Leaders & Speakers

Lydia Earls

Leader

Hey, Im Lydia! I am originally from Sioux City, Iowa but now live in Shelby, North Carolina with my husband, Will.
Ministry in general has always been a big part of my life. Growing up as a "Pastors kid" I was always active within the church and involved in children's ministry, youth ministry, and the worship team.
I am currently pursuing a full time career as a Contemporary Christian/ Christian Pop artist. My goal through this career is to be able to help bring people into the presence of God through music. Another passion of mine that burns just as brightly is girls ministry.    I have had the privilege of being able to work with, lead, and mentor many young ladies. I love nothing more than seeing young women fall madly in love with Jesus, grow hungry for His Word, and go out into the world boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus like a lioness.
After seeing a need within this community for something geared specifically towards young women, God placed it on my heart to start the “Deeply Rooted” conference. We hope and pray to see you there as we dig into the word of God together and see that when something is deeply rooted, it is strong, healthy, and almost impossible to pull up.

Kayla Jones 

Leader

Hi! I'm Kayla and I am from Charlotte, North Carolina. I am currently getting my bachelors degree at Gardner-Webb University. I have a heart for ministry and feel specifically drawn to minister to young women who have experienced loss. When I was 17 my father passed away from ALS. I found myself broken and in a place of complete devastation. God picked me up and reminded me that He is my Father. A year after my Dad passed away, I took a year off of school to work for an African Children's choir. We traveled throughout the United States, Uganda, and Kenya spreading the news of Jesus through singing and dancing. It was during that year that my relationship with God blossomed to heights I never knew possible. He is truly my daddy. In December, 2017 my life changed forever. I visited a new church and met their Youth pastor\ Associate pastor who is now my fiancé! We are thrilled to be getting married in August of 2019! Since meeting my fiancé, God has confirmed that he has called me to ministry and as I serve along side of him, I am always looking for opportunities to pour into young women. I am forever grateful for the impact that women older than me have had on my life and I love opportunities to pass that down to younger generations.

Rachael Ray

Worship Leader

Hello friends! I am Rachael and I am STOKED to be a part of the Deeply Rooted Conference this year. It has always been my passion to serve the Lord, and throughout my life, He has given me so many opportunities to do so. I grew up on a farm in Western North Carolina where I developed a love for finding Christ in the beauty of His creation. On warmer days, you can find me outside on a trail, working in a Christmas tree patch, or in the creek fishing with my husband. At a young age, I began singing at church. Music has a beautiful way of bringing people together and there is something so powerful about the way a melody can transport us into the presence of the Father. Singing for the Lord has given me countless opportunities to minister to hurting people and I love every minute of it. I am a graduate of Gardner-Webb University, which in my opinion, is the best college EVER. During my last semester, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that attacks your lymph nodes and immune system. After 8 rounds of chemo, 15 rounds of radiation, and intense spiritual warfare, I graduated college, got married, and was declared cancer free! GOD. IS. GOOD! I love working with high school students whether I'm leading worship, teaching Sunday school, or teaching a sweet lesson in the classroom. I don't know what the future holds, but one thing I know for sure: Jesus Christ is a powerful, healing, right on time friend who has never left me comfortless and will never cease to amaze me with His unfailing and unconditional love.

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Tareja Mitchem

Speaker

My name is Tareja Mitchem. I love the mountains, pizza, Lord of the Rings, and listening to hours of podcasts. I live in Rock Island, Illinois with my amazing husband Nathan and our miracle baby, Judah David. My passion in life is to love Jesus and make Him known! I carry many titles; wife, mother, daughter, friend, restaurant server, and small business owner. But my favorite title above all of the others is a daughter of the King. I went from creating a mess of my life to serving the creator of all things. In Ephesians 2:10 it tells us that “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God tells us through this scripture that we are His masterpieces in Jesus and that He has given us power and a purpose for His glory. The Lord has worked many wonders in my life and I continue to deepen my relationship with Him daily. He has called me to speak and to teach young women what it looks like to be warriors for His kingdom. I am so excited to be a part of this ministry and deepen my roots in Him with all of you.

Kindra Houston

Speaker

Hey! I am Kindra, a fierce yet compassionate former International evangelist - turned local pastor's wife. I love to teach, equip, and empower females of all ages to press into Christ more, know Him, and make Him known. As a speaker, writer, and "in progress" author, my words are infused with a wealth of experience through a variety of suffering during almost a decade of work as an evangelist and church planter among Muslims in one of the darkest regions on the earth. From death threats to chronic illness, I have been there- done that, and have the battle scars to boot. It is my hope that my brokenness and transparency may be a refreshing addition that will better equip these girls to walk the way of the cross and engage a hurting world with the Gospel. I am a mother to four dynamic humans, self taught artist, wanna be musician, and lover of horses who longs to restore an old fashioned farmhouse one day.
The hard topics people tip-toe around are where I like to spend
time and camp out. The deep places of our souls have questions that need answers avoidance never brings.