Black Church Leadership Conference Draws More Than 600 to North Carolina
More than 600 pastors, church leaders, and lay people gathered at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, North Carolina, from July 20 to 24, 2026, for the 33rd Black Church Leadership and Family Conference. The event, organized by Lifeway''s Black Church Ministries, centered on the theme ''Renewed'' from Colossians 3:5-11. Speakers included Fred Luter, who preached the closing sermon ahead of his retirement.
More than 600 pastors, church leaders, and lay people attended the 33rd Black Church Leadership and Family Conference at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, North Carolina, from July 20 to 24, 2026.
Organized by Black Church Ministries at Lifeway, the conference carried the theme "Renewed," drawn from Colossians 3:5-11. Speakers addressed four areas of renewal: being refreshed, refocused, reinspired, and reengaged in ministry.
Key speakers included Jeff Iorg, Vernon Gordon, Andre Rogers, and Fred Luter. Luter, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, preached the closing sermon. He announced plans to retire from pastoral ministry later this year.
The conference also featured the Black Church Discipleship Talk Show, a panel format that addressed practical ministry challenges. Specialized programming for students ran alongside the main sessions.
Attendees came from across the country. Many said the gathering gave them tools and encouragement to take back to their home congregations.
Lifeway has hosted the conference for more than three decades. It remains one of the largest annual gatherings focused specifically on Black church leadership development in the United States.
