Men’s Conference

Pastor Rene Schlaepfer

René Schlaepfer is the senior pastor of Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, California and the author of six books. Born in San Jose, California to Swiss immigrant parents, Rene grew up with dual citizenship and briefly lived in Switzerland before settling on the West Coast. There he worked for many years in broadcasting, primarily as an air personality on contemporary music radio stations. While in broadcasting, Rene earned a BA in Radio/TV/Film from San Jose State and an MA Theology from Western Seminary. Since then, he has served as a pastor in San Diego, South Lake Tahoe, and Santa Cruz. Rene and his wife Laurie have three children they adore and are anxious to welcome their first grandchild this summer. Beside their love of church ministry, Rene and Laurie also advocate together for their favorite causes: local food banks and an orphanage in India.

Pastor Bob Bailian

Bob Balian is the Founding Pastor of Bayside Midtown, and currently shares the Lead Pastor role with his partner in ministry, Efrem Smith. Bob also serves as the Chaplain for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. He’s a UCLA graduate with a degree in Economics, and earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Fuller Theological Seminary. Bob grew up in Sacramento, and returned to Sacramento from Los Angeles to take over a family construction and engineering business. After becoming a bi-vocational Youth Pastor he sold his business, and became a full-time, Executive Pastor at BOSS (Bayside of South Sacramento) with the late, great Reverend Sherwood Carthen. He then planted Bayside Midtown in 2011 with his beautiful wife, Letty Balian. They intentionally planted in the heart of Sacramento — one of the most diverse cities in the country– and have been intentional about fostering and nurturing diversity and racial reconciliation in the church since the very first day of its existence.

Joseph Kirshna

Joseph graduated in 2010 from the Dream Center and has a passion for creating spaces where God is exalted. Joseph is currently serving as the Worship Leader at Peninsula Covenant Church.

Housing options, per person. All housing is shared rooms unless otherwise noted. Prices include housing, program, and meals.

Each guest will find folded sheets, a blanket, a pillow, and a pillowcase at the foot of their bed. As well as a bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, and bathmat. It is still a great idea to bring your own toiletries.

Bryan Murphy

Bryan has served as the Superintendent for the Pacific Southwest Conference since 2022. After starting his career in high tech, Bryan transitioned into full-time pastoral ministry at South BayCommunity Church (SBCC) in Fremont, CA ultimately serving as the Lead Pastor for 10 years.

Bryan’s passion is to utilize his experience in both corporate and ministry settings to assist churches and leaders in living into their fullest potential! Outside of ministry, Bryan enjoys spending time with his family, travel, golf and music.

Pastor Ben Kerns

Ben has been a pastor for over 20 years and currently serves as Lead Pastor of Marin Covenant Church. In this role, he is an experienced public speaker and content developer who presents to over 400 adults every week.

He also manages complex teams, develops his staff to excel in their professional competencies. In addition to being a pastor, Benjamin is also an author, speaker, and coach. Benjamin has trained hundreds of emerging leaders in empathy, professional development, critical thinking, team building, and emotional intelligence.

Having to meet with and care for a large number of people from every walk of life has made him an expert in building relationships and helping others leverage their unique gifts and talents to live more fully into their purpose.

Housing options, per person. All housing is shared rooms unless otherwise noted. Prices include housing, program, and meals.

Each guest will find folded sheets, a blanket, a pillow, and a pillowcase at the foot of their bed. As well as a bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, and bathmat. It is still a great idea to bring your own toiletries.