The 2026 Leadership Conference will be held December 7-8 at the Sonesta Nashville Airport. Dr. Chuck Lawless will be the keynote speaker. Dr. Lawless is Dean of Doctoral Studies and Vice-President for Spiritual Formation at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He also serves as team leader for Global Theological Education Strategies for the International Mission Board (SBC).
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(Registration is $285 per person and includes all sessions, conference materials, and four meals.)
Hotel Reservations
(The conference rate is $156/night plus tax and includes complimentary Guest Room WiFi and $5/night parking)
Lawless to Speak at Leadership Conference
Nashville, TN — Dr. Chuck Lawless, senior professor of Evangelism and Missions at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary will headline the 2026 Leadership Conference, December 7-8, at Sonesta Nashville Airport. Pastors and church leaders from across the denomination will gather to examine “Church Tools: The Basics of Effective Ministry,” a refreshing look at what really matters in ministry. Lawless will speak four times: twice during Monday and Tuesday keynote sessions, along with sessions Tuesday morning.
Dr. Lawless serves as the dean of Doctoral Studies and the vice-president of Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he also serves as professor of Evangelism and Missions. Dr. Lawless was awarded an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also served as a professor and the dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. Prior to that, Lawless pastored two Ohio churches. He is a frequent conference speaker and the author of several books, including Discipled Warriors, Putting on the Armor, Mentor, and Nobodies for Jesus. Dr. Lawless and his wife, Pam, have been married more than 30 years, and they live in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
“Chuck Lawless brings a strong interest in discipleship and mentoring,” notes Executive Secretary Eddie Moody. “His perspective as a pastor, educator, and church practitioner are unique, and we encourage Free Will Baptists to take advantage of an opportunity to enjoy hearing Dr. Lawless in person.”
Five additional seminars from Will Harmon (AR), Dr. Ron Hunter Jr. (TN), Dr. Jeff Manning (NC), Dr. Brad Ransom (TN), and Dr. W. Jackson Watts (MO) will offer practical guidance on topics ranging from discipleship and sermon preparation to church systems and structure. Throughout the conference, attendees will establish and renew friendships over meals, explore new resources from national departments, and enjoy visiting the Nashville area.
Multiple boards and committees will meet in conjunction with the conference, including the Executive Committee; D6 Family Ministry; Free Will Baptist Foundation; IM, Inc.; North American Ministries; Richland Ave Financial; Welch College; WNAC; the Historical Commission; and state leaders and promotional directors.
“Leadership Conference is such a great time for ‘iron to sharpen iron,’” observed conference director Ryan Lewis. “Attendees not only gain valuable insight from speakers and presenters, but they also swap ideas, share burdens, and spend time with others who understand ministry.”
For updates or registration, visit nafwb.org/leader/.
2025 Conference Recap and Recordings
The Neighborhood Church | 2025 Leadership Conference
Antioch, TN — Two hundred Free Will Baptist pastors and ministry leaders from 25 states gathered December 8-9, at Sonesta Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, for the annual Free Will Baptist Leadership Conference.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sam Rainer explored the theme, “The Neighborhood Church,” identifying strategies to develop a church that is loved and valued by its community. “Your church is not at its address by accident,” he challenged listeners during his opening session. “If God can save any person, then He can save any church….This should be the heart of our ministry.”
The president of Church Answers and the lead pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida, Rainer writes, teaches, speaks, and consults on many issues surrounding church health. The author of nine books and hundreds of articles, he is a frequent speaker and co-hosts the podcast Rainer on Leadership. Rainer spoke five times during the conference, twice during Monday and Tuesday evening keynote sessions, and three sessions Tuesday.
(Click the links below to listen to audio recordings of the sessions):
- Session 1: The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church
- Session 2: The Trends That Can Make or Break Your Next 10 Years
- Session 3: Proven Approaches From Churches Reaching Young Families
- Session 4: Why Churches Are Targets (Keeping Your Congregation Safe)
- Session 5: How to Get Everyone in Your Church Inviting Someone
Washington Pastor Brent Nix shared his thoughts regarding both the conference and what he heard during keynote sessions. “The Leadership Conference has been a source of encouragement and inspiration for me every year I’ve attended. This year’s sessions with Sam Rainer’s insightful, practical, and passionate teaching have been a wonderful blessing to me and, hopefully, to my church when I get home.”
Tuesday afternoon, additional seminars offered practical instruction on building and maintaining a healthy church.
- From Hello to Home: Dynamic First Impressions Ministry, Shiloh Hackett (TN)
- Ministering to People Who Didn’t Plant Their Own Olive Trees, Jon Forrest (TN)
- Revitalization: Lessons From a Water Bottle and the Bible, Travis Alexander (AR)
- Small Groups Make Big Steps, Kevin Barnett (AR)
As always, the Leadership Conference featured more than sessions and training. Attendees enjoyed conversations over meals, explored resources from national ministries, and talked long after sessions reached a conclusion. This year, the Leadership Conference also hosted a Funding Summit that explored ways to address the challenges of financing crucial denominational ministry without overburdening Free Will Baptists.
Various boards and committees met in conjunction with the conference, including the Executive Committee; D6 Family Ministry; FWB Foundation; IM, Inc.; North American Ministries; Richland Ave Financial; Welch College; the Historical Commission; and state leaders and promotional directors.
“I left this year’s leadership conference with a lot of hope for our local churches,” noted Florida pastor John Howell. “We received practical tools and resources to help us reach our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ!”
As the conference concluded, Executive Director Eddie Moody challenged attendees to set four specific goals for their states, associations, and churches: 1) pray for neighbors (nafwb.org/bless); 2) increase the number of churches using The Hope Initiative; 3) refocus on Sunday School and discipling others in the faith; and 4) pray for the harvest and harvesters.
“We must be outward focused to reach the community,” Moody concluded. “However, we must be inward focused as we pray for and look for harvesters. Who within your church can teach a class? Who meets the criteria to be a pastor, and who might God be calling?”
Moody announced December 7-8, 2026, as the dates for next year’s meeting, when the conference will explore the theme, “Church Tools: Basics for Effective Ministry.”
Visit this webpage throughout the year for updates regarding the 2026 conference.
Notes From Keynote Sessions With Dr. Sam Rainer
- Session 1 – The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church
- Session 2 – The Trends the Can Make or Break Your Next 10 Years
- Session 3 – Five Proven Approaches From Churches Reaching Young Families
- Session 4 – Why Churches Are Targets (Keeping Your Congregation Safe)
- Session 5 – How to Get Everyone in Your Church Inviting Someone
Recap and recordings from the 2024 Leadership Conference