When ministry leaders gather at Eastern Shore Baptist Church, Daphne, on Nov. 16 for the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference, they will be inspired to “clear the stage” of their lives and allow God to move.
The theme for this year’s conference, “Clear the Stage: Making Room for What Matters,” is inspired by the lyrics of the song “Clear the Stage” by contemporary Christian artist Jimmy Needham. Pastors Conference President Greg Pouncey, pastor of First Baptist Church, Tillman’s Corner, in Mobile, said the theme idea came to him during a time of prayerful consideration of some situations in his own life.
“I was pretty busy with a lot of stuff on my plate at the time, and I heard the song, which has a powerful message about allowing the Lord to clear the stage of your life so He has space to work. My hope for the conference really starts with that idea,” he said.
The messages throughout the day will connect to that theme as well. Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida, will bring the opening message, “Clear the Stage for the Presence of God,” to set the tone for the day, Pouncey said.
Ministry idols
Following Traylor, Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, will address ministry idols, or “the things we put ahead of God and allow to drive us as pastors and staff members,” Pouncey said. Alan Floyd, pastor of Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, will bring a message about evangelism to conclude the morning session.
The afternoon session will focus on God’s grace and the gospel with messages from evangelist Len Turner, of Woodstock, Georgia, and Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.
Turner’s personal testimony of God’s restoration of his enthusiasm for ministry will encourage everyone who hears it, Pouncey said. Allen’s emphasis on allowing the gospel to permeate the individual believer’s life will resonate with participants as well.
Willy Rice, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Clearwater, Florida, will bring the final message of the afternoon session. His message, “Clear the Stage for Vision and Leadership,” will focus on “how we as pastors make space for God to direct our ministry and lead us so we can lead others,” Pouncey said.
John Avant, pastor of First Baptist Church, Concord, Tennessee, will bring the first message of the evening session. His message on revival will lead into the final speaker of the session and the day, Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“Throughout the day, these speakers will challenge the pastors to take everything off the stage of their lives and then to allow God to speak to them and put on the stage those things that are most important,” Pouncey said.
Music worship during the day will include two ensembles from the University of Mobile (UMobile), Voices of Mobile and RamCorps. The evening session will feature a combined choir and orchestra composed of 150-plus members of Cottage Hill Baptist and First, Tillman’s Corner.
‘Historic time’
Pouncey called this year’s event “a historic time for Baldwin County,” since this will be the first conference held on Baldwin’s Eastern shore.
Another first is the pastors’ wives dinner that will be held 4:45–6 p.m. at the church. The banquet, sponsored by UMobile, will be a time of fellowship and encouragement for pastors’ wives.
Cheryl Rice will be the featured speaker. As a pastor’s wife for nearly 32 years, Rice knows the challenges women in ministry often face. The theme for the event, “Sailing to an Abundant Life,” uses Psalm 21:1 as its support verse, Rice said.
“I will be focusing on how we can experience the promised abundant life, even in the midst of suffering, by finding our joy in His strength, by stripping our faith down to its barest form of simply following Jesus and continually learning from Him in the midst of our circumstances, not in spite of them,” she said.
Registration is required for the pastors’ wives banquet. Space for the dinner is limited and will be restricted to the first 150 who register.
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