God accomplishes extraordinary things through ordinary people doing ordinary things.
Organizers of the 2025 N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference hope to encourage attendees in that truth at this year’s event, which is scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
“Ordinary Gospel Men” is the theme for this year’s conference, which precedes this year’s N.C. Baptist annual meeting. The first part of 1 Corinthians 1:23, which says, “but we preach Christ crucified,” is the supporting verse for the conference.
“For over 2,000 years, God has used ordinary men to proclaim the extraordinary message of Christ crucified for sinners,” said conference President Jesse Watkins, lead pastor of Friendship Southern Baptist Church in Concord. “This year’s conference is focused on highlighting the ordinary means of grace flowing through ‘Ordinary Gospel Men.’”
The ordinary means of grace refer to the historic practices of the church through which God has promised to make Himself known, such as the proclamation of the Word, prayer, and participation in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
“God has chosen these things as the means through which He saves people and how He builds His church,” Watkins said. “It’s the regular things we do every Sunday. There are many things we can focus on in ministry, but God is still going to use ordinary means of grace and ordinary gospel men to bring people to salvation and build His church.”
Speakers at this year’s conference will address various aspects of the pastor’s ministry as they relate to the ordinary means of grace.
Scheduled speakers include: William “Duce” Branch, former church planter and preaching professor; Matt Capps, lead pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex; Brian Croft, founder and executive director of Practical Shepherding Inc.; Chris Griggs, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Welcome; Clint Pressley, senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte and current president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC); Dave Russell, lead pastor of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Charlotte; Robert Smith Jr., distinguished professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.; and Jared Wilson, assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.
“This year’s speakers come from different walks of church life, but they are all known for the work of encouraging pastors,” Watkins said.
Watkins also said he hopes the conference is particularly encouraging to pastors of normative-sized Southern Baptist churches, which are generally considered those with worship attendance of 200 or less. According to recent data reported by SBC churches through the Annual Church Profile, 88% of congregations have 200 or less in worship attendance. Moreover, 71% of SBC congregations have fewer than 100 in worship attendance.
Jesse Watkins, lead pastor of Friendship Southern Baptist Church in Concord and president of this year’s N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference, said this year’s conference will emphasize the ordinary means of grace and how they apply to local church ministry.
Watkins said he is a product of normative-sized churches, having grown up and served on staffs of churches with attendance of 100 or less. Many of his friends in ministry are also pastors of normative-sized churches.
In a day in which comparison can be a temptation in ministry, Watkins said he hopes this year’s conference will help pastors guard against that trap.
“The world we live in right now can be so discouraging and overwhelming to pastors,” Watkins said. “Oftentimes, it can seem like the church down the street has bigger facilities, bigger budgets or a bigger staff, but we need to be reminded that they don’t have a bigger God. We need to remember to rest in His power.”
The conference will also include times of worship through music, featuring Kenny and Claire Hilliard, a husband and wife worship duo based out of Nashville, Tenn. Event sponsors will be providing a number of free books to conference attendees.
During the event, attendees will also elect new officers for the 2027 conference. N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference officers are typically elected two years in advance to allow ample time for planning and securing speakers.
More information about this year’s conference is available at www.ncpastorsconference.org.
