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Refresh Conference Encourages Pastors and Wives

By March 2, 2016No Comments

RefreshConf_inlineANKENY, Iowa—“If we can refresh a pastor and his wife, we can refresh a whole church,” says Jim Tillotson, president of Faith Baptist Bible College. “I served in pastoral ministry for more than 20 years, and I know how much pastors and wives need refreshing.”

With that goal, Tillotson and his team began planning the Refresh Conference for pastors and wives, which took place Feb. 9–12 on Faith’s campus. The conference provided refreshment and encouragement to pastors and their wives through fellowship and the preaching of God’s Word.

Attendees benefited from the preaching of Dr. Gary Anderson, president emeritus of Baptist Mid-Missions; Jason LaFlamme, pastor of Munising Baptist Church, Wetmore, Michigan; Dr. Doug McLachlan, pastor of Fourth Baptist Church, Plymouth, Minnesota; Patrick Odle, pastor of First Baptist Church, Elyria, Ohio; and Dr. Les Ollila, a longtime minister and college president now involved in itinerant ministry to pastors and churches.

Tillotson thought if 100 people came the first year, the conference would be successful. When the week was done, 200 guests from 105 ministries had registered for the conference. The Lord certainly exceeded Faith’s expectations!

The conference also gave the Faith family an opportunity to serve the pastors and wives who came. A special sidelight of the conference was the initiative by some of Faith’s female students to write personal notes of encouragement to the pastors’ wives.

The Refresh Conference seemed to meet a need in the lives and ministries of pastors and their wives. Next year’s Refresh Conference will be held Jan. 31—Feb. 3.