Mark and I attended a Pastor and church leader Bible conference Monday - Wednesday of this week. Our pastor, Bobby Smith, and his wife, Joy, also attended. The theme was Vision.
"This year's theme is VISION. We'll take a look at
what it means to boldly pursue a Biblical vision for advancing the gospel to
the glory of Christ. We'll examine how church leaders can expand their
expectations not for personal advancement, but for the sovereign purposes of
God."Here is a list of the General Session speakers and a brief bio.
Al Mohler
Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist
Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. In addition to his
presidential duties, Dr. Mohler hosts two programs: “The Briefing,”
a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview; and “Thinking in
Public,” a series of conversations with the day’s leading thinkers.
He also writes a popular blog and a regular commentary on moral,
cultural and theological issues. Called “an articulate voice for
conservative Christianity at large” by The Chicago Tribune, Dr. Mohler’s
mission is to address contemporary issues from a consistent and explicit
Christian worldview.
Stephen Davey
Stephen Davey is the host pastor of the Shepherds 360 Church
Leaders Conference. He serves as the Pastor/Teacher at Colonial Baptist Church
as well as president of Shepherds
Theological Seminary. In addition, Stephen is heard through the
international broadcast ministry of Wisdom for
the Heart.
Erwin Lutzer
Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where
he served as the Senior Pastor for 36 years. He earned a B.Th. from Winnipeg
Bible College, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a M.A. in Philosophy
from Loyola University, and an honorary LL.D. from the Simon Greenleaf School
of Law.
A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker
on three radio programs that are heard on more than 1,000 outlets in the United
States and around the world: Running to Win—a daily Bible-teaching
broadcast; Moody Church Hour—The Moody Church’s Sunday morning worship
service; and Songs in the Night—an evening program that’s been airing
since 1943.
Dr. Lutzer is also an award-winning author of numerous books
including: Rescuing the Gospel, He Will Be the Preacher, The
Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent, One Minute After You Die, When a
Nation Forgets God, and Christian Bookseller’s Gold Medallion Award
winner, Hitler’s Cross.
His speaking engagements include Bible conferences and
seminars, both domestically and internationally, including: Russia, the
Republic of Belarus, Germany, Scotland, Guatemala, and Japan. He also leads
tours to Israel and the cities of the Protestant Reformation in Europe.
Dr. Lutzer and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area.
They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.
Daniel Henderson
As a lead pastor for nearly three decades, Daniel Henderson
helped several congregations experience transformation and renewal through an
extraordinary commitment to prayer. Daniel now serves as founder and president
of Strategic Renewal and is the national director for The 6.4 Fellowship. As a
“pastor to pastors,“ he leads renewal experiences in local churches, speaks in
a variety of leadership conferences, and coaches pastors across North America
and beyond. Daniel is the author of over a dozen books, including, Old Paths,
New Power: Awakening Your Church Through Prayer and the Ministry of The
Word, Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God’s
Face, Transforming Presence: How The Holy Spirit Changes Everything - From The
Inside Out, and Glorious Finish; Keeping Your Eye on the Prize of Eternity
in a Time of Pastoral Failings.
Jared Wilson
Jared Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral
Ministry at Spurgeon College,
Author in Residence at Midwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and co-host of the FTC Podcast), and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at
Liberty Baptist Church, all in Kansas City, MO.
Jared has authored over twenty books, including The
Prodigal Church and Gospel-Driven Ministry (coming 2021). He has
been married to Becky for 24 years, and they have two teenage daughters.
Costi Hinn
Costi W. Hinn is a pastor and author whose passion is to
preach the gospel and serve the church. He is a graduate of Dallas Baptist
University and holds a Masters in Theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary. He is co-author of Defining Deception and author of God,
Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel. Costi and his wife Christyne have four
children and reside in Gilbert, Arizona, where he serves as a pastor at
Redeemer Bible Church.
David Gibbs III
Attorney David C. Gibbs III is the President and General
Counsel of the National Center for Life and Liberty, a ministry organization
that defends life and liberty freedoms nationwide. Mr. Gibbs speaks regularly
to audiences in churches and conferences while also litigating cases as a trial
attorney. He has authored five books including Fighting for Dear Life and Understanding
the Constitution.
Attorney Gibbs graduated from Duke Law School and manages
the Gibbs Law Firm with offices in Dallas, Texas; St. Petersburg, Florida; and
Washington, D.C. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme
Court and numerous federal circuit and district courts nationwide. He has also
been admitted to the State Bars of Florida, Minnesota, Colorado, North Dakota,
Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, and the District of Columbia.
Eugene Bakhmutsky
Founding pastor of the thriving Russian Bible
Church of central Moscow and former Senior Vice President of the Union of
Evangelical Christian-Baptist Churches of Russia, Eugene is an
internationally renowned speaker and author and one of the key leaders in
the Protestant church of Russia. His story is compelling as is the story of the
Russian Bible Church. He is happily married and the father of three children.
Bruce Ware
Bruce Ware is the professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary. Along with being an esteemed theologian he has authored
numerous books and articles. He authored God’s Lesser Glory: The
Diminished God of Open Theism; God’s Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture
and the Christian Faith; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles,
and Relevance; Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the
Greatness of God; and The Man Christ Jesus: Theological Reflections on the
Humanity of Christ.
Ray Pritchard
Ray Pritchard serves as president of Keep Believing
Ministries, which ministers to pastors, Christian leaders, and those seeking to
know God better, by providing Bible teaching resources. He has ministered
extensively across the US and overseas, including South Korea, Ukraine, Uganda,
Kenya, China, and the Philippines. Ray has written 31 books, including Stealth
Attack, The Healing Power of Forgiveness, and An Anchor for the Soul,
and co-hosts Today's Issues on American Family Radio. He and his wife
Marlene have three sons and eight grandchildren.
