Pastors, missionaries, ministry leaders, and their families from across the country gathered in the Boston metro September 21–24 for the 2026 Baptist Bible Fellowship International National Fellowship Meeting, hosted by Sean Sears and Grace Church.
Boston provided an especially fitting setting for this year’s meeting as the Fellowship celebrated two significant milestones: the 50th anniversary of Boston Baptist College and the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Together, those anniversaries provided an opportunity to celebrate both the ministry heritage of the BBFI in New England and the historic setting in which the Fellowship gathered.
The theme for the meeting was ADVANCE, and throughout the week that word proved to be more than a conference theme. Attendees were challenged to advance the Gospel in their communities and around the world, plant churches in places that desperately need them, develop the next generation of ministry leaders, strengthen existing churches, and deepen the relationships that have always been at the heart of the Fellowship.
There was also a sense throughout the week that the BBFI is entering a new season, one that builds upon its history while looking with expectation toward the opportunities ahead.
One guest described what he saw as “a Fellowship of motivated leaders that showed up, ready to move forward together with one vision … reaching the lost.”
“I left Boston more hopeful about the BBFI than I’ve been in years,” he said. That sense of expectation could be seen throughout the meeting.
A Strong Beginning
Monday included a number of important meetings during the morning and afternoon before everyone gathered at Grace Church for the opening evening service.
John Reilly, pastor of Beacon Baptist Church in Taylor, Michigan, preached from Job 42:5, challenging those in attendance to move beyond merely knowing about God through what they have heard from others to knowing Him personally and experientially. That kind of encounter with God, Reilly emphasized, produces humility, repentance, submission, and a deeper faith.
David Melton, pastor of MetroWest Baptist Church and president of Boston Baptist College, preached from the life of the apostle John and emphasized the impact of lifelong obedience, how one decision to leave the comfortable and follow Jesus led to great moments of faithfulness and ultimately a lasting legacy. Pointing to John at the empty tomb, Melton challenged the Fellowship that this is not the time to put ministry in neutral; there is still work to do, and we must continue to ADVANCE.
A different campus of Grace Church led the congregation in worship each night throughout the meeting, while its staff and volunteers created an atmosphere of hospitality that attendees repeatedly mentioned. Noah Fox of Liberty Baptist Church described “the warmth and encouraging atmosphere that came from Sean and the Grace staff, both from the stage and in personal contact.” Others echoed that sentiment, noting the friendliness of volunteers and the welcoming atmosphere throughout the week.
The hospitality extended beyond logistics. Sean Sears and the Grace Church family wanted those who came to Boston not simply to attend another meeting, but to leave encouraged and better equipped for ministry.
Practical Training for Pastors and Ministry Staff
Tuesday morning was intentionally practical. Separate tracks for pastoral leadership and ministry staff were held at two separate Grace Church locations, allowing attendees to participate in sessions specifically designed for their areas of responsibility. Topics ranged from ministry strategy, church revitalization, and maximizing church facilities to communications, social media, artificial intelligence, outreach, volunteer development, children’s ministry, and youth ministry.
For Lennon Ellis of New Hope Baptist Church, a statement from Moses Heyward provided a simple but important reminder: “To hear from God, we have to be looking for God.” “As a pastor,” Ellis said, “I still need to seek after Him.”
Melissa Crawford, a Global Surge missionary, appreciated the practical discussion surrounding social media, communications, and artificial intelligence and the opportunity to consider how those tools might be used more effectively in ministry.
Following the morning tracks, attendees returned to Grace Church’s Avon campus for lunch and the afternoon sessions. Sean Sears shared principles he has learned about raising leaders from within the local church. He shared that his responsibility as a pastor is to engage and equip those in the church for the mission.
That principle resonated with Justin Hughes, pastor of Pythian Avenue Baptist Church, as he leads his church through revitalization. He also appreciated Sears’ reminder that churches must continually identify and remove unnecessary barriers that make it more difficult for unbelievers to connect with the church and hear the Gospel.
Preparing for Pastoral Succession
Tuesday afternoon also included a panel discussion focused on an increasingly important issue for local churches: pastoral succession.
