Illuminate - Working with Purpose
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
George Shinn Center
Lipscomb University will shine a spotlight on the intersection of faith and work through its annual Illuminate: Living with Purpose conference, scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the university’s George Shinn Center. Registration is now open for the one-day event, which is part of the university’s Presidential Signature Series and costs $60 per person.
Illuminate: Living with Purpose is designed to help attendees discover how faith can inform and shape their professional lives, no matter their career stage or field. The event features compelling keynote addresses, thought-provoking breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and a special live presentation of the No Small Endeavor show, sponsored by Marty and Jane Kittrell.
This year’s keynote speakers include two national voices in the faith and work movement — Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today and the inaugural Bill and Crissy Haslam Endowed Distinguished Visiting Professor of Faith and Reason at Lipscomb, and Mark Whitacre, vice president of Culture & Care and executive director of the t-factor initiative at Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc.
“At Lipscomb University, we believe that a career can be much more than a job — it can be a vocation and one filled with ,” said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “This conference is a space where we will delve into how we can bring meaning to our everyday work, no matter the field or stage of our careers. Illuminate aligns deeply with our Christ-centered mission to equip individuals to live out their faith in every aspect of life.”
In addition to his work at Christianity Today, Moore serves as host of The Russell Moore Show, and is co-host of The Bulletin. He is also the author of several books including Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Moore previously served as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A senior fellow with the Trinity Forum and board member of Becket Law, Moore brings a unique blend of theology, ethics and cultural insight to the conference.
Whitacre brings two decades of leadership in the faith and work movement. In his current roles at Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., a publicly traded company with a faith-forward culture, Whitacre champions initiatives that integrate values, purpose and workplace excellence. He previously served in leadership roles at CBMC, Cypress Systems and major corporations including Archer Daniels Midland, where he was the youngest divisional president in company history. Whitacre holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University and has worked in global markets across the U.S. and Germany.
Illuminate 2025 is hosted in partnership with Lipscomb’s Center for Vocational Discovery and College of Business, bringing together leaders, students, and professionals who seek to live out their calling with clarity and conviction. Interactive breakout sessions will offer practical insights from a wide range of disciplines, fostering conversations around faith integration in education, business, health care, media and more.