish Parables. Dr. Young is one of the founding scholars of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Studies working closely on Gospel research with Prof. David Flusser, Dr. Robert L. Lindsey, and Prof. Shmuel Safrai (all pictured with Dr. Young). He has contributed to scholarly journals and spoken at many academic, church, interfaith, and civic gatherings.

Symposium Speaker

Dr. Trevor Grizzle

TOPIC: The Necessity of Fellowship

A native of Jamaica, Dr. Trevor Grizzle was born in a Christian home on December 25, 1947. Institutionalized Christianity has been his experience most of his life. 

Dr. Grizzle firmly believes that God wants us to love him as much with our mind as we do with our heart; therefore, upon leaving the mission-field, he committed the next eleven years to full-time formal theological education.  With a B.A. in Religion (1975) from Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and an M. Div. (1978) and Ph. D. (1984) degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, he assumed the position of Professor of New Testament and Greek in the Graduate School of Theology and Missions at Oral Roberts University in 1982.  “God brought me to ORU,” states Dr. Grizzle. “I thought it would be a great place to work, providing the kind of Christian ethos and mission that I felt passionate about.”  He fully subscribes to ORU’s “body, mind, spirit” philosophy. Conjointly with teaching at ORU, he served as Associate Pastor of Care Fellowship Church of God in Tulsa for six years, and presently (in addition to teaching full-time) pastors Hope International Ministries, a growing church which he cofounded with his wife Maureen in March 2002.

Symposium Speaker

Dr. Clifton Clarke

TOPIC: Toward the Beloved Community: Reclaiming the Kingdom Vision for Racial Justice and Economic Empowerment

Dr. Clifton Clarke is the fortunate and blessed husband of Dr. Marcia Clarke. Dr. Marcia Clarke and I have been married for 30 years. 

In 1997 my wife and I heeded the call to move to Ghana to serve the church’s leadership and empowerment needs across Africa. During those years I pastored Christ the King Church in Dansoman and planted a number of churches throughout Ghana. I was also the founder and CEO of West Africa Ministries (WAM), which played a vital role in rebuilding shattered lives in the war-torn countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. I also served as a Professor for a number of theological institutions in Ghana, including, Good News Theological Seminary, Akrofi-Christeller Memorial Center of Applied Theology, Pan African Christian University (where I was a founding member and served as Dean of Students for five years), and the University of Ghana (Legon).

In 2008 we felt the Lord calling us to move to the USA where, after a brief stint in pastoring in New England, CT., I was invited to serve as the Professor of Intercultural Studies and the Executive Director of the Center for Global Missions. In 2012 we planted and co-pastored Restoration Christian Fellowship in Norfolk, Virginia where we pastored until 2016. 2012 was also the year I founded Global Empowerment Network, where I still serve as CEO.

Symposium Speaker

Dr. Marcia Clarke

TOPIC: The Problem with the Church: Navigating the Present Reality

Dr. Marcia Clarke, Ph.D. is an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, where she teaches spiritual formation. Born and raised in Nottingham, England she completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham. She holds a Masters Degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, a Masters of Education from the University of Nottingham (UK) and a Bachelors in Education from Nottingham Trent University (UK). Dr Clarke had the privilege of serving for ten years as a mission partner in Ghana, West Africa. Whilst there, she was involved in ministry, theological education, governmental and non-profit programs. Alongside her teaching and academic commitments, she is an ordained minister in the Church of God Cleveland Tennessee and serves by appointment on the State Ministerial Development Task Force. She is the pastor for Christian formation and discipleship at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Simi Valley, California. Alongside worship, Dr Clarke believes that one of God’s best gifts is good food, and good company. She is married to the love of her favorite preacher, the love of her life and best friend, Dr Clifton Clarke. She is the proud mother of three adult children, Joel (and his wife AJ) and Jessica.