Epicenter

NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, FORMER DELTA FORCE COMMANDER, AND RENOWNED BIBLE TEACHER TO HOST CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE GLOBAL & MIDDLE EAST CRISES IN LIGHT OF BIBLE PROPHECY

“With wars and rumors of wars dominating headlines, what does the future hold?” An expected 10,000 to gather in San Diego on April 4th at Epicenter Conference for answers to this and other questions

(Washington, D.C.) – Joel C. Rosenberg, the New York Times best-selling author of Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future, announced today that on April 4th he will host the 2009 Epicenter Conference to examine several rising global geopolitical and economic crises in light of Bible prophecy. Rosenberg will be joined at the conference by Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, the former commander of the Army’s elite Delta Force and the former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; and Pastor Chuck Smith, the renowned Bible teacher, author, radio host and prophecy expert.

“With wars and rumors of wars dominating the Middle East, the eyes of the world are riveted on Israel, Iran and their neighbors, the epicenter of the dramatic events that are shaping our world and shaking our future,” said Rosenberg, whose new non-fiction book about the Mideast – Inside The Revolution – releases March 10th from Tyndale House Publishers. “Americans are reading apocalyptic headlines out of the Middle East. They are looking for answers to questions like, Is there any chance of peace in the Middle East in the near future, or are we headed toward even more catastrophic wars? Why are Iran’s leaders saying the end of the world is near, and the way to hasten the coming of the Islamic Messiah is to annihilate the U.S. and Israel? What happens if Iran gets nuclear weapons? Why is Russia helping Iran go nuclear? How will coming events in the Middle East affect us as Americans, economically and geopolitically? Were the global crises we see unfolding today foretold thousands of years ago by the Hebrew prophets? And given the urgency of such crises, is there any hope in the world today?”

WHO: Joel C. Rosenberg, Pastor Chuck Smith, and Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Jerry Boykin

WHAT: The 2009 Epicenter Conference:Understanding Today’s Global
Crises In Light of Bible Prophecy.

WHEN: April 4, 2009 – 9:00am to 4:00pm

WHERE: Cox Arena, San Diego, and web cast gavel to gavel at www.epicenter09.com

Rosenberg, who has more than 1.5 million copies of his political thrillers and non-fiction books in print and is often a guest on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, the History Channel and other networks, noted that the emergence of a new President of the United States and a new Prime Minister in Israel – as well as upcoming national elections in Iran in June – are developments that are adding to the volatility and uncertainty regarding the future of the Middle East and how Americans will be affected. He also cited the following recent headlines to underscore the timeliness of the 2009 Epicenter Conference:

• IRAN HOLDS ENOUGH URANIUM FOR NUCLEAR BOMB – Financial Times, 2/19/09

• Israel, Iran liable to clash in 2009 over nukes, says U.S. intel chief – Haaretz, a leading Israeli newspaper, 2/14/09

• Hayden: Iran near nuke decision; Departing CIA chief says American intelligence agency Tehran appears to be nearing decision on whether to build nuclear warhead – Associated Press, 1/16/09

• Iran president says Israeli leaders face 'doomed end' – Los Angeles Times, 1/16/09

• Russia to start Iran nuclear plant by year end – Reuters, 2/5/09

• Bin Laden urges jihad against Israel – Associated Press, 1/14/09

• Obama Turns to Mideast, Offers ‘New Way’ With Muslims – Bloomberg, 1/21/09

“Wherever General Boykin, Pastor Chuck Smith and I travel – throughout the United States and around the world – we meet people who are increasingly anxious about the future of the United States, the future of Israel, and the future of the Islamic world,” said Rosenberg, who recently returned home to Washington, D.C., after four weeks traveling through Israel, Iraq, India and the Persian Gulf region. “I am honored that these two distinguished experts in military intelligence and Bible prophecy respectively will be joining me to help Americans – and all who join us via the world wide web – better understand current events not just through the lenses of geopolitics and economics, but also through the ‘third lens’ of Scripture.”

The San Diego event will be the first Epicenter Conference held in the United States. In April 2008, Rosenberg, Boykin and Smith spoke at the inaugural Epicenter Conference which was held at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.

Background on the major speakers at conference:

• Joel C. Rosenberg – An author and former political advisor based in Washington, D.C., Rosenberg previously served as a senior aide to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky and U.S. presidential candidate Steve Forbes. In April 2008, Rosenberg, an evangelical Christian, hosted the first Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem, an event that drew some 2,000 people from around the world to examine regional threats to Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. His forthcoming non-fiction book, Inside The Revolution: How The Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus Are Battling To Dominate The Middle East And Transform The World, will be released March 10, 2009 from Tyndale House Publishers. His previous non-fiction book, Epicenter, was a New York Times best-seller, as were each of his five political thrillers, all of which were set in the Middle East. He is the co-producer of a documentary film called Epicenter. In 2006, he and his wife founded The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), a non-profit organization to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors with food, clothing, medical equipment, and other relief aid.

• Pastor Chuck Smith – A renowned Bible teacher, author of numerous books, and host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Word For Today, Pastor Chuck is the founder of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, an evangelical congregation that draws some 25,000 people weekly in southern California. He is widely known for his passion to teach the Scriptures to lay people, his commitment to train evangelical leaders, and his deep love for the Jewish people and State of Israel. Since 1965, he and the pastors he has trained and inspired have started more than 1,200 Calvary Chapel evangelical churches throughout the U.S. and around the world. Over the years, Pastor Chuck has led numerous tours to the Holy Land. He co-hosted his first conference in Jerusalem in 1983 with then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and was a headliner at the inaugural Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem in April 2008.

• Lt.-General (retired) William “Jerry” Boykin – A founding member of the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force, Boykin was part of the commando team President Carter sent into Iran in 1980 to rescue American hostages held by the Ayatollah’s followers. He later helped liberate Grenada from Soviet-backed Communists and was severely wounded in the effort. He went on to help capture Panamanian dictator Manuel Noreiga, was promoted to Commander of Delta Force, and later oversaw the training of all U.S. Special Forces at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He was then promoted to the rank of three-star general and retired in 2007 after serving as the U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. An evangelical Christian, he is the author of Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom. He is a popular speaker and lecturer throughout the United States, and was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem in April 2008.