(Time) On Wednesday evening, 30 of America’s most influential evangelicals met on the patio of Marlow’s Tavern outside Atlanta for a private dinner. Shelley Giglio of Passion Ministries, Jason Russell of Invisible Children, Rebekah Lyons of Q Ideas, and dozens of others were in town to speak at Catalyst Atlanta, an annual Christian conference to inspire the next generation of leadership. They met to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and brainstorm possible future endeavors together.
The man who convened everyone is Brad Lomenick, the founder of the conference and a man who has a vision to equip Christian leaders to become agents of positive change. Catalyst started 14 years ago, and now Lomenick leads a giant operation: 13,000 people attend the conference, 600 others volunteer, and a core staff of 15 runs the event.