Nazarene Theological Seminary announced the lineup of preachers and panelists for its third annual Preachers Conference. The conference will be held this fall, September 29-30, and will once again take place on the seminary’s main campus in Kansas City, Missouri. 

“This year’s event will include sermons and presentations centered on the theme of Local Flavor: Preaching in Context,” said Jesse Middendorf, executive director of the NTS Center for Pastoral Leadership. “'Going local' has gained popularity around our country in recent years. So for this year’s Preachers Conference, we thought it would be exciting, as well as enriching, to work with this concept of local flavor as it applies to the vibrant and diverse expressions of our church in a variety of local contexts.”

Preachers this year will be Daron Brown, Shawna Songer Gaines, Brent Hofen, Albert Hung, Javier and Annette Mondragan, Phil Stout, and Althea Taylor. This line-up represents a wide range of settings, including a multi-campus church, a modern-day Mayberry, and a church in the heart of New York City. These pastors have each been asked to preach a sermon as they would in their own local context and then reflect with our panelists and audience members on why that sermon was important for their congregation to hear. Preachers and panelists will also reflect together on their local church setting, demographics, and worship style, as well as respond to questions about preparation, study habits, preaching mentors, and resources used.

Panelists include Steve Estep, Rose Brower Young, Susan Carole, Janine Metcalf, Jerry Porter, and Mario Zani. Marvin Jones will be the worship leader for this year’s conference.To view pictures and biographical information on all the conference preachers and panelists, as well as to view additional conference information, vist the conference website at nts.edu/2015-preach-conf. 

“At NTS, we are committed to preparing pastors and leaders for the future of the Church,” said NTS President Carla Sunberg. “But we are just as committed to resourcing and providing continuing education for those active in ministry today. Our annual Preachers Conference provides an incredible venue in which ministers can be challenged and renewed, and fellowship with colleagues.”  

There is an early bird registration fee of $79 available for all who register by April 30; after this date, registration goes up to $99. Reservations can be made online at nts.edu/15-preach-conf. 

Stay up to date on plans for the 2015 NTS Preachers Conference by joining the NTS mailing list.  

--Nazarene Theological Seminary