EQUIP conference trains more than 1,100 pastors and lay leaders

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS When keynote speaker Johnny Hunt’s second flight was canceled at 3 a.m. the morning of SBTC’s EQUIP conference, Mark Yoakum knew just who to call to pinch-hit for the convention’s annual church ministries event. 

Yoakum, director of church ministries for SBTC, called longtime pastor and former LifeWay Christian Resources president Jimmy Draper, who was already scheduled to lead breakout sessions at the Aug. 13 event. Draper gladly agreed and delivered a passionate keynote address a few hours later.

“In the church, there are no insignificant people,” Draper told the more than 1,100 church pastors and lay leaders in attendance. 

Despite growing biblical ignorance in many churches today, he said, “This is a day of unprecedented opportunity for us.” 

Specifically, Draper said, Bible study and Sunday school teachers have the ability to make a significant impact in the discipleship of the church as long as they explain God’s Word to his people.

“We don’t bring life to the Word,” Draper said. “The Word brings life to us.”

This year’s EQUIP conference, held at North Richland Hills Baptist Church, included 228 breakout sessions led by 61 different speakers on topics related to discipleship, evangelism, age-graded ministries, worship, communication, men’s and women’s ministries, leadership, etc. Next year’s conference will be held at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston on Aug. 12, 2017.