Stand Strong

Bill Crowder joined the Our Daily Bread Ministries staff in 2001 after more than 20 years in the pastorate stretching from West Virginia to southern California to west Michigan. Over the years, Bill has spent much of his time in a Bible-conference ministry around the world, serving ODBM offices and their outreach to their local communities.

Bill is a contributing writer for the Our Daily Bread devotional and has written many Bible study booklets for ODBM's Discovery Series. He has also published a number of books with Our Daily Bread Publishing, including Wisdom for Our Worries. Bill also serves as cohost on Discover the Word, a podcast and daily radio program heard nationwide.

Now semiretired, Bill and his wife, Marlene, live in North Carolina. They have been married for over 45 years and have five adult children and a growing legion of grandchildren. To relax, Bill enjoys playing golf whenever possible, and following sports, especially the English Premier League's Liverpool Football Club.

As a "third-culture kid" (parents from one culture who raised him in another), Tim Gustafson attended eight different schools in his first nine years of schooling, plus a "semester at sea" that comprised first grade. His adoptive parents were missionaries who traveled several times by ship. The penchant for traveling didn't stop with adulthood, and it's served him well as he continues his career as a writer and editor. A military veteran of three deployments, Tim and his wife, Leisa, have eight children--seven of whom are boys--and a granddaughter.

David Roper served as a pastor for many years. Now, he and his wife, Carolyn, offer encouragement and counsel to pastoral couples through Idaho Mountain Ministries. David is a former Our Daily Bread writer and author of more than a dozen books, including The God Who Walks Beside Us and Teach Us to Number Our Days. Nearly one million of his books are in print.

Dave Branon retired in 2021 after a 40-year career as a writer and editor with Our Daily Bread Ministries. With more than 1,200 articles so far, Dave continues to write for the Our Daily Bread devotional. He has also written 20 books, which include Beyond the Valley: Finding Hope in Life's Losses and Lands of the Bible Today. He and his wife, Sue, have four children and eight grandchildren, and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Marvin Williams is an associate Bible teacher for Our Daily Bread Ministries and a contributing writer for the Our Daily Bread devotional and Our Daily Journey online community. He is also the senior teaching pastor of Trinity Church in Lansing, Michigan. Educated at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, he previously served in several pastoral positions in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He and his wife, Tonia, have three children.

Daniel Ryan Day is a family man, radio host, podcaster, and writer. He's authored Ten Days Without, a book raising awareness for global social needs, and What's Next, offering hope and practical wisdom for those struggling to figure out their next step in life. Daniel holds a Master's Degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is the Director of YMI US and Podcasting at Our Daily Bread Ministries. He's married to his high school sweetheart, Rebecca, and they have three kiddos. He's often found in the studio noodling around on the keyboard or at home chillin' with their sheep.

David McCasland is a contributor to Our Daily Bread and the author of Eric Liddell: Pure Gold and Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God, which won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Gold Medallion for biography. He and his wife live in Colorado.

James Banks (D.Min, Gordon-Conwell) makes his home in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife, Cari, where James is the founding pastor of Peace Church. James's adventure with writing started in 4th grade when his teacher discovered it was a great way to keep him out of trouble! He loves to encourage others to draw close to God through heartfelt prayer and fresh insight from Scripture. James's books have been translated into many languages and have touched the lives of over half a million people. They include Prayers for Prodigals, Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for Your Children, Peace Through Prayer, Hope Lies Ahead (which he co-wrote with his son Geoffrey), and others. You can find teaching from James through Our Daily Bread University's popular Prayer Basics series and the Praying with Jesus DVD. James is featured weekly on the Encouraging Prayer radio broadcast and podcast and is a much-loved speaker for churches and retreats. You can find out more about what James is up to lately by visiting JamesBanks.org.

Mike Wittmer is Professor of Systematic Theology at Cornerstone Theological Seminary and Senior Pastor of Cedar Springs Baptist Church in Michigan. His books include Heaven Is a Place on Earth (Zondervan), The Last Enemy (Discovery House Publishers), Despite Doubt (Discovery House Publishers), Becoming Worldly Saints (Zondervan), The Bible Explainer (Barbour), and Urban Legends of Theology (B & H). Mike and his wife, Julie, love serving their church together and making memories with their adult children.

Sheridan Voysey is an author, speaker, and broadcaster based in Oxford, United Kingdom. He is the author of eight books, including The Making of Us, Resurrection Year, Reflect with Sheridan, and the Our Daily Bread Publishing titles Resilient and Unseen Footprints. Sheridan is a presenter of Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show; is a regular guest on other broadcast networks across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and beyond; and speaks at conferences and events around the world. Sheridan blogs and podcasts at www.sheridanvoysey.com