Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

First Baptist hosting annual Bible conference

Churches from New Mexico and west Texas will be sending members and leaders to First Baptist Church of Texico for the church’s annual Bible conference beginning Sunday.

Started 22 years ago, the Texico Annual Bible Conference is free to the public. This year’s conference will bring the pastor of one of New Mexico’s largest churches and a professor at a major Southern Baptist seminary to the four-day series of presentations and Bible lessons.

“The conference was started to equip the saints,” said Pastor Rob Hollis of First Baptist Church of Texico.

“It has been highly successful from that point of view,” Hollis said. “Our church does support it at no cost to anybody.”

Hollis said attendance most years averages around 400 and fills the church building, located at 224 Turner St. in Texico.

Hollis said keynote speaker Wayne Barber has been the pastor of Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque for two years. Barber is also is the founder of To Live is Christ Ministries, was a former pastor of Woodland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., and has been a featured teacher for Precept Ministries. The other main speaker, Jim Shaddix, is the Dean of the Chapel and a professor of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Shaddix is also the pastor of Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans, has written a number of books and articles, and is the founder and president of Burning Hearts Ministries.

Pastor Joel Horne of First Baptist Church of Clovis said a number of other Baptist churches in the area encourage their members to attend.

“When it started it started as a Bible conference to just teach people to grow in the Lord and we invited pastors from every city in New Mexico to come, we even paid their way,” Horne said. “It essentially was for information and edification of the people but we brought in missionaries for other churches so they could learn also.”

“It’s a practical, hands-on approach to the Word of God,” Hollis said. “It’s not a denominational conference although we will stand on Baptist principles of doctrine. If a person from another denomination wants to come and heard God’s Word, I do not believe they will feel out of place.”

Sunday meetings will be at 10:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Additional meetings will be held Monday through Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. On Monday and Tuesday, special noon meetings will be held with visitors invited to bring their own lunch at noon.

Hollis can be reached at 482-3632.

 
 
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