EDMOND—A favorite annual event among Oklahoma Baptist pastors will happen again at Edmond, Henderson Hills, 10 a.m.-3:50 p.m., Feb. 27.

Jim Shaddix speaks at a recent Priority of Preaching Conference.

The Priority of Preaching Conference has as its theme this year, “Preaching?” based on the book “Preaching?: Simple Teaching on Simply Preaching” by Alec Motyer, which will be offered to those attending the conference.

“We are going to try to define, according to Scripture, ‘what is preaching?’” said Brett Selby, regional ministry partner for Oklahoma Baptists, who is an overseer of Priority of Preaching. “What we believe about preaching will invariably shape and impact our practice of it. That’s the direction we will be going.”

Selby said the conference will be done in partnership with Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) and with Southeastern Seminary, as two Southeastern professors will be the conference speakers.

Dwayne Milioni is an assistant professor of preaching at Southeastern Seminary.

Jim Shaddix has been a Priority of Preaching speaker for previous conferences. He serves as professor of preaching at Southeastern and as a senior fellow for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, which exists to resource pastors in local churches. Author of many books, his most recent publications are “Decisional Preaching” and a commentary on “Psalms 51-100.”

Dwayne Milioni serves as assistant professor of preaching at Southeastern and is coordinator of the Ph.D. in Preaching program. He has been pastor of Raleigh, N.C., Open Door since 1999.

This will be the 13th meeting of Priority of Preaching, and Selby said the conference continues to grow in attendance, as well as remaining consistent in having faithful attendees return.

“We continue to get traction as far as attendance,” he said. “While we do have new attendees each year, there is a core group that comes back year after year. I think that’s a tribute to the commitment of Oklahoma Baptist pastors to make progress in their preaching, which is the mandate that Paul gives to Timothy in 1 Tim. 4:15.”

Priority of Preaching will feature a panel discussion that will be moderated by Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists. Both Shaddix and Milioni will be on the panel, as well as Stephen Rummage, pastor of Oklahoma City, Quail Springs, who is an adjunct professor at Southeastern.

Along with hearing lectures from Shaddix and Milioni, conference attendees will be provided take-home videos that feature Shaddix and Milioni, as well as lectures by Fisher, Rummage, Selby and Scott Pace, another Southeastern professor who previously taught Bible at OBU.

Fisher also plans to meet with young preachers, as part of the Oklahoma Baptists ministry pipeline program, during the conference. Though Priority of Preaching originated as a two-day conference, Selby said the one-day schedule is a better fit for pastors to attend.

“We’ve heard from our pastors, and they affirmed a one-day meeting works better for their week-to-week schedules,” Selby said.

Cost to attend Priority of Preaching Conference is $40. Those interested in registering can visit oklahomabaptists.org/pop23.