The Rev. Janet Waggoner is canon to the ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. She also serves as chairwoman of the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Church Planting and Evangelism.

J.D. Payne is an associate professor of Christian ministry at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He specializes in church planting and evangelism.

Joseph Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University, where he researches New Religious Movements and American religious history.

Scott Hildreth is an assistant professor of global studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also directs the Center for Great Commission Studies.

Ann Gleig is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida, where she studies Asian religions and the intersection of religion, gender and sexuality. Her first book, American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity, includes an exploration of online Buddhist meditation communities.

The Rev. Jerold Garber is the founding minister of First United Church of Christ Second Life, the first virtual reality church to be given full standing by a mainline Protestant denomination.

The Rev. Jeff Eddings is the southeast region and coaching associate for 1,001 New Worshiping Communities, a Presbyterian initiative to launch innovative new churches. Previously, he helped found the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh.

Nabil Echchaibi is the associate director of the Center for Media, Religion and Culture at the University of Colorado Boulder. He studies Muslim identity politics, with an emphasis on how online activities affect organized religion.

Eric Burch helps lead the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Second Life, a virtual faith community for users of the video game Second Life.