WHEN: Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 7:30 pm

WHERE: Colorado Christian University, Armstrong Center

WHO: Abram J. Bicksler, President & CEO of ECHO International Inc. with Brian Gray, VP of Formation at Denver Institute for Faith and Work 

Attendance is free with registration here.

At this event, Abram J. Bicksler, the President and CEO of ECHO, will discuss ECHO's global work and its unique network of thousands of agricultural workers and organizations to reduce hunger and improve lives in over 190 countries. ECHO accomplishes this by co-creating and synergizing science, indigenous local agricultural knowledge, and faith. With that backdrop, learn about some of the mega-trends affecting the world now and in the future and how God is at work through His people in the world. You'll gain practical insights into Biblical holism, the state of the Global Church, and how agriculture development and Creation Care impact lives globally by synergizing faith and science.

Abram J Bicksler earned his Doctorate and Master's degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, focusing on sustainable cropping systems, and completed his Bachelor's degree at Taylor University in Environmental Science and Biology. As a global leader, networker and researcher in sustainable food and agricultural systems, Abram has been published in a myriad of peer-reviewed journals and various FAO and extension publications. He enjoys combining the practice of agriculture at the farmer-innovator level with the rigors of the scientific method, enabling co-creation and sharing of knowledge.

While at FAO, Bicksler guided and advised on agroecology and sustainable food systems initiatives in multiple world regions through technical and policy means. Before serving in Rome, Bicksler led the ECHO Asia Impact Center's international staff team, coordinated and implemented regional networking and training events, initiated research culminating in multiple published studies, planned and began execution of the ECHO Asia Small Farm Resource Center, and grew the capacity of the ECHO Asia Seed Bank. As a visionary President/CEO of ECHO, Abram has led the ECHO team in re-imagining ECHO as a global organization with four Regional Impact Centers (RICS) serving a diverse and growing network worldwide by regionalizing resources and approaches. Building and serving ECHO's diverse network with excellence is the core of ECHO, and Bicksler has woven this throughout the year-long participatory strategic framework development process to lead and guide ECHO into the next five years of its history while fundraising to operationalize new Regional Impact Centers and initiatives in areas of greatest need and potential around the world.

Brian Gray is the VP of Formation at Denver Institute for Faith and Work, where he focuses on spiritual direction, missional integration, and leadership development for Christians working across industries in the public marketplace. His earliest work years were in applied cardiovascular physiology at the University of Texas before a big change to occupational church ministry – though both were sacred professional fields! He served in pastoral ministry for thirteen years, on faculty at Denver Seminary for five years, and for the past 10 years at Denver Institute. His vocation includes turning good ideas into more meaningful lives through facilitating relationships, reflection, and redemptive action – whether that applies to God, people's work, the Church, Liverpool Football Club, or good literature.