About the Author

Warren Bird is an ordained minister and teaches at Alliance Theological Seminary. He is also author or coauthor of twenty-eight books, including Next: Pastoral Succession That Works. He and his wife, Michelle, live in a suburb of New York City.

Elmer L. Towns is dean emeritus of the School of Religion and Theological Seminary at Liberty University, which he cofounded in 1971 with Jerry Falwell. He continues to teach the Pastor's Bible Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church each Sunday, which is televised on a local network and Angel One. He and his wife, Ruth, live in Forest, Virginia.

ED STETZER, a pastor for many years, is research team director and missiologist at the North American Mission Board for the Southern Baptist Convention. A former seminary professor, he has trained pastors and other church planters on five continents. He is the author of several books and has two masters and two doctoral degrees.