Conference Speakers

 Pastor Lester Barrie is a dynamic voice in both ministry and entertainment. Alongside his wife, Reverend Trinette Barrie, he co-founded an online evangelism ministry in 2025, continuing a lifelong commitment to preaching the gospel in fresh and accessible ways. A frequent guest speaker at Christian marriage conferences, Pastor Barrie accepted his call to ministry at age 21 and was licensed at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda, California, under Dr. James D. Carrington.

In 2004, he founded Perfecting Christian Fellowship, a college ministry in Carson, California, which he led for five years before being ordained and installed as senior pastor of Bible Believers Missionary Baptist Church in Lakewood, California, where he faithfully served for a decade. He later served as Assistant Pastor at Atherton Baptist Church under Senior Pastor Larry D. Weaver.

In entertainment, Pastor Barrie is a trailblazer, becoming the first senior pastor to record a one-hour stand-up comedy special. His debut, Super Saint, is still available on Amazon, and his latest special, A Fan of Marriage, is featured on DryBar.com. Respected in both the secular and Christian comedy worlds, he has cemented his legacy as a comedy legend.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, where he attended on a speech and debate scholarship, Pastor Barrie was raised in Long Beach, California, by way of Chicago. He and Reverend Trinette Barrie have been married since 2013 and share a daughter, Karis Jewell, born in 2016, along with their blended family that includes Pastor Barrie’s son, River Jordan, born in 1995.

Minister Trinette Barrie brings a soul-stirring approach and mindset to conferences, retreats, workshops, and church service participants. As a Gifted Minister and Teacher of God’s Word, she is a true inspiration to others. Utilizing her spiritual gifts, she seeks to inspire, educate, motivate, and empower whomever she comes into contact with by leaving those in attendance with a desire to make a change in their lives for the better.

Alongside her husband, Reverend Lester Barrie, she co-founded an online evangelism ministry in 2025, continuing a lifelong commitment to preaching and teaching the gospel in fresh and accessible ways.  In addition, she is the co-author of a prayer book and two new prayer journals.

Trinette holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theater and Master’s in both Marriage Family Therapy and Counseling Ministry. Trinette was born and raised in Southern California and has been married to her husband, Pastor Lester Barrie, since 2013. Together, they have a daughter, Karis Jewell, born in 2016, in addition to their blended family with Lester’s son River Jordan, born in 1995.

Pastor Joel Benjamin II is a devoted servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully serving as the Lead Pastor of The Loft Church in the city of Long Beach for over nine years. With unwavering dedication, Pastor Joel has embraced a divine calling to proclaim the Good News and unveil the transformative power of God’s unconditional love. His mission is rooted in cultivating a culture of love—a movement that reaches hearts, restores lives, and renews the spirit of the Long Beach community through the revelation of Christ’s grace and truth.

Pastors Louie & Tina Gutierrez are central campus pastors at Freedom House Church, where they serve with a deep passion for God’s house. Married for 21 years, they are proud parents of three amazing children (ages 23, 19, and 17).  With 17 years of faithful ministry, they have served as youth directors and campus pastors, always committed to excellence, leadership, and building strong relationships. As gifted communicators and leaders, they are dedicated to equipping others, strengthening marriages, and empowering families to thrive. Their greatest joy is seeing lives transformed through God, witnessing breakthrough, miracles, and freedom take place in people’s lives.

Pastor Amanda Hamilton is a wife of 12 years, a mama to five (one already dancing in heaven and four keeping her on her toes here on earth), and a passionate voice of encouragement and truth. She’s currently earning her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy and serves as an MFT trainee, walking with clients through their own journeys of healing. Amanda has co-pastored Authentic Community Church alongside her husband for the past seven years, bringing over 15 years of ministry experience to every room she walks into. Amanda deeply values authenticity, doing life in real community, and creating safe spaces where people can show up as they are and grow into who God created them to be. Whether she’s preaching, parenting, or studying late at night with a cup of coffee in hand, Amanda’s heart is to see people experience the hope and wholeness found in Jesus and have fun & laugh a little along the way.

DeVon Johnson began his time in ministry as a musician at his home church in Community Missionary Baptist Church. Over his teenage years, he grew an affinity for God’s Word which eventually led him to serve in ministry at Hopes House Christian Ministry. While there, his pastors Charles and Andrea Humphrey ordained him as a college pastor at Cal State University Northridge. DeVon spent over 10 years ministering on campus and eventually was elevated to become assistant pastor.

Thru his time of serving at his local church and local college, Pastor DeVon developed a deep love for God’s people and to see marriages thrive. He and his wife Raven Johnson were later called to Houston, TX where God gave them the vision of planting Worship Encounter Church, where their mission statement is to “receive the broken and release the whole”. The church has just recently celebrated their third year in ministry and are excited to see what God does thru His ministry in the year 2025!

Shardel Hodge Matthews is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Relationship Coach born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She is the Founder of Lighthouse Perspective, a coaching platform established to help singles and couples create, embrace, and redefine their perspectives about healthy relationships within themselves, their partners, in other interpersonal relationships, and with God. As a millennial, Shardel thrives in focusing on identifying and facing emotions, insight building, self-awareness, and thought reframing from a realistic viewpoint and Christian foundation. In addition to coaching services, Shardel and her husband, Darius, create fun activities and workshops together to deepen the understanding of intimacy in relationships. Shardel’s overall mission is to help individuals and couples achieve the things that seem impossible in their relationships by providing a space full of compassion, support, and understanding to explore a different perspective!