By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Waylon Bailey, senior pastor with First Baptist Church, Covington, is the keynote speaker for the 2024 E4+ Preaching Conference, scheduled for Sept. 24, in the facilities of the First Baptist Church, Pineville.
Bailey, who has served as FBCC senior pastor since 1989, will bring messages during the general sessions of the annual conference.
According to the FBCC website, Bailey has seen worship attendance grow from 300 to 2,200 since he became pastor and in 2001 led the congregation to move from a downtown location to the current campus. Since relocating, the church has baptized 2,612, according to the Annual Church Profile of statistics. Bailey, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and his wife, Martha, have two grown adult daughters and four grandchildren.
“I am excited and thankful to be speaking at the E4 Conference,” Bailey told the Baptist Message. “I learned early in my ministry that I would only be able to speak to most of our people on Sunday morning only. I realized how important it is to preach the Gospel and to make it plain and simple, as well as applicable to everyday life. I am always appreciative of the opportunities to talk ‘church’ and to share the life changing message of holy Scripture.”
This year’s conference also will feature breakout sessions for pastors and directors of youth, media/ sound, music and children, as well as ministers’ wives. Breakout sessions for pastors will include such topics as leadership and preaching through books of the Bible and will be led by professors from Louisiana Christian University, NOBTS and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“We are looking forward to another great E4,” FBCP Pastor Stewart Holloway said. “Dr. Bailey will bring his depth of experience as an effective pastor and excellent expositor to our conference.”
The E4+ Conference began in 2009 with a vision to exemplify, encourage, equip and empower pastors to preach expositional sermons. Past speakers have included Don Wilton, pastor with First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Fred Lowery, pastor emeritus with First Baptist Church, Bossier City, Louisiana; David Uth, pastor with First Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida; Steve Gaines, pastor with Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee, and a former SBC president; Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and David Allen, professor with Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Cordova, Tennessee.
The conference will begin with registration at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., at a cost of $75 for ministers, $85 collectively for ministers/spouses and $25 for students. Lunch will be provided at the church. Group discounts are available through local associations. Participants can register online at fbcpineville.net by clicking on the “E4+” carousel at the top of the webpage. Individuals interested in receiving the associational discount should contact their area director of missions or associational mission strategist.
