Mainstage Voices
Natalie Runion
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Natalie Runion is the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and ECPA bestselling author of Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away and The House That Jesus Built: Leading Our Churches Back to God’s Original Blueprint (September 2024). She is also the founder of Raised to Stay, an online community nearly 200,000 “Stayers” who are honest in their wrestling about their relationship with Jesus and His Church.
A pastor’s daughter from Cincinnati, Ohio, Natalie graduated from Miami University with a degree in education and has served as a pastor in the local church for over twenty years. She is a songwriter, worship leader, podcaster, and sought-after speaker at churches and conferences around the world.
Natalie lives in Kentucky with her husband, Tony, and their two daughters. Natalie and Tony work together to provide training and education to pastors and leaders in pursuit of a healthy and reconciled church.
Anna Golden
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For Anna Golden, the road to national recording artist was anything but a predictable
path from the church pew to the sanctuary stage. The 26-year-old native of St. Louis,
MO started her career as a showbiz kid---the youngest of four unusually talented
siblings. By her early teens, Anna had spent the majority of her childhood in Los
Angeles audition rooms, landing a manager before she could drive and earning
consistent work with mainstream entertainment outlets including Radio Disney.
“All of my siblings---John, Liz, and Josh---are involved in mainstream music or acting,”
Anna explains. “I started in the mainstream also, but at 15 I remember having a moment
with my parents where I told them the attention was too much pressure for me.”
That honest confession to her parents changed the focus of Anna’s career and led her
to her true passion---worship ministry. “I loved leading worship because none of the
attention was on me,” Anna says. “All the glory is directed to God.”
“Both of my parents led worship in their young adulthood. So, when I was growing up,
they were always singing and writing worship songs,” Anna reflects. Her father, a
chiropractor with a private practice, only played worship videos in his office where Anna
was a frequent visitor. “I remember just sitting there watching videos and seeing
Michael W. Smith lead worship from the piano, and I loved it so much.”
Anna’s love for playing and listening to worship were set, but it would take an
unexpected encounter with God to nudge her toward leading worship in the local
church.
“When I was about 11 years old, I remember being in a service with my youth group.
Our pastor told us, “Find a place in the room. Let God speak to you,’” Anna says. ”I had
this little red notebook, and I just remember writing down that the Lord spoke to me and
said, ‘Music will be your calling. I gave you this gift for a reason. Your voice is a gift.’ I
just remember being so impacted by that and thinking, OK I’m not going to run from
this.”
After several years as a member of the youth worship team, Anna began leading
worship at Faith Church in her hometown. By age 18, she was put in charge of the
worship team and began recording and releasing her own worship songs independently.
Her commitment to the local church earned her an unexpected opportunity that would
gain her national attention.
In 2017, Tasha Cobbs Leonard was planning the recording session that would become
her historic album Heart. Passion. Pursuit. “Tasha reached out to all of her closest
friends, including Adrienne Grimsley one of the pastors at the church where I was on
staff. She asked, ‘Who’s ministering to you at the moment?’” Anna recalls. “Adrienne
responded by sending her my EP.”2
The GRAMMY-winning worship artist, who achieved global prominence with her
groundbreaking hit “Break Every Chain,” trusted her friend and visited Anna’s social
media pages, watching videos of her leading worship. “Tasha was really moved by
that,” Anna says. “So, she actually sent me an email. I’ll never forget opening that email
and being requested to come and be a part of the record.”
“When I got there, it was incredible. It was like meeting your heroes and not being let
down by people just being prideful or crazy,” Anna continues. “Tasha was so kind and
considerate and really took the time out to be with all of the worship leaders who were
part of the project, giving us vision. She actually asked me if I would be featured on the
song “Gracefully Broken”. It was honestly an incredible moment. From there we’ve
been very close. It felt like we had known each other forever.”
The connection extended beyond the album, with Anna traveling with Tasha as a
background vocalist and serving alongside her in the local church where Tasha was
worship pastor.
And when Tasha made the move to launch her own imprint, TeeLee Records, in
association with her longtime label Motown Gospel, she chose Anna Golden as her
debut artist.
“Anna is a relevant and necessary voice to this generation,” Tasha says. “Her influence
has already crossed barriers and built bridges culturally. I expect her impact to be
explosive, quickly.”
