Keynote Speakers
Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell
Former Senior Pastor of Windsor Village Church, Houston, Texas
Rev. Kirbyjon H. Caldwell is an ordained Elder in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He received his undergraduate degree in Economics in 1975 from Carleton College and a Master of Business Administration in 1977 from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his seminary training at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, receiving the Master of Divinity degree in 1981. While at Perkins, Rev. Caldwell was appointed Associate Pastor at St. Mary’s United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
Rev. Caldwell has served as Senior Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston since 1982. Under his leadership, Windsor Village grew from a small congregation into a 16,000-member church and a center for community transformation, including The Power Center — a 104,000 sq. ft. former Kmart renovated into worship space, a school, a medical clinic, and job-creation ministries. Nonprofit organizations begun by the church include Patrice House (a shelter for abused children), tutoring and mentoring programs, and Corinthian Pointe, one of the largest residential subdivisions in Houston developed by a nonprofit.
Rev. Caldwell has been widely recognized for his work in faith-based community development and has served as a spiritual advisor to national leaders. He is the author of The Gospel of Good Success and Entrepreneurial Faith: Launching Bold Initiatives to Expand God’s Kingdom.
Rev. Caldwell is married to Suzette Turner Caldwell. They have three children.
Rev. Dr. Lucretia R. Facen
District Superintendent, Horizon Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Lucretia R. Facen is an ordained Elder in the Horizon Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church and currently serves as District Superintendent of the Metro East District, providing oversight to 64 churches throughout Dallas County. A graduate of the University of North Texas, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1983 and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 1985, practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist before answering God’s call to ministry in 1997. She received her Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in 2001, where she was honored with the Robert Weatherford Award for Excellence in Preaching, and later earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in 2018.
An ArkLaTex Preaching Fellow of the Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence, Dr. Facen has faithfully served congregations throughout North Texas, including appointments as Senior Pastor of Jubilee United Methodist Church, New World United Methodist Church, and the historic St. Paul United Methodist Church in Dallas, as well as Associate Pastor at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church. She has held numerous leadership roles within the conference, including service on the Board of Ordained Ministry, mentoring clergy and ministry candidates, and chairing the African American Clergy Fellowship. Beyond the church, she has served on the Dallas Arts District Board and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. Facen is married to Rev. Don Robinson, and together they share a blended family of five adult children and nine grandchildren. The daughter of two pastors, the late Rev. W. Ann Facen and Rev. Lloyd B. Facen, she carries forward their legacy through a preaching ministry deeply rooted in a love for God’s Word and God’s people.