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:
- Brett Kern (@BrettKern6) – Punter for the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, TN – In addition to his punting duties with the Titans, during the offseason you can find Brett working with several ministries including In His Grip.
- Jamie Ivey (@jamie_ivey) – Podcaster, Speaker, Writer, and Adoption Advocate, Austin, TX – Jamie hosts the incredibly popular Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast.
- Rich Perez (@RichPerez729) – Pastor and Church Planter, New York, NY – Rich planted Christ Crucified Fellowship in the Washington Heights neighborhood of NYC in 2011.
- Dan DeWitt (@DanDeWitt) – Associate Professor of Applied Theology and Apologetics at Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH – In addition to his classroom duties, Dan leads Cedarville’s new Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity.
- Paul Sohn (@pauljsohn) – Leadership Blogger, San Diego, CA – A senior associate with GiANT Worldwide, Paul is a leading voice for Christian leaders.
- Emily Freeman (@emilypfreeman) – Author & Blogger, Greensboro, NC – Emily’s first book, Grace for the Good Girl, exploded onto the scene in 2011. Since then, she’s gone on to write three more books and speak all over the country.
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.
This is sooo great! Love reading about other young church leaders. Keep up the great work! I currently do a weekly NextGen Leadership Spotlight for young church leaders. It’s really neat to see and hear more stories.
Rev. Shareka Newton, Executive Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Brooklyn (NY) is a worthy of consideration. She manages and resources a paid staff of 30, as well as ensures that the church is operating within the confines of vision, mission, and values of the church. Equally important, she is a blogger, frequent speaker/facilitator for young adult experiences, and host of an internet TV show, Rev. Shareka and X Show, which seeks to look at and interpret, through the lenses of the gospel, contemporary issues awash in the culture.
If you’re looking for the Young Influencers… Check out a pastor by the name of Jeff Lewis. Most call him “J.J.” http://www.jjlewis.org