Randy Harp, executive director of the BBFI Central Office, moderated the conversation with Ron Sears, Terry Thompson, and Joel Byers. Each brought a different perspective and personal experience to the discussion.
Sears transitioned from serving as a senior pastor into an executive pastor role; Thompson served for many years as a senior pastor before transitioning from that role and now leads Small Church USA; and Byers experienced succession from the other side, moving from youth and executive pastoral ministry into the senior pastor role at Central Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.
The discussion addressed knowing when it may be time for a pastor to begin considering succession, the relationship between ministry and personal identity, the danger of leaving too soon or staying too long, preparing a church before a transition becomes necessary, and common mistakes churches make during leadership changes.
The panel also explored the relationship between a lead pastor and executive pastor, including trust, communication, conflict, and the importance of honoring the lead pastor while serving in a supporting role.
The conversation fit naturally with the larger theme of ADVANCE. Healthy churches must not only think about who is leading today but intentionally prepare leaders for tomorrow.
Encouragement for Women in Ministry
Tuesday afternoon also included a special gathering for women led by Billie Sears. The session provided an opportunity for pastors’ wives, missionaries, and other women serving in ministry to spend time in Scripture and prayer while encouraging one another through the shared experiences of ministry life.
Jennifer Buttram of Temple Baptist Church described the importance of that time simply: “As a pastor’s wife, intentional sisterhood in ministry means everything.” She appreciated Sears’ transparency and the opportunity for the women to pray together and encourage one another.
Emily Leon of Connect Rockaway Beach Church similarly left the meeting grateful for deeper relationships with women who would continue to pray for and encourage one another as they returned to their ministries.
Church Planting and the Next Generation
Church planting was another prominent emphasis throughout the meeting and one of the clearest expressions of ADVANCE.
Three new church-planting couples were approved: Eric and Michelle Picard, planting in Wappingers Falls, New York; Gabe and Ally Laidlaw, planting in Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathan and Christina Hamilton, planting in Covington, Georgia.
The Fellowship also heard updates from recently approved church planters Elvis Leon in Brooklyn, New York, and Courtland Holloway in Wells, Maine. Anthony Milas closed the church planting session in prayer.
For many attendees, seeing another generation preparing to establish churches was one of the most encouraging parts of the week. Terry Kizer of APEX appreciated the emphasis on church planting and developing the next generation of pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders, while Charles Lyons of City Hope International pointed to what he described as “a wave of Next Gen church planters.”
AJ York of Journey Baptist Church was struck by church planter Aaron Cavin’s description of a change that took place as his ministry in Quincy matured. Cavin initially moved there to plant a new church for the people. As people were reached, discipled, and developed, the vision became planting more churches with the people. “There is an element of growing people as you go,” York reflected. “You can’t really go it alone.”
The location of the meeting provided an appropriate backdrop for those conversations. New England represents an enormous Gospel opportunity, and several attendees returned home with a renewed burden not only to support church planting but for their own churches to become churches that plant churches.
Missions: The Heart of the Fellowship
Wednesday morning turned the attention of the Fellowship toward world missions.
Mason and Brianna Hillger were approved as BBFI missionaries to Canada, adding another missionary couple to those preparing to carry the Gospel across cultural and geographic boundaries.
BBFI missionary Mike Ivey, who serves in South Korea, preached during the missions session, and BBFI Mission Director Jon Konnerup delivered a strong challenge concerning the urgency and future of world missions.
For several attendees, Konnerup’s challenge became one of the defining moments of the week. Brian Weed described Konnerup as standing “boldly and unapologetically” and challenging the Fellowship to operate with a vision for the future of missions. “Missions isn’t just the right arm of the Fellowship; it’s the heart of the Fellowship,” Weed said. “The best days of reaching the world are happening right now.”
Kristi Slayden of Hope Community Church was similarly challenged by the urgency of getting laborers to the mission field and the responsibility of churches to pray for and train those laborers. Others mentioned being challenged to pray more specifically for missionaries and to recognize the need for another generation to answer God’s call.
