Emily Chapman Richards is the vice president of Show Hope, an organization whose mission is to care for orphans and reduce barriers to adoption. Show Hope was founded by Emily’s parents Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. If those names sound familiar, it is because her mother is a New York Times Best-Selling author and her father is a 5-time Grammy Award Winning recording artist.
Born and raised in Franklin, TN, Emily has enjoyed watching Show Hope grow from a dream in her parents’ heart to an organization that has helped thousands of children come to know the love of a family. Emily met her husband, Tanner, on a blind date at a local Starbucks. Married in 2008, Tanner and Emily are the proud parents to three beautiful ladies—Eiley, Della, and Verity.
After earning her BA in International Studies and Religion from Baylor University (‘07), Emily continued her education while living abroad, graduating from Queen’s University Belfast (‘12) with a Masters of Theology. Emily enjoys traveling and talking theology over a cup of coffee. She is a visionary and a dreamer, and has long remained a passionate advocate for adoption and orphan care efforts.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- Growing up as the daughter of a Grammy-Award winning artist
- Persuading her parents to adopt a child
- The origins and mission of Show Hope
- The fun story of how her parents met
- Dealing with tragedy