Connecting Christ & Culture Conference

Dr. Harris is passionate about the value and importance of higher education in the continued advancement of human progress. He is inspired by great leaders like Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Booker T. Washington, and others in their entrepreneurial approaches to innovation in education. Harris’ leadership experience is multifaceted and spans higher education, the church, and the community. He understands truth, love, justice, grace, and mercy as central virtues for human progress and apex for success. Over the past 18 years, Harris has served on the faculties at several universities and theological schools, namely Sacred Heart University, New York Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Portland Theological Seminary, Vanguard University, Old Dominion University, and Regent University, where he earned tenure and held administrative roles. He has also held a lecture chair at North Central University. Harris was the founding president of Jakes Divinity School in Dallas, Texas.

Jamal-Dominique Hopkins is Associate Professor of Christian Scriptures and Director of the Black Church Studies Program at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. Prior to this, he was the founding Dean of Allen University’s Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Hopkins holds a Pedagogy Fellowship

with Yale University's Center for Faith and Culture and a Faculty Research Fellowship with the Institute for Oral History atBaylor University.

Dr. Hopkins has served in ministerial roles in both the Church of God in Christ and the African Methodist Episcopal Church as an ordained reverend. He holds a B.A. from Howard University, an M.A. in theology and biblical studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester (U.K.). He has presented his scholarship at Yale University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Boston University, The Catholic University of America, Emory University, the University of Edinburgh (U.K.), Durham University (U.K.), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and other venues. Dr. Hopkins’ research focuses on the intersection of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran Studies with Biblical Literature and Black Religious Thought. His recent book is entitled Cultic Spiritualization: Religious Sacrifice in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Gorgias Press, 2022). Dr.

Hopkins and his wife, Karen, reside in the Waco, TX area. He can be followed at www.jamalhopkins.com and on Twitterand Instagram @phdhopkins.

Allen Parr is a national speaker, YouTuber, author, ordained minister, husband, and father. He is the cofounder (with his wife, Jennifer) of Let's Equip, a nonprofit organization that equips Christians and Christian organizations with courses and curriculum to aid in biblical literacy and spiritual growth. Allen is a proud graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned his Master of Theology degree in 2004. He has served on staff at several churches in various positions, including worship pastor and pastor of Christian education. His popular YouTube channel, The BEAT (Biblical Encouragement And Truth) with Allen Parr, reaches millions of believers with encouragement to live out their true calling as Christians. He and Jennifer and their two children live in Texas.