BRANSON – Featuring five guest speakers, the 2019 Missouri Baptist Pastor’s Conference will encourage and equip pastors to build a restored church that lives for its community, the glory of Christ, and the salvation of all. The conference, gathering under the theme, “Restored,” takes place at the Branson Convention Center here on the morning of Oct. 28, prior to the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting.
Featured speakers include:
• Jason Allen, president and associate professor of pastoral ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of two recently-released books, The SBC & the 21st Century and Discerning Your Call to Ministry. Allen regularly posts essays on his website, jasonkallen.com, and hosts a weekly podcast, “Preaching & Preachers,” also found at jasonkallen.com. Before coming to Midwestern, Allen served as a pastor, and as a senior administrator at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Karen, are both from Mobile, Ala., and have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.
• Cedric Dale Hoard, a mental health therapist who uses poetry and speaking to help people find their identity in Christ. He shared poetry at the 2013 premiere of True Voices – Chicago, and he shared at Rhetoric, the world’s largest annual spoken word poetry event, founded by Passion for Christ Movement. He also has performed alongside poets from Def Jam Poetry.
• Johnny Hunt, formerly senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga., a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and currently senior vice president of evangelism and leadership at the North American Mission Board. Before going to FBC Woodstock, Hunt served at Lavonia Baptist Church in Mooresboro, N.C., Falls Baptist Church in Wake Forest, N.C., and his home church, Longleaf Baptist Church, in Wilmington, N.C. Hunt has been married for 45 years to Janet Allen Hunt, and they have two daughters and four grandchildren.
• Jimmy Scroggins, lead pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Fla. Scroggins is the coauthor of Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations and hosts the “Church for the Rest of Us” podcast at familychurchnetwork.com. He is the Chairman of the Board at LifeWay Christian Resources and a member of the Board of Trustees at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Scroggins also teaches as a visiting professor at both Southern and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminaries. He and his wife, Kristin, have eight children.
• Chris Williams, pastor of Fellowship Church in Greenwood and president of the Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference. His ministry has tested and tried the “restored church” paradigm and philosophy. Over the last four years, the church has averaged 20-percent annual growth. Williams has a Bachelor of Theology degree from Trinity Bible College; a Master of Science degree in Christian Studies, and a Masters of Divinity degree, both from Calvary Theological Seminary; and is a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the husband to Kate, and the father of five boys.
The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. with a call to order Williams. Worship will be led by the Fellowship Greenwood Worship Team. The conference ends at 2:45 p.m., Oct. 28.
To learn more about the Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference, visit MoBaptist.org/annual-meeting/pastors-conference.