Submitted by philip on
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
PINEVILLE – Pastors and others attending this year’s Louisiana Baptist Pastors Conference will be encouraged to become more than conquerors.
Scheduled for Nov. 10-11 at First Baptist Church Pineville, the 25th annual Pastors Conference theme is “More Than Conquerors,” based on Romans 8:35-37.
“Everybody needs encouragement,” said Roy Davis, president of the Pastors Conference and pastor of North Shreve Baptist Church in Shreveport. “I’m having more preachers than are generally scheduled for the purpose of giving more encouragement to the pastors.”
The conference will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 with music by First Baptist Church Pineville Worship team to be followed by the Southern gospel group Three Bridges from Nashville, Tenn. later that evening.
Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins will then preach the first sermon of the Pastors Conference. Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter, who also serves as pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, will close out the conference with his sermon to begin around 3 p.m.
Other Louisiana Baptist speakers scheduled to preach are Stewart Holloway, pastor of First Baptist Pineville; Waylon Bailey, president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention; Wayne Hunt, pastor of Coteau Baptist Church in Houma; Tommy French, pastor emeritus of Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge; Billy J. Crosby, pastor emeritus of Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport; Joe Aulds, an evangelist in Farmerville; Randy Carruth, director of I Am Able Ministries in Forest Hill; and Bill Robertson, director of pastoral ministries for the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Out-of-state speakers include Tim Williams, an evangelist from Concerned for the World that is headquarters in Cartersville, Ga., and son-in-law of former Southern Baptist Convention President Jerry Vines; and Marvin Cooper, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Meridian, Miss.
In addition to messages and music, the Pastors Conference will also feature several Bible studies and a salute to the military.
Nick Holden, an author and speaker with Truth Impact Ministries of Porterville, Miss., will lead Bible studies both days of the conference about the Saul syndrome. He also will preach a message.
“The Saul syndrome is something that Nick Holden wrote that has characteristics that happen in a person’s life that indicates a backslidden heart,” Davis said. “It’s things that can really indicate the backslidden heart and the need for revival and spiritual awakening.”
Two groups will be honored at the Conference – veterans and previous officers of the Pastors Conference since this is the 25th anniversary of the conference.
Since the Pastors Conference will take place on the Marine Corps birthday, Nov. 10, and Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Davis will recognize those Marines on Sunday and all veterans on Monday.
“Just like pastors move away from their family to serve and go live in an area where they may have friends or contacts, the same is the way with the military,” said Davis, a former Marine and Air Force Reserve Chaplain. “They leave all that is familiar to them to serve us and keep us protected so we can go about our daily lives. If we don’t stop and honor them, we tend to take them for granted and I would never want to take our armed forces for granted.”