2025 Gospel-Centered Preaching Conferenc
Gospel-Centered Preaching Conference
October 27-28, 2025 | New York City
Explore and experience how the gospel can transform our lives, ministries and preaching, and the communities in which we live and serve.
This transformative event promises to inspire and empower pastors, ministry workers, and believers alike to renew the gospel in their preaching. Dedicated to the legacy of Tim Keller, the gathering will be held at Church of the Advent Hope, where the church he planted first gathered for worship.
Ty Gibson is the Speaker/Director for Light Bearers. A passionate communicator with a message that opens minds and moves hearts, Ty teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love as the central theme of the Bible. He has authored eight best-selling books. Ty and his wife Sue have three adult children and two grandsons.
Kerlin Calderon is the lead pastor of Grace Tabernacle Ministries in New York City. Born in the Dominican Republic, he moved with his family to New York at the age of seven and grew up in the Inwood Heights section of upper Manhattan, where he served his local church as both youth pastor and associate pastor.
Kerlin is passionate about serving his community and sharing the love and grace of God with those around him. His desire to see neighborhoods transformed and renewed by the gospel led him to plant a church in the Riverdale and Kingsbridge sections of the Bronx. His vision is to build a Christ-centered church that displays the richness of the gospel while embracing its community with care and compassion.
He also serves as Director of Church Planting Training for Redeemer City to City, where he equips and develops leaders to launch healthy, missional, and multiplying churches. With a heart for discipleship and mission, he provides practical tools, biblical foundations, and hands-on coaching to prepare planters for long-term kingdom impact.
Kerlin studied at Lehman College and at Nyack’s Alliance Theological Seminary, earning degrees in administration and religion. He is married to his wife, Margie, and together they have two beautiful daughters, Olivia and Aliah. In his free time, Kerlin enjoys spending time with his family and cheering on the New York Yankees.
Pastor, author, and recent Doctor of Ministry Graduate, Lola Moore Johnston faithfully navigates the call on her life to motivate audiences across the globe to build on their dreams and thrive in their destiny.
A graduate of La Sierra University, CA (BA), The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, MI (M.Div.) and the Payne Theological Seminary, OH (D.Min.) Dr. Johnston has taken the call to lead men and women to Christ as a call to prepare rigorously.
No stranger to being the “first” in many of her endeavors, she shouldered the responsibility of breaking glass ceilings as a female Chaplain and Pastor of churches and universities around the country. After a decade of pastoral ministry, she is pleased to serve as the Senior Pastor of the Restoration Praise Center in Bowie, Maryland. She dons the distinction of serving as the first female Senior Pastor (head Pastoral staff) in the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ nearly 100-year history.
Dr. Johnston’s desire to encourage other women to shed their self-doubt and negative beliefs ignited the passion that founded “The Bloom Society,” an international community of women thriving in their unique brilliance.
While bountifully blessed to enjoy success personally and professionally, God saw fit to bless her even more and with great joy, Pastor Johnston married her friend and partner in life, Keith Johnston in November of 2016. He is a career educator and enjoys being the coolest teacher in school as he revolutionizes elementary education, one classroom at a time.
A consummate speaker and author, Dr. Johnston has been featured at numerous global conferences professing one of her life-long missions; inspiring others to draw closer to Christ and to become clear and consistent in the expression of their life's purpose.
Iki Tolu Taimi has been the Lead Pastor of La Sierra University Church since May of 2022.
Iki is a sixth-generation Adventist immigrant who grew up in the urban regions of Southern California and has a passion for justice, diversity, and inclusion.
He graduated from La Sierra University Divinity School with both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. La Sierra and its people helped shape him in profound ways. As Iki says, “It was at the intersection of an Adventist communal heritage, an underprivileged upbringing, and strong affirmation from the Adventist education system that my identity was formed and informed."
Pastor Iki has worked as the Southern California Conference as Youth & Young Adult Director, church planter, and lead pastor at the Gardena Genesis Community Church. Prior to that, he was an Associate Chaplain and enrollment counselor at La Sierra University.
Iki is a sought-after speaker who communicates with humor, warmth, and passion. But his biggest strength is his relationality and simply loving on and being with people. Words such as dynamic, refreshing, relatable, grace-oriented, inspiring, bridge-building, and passionate are used to describe him.
He is currently in the middle of his Doctoral project at Fuller Theological Seminary with a focus in church transformation, relational well-being, and the calling to justice.
Iki’s family includes his wife, Melanie, an ICU nurse supervisor at Adventist Health White Memorial, and their children, Mikayla (12) and Lio (10).
Iki enjoys laughing, eating, and watching the Lakers. He loves to spend time with people, being active, hanging with his family. He cherishes being Adventist and growing with others, but most of all, he loves Jesus.
Susan Zork is a recently retired Assistant Professor of Religion at Andrews University. Her areas of specialization are in Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and included teaching courses in Spirituality and Ethics in the Healthcare Professions along with general education theology to many hundreds of Andrews’ undergrads. Her love of the classroom is reflected in being awarded the Daniel A. Augsburger Excellence in Teaching Award as well as winning AUSA Teacher of the Year on two separate occasions. Susan continues in her role as a teaching pastor at the One Place Worship Fellowship on the campus of Andrews and doing guest speaking engagements around the country. She also continues to sing and perform with University Singers under the direction of her beloved husband, Stephen Zork. Susan is a published composer and recording artist, as well. But, most of all, she maintains that her greatest claim to fame and sweetest blessing would be her four grown children; Nicholas (Noelia), Benjamin (Mirka), Timothy (Cindy) and Jasmine. Along, of course, with six amazing grandchildren; Ava, Emily, Zoey, Leo, Oscar and Felix.
Full schedule coming soon.
Lodging
Affordable lodging for those in vocational Christian ministry is available at Hephzibah House.
Another affordable option is the Interfaith Retreats hostel.
Group rate discounts at Voco, which is one block from Church of the Advent Hope, may be available using this link.
