Contact: Penny Whipps, 541-549-1868 ext. 8815, penny@zeal.com

GARDEN GROVE, California, December 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- Embracing the cutting-edge influence of African-American pastors, leaders, thinkers and entertainers, Church Communication Network (CCN) and Crystal Cathedral founding pastor Dr. Robert H. Schuller are hosting an unprecedented convergence scheduled for January 17-19, 2008, at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, which will also be simulcast live via satellite to host sites in cities across North America.

The Rethink Conference will be co-hosted by Dr. Robert H. Schuller and cultural architect Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles. Other speakers will include Bishop Charles Blake, Dr. Ben Carson, Olympian gold medalist and entrepreneur George Foreman, former NFL star Miles McPherson, entertainer and humanitarian Ben Vereen, as well as world leader and former US President George H. W. Bush, justice reformer Chuck Colson, broadcaster and author Larry King, atheist turned apologist Lee Strobel, children and women's advocate Kay Warren, and others.

"It is an honor to be able to take part in a conference that is bringing such influential world leaders together to share their thoughts, opinions and beliefs with thousands of people on what our world issues are through their eyes," states Bishop Charles Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ. "I am hoping that many who attend this conference will be transformed and energized as they rethink their future."

Speakers confirmed so far:

George Barna

Bishop Charles E. Blake

Jim Burns

Pres. George H. W. Bush

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Tim Clinton

Dr. Henry Cloud

Chuck Colson

Phil Cooke

George Foreman

Jon Gordon

Dr. Michael Guillen

Lou Holtz

Jason Illian

Kathy Ireland

Dan Kimball

Larry King

Mark Kvamme

H.B. London, Jr.

Erwin McManus

Miles McPherson

Mark Mittelberg

Rupert Murdoch

John Ortberg

Nancy Ortberg

Dr. Les Parrott

Dr. Stephen G. Post

Donna Schuller

Dr. Robert A. Schuller

Dr. Robert H. Schuller

Chris Seay

Jay Sekulow

Gary Smalley

Ben Stein

Lee Strobel

Dr. John Townsend

Ben Vereen

Kay Warren

—and more to be announced soon!

A special feature of the conference will be the Rethink Tanks™, where prominent thought leaders become thought partners. Registrants will take what they've heard and talk about it in breakout sessions led by presenters and other facilitators. They'll wrestle with it, dialogue about it, agree or disagree with it—then take it a step further and make it their own.

Each speaker will give attendees a tool, a technique, or an idea… a rare opportunity to get inside the minds of some of today's top thinkers and innovators. What have they been thinking about in the last year? What keeps them up at night? What new ideas are they grappling with? What are they rethinking?

Miles McPherson, motivational speaker and pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego asks, "The Rethink Conference will be popping with bright ideas from today's top leaders. It's an opportunity for you to jump start your life with fresh advice and a true perspective from thinkers that have already done what you're trying to do—succeed."

Thousands of people are expected to be onsite at the Crystal Cathedral and many thousands more will participate through CCN's network of satellite simulcast technology. The first 500 onsite registrants for the Rethink Conference will be able to choose one of the speakers with whom to have a small-group luncheon and will also receive VIP seating and a free, signed copy of the speaker's latest book.

For more information about the Rethink Conference, please call CCN at 800-321-6781 or go to www.rethinkconference.com.