Speakers

Briana Stensrud

Presentation:
Briana grew up an evangelical pastor’s daughter in the Midwest. Her love for the Scriptures has compelled her to continually ask questions that drive her into deeper engagement with vulnerable populations. Her passion is to equip the Church to think Biblically and pragmatically about exercising a holistic, comprehensive pro-life ethic. Throughout her work in the (traditional) pro-life movement, Briana continually faced questions from those concerned about immigrants and refugees. Learning that many concerns were rooted in fear and misinformation she started a journey to re-discover God’s heart for the sojourner.

Speaker Bio:
Briana Stensrud is a human dignity advocate and the Director of Women of Welcome. Her passion is to equip the Church to engage more consistently and tangibly in holistic human dignity issues. Throughout her work in the pro-life movement, Briana continually faced questions from those concerned about immigrants and refugees. Understanding that many concerns were rooted in fear and misinformation she started a journey to re-discover God’s heart for the sojourner.

She holds a Masters of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and two kids.

Travels From:

Denver/Colorado Springs, CO

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Matthew Soerens

Presentation:
Immigration is one of the most complicated issues of our time. Voices on all sides argue strongly for action and change. Christians find themselves torn between the desire to uphold laws and the call to minister to the vulnerable. In this presentation Matthew moves beyond the rhetoric to offer a Christian response to immigration. He puts a human face on the issue and tells stories of immigrants’ experiences in and out of the system. With careful historical understanding and thoughtful policy analysis, he debunks myths and misconceptions about immigration and shows the limitations of the current immigration system. Ultimately he points toward immigration reform that is compassionate, sensible and just, as he offers concrete ways for you and your church to welcome and minister to your immigrant neighbors.

Speaker Bio:
Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief. He previously served as the Field Director for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition of evangelical organizations of which World Relief is a founding member. He is the co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis and Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate. Matthew is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and DePaul University. He lives in Aurora, Illinois with his wife Diana and their two children.

Travels From:
Chicago, IL

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Sarah Quezada

Presentation:
Drawing from her personal experiences at the U.S. – Mexico border, inside detention centers, living in Guatemala, and walking through the U.S. immigration system with her husband, author Sarah Quezada invites us to consider ways Christians can protect, support, and engage the vulnerable in today’s society. She challenges audiences to consider how they might walk in the examples of women who showed up in bold ways throughout the Scripture, equipping audiences with tangible entry points to engage the immigration issues in our world today.

Speaker Bio:
Sarah Quezada is an author, speaker, and advocate. She has a master’s in sociology and nearly two decades of experience working across cultures and leading conversations about justice and faith. Her first book, Love Undocumented: Risking Trust in a Fearful World, chronicled her journey through the immigration system with her husband, Billy, who emigrated from Guatemala City. Sarah oversees Women of Welcome’s fast-growing online community, fostering conversations among Christian women seeking to live out Biblical hospitality. She and Billy also founded GreenTec, a social impact start-up creating sustainable jobs for Guatemalan families and producing eco-friendly construction products. The Quezadas live in Atlanta, Georgia and are raising two bicultural and trilingual-ish kids.

Travels From:
Atlanta, GA

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Tess Clarke

Speaker Bio: Tess Clarke and her husband Jason co-founded the peace-building and advocacy organization, Seek the Peace (SEEK). Tess has trained hundreds of refugee and American women in peacemaking practices while utilizing these opportunities to build bridges between women of different backgrounds. She is the mother of three empowered children and holds a degree in sociology from the University of North Texas.

Travels From:
Dallas, TX

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