Faith leaders converge at annual E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference

DALLAS - Pastors and faith leaders are in Dallas this week for a preaching conference that addresses the scriptures and society.

The faith leaders attended the 26th annual event to learn how to preach in a changing society.

"It's really a safe space for pastors to get the encouragement the tools and the resources to really lead in this post COVID environment," said Concord Church Pastor Bryan Carter.

The E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference was named after the founder of the Concord Church, the late Dr. E.K. Bailey who started the annual gathering of pastors.

"It's the cultural setting he's in that then sets the stage for the conversation that needs to happen," said Rev. Dr. John Faison Sr.

This year, more than 1,200 people came to talk about the changing American culture, mental health, economic crisis, the church itself in the COVID age and issues of social justice.

Chicago Pastor Charlie Dates believes how the nation answers calls for social justice is a spiritual litmus test.

"It doesn't matter if you're Black, Asian, Indian, white, whatever. If you believe that the scripture is the word of God, then you have to confront matters of justice simply by nature of reading and preaching his word," he said. "There has been no other time in the last 60 years where America has had to reckon with the genuine nature of Christianity."

This reckoning is at a time when research from the Barna Institute shows a decline in church attendance, especially since COVID and even more so among millennial and Gen Z.

Lisa Fields is founder of the Florida-based Jude Three Project that teaches Christian apologetics across the country. She says the church has to change its approach.

"I think many millennias are leaving the church because they don't feel like it's relevant or meets their felt needs," she said. "By creating safe spaces for them to ask questions, that’s what Christian apologetics is all about creating that space and being able to give an answer an articulate why our faith is important, why we should believe it. And so I think that’s one of the ways we gain them back but also being honest about our mistakes and addressing the mistakes and the failures we've made and repenting from those mistakes."

The E.K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference is teaching leaders to better serve the community.