National Preaching Conference Provides a Platform for Scholars in Ministry

Media Contact: Terry Goodrich, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-3321
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by Cerenity Austin, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (Nov. 14, 2019) — The Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary will present the inaugural National Preaching Conference. The conference will be Nov. 19-21 at First Baptist Church, Waco, 500 Webster Ave.

The conference is sponsored by The Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching, named after Kyle Lake, a Baylor Truett Seminary graduate who died in an accident while pastoring. Lake’s ministry lives on through its establishment with help from his parents Dave and Shirley Lake. Through the Kyle Lake Center, Baylor seminary students can learn effective ways of preaching.

“The motivation behind the conference is to provide a space to celebrate preaching and those that preach weekly,” said Shawn Boyd, program coordinator for the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching and the Grant Coordinator for the Lilly Endowment Preaching Grant. “The Kyle Lake Center hopes that this conference will become a space where those in ministry can find rest, rejuvenation and growth.”

Notable Proclaimers

The conference will feature several well-known proclaimers, preachers and scholars in ministry from all over the country.
Featured speakers will be:

• Alistair Begg, senior pastor, Parkside Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
• Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas.
• Dr. Joel Gregory, Professor of Preaching at Baylor University's Truett Seminary.
• Dr. Mary Hulst, college chaplain and adjunct professor, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Missouri.
• Dr. D.L. Lowrie, pastor emeritus, First Baptist Church, Lubbock, Texas.
• Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, president and CEO of Compassion International, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries, Houston, Texas.
• Dr. Ralph Douglas West, founder and senior pastor of The Church Without Walls, Houston, Texas.

The conference will be held over three days which consist of choral praise, workshops and music performances. In addition, Dr. D.L. Lowrie, pastor emeritus First Baptist Church, Lubbock, will be honored on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

For information on cost, parking, lodging and registration visit the George W. Truett Theological Seminary website.

Mission

“Truett Seminary is looking for ways to continue to pour into those that pour themselves into God’s Kingdom work through the Kyle Lake Center,” said Boyd. “The conference is designed for them to hear great preaching, attend helpful workshops and to interact with others in ministry.”
The National Preaching Conference will host Truett Seminary students as well as pastors from across the nation.

Conference organizers hope to create another introduction bridge for the academy and local church to learn from one another.

“The National Preaching Conference purposefully magnifies the act of proclamation,” said Joel C. Gregory, professor of preaching, holder of the George W. Truett Endowed Chair of Preaching and Evangelism and director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching. “The purpose of the preaching is to magnify the transforming power of the Lord through the cross and the resurrection.”

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT GEORGE W. TRUETT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary provides theological education leading to the Master of Divinity, the Doctor of Ministry or the Master of Theological Studies degree that is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ and consistent with historic Baptist commitments to prepare persons to carry this gospel to the churches and the world. Within the M.Div. degree program, students can choose concentrations in Biblical Studies and Theology, Christian Education, Ministry Leadership, Missions and World Christianity, Worship Leadership and Youth/Family/Student Ministry. Truett Seminary also offers two Dual Degree programs - M.Div./MSW and MTS/MSW - through a partnership with Baylor's School of Social Work and an M.Div./Master of Music through a partnership with the Baylor University School of Music. Visit www.baylor.edu/truett to learn more.

ABOUT THE KYLE LAKE CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PREACHING
The Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching is named for Kyle Lake, a 1997 Truett Seminary graduate who died while pastoring Waco's University Baptist Church. His dynamic, creative and effective ministry as a preacher continues to impact many people. Through the generosity of his parents, David and Shirley Lake, in helping to establish the Center, Kyle's influence will be felt for generations to come. The center aims to provide the best possible preparation for our seminary students as well as continuing education in preaching to pastors and others in ministry. Furthermore, all programs are made available at a minimal charge to students in order to provide the greatest access to these exceptional services.