The first Emerging Leaders Summit was held April 15-16 in Charlottesville at University Baptist Church.
The event, sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's emerging leaders team, was held in collaboration with the traditional leadership training weekend for collegians.
The summit was an intergenerational event attended by 326 people, ranging from youth to senior adults. The goal was to help clarify participants' calling as Christian leaders and to provide opportunities to sharpen skills and gain knowledge about what it means to respond to God's call.
Leonard Sweet, the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew Theological School in Madison, N. J., and Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University in Portland, Ore., was the inspirational leader for the weekend. His challenge was to risk the journey to grow in relationship with God and with each other.
Worship was led by Jacob Moyer, music pastor at Effort Baptist Church in Palmyra.
At the conclusion of the Summit, collegians continued their leadership conference with a prayer walk through the Charlottesville area.
Josh Parsons, outgoing state Baptist Student Union president, delivered the Sunday morning sermon, challenging students, in the words of John Ortberg, “If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.” Music was provided by the Virginia Tech BSU praise and worship band.
Special to the Herald