Dr. Robert Abarno is a Christian author, counselor and clinical psychologist. He is the founder of Christ Centered Development, a teaching and equipping ministry in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a Bible teacher, the author of more than 100 books and Bible studies, a radio and television hostess and the principal spokesperson for the International Inductive Study Bible. She has experienced the death of her husband.

Susan K. Beeney, R.N., author and featured speaker for grief and loss, is the founder and executive director of New Hope Grief Support Community in southern California. New Hope is committed to providing grief education and training, grief support groups for all ages and camps for kids who have suffered the death of a loved one.

Sabrina D. Black is an international speaker and professional counselor. She is the CEO and clinical director of Abundant Life Counseling Center in Detroit, Michigan, and has authored/co-authored several books, including Counseling in African American Communities. She has experienced the miscarriage of her baby and the loss of her uncle.

Judith Blore is the director of BASIS, a ministry of Handi*Vangelism, providing help for bereaved parents and their families in southeastern Pennsylvania. She is also the author of “How to Help a Grieving Child” in The Journal of Biblical Counseling (16:2 Winter 1998). Judith has experienced the death of her mother, who was also a bereaved parent.

Dee Brestin, of Women’s Friendship Ministries, is a conference speaker and the author of many Bible study guides and books for women, including Falling in Love with Jesus, Living in Love with Jesus and The Friendships of Women. She lost her husband to cancer in 2004.

The late Dr. Bill Bright was the founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ. For over 50 years he dedicated his life to helping people find new life and hope through a relationship with Christ.

Pastor Buck Buchanan served as a senior pastor in the Evangelical Free Church of America for 37 years. He served as the associate pastor of Care and Concerns Ministries at the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California, for 14 years.

Rev. Noel Castellanos is the president and founder of the Latino Leadership Foundation, an organization that helps provide leadership development and training for Latino pastors and leaders. He also founded and pastored La Villita Community Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Sahara Chea is the vice chair of the National Cambodian Presbyterian Council and serves as the First Cambodian Presbyterian Ministry Consultant. He was pastor of the First Cambodian Presbyterian Outreach Ministry in California. Dr. Chea survived the Cambodian killing fields and witnessed the horrific deaths of many of his people. Today he shares Christ’s message of forgiveness, comfort and freedom.

Jayne V. Clark is a counselor and faculty member at Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Barrington College and a Master of Arts in Religion in Pastoral Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. She is a lecturer in practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and a frequent Bible teacher and conference speaker. Her father has passed away.

Dr. Tim Clinton is the president of the executive board for the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a professor of counseling and pastoral care at Liberty University and the executive director of the Liberty University Center for Counseling and Family Studies. He has authored Caring for People God’s Way: Personal and Emotional Issues, Addictions, Grief, and Trauma and other books. Dr. Clinton has experienced the loss of his father.

Dr. Jim Conway is the author of numerous books, a conference speaker and the president of Midlife Dimensions. He also ministers to people through radio, television, tapes and telephone and letter counseling. He served as a pastor for almost 30 years. Dr. Conway has experienced the death of his wife.

Dr. Larry Crabb is a well-known conference speaker, Bible teacher and author. He is the founder of New Way Ministries, created to help ignite a revolution in how Christians live, think and relate. His books include Shattered Dreams, Finding God and The Safest Place on Earth. He has experienced the loss of his brother.

Dr. Robert C. De Vries and Dr. Susan Zonnebelt-Smeenge have both experienced the loss of a spouse. Now remarried to each other, they work together to help people in grief. Dr. De Vries is professor emeritus of church education at Calvin Theological Seminary. He was married to his first wife for 28 years before she died of cancer. Dr. Zonnebelt-Smeenge is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. Her first husband was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when he was 32 and died 18 years later. They are speakers and joint authors of several books and articles, including Getting to the Other Side of Grief: Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse, The Empty Chair: Handling Grief on Holidays and Special Occasions, Living Fully in the Shadow of Death: Assurance and Guidance to Finish Well and Traveling Through Grief: Learning to Live Again After the Death of a Loved One.

Joni Eareckson Tada is an author, artist, broadcaster and the founder and president of Joni and Friends Ministries. Her books and worldwide ministry reflect her experience of God’s love and grace since becoming a quadriplegic as a result of a diving accident over 35 years ago. Her books include Heaven and When God Weeps.

