A message for the sanctuary and the boardroom.

On stage

Speaker bio

Arthur Shadwick has spent more than 20 years helping people restart. He began pastoring at 24, founded Grace Place Church in Garfield, New Jersey, in 2003, and still serves as its Lead Pastor. For years, though, the role became his whole identity. Diagnosed with diabetes at 29 and weighing more than 550 lbs, he was telling others to live healthy while neglecting himself, unable to fit in an airplane seat or enjoy a simple walk in the park.

Everything changed when he and his wife, Alverna, welcomed their daughter after 16 years of infertility. Becoming a father at 40, Arthur asked a hard question: would he be alive to walk her down the aisle? That question became his why. He lost over 300 lbs, became an ISSA certified Master Trainer and Nutrition Coach, and in 2025, after a six month prep and a real battle with imposter syndrome, won two gold medals and was named Overall Transformation Champion.

Today he brings both callings together through MyPurposeFit, a Faith-Driven transformation and wellness coaching brand, with a message that has reached millions, including one reel with over 16.5 million views. Once timid and afraid of public speaking, he now speaks to churches, companies, schools, and healthcare audiences. He mentors weight loss patients for Strive Surgical, serves as Chief Operations Officer of Bethel Gospel Global Assemblies International, and sits on the Interfaith Advisory Council of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security. Formerly Protestant Chaplain and Director of Interfaith Campus Ministry at Fairleigh Dickinson University, a licensed Prepare/Enrich facilitator, and cofounder of Sticky Marriage, he was featured by ABC Trainerize and writes for Faith and Fitness Magazine.