John Glass
John Glass was born of American parents in Paris, France and
raised in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1976, at the age of 19, John back-backed for
6 months from Switzerland to India in search of life’s answers and was led to
Christ by a missionary in New Delhi. He has served as a church-planter in
France and Switzerland for the last 33 years, first with TEAM and currently
with Grace Ministries International (GMI). In 2007, John started a
French-speaking church that he is currently pastoring in the heart of Geneva
l’Eglise Evangélique Internationale de Genève (www.eeig.ch). He holds BA
(Spanish) from Syracuse University, an MDiv from Talbot Theological Seminary
and a DMin from the Master’s Seminary. He is the author of two books in French
and is about to publish his DMin thesis titled A Walking Guide to John Calvin’s
Geneva. John can be heard on a weekly radio program in Geneva called More
Precious Than Gold. John served as chaplain to Geneva-Servette hockey team for
16 years, making him at the time the only professional sports chaplain in
Switzerland. He also enjoys giving Reformation/Calvin tours in Geneva. He and
his wife Meg have three grown children.
Paul Newby
Paul Martin Newby was born in Asheboro, N.C. He received
his B.A. degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and law degree
from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law. Justice Newby has served on the Supreme
Court of North Carolina since 2004. Justice Newby is an Eagle Scout and serves
as Scoutmaster Emeritus of Troop 11 and as a board member
of Occoneechee Council. Justice Newby has been married to Macon
Tucker Newby since 1983, and they have four children.
Besides these speakers, who spoke in the General Sessions to everyone who attended the conference, there were lots of other speakers who held the Workshops. And there were workshops for the women who attended the conference with their pastor husbands, seminary husbands, church leader husbands, etc.
Conference Schedule
Monday, October 19, 2020
8:00-1:30
Day at Shepherds Theological Seminary (STS preview day with complimentary lunch –
learn more & sign up here)
12:30-2:00
Registration & Exhibits Open
2:00-2:45
General Session 1: Costi Hinn – A Vision that Changed
the World
3:00-3:45
General Session 2: Bruce Ware – Isaiah's Vision of
God
4:00-4:45
Workshop Session I
4:45-7:00
Break for Dinner – Exhibits Open; Hotel Check-in
7:00-8:30
Evening Service/General Session 3: Stephen Davey
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
8:30-9:00
Free Continental Breakfast (Colonial Café); Exhibits Open
9:00-10:00
General Session 4: John Glass – When Vision is Hijacked
by Conflict
10:30-11:15
General Session 5: Yevgeny Bakhmutsky – Visionary
Leadership - God's Way - Everywhere, Always
11:30-12:15
Lunch A (complimentary lunch served on campus) / Workshop
Session IIa
12:30-1:15
Lunch B (complimentary lunch served on campus) / Workshop
Session IIb
1:45-2:45
General Session 6: Jared Wilson – Living in the Light
of Day
3:00-4:00
Workshop Session III
4:00-7:00
Break for Dinner – Exhibits Open
7:00-8:30
Evening Service/General Session 7: Al Mohler / Congressman
Mark Walker & Justice Paul Newby
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
8:30-9:00
Free Continental Breakfast (Colonial Café); Exhibits Open
9:00-10:00
General Session 8: Daniel Henderson – Don't Just Do
Something, Sit There!
10:30-11:15
General Session 9: Ray Pritchard – Christ and the
Seasons of Life
11:30-12:15
Lunch A (complimentary lunch served on campus) / Workshop
Session IVa
12:30-1:15
Lunch B (complimentary lunch served on campus) / Workshop
Session IVb
1:45-2:45
General Session 10: Erwin Lutzer – We Will Not Be
Silenced
3:00-4:00
General Session 11: Differences (2021 Theme)––Peter
Goeman / Jillian Ross / David Gibbs III
Conference Wrap-up & Closing Comments
As you can see, we were kept quite busy! But, it was a wonderful kind of busy! And during the General Sessions, the music was so uplifting, Christ-honoring, and so very worshipful of our great God! Hopefully some of the video I took during the singing will have small enough files that I can upload them here. Sent chills up and down my spine and caused me to cry grateful tears some of the time.
The conference was very COVID aware and everyone wore masks (which they provided if you didnt have one) while up walking around.
These were some of the masks that were provided. Joy tried to take a drink through the mask! :D
These 3 pictures are from left to right across the platform. They have their own orchestra, which was really sized down due to the COVID restrictions, but they still did a fantastic job!
This gentleman was the visionary behind the Shepherds Theological Seminary, I believe. They presented Him with a Bible. He said, "You've got to be old to receive this" and everyone laughed!
These are the friends (old and new) we went to dinner with Monday and Tuesday afternoons.
The worship team. Marvelous singers!
Al Mohler was the only speaker who could not be there due to health restrictions during COVID, so we watched a message that he recorded to be played during his time slot.
This is NC Congressman, Mark Walker. He used to be a pastor until the Lord called him into the political arena. So glad for the Christians who serve in this capacity!
This is NC Justice Paul Newby. I believe he is running for Chief Justice, but don't quote me on that!
We did not wear our masks while we were seated in the auditorium.
The pastor, Stephen Davey.
Unfortunately, all of the video I took is more than 100 mb in size, so I cannot upload them for you to listen to. You will just have to trust me when I say the music was WONDERFUL GOOD!!! Praise the LORD!
Thank You, LORD, for the opportunity to attend the conference!