Elisabeth Elliot was born of missionary parents in Brussels, Belgium, and served as a missionary in Ecuador where her husband, Jim Elliot, was killed by the Auca Indians in 1956. She also experienced the death of her second husband. She is a speaker and the author of several books, including A Path through Suffering, Facing the Death of Someone You Love and The Path of Loneliness.

Dr. Michael R. Emlet is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and a lecturer in practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He holds graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Westminster Theological Seminary. He worked as a family physician for 12 years before joining CCEF. He has interest in psychiatric issues, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Anne Graham Lotz is a speaker and the president of AnGeL Ministries. The daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, Anne Lotz hosts revivals and conferences across the United States. Her books include Why? Trusting God When You Don’t Understand and Heaven: My Father’s House.

Jim Grassi is an outdoorsman, speaker and author. He has served as a public administrator, educator and as a pastor. His outdoor sports ministry, Outdoor Connections, focuses on “making men’s ministry happen!” He has experienced the death of his father.

Dr. Jack Hayford is the founding pastor of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California. He has authored more than three dozen books and has written over 600 songs. He is also the founder and chancellor of The King’s College and Seminary in Van Nuys. Dr. Hayford has experienced the loss of his sister and his parents.

The late Dr. E. V. Hill was recognized as one of the greatest preachers in the world. He was the pastor at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles for over 40 years. Dr. Hill experienced the death of his wife.

Dr. Thomas Ice is the executive director of the Pre-Trib Research Center in Lynchburg, Virginia. He has co-authored and authored over 20 books and several articles. Dr. Ice is a conference speaker and an associate professor of religion at Liberty University. He has experienced the death of 19 friends from his church in a bus accident.

Dr. Robert Jeffress serves as pastor of the 9,500-member First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas. He has written several books, including When Forgiveness Doesn’t Make Sense, and hosts the weekly television program Pathway to Victory. His mother has passed away.

Barbara Johnson, having lost two sons and her husband, is involved in grief ministry. A humorous writer and speaker, she also heads Spatula Ministries in La Habra, California, supporting parents who have lost children through death or estrangement. Her many books include Laughter from Heaven, Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life and God’s Most Precious Jewels Are Crystallized Tears.

Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the chairman of the Master of Arts in Christian Counseling and Discipleship Department at Capital Bible Seminary and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. He is the director of the Biblical Counseling and Spiritual Formation Network of the AACC. He has authored Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends and Beyond the Suffering. As a young man in seminary, Dr. Kellemen experienced the death of his father.

Dr. Tim Lane served as a pastor for 10 years and is now a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and a lecturer in practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Lane is co-author of How People Change and Relationships: A Mess Worth Making and the author of the booklets Forgiving Others and Conflict.

Susan Lutz is a counselor at CCEF and the author of the booklet Thankfulness: Even When It Hurts. Her areas of interest include relationship/marital issues, pre-marital counseling, grief, families in ministry, women, depression and anxiety. Susan has experienced the loss of her parents.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer is the senior pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois. He has written over 20 books and is the featured speaker on three radio programs heard on Christian stations nationwide: The Moody Church Hour, Songs in the Night and Running to Win. He has experienced the loss of his granddaughter, who was stillborn.

Bruce Marchiano is a professional actor who, having given his life to the Lord in 1989, had the privilege of portraying Jesus in the Visual Bible film production The Gospel of Matthew. Known for his joyous and passionate portrayal of the Savior, Bruce now travels the world sharing the Savior and his experiences as an actor portraying Him.

Dr. Luis Palau is an international evangelist who has spoken via radio and television broadcasts to people in 104 nations and face-to-face to 13 million people in 68 nations. He is the author of several books on living the Christian life. Dr. Palau has experienced the death of his parents.

Janet Paschal, a talented singer and songwriter, is the official spokesperson of the Mission of Mercy, an international Christian relief organization. She has received Grammy nominations and is a popular conference speaker and frequent guest on Christian radio and television talk shows. Janet lost a close grandfather.

Dr. Norman Peart is the founder and pastor of Grace Bible Fellowship, a nondenominational, multiracial church in Cary, North Carolina. He is also a professor at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Peart has experienced the loss of his grandmother.

