by Rebecca Sneed
Hannibal-LaGrange University is proud to be the host site for the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network (BSCLN) 2016 National Celebration, a free event focused around encouraging bivocational and small church pastors.
The celebration will be held May 13-14, and will feature keynote speakers Frank Page, president and CEO of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and Micah Fries, vice president of LifeWay Research in Nashville, TN. The conference theme is “You are not alone,” based on 1 Kings 19.
“Hannibal LaGrange University is committed to encouraging and partnering with churches,” stated Dr. Eric Turner, HLGU Site Coordinator for the celebration. “We believe that HLGU’s goal of developing Christ-centered students who have Knowledge for Service fits perfectly with the BSCLN’s goal of raising up missions-centered churches. It is our hope and prayer that the pastors who step onto our campus will not only find encouragement in their walk with Christ, but also a campus that cares about the health and future of their ministries. We consider it our privilege to be a small part of what the Lord is doing through the lives of these faithful pastors.”
SBC data shows small churches and those led by bivocational pastors make up a large share of the Southern Baptist denomination. The BSCLN exists to support those who lead churches with fewer than 200 worship attenders.
The BSCLN is a non-profit ministry organization dedicated to the advancement of bivocational and smaller membership church pastors and leaders across America resulting in mission-focused churches characterized by passionate pastors, engaged senior adults, maturing members, and connected youth.
Breakout sessions will be led by Baptist leaders such as Dr. Anthony Allen, HLGU President; Dr. Jeff Brown, HLGU Dean of Students,
Professor of Christian Studies, and Missions Coordinator; Dr. Nate Adams, Illinois Baptist State Association Executive Director; Glenn Miller, CEO, Miller Management Systems, LLC; Dr. Eric Turner, HLGU Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek; Dr. John Yeats, Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director; Ray Gilder, BSCLN National Coordinator; Dr. Miles Mullin, HLGU Vice President for Academic Administration and Professor of Religious History; and Stacy Allen, HLGU First Lady, who will lead a session for women. Brad Newbold will lead worship.
Topics covered will include practical advice and encouragement on networking, training volunteers, spiritual disciplines/warfare, administration/budgeting, mentoring/discipleship, ministry tools, and more.
To register for this free event, visit hlg.edu. Lodging can be reserved at any of Hannibal’s hotels, or a campus dorm room with a single twin bed and shared bathroom can be reserved for $20 per night.
For more information on the event, visit bscln.net, or contact Dr. Turner at 573-629-3098, or via email at eric.turner@hlg.edu.