ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Registration for the 2021 Send Conference officially opens today, Monday, February 1. Send Conference. Jointly hosted by the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the event will take place on June 13-14 in Nashville ahead of the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Separate registration is required for the Annual Meeting.
“NAMB and IMB’s Send Conference opening up the 2021 annual meeting will emphasize the vision for the Southern Baptist Convention’s very existence and our ongoing commitment to working together to fulfill the Great Commission,” said IMB president, Paul Chitwood.
“Together on Mission” will be the theme for Send Conference and will emphasize the need for Southern Baptist Christians, people of all ages, ethnicities and economic status, to be focused together on fulfilling the mission of taking the gospel to a world in desperate need of the hope only Jesus provides.
“No person, no church, can go it alone on this mission,” said NAMB president Kevin Ezell. “We must live on mission together in our families, in our churches and as a denomination. If we are going to see people, cities and nations redeemed, restored and healed by the power of the gospel, we will need to be together on mission.”
Send Conference will begin with a large group session Sunday night. Tony Evans, nationally known Bible teacher, author and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, will preach the primary message with worship being led by recording artist and worship leader Michael W. Smith. A concert featuring Crowder will follow the Sunday evening session.
The IMB and NAMB have specifically designed the event to have tracks for families so that they can be encouraged to be “together on mission.” Breakout sessions will be specifically for pastors, women and students, ranging from elementary school through college age. Parents of elementary school-age children will need to register their kids through Giant Cow Children’s Ministries.
“The unique opportunities for pastors, women, lay leaders, students and children to recapture the joy of living on mission together through the practical tools and gospel-focused sessions the conference will offer will not only be personally beneficial,” Chitwood said, “they will set our hearts and minds on what will matter most as we begin the annual meeting.”
Speakers during the Monday (June 14) pastors tracks will include Greg Matte, pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church; Vance Pitman, pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas; and David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego. Author and speaker Sheila Walsh will lead the women’s track. J.D. Greear, pastor and current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson are two of the speakers slated for the student track.
“These are some of the best speakers and leaders in the areas of pastoral and missional leadership,” Ezell said. “We’re also bringing in some of the best encouragers and mobilizers for students and women. This gathering will help remind Southern Baptists of why we partner together and what’s possible when we join arms for the sake of the Great Commission.”
Send Conference includes NAMB’s Send Luncheon on Monday and will conclude that evening with IMB’s Sending Celebration.
“I can’t think of a better way to launch the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting than on the heels of the missionary Sending Celebration, which will be the final event of the conference on Monday evening,” said Chitwood. “It’s an experience that should not be missed.”
To learn more about Send Conference and to find a link to register, visit SendConference.com.
This article was originally written by Brandon Elrod, the public relations specialist at the North American Mission Board. It was published at namb.net.