By Natalie Sarrett
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE — Worship led by Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans, a rousing sermon from Tony Evans and a concert by Crowder kicked off the Send Conference 2021 Sunday night (June 13) at Music City Center.
Actually, the event started a little earlier, with a powerful prayer session led by Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in nearby Hendersonville, Tenn. Although the Send Conference, co-hosted by the International Mission Board (IMB) and North American Mission Board (NAMB), will feature plenty of preaching, Gallaty exhorted pastors to return to the basic spiritual practices of seeking intentional silence and solitude and listening to the Holy Spirit’s still, small whisper.
“We cannot sermonize our way out of this current moment, so we need to be in tune with the God who tells us to lean in and rest,” he said.
Afterward, a crowd estimated at nearly 10,000 gathered. Smith and Winans, who was a surprise guest, led worship before NAMB President Kevin Ezell and IMB President Paul Chitwood introduced Evans, the night’s keynote speaker. [Read more…]