It may have had a new name the last few years, but its purpose remains the same—to advance the Gospel.
Known for years as the State Evangelism Conference, the Advance Conference exists to encourage Oklahoma Baptists to share the Good News of Jesus with others. It is designed to inspire and encourage Oklahoma Baptists to carry the Gospel to their friends and neighbors as they engage and listen to pastors and evangelists from Oklahoma and across the nation.
This year’s conference, under the direction of Alan Quigley, Oklahoma Baptists’ associate executive director of the church resources group, will meet at Moore, First Jan. 24-25. Theme for this year’s meeting will be “Gather.” After experiencing an extended period of time where churches were not able to gather, the conference will emphasize the command in Hebrews 10:25 “not neglecting to gather together.”
“Our hope is that we will challenge the church to gather people together to advance the Gospel,” Quigley said. “We hope the Advance Conference will be both a rallying and equipping event for Oklahoma Baptists.”
The conference will introduce the ONE emphasis, encouraging churches to focus on being unified in Christ and making disciples.
“As churches were surviving through COVID, we are trying to help them refocus on our mission and purpose, bringing everybody together on one page,” Quigley explained. “The ONE emphasis is an undated opportunity for pastors to take their church through five weeks of refocusing to accomplish that purpose.”
Speakers include pastors Rusty McMullen, McAlester, First; Brock Hardin, Heavener, First; Jeremy Freeman, Newcastle, First; Brian Mills, Yukon, Trinity, and Rusty Gunn, Sand Springs, Church That Matters, and Bill Britt, Compel Outreach International; Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer for Oklahoma Baptists; and Oklahoma Baptist ministry partners Rickey Thomas, community ministry evangelism; Prophet Bailey, young adult discipleship, and Todd Sanders, Falls Creek programming and youth ministry.
The conference will also feature Adam Mask, pastor of Coweta, Community, who will share how he went from being in prison to now preaching in the pulpit, and Laura Perry, a former transgender person, whose testimony is helping LGBTQ to be transformed in Christ.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Alan Quigley and the Advance Conference are featured in the 2022 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. To see more information about Southern Baptist work globally, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp.
