Pastor Jim Henkell serves as Ministry Executive for the Pacific Southwest District, partnering with churches and schools for renewed inspiration, and missional clarity in their work.

He was previously Senior Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School in San Diego and was twice honored with the District’s School Shepherd Award. Jim is a graduate of both Concordia University Irvine and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He served on the Board of Regents at CUI for 10 years where he chaired the committee on Lutheran Identity and Mission. Jim has preached or spoken at nearly 200 events around the country. His messages are known for their Christ-centered, Gospel-dominant impact.

Jim and his wife, Liane, are the blessed children of Lutheran educators and the proud parents of three Lutheran school graduates. Liane is a longtime educator herself, now working with Garuna Ministries to build and develop Lutheran schools in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Bernard Bull serves as the 11th President of Concordia University, Nebraska. His work focuses on futures and issues in Christian education, education trend analysis, models of educational research and development, and the intersection of education and digital culture. Prior to Concordia University, Nebraska, Bull served as President of Goddard College; Associate Professor of Education and Vice Provost at Concordia University Wisconsin; and as a middle and high school teacher in Lutheran schools in Illinois and Wisconsin. Throughout his career, Bull has taught grades six through doctoral studies in Lutheran schools and universities.

Bull is author, co-author, and editor of a number of books, including: The Pedagogy of Faith; Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology; Imagine the Possibilities: Conversations on the Future of Christian Education; Prep Talks: Tales of Challenges & Opportunities in Christian Education; What Really Matters: Critical Issues in Education; Adventures in Self-Directed Learning; and Missional Moonshots: Insights and Inspiration in Educational Innovation. He has served as a consultant and invited speaker to over two-hundred groups and organizations over the past twenty years.

Bull is married to Dr. Joyanna Bull, and they have two children: Bethany and Nathaniel.

Originally from Michigan, Courtney completed her undergraduate work at Michigan State University and taught special education in Lansing, focusing primarily on children labeled emotionally impaired. She also worked as a youth corrections officer and as a counselor for both a domestic violence shelter and a rape crisis center.

After arriving in Las Vegas, Courtney taught general education for ten years while completing her colloquy and her Master’s in counseling. She is currently completing the necessary post-graduate hours to obtain her Clinical Professional Counseling (CPC) licensure and her Clinical Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor licensure (CLADC). Courtney has spent more than a decade at Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School, Las Vegas, where she has worked on developing trauma-informed practices, including pioneering a unique therapy dog program.

In addition to guest interviews on KNPR and KFUO radio, Courtney frequently contributes to educational events, including prior Association for Mid-Level Educators National Conferences, Best Practices in Ministry Conference, and the Pacific Southwest District Lutheran Educators Conference. She is a regular on local news stations and has appeared on Good Morning America. Courtney is also the author of The Comfort Dog Gave Me Pink Eye: Lessons from the Book of Esther (Wipf & Stock, 2020) available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other publishing houses.