Encourager Conference designed to help pastors and wives recharge

By Keith Collier
March 29, 2017
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COLLEGE STATION Pastors and pastors’ wives know the roller coaster that can be ministry, days filled with extreme joys and debilitating lows. Pastoral ministry can test the mettle of a man and a marriage.

For this reason, Central Baptist Church in College Station is hosting the Encourager Conference April 21-22 to help pastors and their wives find renewal and joy in life and ministry.

Five Texas pastors and their wives will lead main sessions and breakout sessions designed to provide both personal and practical ministry encouragement. Each of these couples has experienced challenges and victories, and their desire is to remind others that “we can be ordinary pastors’ wives and pastors and experience fruitful, satisfying ministries.”

Leading the sessions will be Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist in College Station, and his wife, Peggy; Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, and his wife, Nicole; Matt Carter, pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church, and his wife, Jennifer; Kevin Ueckert, pastor of First Baptist Church in Georgetown, and his wife, Lynlee; and Josh Smith, pastor of MacArthur Blvd Baptist Church in Irving, and his wife, Andrea.

“Most conferences focus on church growth and how to build a big church. We want to focus on the pastors who are out there and need to be encouraged, rather than discouraged, because they aren’t drawing a massive crowd. That is the heartbeat of our conference,” Osborne told the TEXAN.

Separate breakout session options will be available for a pastor and his wife, addressing common struggles such as jealousy, resentment, loneliness, extraordinary personal trials, and maximizing the final years of ministry. Specific pastor breakout sessions will also give encouragement and best practices on preaching, handling criticism and conflicts, managing workflow, casting vision, and leaving well.

Couples can register for the conference at sbtexas.com/encourager. Cost is $25 per person ($50 per couple), with an optional dinner on Friday night for an additional $10 each. A limited number of scholarships from the SBTC Pastor/Church Relations department are available through April 14. Call 817-552-2500 for more information.