Anna has not disappointed. In late March 2020, shortly after the Coronavirus pandemic
began to impact the world, Anna Golden caught the internet’s attention when she---
joined by sister Liz Golden and pop superstar Selena Gomez--- uploaded a stripped-
down cover of the worship anthem “The Blessing” to Instagram, while in self-isolation in
Los Angeles.
The post instantly gained massive attention for Anna in the mainstream and worship
worlds, helping to launch her song “Peace,” to critical and consumer acclaim. Starting
as a private expression from Anna’s own experiences, “Peace” quickly turned to a
musical balm that she knew would speak to the waves of anxiety and depression so
commonly crashing against people today.
Anna’s melodic and pure voice, enveloped in warm pads and ethereal strings, washes
over listeners like healing water. “I use my voice as an instrument,” Anna shares.
“Often times when I’m singing, I’m picturing the notes being painted on top of the
instrumentation like a brush to a canvas.”
On “Peace” and the other songs she has written for her major label debut, Anna is
finally realizing the global impact of the gift she first embraced in that youth conference
so long ago.3
“I believe that music is a beautiful translator to anything that the Lord wants to say to
someone,” Anna says. “My mission when I’m leading worship is to extend what has
been extended to me---the power that’s in worship, the warfare that’s in worship, the
peace.”
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Darian Sanders is a multi-talented artist currently making waves on the National tour of Disney's The Lion King, where he brings the iconic character of Simba to life. With a diverse background in music and performance, Darian has traveled extensively both locally and internationally as an instrumentalist, conductor, and now as a performer.
Beyond his artistic pursuits, Darian has embraced his calling as an ordained pastor, using his platform in the performing arts world to be a beacon of light and inspiration. He sees his unique journey and story as an opportunity to point people towards Jesus, and he actively partners with local churches, lending his voice and leadership to worship services across the country.
Exciting things are on the horizon for Darian as he prepares to release his original music and publish his book later this year. With a heart full of anticipation, he is thrilled to embark on a new chapter as he joins the SALT community for the first time, eagerly anticipating what God has in store for him and this community.
Darian Sanders is a true testament to the power of faith, talent, and a heart dedicated to serving others. Through his music, performances, and ministry, he continues to impact lives and inspire those around him alongside of his wife Jessica and boy Titus.
Darian Sanders
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Lauren Sloat, born and raised in Detroit, MI, is widely recognized by her artist name Fleurie. She has gained significant recognition for her TV and film placements on popular shows like Grey's Anatomy and Pretty Little Liars. Lauren has collaborated with notable producer Tommee Profitt on a cover of Linkin Park's 2001 single "In the End," which has amassed over 75 billion streams.
Singing all her life, Lauren's greatest passion is to glorify Jesus and help others encounter His love. She actively contributes to her home church, The Belonging Co, by helping write and release music. Now residing in Nashville, TN, Lauren lives with her husband, Jordan and their toy poodle Rosie.
Lauren Sloat
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Samer Massad is the lead pastor of Woodstock City Church, an Atlanta area campus of North Point Ministries. Samer started his ministry career at Woodstock City Church where he launched and led the college ministry for almost 7 years. Samer graduated from the University of Georgia and from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters of Theology. He and his wife Julie live in Marietta, Georgia with their three daughters: Harper, Samantha, and Zara.
Samer Massad
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As the former Chief Creative of Global Franchises at Dream Works, Rick Rekedal has worked on films such as Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and The Prince of Egypt. He was recently appointed President and CEO of David. C. Cook. Rick is a frequent speaker and lecturer, and he serves on advisory boards for the Wedgwood Circle, the MWS Group, and Belmont University’s film school. His book “One Small Step” is available through Amazon and local booksellers. Rick lives in Pasadena with his wife Vicki of 23 years, their three daughters, and their schnoodle-dog Winston.
Rekedal’s past properties include: Madagascar, Bee Movie, Trolls, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Spirit, Shark Tale, The Prince of Egypt, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Men in Black, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
Rick Rekedal
Brad Montague
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Brad Montague is a New York Times best selling author of books for kids and former kids. He is creator of the web series Kid President, The Circles All Around Us, and, most recently, The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination. Brad lives in Tennessee with his wife and kids. He can currently be seen as the host of the television special The Kindness Project on The Magnolia Network and Discovery Plus.
