Pastors’ Fellowship 2023
Join us in-person May 1-2 at Winchester First Church of God for a time of uncompromising teaching and preaching, unifying fellowship, and spiritual encouragement.
Details and registration information will be announced soon.
What’s Happening This Year At Pastors’ Fellowship?
Sunday, May 1, 2022
6PM | Heritage Hymn Sing led by Ben Liston & Brandon Pelfrey
Monday, May 2, 2022
8AM-12PM | Registration
8:30AM-10:45PM | Morning Conferences
8:30AM-9:30AM
OR
9:45AM-10:45AM
1:30PM | Christianity in the Age of Wokeness: Defending the Authority of Scripture
Nathan Leasure
Merriam-Webster defines ‘woke’ as a byword for social awareness. Yet, the “awareness” that the cult of wokeness seems to follow are ever changing ideas of contemporary philosophers, dubious scientific findings, and the opinions of celebrities and professional athletes. In response to being “socially aware”, Christians strive to be “scripturally aware.” While we are not blind to the need for social changes in the face of obvious injustice and prejudice, we are deeply committed to rooting our beliefs in the eternal and reliable word of God.
3:00PM | Christianity in the Age of Religious Pluralism: Defending the Exclusivity of Christ
Nick Wilson
Religious pluralism usually refers to the idea that some or all religious worldviews are pathways to the divine. It’s an intellectual attempt to create many “paths” to God and no path is superior to the others. It plays out in our culture in a variety of ways. But the Bible presents Jesus as the only person who can reconcile us to the Father and bring us to heaven. He is the Way, Truth, and Life and Christians have no biblical authority to diminish His lordship through agreeing to His “equality” with human religious leaders.
6:30PM | Christianity in the Age of Anxiety: Discovering Peace in the Sovereignty of God
Melissa Pratt
W. H. Auden wrote a very famous poem in 1947 called “The Age of Anxiety,” in which he called his modern era “The Age of Anxiety.” I wonder what Auden would think about our contemporary age. We talk about anxiety attacks and, according to government statistics, each year in America about 40 million people experience anxiety related disorders. Yet, Christians ought to remember that God continues to reign. The remedy to human anxiety is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God.
8:00PM | Christianity in the Age of Tribalism: Defending the Unity of Believers
Gerald Rudd
W. H. Auden wrote a very famous poem in 1947 called “The Age of Anxiety,” in As identity politics are increasingly used to win political elections, Americans have increasingly been separated into voting blocs by leaders who should be uniting us. Men are pitted against women, races are pitted against races, blue states are pitted against red states, rural is pitted against urban, and classes are pitted against classes. This spirit of the age permeates congregations too. Churches still battle to having meaningful union with other churches, with Sunday morning still remaining the most segregated part of the week. Congregations can often segment into cliques based on a variety of differences. Yet in an age of tribalism, scripture calls Christians to unity.
TUESDAY, May 3, 2022
9:00AM | Christianity in the Age of Negativity: Defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Jeanette Flynn
The tone of our world is overwhelmingly negative. The news seldom emphasizes the good. Twenty-four hour news outlets make a profit through pointing out the worst in the political leaders they oppose. There are great efforts to demonize political opponents and motivate people to action through fear. What is the “good news” that we proclaim that should keep the world rejoicing even in troublesome days? Simply put that Jesus Christ came, ministered, died, rose again, and is reigning right now. It is the good news of Jesus and His message that needs to be proclaimed in the face of pessimism!
10:30AM | Christianity in the Age of Turmoil: Declaring the Kingdom of God
Bob Moss
The tone of our world is overwhelmingly negative. The news seldom emphasizes A few years ago a book came out entitled All Things Fall Apart. In the contemporary world, that title can certainly seem descriptive, leaving many people wondering, “Are things just going to blow up?” The times feel uncertain and dangerous. Yet, there is a Kingdom that is certain, that will never be destroyed. While things are far from settled on earth, the Kingdom and reign of Jesus Christ is eternal. To those who feel like history is racing towards a destructive end, Christians proclaim the message of the eternal Kingdom of God.
2:00PM | Christianity in the Age of Tolerance: Defending the Doctrine of Sanctification
Casey Fenn
The erroneous idea of “tolerance” has impacted public education, justice and morality. We live in an age where moral behavior is open to definition and behaviors the Bible calls sinful are to be accepted and often celebrated. Christians risk being labeled as hateful or bigoted when we refuse to compromise in areas regarding personal holiness. We face great pressures to conform to our corrupt culture. Yet, the clarion call of scripture is to “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The Christian response to calls to compromise is to pursue personal and corporate sanctification.
3:30PM | Christianity in the Age of Hopelessness: Finding Hope in the Doctrine of Last Things
Ben Liston
In our world, there is great hopelessness. There is the hopelessness of families who have lost loved ones; there is the hopelessness of being about to obtain justice in the face of injustice. There is the hopelessness that people with debilitating illnesses feel; there is the hopelessness that we all feel to change the current of history. Yet, Jesus is coming back and He will make all things right! There is a judgment day coming where justice and vindication will prevail! Our message to the hopeless is the ultimate deliverance of vindication of Jesus Christ at His second coming.