DALLAS (BP) — A dedicated time of corporate prayer will be just one addition to the Pastors’ Conference preceding the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, Pastors’ Conference President D.J. Horton told Baptist Press on May 7.

Horton, senior pastor of Church at The Mill in Spartanburg, S.C., said he will also announce the formation of a group to study future models for the conference as well as a new effort to honor the ministry of the late Jim Shaddix.

Nathan Lino, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Forney, Texas, will lead the time of corporate prayer on Monday evening, June 9, prior to the event’s final speaker, Robert Smith, distinguished professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity Law School at Samford University.

“We want to be sure we’re honoring God and fostering a spirit of prayer in our churches,” said Horton.

The idea began to take root shortly after he was elected last year to lead the 2025 Pastors’ Conference. A messenger to the annual meeting brought up a motion for the conference to include a time of prayer. The motion was ruled out of order due to its timing, but it accomplished its purpose.

“The brother meant well, and that resonated with me,” said Horton, who had connected with Lino previously when he heard how prayer had led to a revival at Lino’s church and others in the area.

In his role as president, Horton developed a questionnaire for feedback on the conference. Lino’s name kept reappearing as someone pastors wanted to see involved. That led to Horton asking the Texas pastor to use his session for prayer rather than preaching.

“I’m asking everyone to be with us that Monday night and join us in prayer,” Horton said. “And who wouldn’t want to hear Robert Smith preach?”

The feedback included thoughts on the future of the Pastors’ Conference and what organizing and funding it could look like. Horton will announce a group of pastors to work with the incoming president to discuss those questions.

The conference’s theme of “Worth Following” will address the importance of mentorship and feature speakers going through 2 Timothy verse by verse.

“There’s a pattern in pastors’ lives that Paul gave Timothy that’s worth following,” Horton said in a video on the conference website. “It’s not only that the pattern is worth following; the Savior is worth following. And the way in which He tells us to lead our churches matches the plan He has for all of us, and it’s worth following.”

Horton reached out to SBC president and friend Clint Pressley to let him know of the change in programming.

“I wanted him to know that we are doing everything we can to have the annual meeting in the best spot, spiritually, possible when it begins the next day,” Horton said.

The son of a bivocational pastor, Horton said every main session will also honor pastors.

The mentoring theme will also address the legacy of Jim Shaddix, Horton’s mentor who died in February after a battle with brain cancer. More details will be announced at the conference, Horton said.

Others scheduled to preach at the conference include:

• Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
• John Mark Harrison, pastor of First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tenn.
• Aaron Harvie, senior pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
• David Woo-Joon Kim, senior pastor of Good Community Church of Torrance in Torrance, Calif.
• Josh Powell, lead pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C.
• Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas

Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.; Dwayne Milioni, lead pastor of Open Door Church in Raleigh, N.C.; and Jimmy Scroggins, lead pastor of Family Church in South Florida, will lead a panel discussion on Monday afternoon.

Doors open for the Pastors’ Conference at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 8. A welcome and worship time follows at 6:30 before the first sermon, from Caleb Turner, senior pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas.

More information on the Pastors’ Conference can be found at sbcpc.net.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Scott Barkley is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press.)