Bestselling Christian Author to Speak at Samford University

Lysa TerKeurst to headline Samford's Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series on March 3, with proceeds supporting the Orlean Beeson School of Education.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Samford University's Orlean Beeson School of Education is hosting a special event on March 3 featuring bestselling Christian author Lysa TerKeurst. TerKeurst, the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a 7-time New York Times bestselling author, will share her insights on topics like trust, forgiveness, and emotional well-being. Tickets for the event, which include a VIP reception and book signing, are now on sale, with proceeds going to support Samford's future educators.

Why it matters

The Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series is an annual event that brings well-known authors to Samford's campus to 'enrich the intellectual and spiritual lives of students.' By featuring TerKeurst, a leading voice in the Christian literary space, the event aims to provide meaningful support for Samford's School of Education while also offering the broader Birmingham community an opportunity to engage with an acclaimed author.

The details

The Distinguished Author Series event will take place on Tuesday, March 3 at Samford's Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center. A VIP reception with TerKeurst will begin at 5:30 PM, followed by the main program at 7 PM which will include a Q&A session. General reserved seating tickets are $15, while VIP tickets that include the reception and book signing are $50. A group discount of 30% is available for purchases of 10 or more tickets.

  • The event will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
  • The VIP reception with Lysa TerKeurst will begin at 5:30 PM.
  • The main program, including a Q&A session, will run from 7 PM to the end of the event.

The players

Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a 7-time New York Times bestselling author. Her work focuses on themes of resilience, forgiveness, and emotional well-being from a biblically-grounded perspective.

Anna McEwan

Anna McEwan is the Dean of Samford University's Orlean Beeson School of Education. She has described TerKeurst as 'one of the leading voices in the Christian author space on topics of trust, brokenness, forgiveness, and restoration.'

Samford University

Samford University is a private Christian university located in Homewood, Alabama. The Orlean Beeson School of Education at Samford is hosting the Distinguished Author Series event featuring Lysa TerKeurst.

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What they’re saying

“She is one of the leading voices in the Christian author space on topics of trust, brokenness, forgiveness, and restoration. Her vulnerability invites others to engage in safe conversations about hard topics.”

— Anna McEwan, Dean, Orlean Beeson School of Education (bhamnow.com)

“A goal of the distinguished author series is to explore written works that challenge us intellectually and spiritually. Samford students, faculty, staff, and guests benefit from the perspectives authors bring to campus each year. Meeting and interacting with the authors is a unique feature of the event.”

— Anna McEwan, Dean, Orlean Beeson School of Education (bhamnow.com)

What’s next

Tickets for the March 3 event are on sale now, with general reserved seating priced at $15 and VIP tickets that include the reception and book signing priced at $50. A 30% group discount is available for purchases of 10 or more tickets.

The takeaway

By hosting acclaimed Christian author Lysa TerKeurst, Samford University's Orlean Beeson School of Education is providing the Birmingham community an opportunity to engage with an influential voice on topics of faith, resilience, and emotional well-being, while also raising funds to support the next generation of educators.