This week more than 1,200 pastors and faith leaders from around the world will meet in Dallas at Concord Church for the E.K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference.
“The focus is really on helping pastors and leaders, both to be able to preach through this current season and climate that America is facing as well as lead their churches through this post-COVID environment in a way to build strong congregations as well as strong communities,” said Concord pastor Bryan Carter.
From social justice to mental health, churches are often at the heart of the community's efforts to offer help.
“How do they navigate through all of the challenges they are faced with – the economic challenges, the racial challenges, the justice challenges, mental health crisis,” Carter said. “All these challenges that people are facing. The church is a place where people find hope. People find healing. People find resources.”
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From Monday through Wednesday, the pastors will discuss mental health, faith and justice, reaching millennials and Gen Z, and post-pandemic congregations.
“Many churches are not at the level of attendance that they had prior to COVID. Even before COVID or before the pandemic, church attendance and membership was in decline,” Carter said. “The pandemic expedited that. Some churches have closed. Some churches are rebuilding. Some churches are expanding, but we want to give pastors tools on how to grow your church.”
