Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) will host its annual youth apologetics conference, Generation Why, on Saturday, March 6, 2027. The one-day event runs 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the OBU campus.

The 2027 theme is “Made by Design.” Christians believe that God made a good world and made humans in his image. Gen Why 2027 explores whether there are good reasons to believe this and how creation and humanity point to a good God.

The conference is a one-day event designed for middle school, high school and college students, along with youth groups and campus ministries, featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions and worship. Gen Why 2027 is designed to equip students to know their faith more deeply and to be prepared to effectively defend the faith.

Keynote speakers are J. Warner Wallace and Nate Sala.

Registration is now open. For individual registration, visit https://okbu.cc/4eeKhcq. For group registration, visit https://okbu.cc/4zhVrWc.

Wallace is a “Dateline”-featured cold-case homicide detective, national speaker and bestselling author. A former atheist who investigated the claims of Christianity using the tools of a detective, he now helps audiences examine the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament, the truth of the Christian worldview and the historicity of Jesus. He is the author of “Cold-Case Christianity” and “Person of Interest” and serves as a senior fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Learn more at ColdCaseChristianity.com and TheThinBlueLife.com.

​Wallace will present “God’s Crime Scene: Does Creation Point to a Creator?” Creation is full of clues. From the origin and fine-tuning of the universe to the information encoded in living things, the existence of consciousness and the reality of moral obligation, the world we inhabit raises a central question: Can everything “in the room” be explained by causes within nature alone, or does the evidence point beyond the natural world to an intentional Creator?

Drawing on the investigative principles used in cold-case homicide investigations, Wallace examines creation as a vast “crime scene,” testing the competing explanations and following the evidence wherever it leads. This session will help attendees see how the cumulative case from the cosmos, life and human experience points powerfully to the existence of God and why human beings may be more than accidental products of an impersonal universe.

Wallace will also present “Jesus: The Most Important Person in History.” Using an investigative strategy, Wallace examines the historicity and significance of Jesus and why his impact is unlike anyone else in history, inviting both believers and skeptics to consider the evidence.

Sala will present “Why Chasing Your ‘Authentic Self’ Leaves You Empty.” Sala explains why self-made identity cannot satisfy, why “your truth” collapses under pressure and how Scripture offers a deeper, more stable way to be truly human.

Breakout sessions will address a range of topics, including “Creation and the Nature of God,” “Creation and the Human Body,” “Science and the Bible,” “The Meaning of Life and Human Identity,” and “Contemporary Society.”

Confirmed breakout speakers include Rafael Bello, OBU assistant professor of religious studies; Stephen Presley, associate professor of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Alan Noble, OBU associate professor of English; Micah Lynn, student pastor at Cross Church in northwest Arkansas; Jessica Rohr, OBU associate professor of English; Micah Meek, OBU dean for online, nontraditional and graduate education and associate professor of Christian ethics; and Aaron Fullbright, discipleship minister at Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee.

Last year’s conference attracted 1,300 middle school and high school students from across the region. Early registration is encouraged.