Lorraine Peterson, author of Restore My Soul, has been a teacher in the United States and in American schools in Ecuador and Mexico. Lorraine currently resides in Mexico, where she works with young people and also ministers to people who have experienced the death of a loved one. Lorraine has experienced the death of her mother and stepmother.

Dr. James Petty is the executive director of the Children’s Jubilee Fund in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which provides scholarships for low-income, inner-city students to attend Christian schools. Dr. Petty is a counselor, author and former pastor. He received his degree from Westminster Theological Seminary.

Dr. David Powlison, editor of The Journal of Biblical Counseling, is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF. He serves as an adjunct professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and is the author of Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community, Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture and Power Encounters.

Dr. Ray Pritchard is the president of Keep Believing Ministries. He is a conference speaker and frequent guest on Christian radio and television programs. Dr. Pritchard has ministered extensively overseas, preaching in India, Nepal, Paraguay, Columbia, Haiti, Nigeria, Russia and Belize. He has authored several books, including The Healing Power of Forgiveness, Discovering God’s Will for Your Life and Why Did This Happen to Me? He has experienced his father’s death.

Lois M. Rabey is a speaker and writer. She has authored several books, including When Your Soul Aches and Moments for Those Who Have Lost a Loved One. Lois lost her husband in a hot-air balloon ride accident.

Dr. Quincy Scott, Jr., is the dean of the Thomas J. Boyd Chapel at Shaw University. He is a retired army chaplain having pastored soldiers and their families for 27 years. Dr. Scott has a Masters Degree in Counseling. His doctoral thesis written at Howard University is “Ministry to Terminal Children and their Families.” He has done grief work throughout his years in the military but most especially during the Vietnam Era. He has experienced the death of his father.

Winston T. Smith is the director of counseling, a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and a lecturer in practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary, where he is also in the process of attaining a Doctor of Ministry degree. His areas of interest and experience include marriage and family, depression and anxiety.

Dr. Joseph Stowell was the president of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago for 18 years and was featured daily on Moody’s Proclaim! radio program. He now serves as the executive pastor for Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois. Dr. Stowell is an internationally recognized speaker and the author of Eternity and other books.

Dr. Siang-Yang Tan is a professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. His areas of expertise include helping people cope with anxiety, anger and depression. He has authored many publications, including Lay Counseling, Full Service: Moving from Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood, Rest and Coping with Depression with John Ortberg. He is the senior pastor of First Evangelical Church Glendale in California. He has experienced the death of his father.

Sissi Tran is a licensed marriage/family therapist in Kern County, California. As a mental health clinician, she works with high school students in special education. She has experience facilitating grief/bereavement support groups for a local hospice. She has experienced separation from her family in the Vietnam War, and the loss of her father to illness and her aunt to leukemia.

Dr. John Trent is a nationally recognized author and speaker. He is the president of StrongFamilies and The Center for StrongFamilies out of Scottsdale, Arizona. These ministries are dedicated to strengthening marriage and family relationships worldwide. Dr. Trent has experienced the loss of his father.

Dr. Paul David Tripp is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and an adjunct professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He has written many books and articles on biblical counseling, including Age of Opportunity, War of Words, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands and Lost in the Middle. He co-authored Relationships: A Mess Worth Making. He is a national and international conference speaker. Dr. Tripp experienced the death of his father.

Dr. Edward T. Welch has authored Depression: A Stubborn Darkness, Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave and When People Are Big and God Is Small. Dr. Welch’s area of interest is depression and addictions. He is a counselor and faculty member at CCEF and a professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. Both of his parents have passed away.

H. Norman Wright is a grief therapist and certified trauma specialist. He is the author of 70 books, including Experiencing Grief, Recovering from the Losses of Life, It’s Okay to Cry and The New Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling. He is on the faculty of Talbot Graduate School of Theology and on the executive board of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He has experienced the death of his son.

Ravi Zacharias, president of Atlanta-based Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1966. He received his Master of Divinity from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. He has written several books, has lectured in more than 50 countries and has a weekly radio program, Let My People Think.

Zig Ziglar, author of Confessions of a Grieving Christian and other books, is a motivational speaker. In Confessions, he relays the story of his journey through grief after the loss of his daughter. He is chairman of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, whose mission is to equip people to more fully utilize their physical, mental and spiritual resources.