Christian Conferences: "More or Less Pure"

Christian conferences differ in such significant ways that one would be foolish to make sweeping statements about their usefulness or lack thereof. 

I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of speaking at conferences, of varying sizes, in many countries. By and large, they were spiritually rewarding experiences. The singing, especially by men, is usually better in places like Brazil than in North America. The thirst for knowledge in China, as evidenced by hours of questions after a talk, is a sight to behold! Traveling to speak to other Christian communities opens your eyes to things you may not see in your own country. 

So why do many in ostensibly Reformed circles have a bit of distaste for conferences? Are they really upset that people spend a Friday night and/or Saturday hearing talks on the Word of God? Or is it something else that irritates us?

I think we can all agree that a local church, seeking to organize an occasion to receive teaching on a specific topic, with the intention of creating an opportunity for fellowship and instruction among other local churches, is hardly something to decry. 

While my own experiences have generally been positive, I have noticed some things over the years that have given me cause for concern. It’s not so much that there are true conferences and false conferences but perhaps it is true that there are conferences that are “more or less pure.” 

The conference speaker should come as a servant of the people. He is not there to get an ego boost because someone introduces him with a sort of “how great thou art” eulogy. A speaker shouldn’t hear his obituary before getting up to speak! The over-the-top praise and clapping doesn’t help, but imagine knowing that people have paid extra to attend for special time with you? That can’t be good for one’s humility.

Christ ministered to people, which included spending time with them (Matt. 9:11). A pastor should not be speaking at so many conferences that he becomes a sort of hologram at the conference (or indeed in his own church), who shows up and leaves without any real interaction with the people. There should be a sense in which you’re prepared to interact with people to whom you speak rather than receive treatment that resembles movie stars.

This explains why, generally, I think we should prioritize smaller, church-run conferences. I feel as though parachurch organizations are often faced with certain financial considerations that remain uppermost in their decisions (e.g., how big can we make this?) whereas local churches typically have much lower costs when they put on conferences and aren’t quite as obsessed with numbers. The bigger the “stage” the crazier people tend to get (see John 6). 

If you are spending $438 USD to attend a conference you have to wonder why are Christians paying so much to hear the word preached? I think we’ve let things get out of control.

Church-run conferences are generally a bit more “normal.” Parachurch organizations need to be careful they aren’t attempting to justify their existence through over-priced conferences. Perhaps those who are asked to speak regularly might wish to consider attending smaller, less significant conferences as well? Go speak to 100–200 people and spend time with them. Since your church pays you quite well, don’t worry too much about your remuneration. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with receiving a suitable fee, but I don’t understand why I hear so many stories of Reformed conference speakers making demands that make me wonder whether they are a professional athlete or a servant of the Lord.  

In addition, we should be sensitive to the "division of labor" whereby some ministers are peculiarly gifted and able on certain topics, but not all topics. When the same guys are speaking over and over on any topic you wonder whether it is about specific gifting and expertise or the person! A talk at a conference should be the result of some serious study on the topic, but I've sometimes wondered whether that has been the case. 

I think we should promote conferences. They facilitate learning and fellowship among believers from various backgrounds. But I also think the ideal ones tend to be less grandiose; they tend to be less expensive; and they tend to be a place where the gulf between speaker and attendee is minimized. It’s important that the conference doesn’t give the impression that the speakers are too important. And it's important that the speaker gives the impression he has really thought deeply about how he can best minister to God's people at the event. 

In the U.S., there’s a lot of great teaching; there’s more strong Reformed seminaries in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. There’s access to information, sermons, podcasts, books, and conferences that reveal an embarrassment of riches. But if recent lessons are anything to go by, our riches are starting to cause us embarrassment. God, who is jealous for his glory, seems to have been shouting at us over the last several years, as man after man has fallen, and I wonder if we’re listening. 

Mark Jones (Ph.D.) is Pastor at Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church (PCA) and the author of numerous books and articles.