Black Church Leadership Conference Draws 600 to North Carolina Mountains

More than 600 pastors, church leaders, and families traveled to the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, North Carolina, for the 2026 Black Church Leadership and Family Conference, held July 20 through 24.

Organized by Lifeway's Black Church Ministries, the conference carried the theme "Renewed," drawn from Colossians 3:5-11. Conference organizer Mark Croston selected the theme after consulting with the advisory team about the specific burdens facing church leaders today.

Each evening featured worship and preaching built around four pillars. Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, spoke on ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit. Vernon Gordon, lead pastor of The Life Church in Richmond, Virginia, delivered a sermon titled "Look Again," urging attendees to seek the Lord during difficult seasons. Andre Rogers, lead pastor of Concord Fellowship Baptist Church, called attendees to remove spiritual drains and reflect Christ's character. Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, closed the event with a message on how to "reengage dry bones."

The conference's Discipleship Talk Show, returning for its second year, covered next-generation discipleship, women's discipleship, AI in ministry, and legacy building. Children and students participated in specialized versions of Centrifuge and CentriKid camps while adults attended leadership sessions.

Attendees highlighted the value of the conference for building relationships and receiving research-based, biblically centered teaching.

The next Black Church Leadership and Family Conference is scheduled for July 19 through 23, 2027, at the same location.