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By Jonathan Howe

Once again, the goal with this list is not to inflate the egos of those named, but to make you, the readers of ThomRainer.com, aware of the dozens and dozens of Christian leaders who are advancing the gospel in their respective spheres of influence. And while some pundits may sit back and claim Christianity is declining or dying, these leaders are clearly making a statement that it will not happen on their watch. They are passionate about Christ Jesus, His gospel, and taking it to the ends of the earth. The qualifications are quite simple: under 40 and making a Kingdom difference.

So without further ado, here is this month’s young influencer list:

  • Terrace Crawford (@terracecrawford)Author and Host of This Week in Youth Ministry podcast, Virginia Beach, VA – Terrace’s blog and podcast are great resources for those in student ministry.
  • Kristen Padilla (@kristenpadilla)Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, AL – Kristen coordinates marketing and communications for one of America’s leading divinity schools.
  • Jorge Mendoza (@jmendozza)Teaching Pastor at Blueprint Church, Atlanta, GA – Jorge not only serves with Dhati Lewis at Blueprint, but also works with NAMB on their church planting efforts.
  • Nathan Rose (@nathanrose33) Replanting Catalyst for the North American Mission Board, Liberty, MO – Nathan is a name you may recognize from our Notable Voices features on Saturdays at ThomRianer.com. We’ve linked to quite a few of his articles at ftc.co.
  • Melody Maxwell (@melody_m) Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at Howard Payne University, Brownwood, TX – Melody is a leading historian on the subject of women in Baptist life.
  • Aaron Armstrong (@aaronstrongarm)Brand Manager for The Gospel Project, Nashville, TN – Aaron is brand new to his role with LifeWay. In fact, he just moved here from Canada at starts next week. However, you probably know him from his prolific blog at BloggingTheologically.com.

Please continue to pray for these individuals and their ministries. If you’d like to nominate a young influencer for consideration, let me know on Twitter: @Jonathan_Howe or in the comments section below. For previous young influencer lists, click here.


Jonathan Howe serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources, the host and producer of Rainer on Leadership and SBC This Week, and the managing editor of LifeWayPastors.com. Jonathan writes weekly at ThomRainer.com on topics ranging from social media to websites and church communications. Connect with Jonathan on Twitter at @Jonathan_Howe.

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