ABINGDON — “An Encounter with God” is the theme for the Southwest Leadership Conference, scheduled for Oct. 2-3 at Highland Fellowship Church in Abingdon.
Jim Henry, former pastor of First Baptist Church Orlando, Fla., and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and former missionary to Taiwan, will be keynote speakers for the event.
Other speakers will be Paul Brewer, missionary with the SBC’s North American Mission Board, and Jimmie Davidson, pastor of Highland Fellowship Church.
A 200-member choir from area churches along with other singers and musicians will lead worship.
The conference begins Friday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m., with the choir assembling 30 minutes before, and will conclude by 9 p.m..
Saturday morning the conference resumes at 9 with a fellowship time. A special conference session will be offered for women, led by Jeanette Henry.
Some of the discussion topics will include, “Know it is Him,” “Healing from the Hurts,” “The Daily Walk,” and “I Can’t Hear You.”
Other ministry tools and encouragement sessions will offer additional help. Workshops will deal with such topics as having revivals in today’s world, engaging strangers in conversational evangelism and being transparent and loving.
In addition to the conference, the location and timing of the event offer a getaway in a beautiful part of the state. Highlands Fellowship is located on Green Springs Road, two miles south of exit 17 on I-81.
Abingdon is home to the Barter Theater and Martha Washington Inn. Beginning in October, “The Foreigner and Frankenstein” will be playing at the Barter. Reservations can be made by calling (276) 628-3991.
Hotels are located at exits 17 and 19, and there are a number of restaurants nearby. A complete list of hotels and rates are available by calling Judy Lee at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center at (804) 915-5000 or (800) 255-2428, or by contacting Darrell Fletcher, field strategist for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board at (888) 674-4373 or darrell.fletcher@vbmb.org.
The conference is free and open to the public. If needed, a nursery will be provided.
Persons interested in participating in the choir should contact Fletcher for a practice tape and to let him know approximate numbers of choir members and if child care is needed during the sessions.