October 1, 2020
The 2020 Hugh. C. Benner Preachers Conference was held on September 29-30 with over three hundred fifty participants registered. Due to the effects of the pandemic, the annual event was shifted to a virtual format. The theme was “Preaching Through Crisis” and highlighted the important task of preaching a message that will both comfort and challenge the church in the midst of these challenging times.
The online conference featured sermons and workshops from Pastor Brian Zahnd, Dr. Roger Hahn, Rev. Christine Hung, Dr. Michael Jackson, and Dr. Yvette Massey. Rev. Ryan Gage and Dr. Brannon Hancock served as worship leaders. The event included a mix of presentations, sermons, and live panel discussions. A notable feature of this year’s event was a self-guided retreat designed by Rev. Alicia McClintic. Main sessions will be available to stream on the NTS Center for Pastoral Leadership’s lifelong learning video library at www.nts.edu/cpl.
The annual conference is funded in part by the Hugh C. Benner Lectureship on Pastoral Ministry. Dr. Benner served as the first president of Nazarene Theological Seminary from 1945-1952. This year’s event was also partially funded by the Fronia M. Darden Lectureship on Parish Ministry, an initiative established at NTS to encourage the appropriate integration of the theological foundation of ministry with the competent practices of pastoral leadership in the parish.
The 2021 Hugh C. Benner Preachers Conference has been scheduled for September 28-29, 2021 with the theme “Beauty Will Save the World.”
Learn more about upcoming lifelong learning events at www.nts.edu/educational-events.