Main Session Speakers
Strengthened + Held
Robert Cheong
Main Session 1: “Held Fast: Experiencing More of Jesus in Life and Ministry”
Robert graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the nuclear-powered Navy before working for Michelin Tires and later being called into ministry. He earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and served nearly 17 years as Pastor of Care at Sojourn Church Midtown, where he and Karen equipped the church to care for one another. In 2018, Robert founded Gospel Care Ministries, which equips churches around the world to move beyond doing more and trying harder by abiding in Christ—so life with Jesus fuels their lives and shapes their ministries. Robert is the author of Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World, Restore: Changing How You Live + Love (also available in Spanish), and God Redeeming His Bride: A Handbook for Church Discipline. Robert and Karen have been married for 43 years and have three grown children, two sons-in-law, and five precious grandchildren.
Rob Futo
Main Session 2: “Seeing the Savior: Experiencing more of Jesus in all the Scriptures”
Rob was born in St. Louis to Hungarian immigrants and became a Christian through Cru at Mizzou. He met his wife, Tünde, while serving with Cru in Szeged, Hungary. They have been married for thirty-one years. After Rob graduated from Covenant Seminary, he was ordained as a Missionary-PCA pastor, and they returned to Hungary, where they have served for twenty-six years as full-time missionaries. Rob and Tünde founded the Cornerstone (Sarokkő) Church in 2015, which meets in a coffee shop in Budapest and has over 100 people regularly attending. Rob is the Lead Pastor, and he has also written books on marriage, Biblical theology, and Apologetics. Tünde, who is a musician, seasonally leads a choir and completed a two-year master's degree in Counseling through Westminster Seminary online. They started to implement Restore in 2024 and that is their main goal for member care and discipling in their church. They are passionate about seeing people get to know Jesus Christ personally and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love for Him, who is the only one who can truly change lives.
Johnny Pereira
Main Session 3: “The Bullseye of Successful Ministry”
Johnny Pereira brings 23 years of pastoral ministry experience to his work in equipping and shaping church leaders. He earned his Master of Divinity from Pensacola Theological Seminary in 2003 and has dedicated his life’s work to church leadership, spiritual formation, and pastoral care. Johnny and his wife, Lori, have been married for 27 years and have two adult children, Lily (22) and Lucas (19). At the heart of Johnny’s calling is a deep commitment to making, mobilizing, and multiplying disciples following the model Jesus commanded in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). He is passionate about leading churches into a holistic discipleship strategy—which he defines as the lifelong journey of knowing and abiding in Christ as His restoring love reshapes who we are, how we think, and how we live.
Kike Torres
Main Session 4: “Resurrection Power: Living From the Life Jesus Already Gave Us”
At nineteen, Kike Torres surrendered his life to Christ, and in 2010 God confirmed his call to pastoral ministry. He became the first Mexican certified by ACBC and is now pursuing his doctorate at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). Kike serves as Lead Pastor of Horizonte: Cristo es Mejor in Querétaro, Mexico, and founded SEBAM and Con Tu Consejo, Latin America's largest biblical counseling conference. He serves as the lead pastor over the pastors of Cristo es Mejor, a church-planting network across Latin America that has planted or replanted more than twenty churches, and authored “Dios en mis desiertos y tormentas” and El drama no ama. His passion: "More of Christ in more people in more places." Paulina, his wife of seventeen years, studied at Horizon School of Evangelism and continues training in biblical counseling. She serves in women's leadership at their local church. Kike and Paulina have one son, Christian, and believe all true ministry flows from intimacy with God before activity for Him.
Les Groce
Main Session 5: “Learning the Abiding Life from Jesus; A Day in the Missional Life of Christ”
Les and Alison Groce have been married for 32 years and have spent most of those years serving together in ministry. Les earned his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his PhD through the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. Alison is a graduate of the University of Florida and has served alongside Les throughout their years of ministry and missions. Les and Alison have served in ministry for 27 years, including roles in church planting, discipleship ministry, cross-cultural missions, missionary training, and leadership development across four continents. Les and Alison currently serve as Global Catalytic Trainers, equipping and coaching local leaders to become multiplying disciple-makers and church planters. Their work focuses especially on developing leaders who can train others and catalyze sustainable, locally led movements of churches. Les and Alison are passionate about seeing ordinary believers equipped to abide deeply in Christ, faithfully share the gospel, make disciples, and multiply healthy churches. Throughout their ministry, they have sought to keep gospel-centeredness and abiding in Christ at the heart of both personal ministry and leadership development. Their desire is to see local believers equipped to take ownership of the Great Commission in their own communities and beyond.
Join leaders from around the world as we slow down, draw near to the Lord, and rediscover how abiding in Christ restores our souls, renews our relationships, and reshapes our lives and ministry.
Come be refreshed.
Come with your team to learn together.
Come back to the ways of Jesus.
Come be equipped to lead from overflow, not exhaustion.