Illuminate - Working with Purpose
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
George Shinn Center
Discover Purpose at the Intersection of Faith and Work.
Join us for Illuminate: Working With Purpose, a one-day conference, on Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the George Shinn Center on Lipscomb University's campus. The cost is $60 per person.
Illuminate: Working 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.
Register Here!
About Our Keynote Speakers
Russell Moore
Russell Moore
Russell Moore is editor-in-chief of Christianity Today and the inaugural Bill and Crissy Haslam Endowed Distinguished Visiting Professor of Faith and Reason at Lipscomb University. 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.
Mark Whitacre
Mark Whitacre
Mark Whitacre brings two decades of leadership in the faith and work movement. He currently serves as vice president of Culture & Care and executive director of the t-factor initiative at Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc. In these 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.
Tony Young
Illuminate Award Honoree
Tony Young
Tony Young is the 2025 Illuminate Award honoree. He is chairman of Kingdom Story Company, an executive producer at various film production companies, and the chief executive officer of Aegis Sortation. Young is also the President of City on a Hill Studio and Diversified Automation,Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Louisville College of Business Graduate Programs.
The Illuminate Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies living with purpose in a secular profession by using their talents, time and resources to faithfully lead and serve others for the glory of God. This prestigious honor is given to an individual whose faith and core values naturally guide their decision-making. Their professional and personal lives are marked by the words of Matthew 5, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." The Illuminate Award honors a person who truly illuminates their part of the world by shining their light in a way that honors God.
Schedule
8:30-9 a.m.: Registration
9:15-10:15 a.m.: Keynote 1 featuring Mark Whitacre
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Breakout Session 1
11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Lunch
12:15-1:15 p.m.: Keynote 2 featuring Russell Moore
1:30-2:30 p.m.: Breakout Session 2
2:45-3:45 p.m.: No Small Endeavor Show
Breakout Sessions
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Breakout Session 1
- Faith in Action: Serving God Through Medicine and Public Service, College of Pharmacy - Dr. Lisa Piercey; Tennessee State Senator Shane Reeves, Pharm.D.; Tennessee State Representative Bo Watson; and Tom Campbell, moderator
- Artistic and Artificial Intelligence: An AI² Vision of the Future, George Shinn College of Entertainment & The Arts – Todd McCullough; Steve Taylor; Dr. Steve Nordstrom; and Mike Fernandez, moderator
- That'll Preach! Teaching & Preaching on Vocation and Purposes, College of Bible and Ministry – Dr. Orpheus Heyward and Dr. Scott Sager
Sacred Rhythms, Sacred Labor: Reclaiming Work through Discipline, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – Dr. Brandi Kellett and Dr. Josh Owens
1:30-2:30 Breakout Session 2
- Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare - A Challenge to Christian Ethics?, College of Health Sciences - Dr. John Beyer, Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical College of Virginia/VCU Health; Matt Steidl; Meagan Spencer; Jenna Sissom; and Dr. Lynette Austin, moderator
- Faith at Work: A Conversation with Women Leaders, College of Business – Dr. Adrienne Battle; Nancy Osman; and Dr. Allison Duke, moderator
- Neurotheology: The Brain Science of Identity, Purpose, and the Good Life, College of Bible & Ministry and the Center for Teaching and Learning – Dr. Earl Lavender and Dr. Laura Morrow
- The GPS of Calling: Four Waypoints for Vocational Discernment, Center for Vocational Discovery – Rob Touchstone and Dr. Hope Nordstrom
A special thanks to our signature sponsor:
Illuminate is a part of the Presidential Signature Series as a collaborative event with the Center for Vocational Discovery and the College of Business.