Faithful & Fruitful: Strengthening the Shepherds and the Servants

🕣 8:30 AM – Registration & Breakfast
Start your day with warm fellowship and a hearty breakfast as you check in for the Faithful & Fruitful Leadership Conference. This is a time to connect, grab your conference materials, and enjoy a welcoming atmosphere with coffee, conversation, and community.

Whether you're a returning friend or new to our ministry, we invite you to settle in, meet fellow leaders from across the region, and prepare your heart for a day of growth, encouragement, and spiritual renewal.

Breakfast Sponsor:

Host: John Conn, Rise Up Ministries Mississippi

We’ll officially begin the Faithful & Fruitful Leadership Conference with a heartfelt welcome from John Conn, founder of Rise Up Ministries Mississippi. This opening session sets the tone for the day as we come together in unity, expectation, and reverence for what God is about to do.

Through Scripture, vision casting, and corporate prayer, we’ll dedicate this time and gathering to the Lord—asking Him to move mightily in our hearts, our churches, and our communities.

Let’s align our minds, surrender our agendas, and fix our eyes on Jesus, the true Shepherd and Servant of all.

🎤  Speaker: Kenny Watson

Keynote Session 1
Topic: “The Weight and Joy of the Call”

Step into the sacred tension of ministry—the calling that is both a burden and a blessing. In this opening keynote, we’ll explore the biblical foundation for spiritual leadership, diving into what it truly means to be called by God to shepherd His people.

This session will challenge and encourage leaders to count the personal cost of ministry while embracing the enduring joy that comes through faithful obedience. Whether you're in the pulpit or serving behind the scenes, you’ll be reminded that the call to lead is not just about responsibility—it's about relationship with Christ and a life poured out for His glory.

Prepare to be grounded, stretched, and renewed in your calling.

Workshop Breakout Session (Choose One)

A) Equipping the Saints: Raising Up New Leaders -🎤  Speaker: Nate Nomichith

Session Description:
The future of the Church depends on the intentional investment we make today. In this practical and empowering session, Nate Nomichith will share how to identify, disciple, and develop new leaders within your church and ministry. Learn how to create a culture of multiplication through relational discipleship, hands-on training, and a clear leadership pathway. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing process, this session will equip you with tools to raise up faithful men and women who can carry the mission forward.

B) Church Conflict & Restoration- 🎤  Speaker: 

Session Description:
Conflict is inevitable, but division is not. This session will address one of the most challenging aspects of church leadership: navigating conflict in a way that honors Christ and strengthens the body. Through biblical principles of peacemaking, healthy communication, and spiritual maturity, participants will learn how to handle disagreements, restore relationships, and protect unity within the church. Whether dealing with leadership tension, congregational issues, or personal offense, this session will offer clear, gospel-centered guidance for becoming peacemakers in the house of God.

Lunch & Fellowship
Sponsored by Crossroads Sober Living

Take a break, refuel, and enjoy a time of connection with fellow pastors and ministry leaders during our lunch hour. Generously sponsored by Crossroads Sober Living, this meal is more than just food—it’s an opportunity to build relationships, share stories, and strengthen the bonds that make the Church thrive.

Whether you're meeting someone new or reconnecting with familiar faces, we invite you to relax and enjoy this moment of fellowship.

📋 Menu coming soon!

Worship Experience with Bloodline Ministries Worship
Join us for a powerful time of worship led by Bloodline Ministries Worship, whose heart is to usher in the presence of God and prepare hearts for the work He desires to do. This mid-day session is more than music—it’s a sacred moment to pause, reflect, and respond to the call of Christ.

Through passionate praise and Spirit-led worship, we’ll unite our voices and lift our hearts as one body, declaring the goodness, faithfulness, and holiness of our God. Whether you're a pastor, lay leader, or servant in the church, come ready to be refreshed, revived, and realigned with His presence.

Let this be the moment where heaven touches earth and ministry flows from overflow.

Topic: Leading with Integrity in a Compromised Culture
🎤 Speaker: Chris Payne

Session Description:
In a world where truth is often twisted and compromise is celebrated, spiritual leaders are called to a higher standard. This session will challenge and equip pastors and ministry leaders to stand firm on God’s unchanging truth while leading with grace, courage, and conviction. Chris Payne will speak to the urgent need for integrity in leadership—modeling righteousness, resisting cultural pressure, and shepherding God's people with unwavering faithfulness. Discover how to lead well without wavering, even when the world around you does.

🎤 Speaker: Brother David Keen

Topic: Finish Well: Remaining Faithful to the End

Session Description:
Ministry is not a sprint—it’s a lifelong calling. In this powerful closing session, Brother David Keen will offer a heartfelt and inspiring challenge to pastors and leaders to remain steadfast in their calling, even through seasons of weariness, hardship, or discouragement. Drawing from scripture and years of faithful service, he will encourage attendees to finish strong, keep the faith, and press on with joy and endurance. This final session will conclude with a special time of corporate prayer and a pastoral blessing over all who serve, commissioning them to go forward in boldness and grace.