Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) announced a new one-day conference about church renewal and revitalization on Sept. 9. Designed for pastors, church leaders and SEBTS students who are considering church revitalization ministry, the Renew Conference invites practitioners to a time of fellowship, encouragement and practical counsel.

“Church renewal is an urgent gospel issue,” said Keelan Cook, instructor of missiology and George Liele Director of the Center for Great Commission Studies. “We find ourselves at a critical moment in North America regarding the state of the church. Caught between internal generational transitions and massive external shifts in the culture around us, our churches face a moment that is both severe and urgent concerning their health and mission.”

Renewing and revitalizing churches requires prayer, endurance, Christ-like leadership and many other works of the Holy Spirit. Although church revitalization is challenging, it is a strategic and urgent ministry as thousands of churches plateau, experience significant decline or close their doors every year.

That is why SEBTS is partnering with several state conventions and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) to host a conference this fall on church revitalization to encourage and equip current leaders, pastors and revitalizers as well as SEBTS students interested in Church revitalization.

The one-day conference, called Renew: Gospel Hope for Struggling Churches, will include breakout sessions on practical ministry strategies and plenary sessions on the state of the church, strategies for church revitalization and characteristics and practices of a church revitalizer. Lunch will be provided as attendees are encouraged to fellowship and to connect for future ministry partnerships.

“The Renew Conference represents something far bigger than a one-day event about church revitalization,” Cook said. “It is also about partnering together for the sake of the Great Commission. By working together in real partnerships like this, we each bring our strengths to the table and meet a need much bigger than a seminary, convention or mission board can confront alone.” Event partners include the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the SBC of Virginia, and the North American Mission Board’s Replant initiative.

To learn more about these event partners and to register for the conference, visit the Renew Conference event page.

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