Guest Speaker & Performer Bios

Keith & Kristyn Getty
Keith and Kristyn Getty are GRAMMY^®-nominated recording artists from Northern Ireland who have revolutionized the hymn genre with songs such as “In Christ Alone” and “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.” According to Christianity Today, they have “changed the way evangelicals worship.” Their songs are sung by over 100 million people around the globe each year, and they have written or co-published 38 out of the top 500 CCLI songs in the US/UK. They have performed for presidents and prime ministers and on stages such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and Sydney Opera House. Keith was awarded the OBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and hymn writing. Today they lead a hymn movement involving a diverse group of writers through the Getty Music Organization and Global Foundation. Keith & Kristyn live between Nashville and Northern Ireland with their four daughters.

Matt Boswell
Matt Boswell is lead pastor of The Trails Church in North Texas and the President of Doxology & Theology. He is an author and hymn writer, known for songs including “His Mercy is More” and “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery”. Boswell earned his MA in Christian Ministry, ThM in Biblical Spirituality, and PhD in Christian Worship from Southern Seminary. He lives in Texas with his wife and four kids.

Matt Papa
A veteran songwriter and Christian musician, Matt Papa has carved an even more unique space for himself as one of the world’s top modern-day hymn writers. With songs like, “His Mercy Is More”, “Christ Our Hope In Life And Death” and “Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery”, Matt tours regularly across the U.S. as a songwriter with Getty Music and frequently guests on their tours. A three-time Dove Award nominated artist, Matt is on a mission to write songs that are singable, beautiful, and timeless. He currently serves as an artist-in-residence at Marco Presbyterian Church in Marco Island, FL, and most of all, is a husband, and a father to 5 beautiful children.

Nikki Lerner
Nikki Lerner is a nationally recognized culture coach, speaker, artist, and author helping individuals and organizations move from monocultural to multicultural. With over 20+ years as a practitioner and leader in the area of multicultural work and life, her passion is to equip others with the inspiration and information needed to move one step closer towards healthy diversity through music and conversation. 
 
Nikki is the founder and CEO of The Culture Coaching Lab, host of the Culture Coach Podcast, has authored two books entitled Life Whispers and Worship Together: In Your Church As In Heaven.  You can connect with Nikki, hire her for coaching, or have your worship leaders work with her by visiting nikkilerner.com.

Thurman Williams
Director of Homiletics, Covenant Theological Seminary
Church Planter and Pastor of New City Fellowship West End, St. Louis

Thurman serves as the Director of Homiletics at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and is the founding pastor of New City Fellowship West End Church, also in St. Louis. Prior to planting New City West End in 2019, Thurman served for 5 years as Associate Pastor at Grace & Peace Fellowship in St. Louis. He and his family (wife, Evie and four children) moved to St. Louis from Baltimore, Maryland, where Thurman pastored New Song Community Church for 13 years. Thurman served as a youth pastor and on staff with Young Life in Baltimore prior to the time at New Song. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Chesapeake Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant. Thurman serves on the Boards of Covenant College, The Carver Project, and The Freedom School.

Phil Nitz
A 14-time Dove Award nominee, Phil was awarded a Dove Award for Musical/Choral Collection of the Year in 2017, Musical of the Year in 2020, and Musical/Choral Collection of the Year in 2022. He was also awarded the Alumnus of the Year department award from the Lee University School of Music in 2021. To date, his arrangement of Lauren Daigle’s “Noel” remains a best-seller among Brentwood Benson’s Christmas anthems. His arrangement of “What A Beautiful Name” for the Voices of Lee went viral on Facebook in 2017 with over 60 million views.

Beyond his musical accomplishments, Phil's heart is to deliver the message of hope, grace, peace, and love that is found through Jesus Christ in music and worship.