The missions session also highlighted the many resources available through the BBFI Mission Office to help pastors and local churches become more effectively involved in fulfilling the Great Commission. If the Fellowship is going to ADVANCE, missions cannot simply remain one ministry among many. The call of the Great Commission demands that reaching the world remain central to who we are.
Preaching That Challenged the Fellowship
Biblical preaching remained central throughout the meeting.
In addition to Reilly and Melton on Monday evening, Josh Adams, pastor of Harbor Church in Hyannis, Massachusetts, preached from 1 Kings 17 and the life of Elijah on Tuesday evening. Adams reminded those in ministry that God sometimes leads His servants into places of refinement as He prepares them for what is ahead, observing, “Elijah gives us the example that God is taking you to a place of refinement.”
Keith Harrington, pastor of Rockharbor Church in Boise, Idaho, preached from Acts 14 on the “Cycle of Faithful Ministry”—preaching the Gospel, making disciples, suffering well, developing leaders, and glorifying God. His message built toward a challenge to invest intentionally in the next generation, multiply disciples and churches, and “let your Gospel ministry grow on other people’s trees.”
On Wednesday evening, Jerry Pelfrey, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mason, Ohio, preached from Luke 9 on the reality that everyone experiences “bad days” in life and ministry, including the disciples, and warned against comparison, pride, discouragement, and judging a life or ministry by a single moment. He reminded those in attendance that God does not judge His children merely by snapshots of their worst days but sees an overall life of faithfulness, encouraging pastors and missionaries to keep their eyes on Jesus and continue advancing the Gospel.
One statement from Pelfrey particularly stayed with Ken Wood of The Avenue Church: “My name doesn’t have to be on anything, but I hope to get to heaven and see my fingerprints everywhere.” Pelfrey closed with an illustration of a baseball player who stumbled while attempting to reach second base, only to discover that the ball had gone over the fence. He compared it to missionaries and pastors who sometimes feel like they are failing without realizing the eternal significance of their faithfulness.
Newly elected BBFI President Phil Housley, pastor of Park Crest Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri, preached the final message from 1 Timothy 4 and presented his vision for a Fellowship united around biblical doctrine and the Great Commission while becoming more intentional about missions, church planting, racial diversity, communication, caring for pastors and missionaries, and drawing upon the wisdom of multiple generations. He emphasized that the BBFI’s strength is not found simply in those who hold positions of leadership, but in hundreds of faithful pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders serving largely without recognition while working together to reach the world with the Gospel.
Rich Richards of Louisiana Baptist University was particularly encouraged by Housley’s call for a Fellowship that increasingly reflects the diversity of the communities its churches are trying to reach. Having pastored an interracial church for more than 20 years, Richards said that vision is especially close to his heart and expressed the hope that Great Commission-minded leaders from many backgrounds would find a welcoming Fellowship within the BBFI.
The meeting concluded appropriately, not simply with another announcement or dismissal, but with prayer. Pastors and leaders gathered around the newly elected Executive Committee and prayed for them and for the future of the Fellowship.
ADVANCE ultimately cannot be accomplished through programming, organization, or leadership strategy alone. It requires dependence upon God.
Click here to listen to the sermons from the week. (Note: due to technical difficulties only Tuesday night’s sermons are available.)
Fellowship Business and a Leadership Transition
The annual BBFI business meeting included reports from Fellowship ministries as well as an important leadership transition.
Jon Haley was recognized for four years of service as BBFI president, following four previous years as first vice president. In appreciation for his leadership and service to the Fellowship, Haley was presented with a BBFI presidential ring.
The newly elected BBFI Executive Committee for 2026–2029 is:
- President – Phil Housley, Park Crest Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri
- First Vice President (M issions) – Tracy Roby, Overland Park Baptist Church, Overland Park, Kansas
- Second Vice President (Education) – Bob Stephenson, Graceway Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri
- Third Vice President (Church Planting) – David Martin, Graceway Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fourth Vice President (Church Development) – Joel Byers, Central Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas
- Secretary – Kevin Carson, Sonrise Baptist Church, Ozark, Missouri
- Treasurer – Dean Hughes, East Side Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas
The transition provided an opportunity to express appreciation for those who have served while also considering the opportunities ahead.
