Six speakers have been chosen for the 2019 Oklahoma Baptist Pastors’ Conference, which will meet in conjunction with this year’s Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The Pastors’ Conference will be at Oklahoma City, Quail Springs on Monday, Nov. 11, featuring a morning session that begins at 9 a.m. and an afternoon session that begins at 1:30 p.m.
All six speakers will bring messages that align with the conference’s theme “See the People.” Chris Fields, president of this year’s Pastors’ Conference and pastor of Clinton, First, explains the theme in his article linked here.
Here are the profiles of this year’s Pastors’ Conference speakers:
Anthony Jordan
Retired BGCO Executive Director-Treasurer
Speaking in morning session
Info on Jordan:
- Retired in 2018 after serving 22 years as BGCO executive director-treasurer
- His tenure stands as the longest of any to hold that role in Oklahoma
- Served as pastor for more than 28 years in Oklahoma and other states
- Served in numerous leadership roles in Missouri, Oklahoma and the Southern Baptist Convention
- Graduate of Southwest Baptist University, where he gained bachelor of arts degree
- Earned master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from New Orleans Seminary
Dhati Lewis
Pastor, Atlanta, Ga., Blueprint
Executive Director, NAMB Community Restoration
Speaking in afternoon session
Info on Lewis:
- Completed his undergraduate studies from the University of North Texas (UNT)
- Earned his doctorate of ministry at Southeastern Seminary
- Served as a chaplain to UNT’s football team, coached high-school football, became a college pastor and eventually planted a church in Texas
- Moved to Atlanta in 2009, along with 25 others, with the goal to become the last generation of believers who have to leave the urban context in search of sound discipleship
Jason Paredes
Pastor, Arlington, Texas, Fielder
Speaking in afternoon session
Info on Paredes:
- Joined Fielder in 2005 to lead the church’s Hispanic ministry
- The church made an intentional effort to connect with its diverse communities, instituting a service-focused, adopt-a-block strategy to get the congregation into the neighborhoods it wanted to reach
- The church also opened a second campus in nearby Grand Prairie, Texas, where much diversity exists
- Paredes became lead pastor at Fielder in 2016
Stephen Rummage
Pastor, Oklahoma City, Quail Springs
Speaking in afternoon session
Info on Rummage:
- Became senior pastor of Oklahoma City, Quail Springs in March this year
- Previously served as pastor of Tampa, Fla., Bell Shoals for nine and a half years
- Delivered the annual sermon at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Birmingham, Ala
- Served in key leadership positions with the SBC and the Florida Baptist State Convention
- Served as associate professor of preaching and director of the doctor of ministry program at Southeastern Seminary
Craig Towery
Pastor, Sentinel, First
Speaking in morning session
Info on Towery:
- Serving as pastor of Sentinel, First since 2017
- Previously served as pastor of Amber, First
- Also served on staff at Piedmont, First…
- Served in youth ministry for 17 years with five previous years as youth minister at Sentinel, First
Marshall Williams
Pastor, Philadelphia, Pa., Nazarene
Speaking in morning session
Info on Williams:
- Serving as pastor of Philadelphia, Pa., Nazarene for more than 35 years
- Served as an adjunct chaplain and Bible expositor for the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and 76ers
- Recipient of Oklahoma Baptist University’s 2019 Hershel H Hobbs Award for Distinguished Service
- Served as a missionary with Sports Ambassadors, a basketball evangelism ministry team, which toured the Philippines, Hong Kong, Tokyo and five countries in Africa