As a storyteller, his inspiring stories and imaginative resources are used in classrooms around the world daily. As creator of the award-winning hit series Kid President, Montague wrote, directed, edited, and led the project to collaborations with the White House, the United Nations, Beyoncé, and more. As an author and illustrator, Montague’s books have captured hearts and imaginations around the world. As a creative consultant, Montague works regularly with companies to elevate their abilities to tell stories, impact culture, and inspire change. As a speaker, he connects deeply and uniquely with every audience on whatever stage he finds. Montague speaks regularly to companies, creatives, schools, and beyond.
Drew Worsham
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Drew Worsham is a pastor, disciple-maker, husband, father, and world-renown illusionist, speaker, and storyteller. Drew has spent the last 20+ years traveling, preaching and performing. He loves to use the art of magic to captivate audiences and help spark childlike wonder in theme, and use his gifts to be able to share the story of Jesus.
He spent 10 years helping to plant churches in and around Washington state, leading teams and college students and creating a summer leadership project for undergraduates. He served for 2 years as a college pastor in San Antonio, speaking weekly to 18-24 year olds and developing leaders and house churches, followed by 4 years as the lead pastor and church planter at The Rim Church.
Drew is based in San Antonio with his wife, Jane, and two kids, Tilly and Linden. When he’s not on the road, he loves crossfit, experimenting with new recipes, and exploring the city with his family, in search of the perfect donut and breakfast taco.
Joseph Sojourner
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Joseph Sojourner (aka Sojo) has emerged as a refreshing voice of creativity and leadership for this generation, harnessing the power of story to connect people to purpose. Sojo is owner of Two Cents Creative Thinkers, an Atlanta-based creative agency, as well as creative consultant for Trilith Studios, where he lives. Sojo is a trusted voice on next generation business leaders for many events throughout the world, has been featured on NBC’s Your Move in candid conversations with leadership guru Andy Stanley, and inspires schools, universities, churches, and teams alongside Orange and Growing Leaders. In 2022, Sojo launches The Moonwalkers Podcast, a place for the doers to uncover the steps needed for true success and the dreamers to discuss the leaps needed for the betterment of mankind.
Worship Team
Lauren Sloat
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Lauren Sloat, born and raised in Detroit, MI, is widely recognized by her artist name Fleurie. She has gained significant recognition for her TV and film placements on popular shows like Grey's Anatomy and Pretty Little Liars. Lauren has collaborated with notable producer Tommee Profitt on a cover of Linkin Park's 2001 single "In the End," which has amassed over 75 billion streams.
Singing all her life, Lauren's greatest passion is to glorify Jesus and help others encounter His love. She actively contributes to her home church, The Belonging Co, by helping write and release music. Now residing in Nashville, TN, Lauren lives with her husband, Jordan and their toy poodle Rosie.
Terryl Padilla
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Terryl Padilla is a worship leader with over two decades of experience in guiding worship and creaHve teams. His unwavering commitment to the local church has driven him to empower teams to achieve excellence within their communiHes. Terryl currently contributes as a member of the Worship Together staff, while also acHvely serving in his local church.
Kierre Bjorn
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Kierre is the Central Worship Pastor of Celebration Church of Jacksonville, FL. He resides in Kernersville, NC with his wife of 8 years, Marika and their 3 children Esther-Rose, Nehemiah and John.
Kierre studied music business at Winston-Salem State University with a concentration in classical vocal performance. Cultivating his love for classical music led him to performing at historic opera houses like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and being cast in an off Broadway show (“Soul on Fire”). Kierre has recorded and toured with artists like Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, Elevation worship, Will Reagan & United Pursuit and a host of others. He is also passionate about songwriting and has written for artists like Common Hymnal, Maverick City Music, Housefires, JJ Hairston, Faith City Music, and more. Despite any career accomplishment or acknowledgment, he finds his satisfaction in serving the church and spending his time with his family/friends.
McKenna’s SALT Story
Workshop Speakers
Sarah Benibo
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Adam Westlake
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Chandler Saunders
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Paul Yerrick
Exec. Creative Pastor
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Called
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Canva Verified Expert
Warren Davis
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Robbie Seay
The Worship Initiative
Brady Shearer
Pro Church Tools
Jacob Salguero
TOMORROW Creative
Carson Burtchett
Sidecar Production House
Phil Bowdle
Slingshot Group
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Tim Logsdon
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Brian Taylor
VP at Slingshot Group
Aaron Bensko
Bent Tree Bible Fellowship
Willow Hodge
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Pro-Presenter
Will Chapman
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Matthew Pahl
Liberty University
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Former Creative at Transformation Church
JT Burg
Life.Church
Tricia Griffin
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Dustin Pead
Creative Coach