Relationships Beyond the Platform
As important as the scheduled sessions were, much of what makes a Fellowship Meeting valuable cannot be captured in a program or conference workbook.
Conversations took place in hallways, around tables, between sessions, and throughout the Boston area. Old friendships were renewed. New relationships began. Pastors discovered others facing similar challenges. Missionaries reconnected with supporting churches. Ministry leaders exchanged ideas that may influence their churches long after everyone returned home.
Attendees also noted the encouraging presence of younger pastors, missionaries, church planters, and their families alongside men and women who have faithfully served for decades. That intergenerational fellowship reflected one of the opportunities before the BBFI: honoring those who have built faithfully while intentionally investing in those who will carry the work into the future.
For Charles Lyons, the combination of a thriving BBFI church in New England, next-generation church planters, stories of Gospel fruit from previous Fellowship investment, and the spirit of the meeting pointed toward something greater than any individual program. “What we saw, heard, experienced in this meeting,” Lyons said, “is clearly a move of the Holy Spirit.”
Experiencing Boston Together
The formal sessions concluded Wednesday, but the Fellowship continued Thursday through several optional activities designed to take advantage of the unique Boston setting and provide additional opportunities for relationships.
Some attendees headed into downtown Boston for a historical walking tour led by Boston Baptist College president David Melton, visiting many locations connected to the nation’s founding and history.
Others participated in the ADVANCE Fellowship Golf Tournament at West Bridgewater Country Club. The two-man scramble provided a morning of competition and fellowship while also raising support for the BBFI Central Office.
Thursday evening, another group gathered at historic Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox host the Cleveland Guardians.
The historical tour, golf tournament, and Red Sox game were very different experiences, but all three served an important purpose: creating time for people to be together.
Fellowship does not happen only while sitting in an auditorium. It happens while walking the streets of Boston, riding the subway together, competing on a golf course, sharing meals, talking between sessions, and spending time with people who understand both the opportunities and challenges of ministry.
Those relationships have always been one of the great strengths of the Baptist Bible Fellowship.
A Fellowship Challenged to ADVANCE
By the time the meeting concluded, the word ADVANCE had taken on several meanings. Three new church-planting couples had been approved and recently approved planters had shared evidence of what God is doing in their communities. A new missionary couple had been approved for Canada while the Fellowship was reminded of the urgent need for more laborers around the world. Pastors and ministry staff had received practical training to help strengthen their churches. Women in ministry had developed relationships that would continue long after Boston. Conversations about succession and leadership development challenged churches to prepare intentionally for another generation. A new Executive Committee had also taken office with a call to greater unity around biblical truth and the Great Commission.
Yet perhaps the greatest reason for optimism was not found in a program, an election, or a single message. It was found in people. It could be seen in younger pastors and missionaries sitting alongside leaders who have served faithfully for decades. It could be seen in church planters preparing to enter communities that need Gospel-preaching churches. It could be heard in conversations between pastors sharing ideas, struggles, and encouragement. It could be seen in leaders gathered around the new Executive Committee, praying for God’s direction and power.
That is why one observation of the meeting serves as an appropriate summary of the week:
“I left Boston more hopeful about the BBFI than I’ve been in years.”
That hope is not based simply on a successful meeting. It is rooted in what God continues to do through local churches, pastors, missionaries, church planters, ministry leaders, and faithful servants throughout the Fellowship, and in the opportunities that remain before us.
The 2026 BBFI National Fellowship Meeting celebrated what God has done without being content simply to look backward. It reminded those in attendance of the Gospel responsibility before us and the tremendous opportunity that remains.
Together, we continue to ADVANCE.
Looking Ahead
The BBFI calendar continues with several opportunities for pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders to connect, learn, and serve together in 2027.
- February 2027 – Healthy Church Conference
- May 4-7, 2027 – Fellowship Week at Mission University
- September 20-22, 2027 – BBFI Annual Fellowship Meeting at Global Church in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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