We are excited to announce Thrive 2009’s keynote speakers:

Franklin Graham
President, the Billy Graham Evangelical Association.

Franklin conducted his first evangelistic event in 1989 and committed to spend 10 percent of his time preaching. Now he conducts Festivals around the world as an evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Since 1989, he has preached to more than 4 million people in cities around the world.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association appointed Franklin Graham CEO in 2000 and president of the organization in 2001. He has served as first vice-chairman of the BGEA Board since 1995.

Francis Chan
Teaching Pastor, Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley.

Francis has been serving at Cornerstone for the past 14 years. He serves as president of Eternity Bible College and the board of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact.

Francis spends much of his time speaking to high school and college students. His commitment and passion are to teach directly from the words of scripture and see the next generation of American Christians display a much deeper love for Jesus.

Ray Johnston
Senior Pastor, Bayside Church in Granite Bay, CA.

Ray Johnston, President of Developing Effective Leaders, is a 20-year veteran of both youth and adult ministry. He is also the founding Pastor of Bayside Church, in Roseville/Granite Bay, CA, which has grown to over 10,000 in just a thirteen-year period. Ray is a frequent speaker at conferences, leadership training events, family camps and national youth events.

Sherwood Carthen
Senior Pastor, Bayside of South Sacramento.

Bishop S.C. Carthen is the pastor of Bayside of South Sacramento. In addition, he is chaplain for the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. He also takes this opportunity to invite and encourage other churches of all denominations to share with his church family.

Bishop Carthen currently serves as Chair of Stakeholder for the National African American Tobacco Education Network. He also serves as president of the National Black Clergy for Substance Abuse Prevention; and Chairperson of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship Celebration Committee for the Sacramento Community.

Musical guests the Katinas.

The Katinas are 5 brothers- out of 12 children!- who have been singing together since early childhood. The brothers grew up on the tropical Polynesian island of American Samoa, which is located about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. The music that they perform together reflects their values and their faith.

In 1988, the Katinas moved to Washington State to be with their mother as she battled cancer. After her death, the brothers moved to Nashville and have since continued to travel, singing about the love their mother taught them and their commitment to Christ.

Lincoln Brewster

Lincoln Brewster, an internationally-acclaimed worship leader, is Worship Arts Pastor of Bayside Church. He has a passion to help people enter God's presence through worship and a desire to record songs that will minister to a new generation of believers.