Home > Pastors’ Conference 2022

Always be Ready: Apologetics in Real Life
February 15-17, 2022 at the Crowne Plaza-Universal Blvd

“Always be Ready; Apologetics in Real Life” (based on 1 Peter 3:15), is the theme of this year’s NALC Pastors’ Conference. Join us February 15-17 at the Crowne Plaza-Universal Blvd in Orlando, Florida, for two days of fellowship, communion and plenary sessions centered around apologetics.

According to the Lutheran Cyclopedia, Concordia Publishing, 1984,

“Apologetics concerns itself with errorists outside the Church…the classical period of Christian apologetics is the 2nd Century, a period of widespread persecution of Christians by Romans. The apologists defended Christianity against various charges …”

In the same way that Philip Melanchthon presented an “apology” or “defense” of the Augsburg Confession against its detractors, pastors today may find themselves challenged to “always be ready” to present a defense of the faith as North America is full of “errorists” and those who deny the reality of the Triune God, the Christian faith, the Word of God, and Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Where pastors once waited in the church building for visitors and inquirers to walk in the door, in the twenty-first century, the role of a pastor is more likely to involve engagement with those outside the church who are unbelievers, atheists and skeptics.

The 2022 NALC Pastors’ Conference will feature a theme and presenters aimed at deep engagement with pastors who are regularly challenged to give a reasoned, yet, gracious defense of the Christian faith. How is one always ready? How does one respond to youth and undergraduates in particular? What is most helpful in sharing the faith with unbelievers, atheists and secularists? The conference format will provide extended time for conversation, questions, and interaction between speakers and pastors. Keynote speakers will be the Rev. Dr. Mark Mattes, who regularly engages with undergraduates at Grand View University; the Rev. Dr. Maurice Lee, former systematics professor at Westmont College, pastor of a small NALC mission congregation in Santa Barbara, CA and chair of the NALC Commission on Theology and Doctrine; the Rev. Dr. Dennis DiMauro, adjunct professor and successful NALC mission developer, and the Rev. Dr. Thomas Jacobson, parish pastor, seminary professor and father of young children. Each of these pastors and theologians bring in-depth education and experience in polemics within the Church and apologetics outside the four walls of the church building.

In addition to the four plenary sessions on the theme, there will be time for one-on-one meetings with executive staff, a presentation by Hahn Financial Group, the Chrism mass with Holy Communion and blessing of oil and the annual meeting of the NALC ministerium. All NALC pastors are invited to participate in the 2022 Pastors’ Conference!

Keynote Speaker

The Rev. Dr. Mark Mattes

Presenters

The Rev. Dr. Maurice Lee

The Rev. Dr. Dennis Di Mauro

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Jacobson

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