Christine Parton Burkett, a North Carolina native, is a Visiting Professor of Speech at Duke Divinity School. Since 1991 she has worked with the homiletics and worship students at Duke helping each find and enhance their own voice in preaching and leading worship, that each minister might communicate the gospel effectively and with grace. Christine has a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts and Master 's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She has contributed an essay on voice to the "Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching" and considers herself to be a professional pew-sitter. When not sitting in the pew, Christine enjoys gardening, scuba diving, and spending time with her husband and two children.

Nathan Kirkpatrick is passionate about helping clergy lead well in the midst of the challenges and opportunities of congregational ministry. After sixteen years of teaching and training through Duke Divinity School, he became a partner of Saison Consulting, LLC, an independent consulting firm in Durham, North Carolina. He holds an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in Religion and Political Science and a Master of Divinity degree from Duke, and has done further study in Religion and Psychology at Durham University. He is an Episcopal priest who served as Priest Associate at the Church of the Advocate in Chapel Hill, NC.  He has taught or preached in churches with memberships ranging from fifty to five thousand.

Jim Harnish retired in 2014 after 42 years of pastoral ministry in the Florida Conference, the final twenty-two years as Senior Pastor at Hyde Park United Methodist in Tampa. He was the founding pastor of St. Luke’s in Orlando and also served at Howe Memorial, Crescent City and Trinity Church, DeLand. A graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, he has served in leadership positions throughout the church. He is the author of 16 books and numerous bible studies and articles. He has served as a Teaching Congregation pastor for Duke Divinity School where he serves on the Board of Visitors. Jim is passionately committed to effectively communicating the gospel through preaching.