By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary Professor David Allen is the keynote speaker for the 2023 E4+ Preaching Conference, Sept. 19, which will be held in the facilities of the First Baptist Church in Pineville.
Allen, who serves as the seminary’s distinguished professor of practical theology and dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching in Cordova, Tennessee, will bring messages during three sessions of the annual conference.
In addition to serving as a professor, Allen is founder and editor-in-chief of the new podcast and website, Preaching Coach (preachingcoach.com), which trains and mentors pastors and other ministry leaders to strengthen their preaching skills.
This year’s conference also will feature breakout sessions for pastors and directors of youth, media/ sound, music, children, as well as ministers’ wives. Breakout sessions for pastors will include such topics as leadership and preaching through certain books of the Bible, and will be led by professors from Louisiana Christian University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church, Covington. Breakout sessions for ministry staff and wives will be led by the staff of FBC Pineville as well as Mark Cole, global student pastor of First Baptist Church, West Monroe.
“We are excited about expanding E4 to minister to more of the church staff,” Stewart Holloway, pastor of FBC Pineville, told the Baptist Message. “We hope this conference will impact local churches beyond the pulpit by allowing ministry teams and their wives to spend time together and glean take-a-ways that they can implement the following Sunday.”
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 of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC; Fred Lowery, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Bossier City; David Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla.; Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn., and a former SBC president; and Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
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.
