2007 SBTC Evangelism Conference will feature Evans, Falwell, Draper

EULESS?SBTC Evangelism Director Don Cass is praying the 2007 Empower Evangelism Conference will help spur spiritual renewal and awakening in Texas and beyond.

The annual conference, scheduled Feb. 5-7 at First Baptist Church of Euless, includes a nationally recognized slate of speakers and musicians whom Cass hopes will help equip Southern Baptists to “take back to their churches the things they have learned.”

“Our hope is they will. The main purpose of this conference is to equip and inspire people to do the work of evangelism. So I certainly hope this will be a springboard or a catalyst to help increase baptisms in the local churches, that we would be zealous for the kingdom of God, more compassionate toward lost people, and more passionate for Jesus.”

The conference theme, “God’s Amazing Grace,” is based on Ephesians 2:4-7: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions?it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

This year’s speakers include Tony Evans; Jerry Falwell; Roy Fish; Jimmy Draper; Rick Stanley; Dwight McKissic; Steve Hale; Terry Fox; Herb Reavis Jr.; Johnny Hunt; and Jay Lowder.

Musical headliners will be Point of Grace. Other musicians include longtime crusade leader John McKay and vocalist Anthony Evans, son of Tony Evans, the Crabb Family, Dawn Smith Jordan, Lou Verle Griffin and choirs from First Baptist Euless and Castle Hills First Baptist Church.

Gil Lain, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, told Texas Baptist Crossroads, the SBTC missions magazine: “All of us know that people need the Lord, but do we genuinely care enough about them to tell them about Christ? God has used the Empower Evangelism Conference to remind me and motivate me to witness for him.”

A women’s session on Monday afternoon will feature Laurie Cole, Dawn Smith Jordan, Jaye Martin and Priscilla Shirer.

SBC President Frank Page will address the Cooperative Program luncheon crowd on Tuesday during the conference and on Wednesday, the Senior Adult Luncheon will feature Jim Bob Griffin and comedian Dennis Swanberg.

Registration for both events is available at sbtexas.com on the evangelism page.

“I pray God will use this conference to help bring spiritual awakening to our state,” Cass added. “This country desperately needs revival, and I think many times it is conferences like this that create the hunger for spiritual awakening, so people go away humble and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways and become obedient to him.”

H. Bailey Stone, a member of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano and pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Odessa, said of the conference: “The Holy Spirit uses it to empower pastors, staffs, and lay persons who attend ? to keep the focus on intentional evangelism as a major priority in their lives and churches.”