Midwest Gospel Preaching Summit

media release: Join us for the Third Annual Midwest Gospel Preaching Summit, an inspiring, equipping, worship-filled gathering for preachers, pastors, and ministry leaders committed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ministering to their communities!

Three nationally-acclaimed preachers will speak to this year’s theme, The Preacher’s Heart: Nurturing Spiritual Abundance for Effective Communication. If you desire to cultivate a heart overflowing with God’s Word, love, and truth — and elevating your preaching in the process — you will appreciate the engaging presentations of the Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown, the Rev. Dr. Charles Goodman, and the Rev. Dr. Phillip Pointer. Workshops and conversations with fellow leaders will round out a conference that has become known for stellar content and generous hospitality.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church, led by the Rev. Dr. Marcus Allen, and Upper House (both in Madison, Wisconsin) are cohosts of this Summit designed for preachers committed to advancing the spiritual growth of their congregants and the church as a whole.

This year, the Summit’s scriptural foundation is Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV) — For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Our goal is for every attendee to experience the refreshment and nurturing vital to transformative communication with God’s beloved people. Whether you are a new or experienced preacher, the Midwest Gospel Preaching Summit will empower you with tools you need to strengthen your ministry.

PLENARY SPEAKERS

Our conference speakers bring decades of experience in training seminarians, as well as years of service shepherding congregations—

Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown is the 10th Senior Pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, the first woman to hold this position since the church’s founding in 1908. An increasingly sought-after preacher and workshop leader with the ability to communicate across generations, Dr. Brown has shared the Gospel throughout the U.S. and in South Africa. She holds a Master of Education and Bachelor of Science Degrees from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, and both a Master of Divinity Degree and Master of Arts Degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. She earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Palmer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where she studied Leadership and Church Renewal. She has a passion for mentoring and assisting in the development of faith and community leaders and is a site supervisor in the Princeton Theological Seminary, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and Pillar College Field Education Programs, has taught on the adjunct faculty of New York Theological Seminary, and served two terms on the Board of Trustees of New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Through the years, Dr. Brown has received multiple awards and recognition for her work in the church and community. In 2022, she was inducted into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Reverend Dr. Charles E. Goodman, Jr. is the Senior Pastor/Teacher of The Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, Georgia. In his role, he established “one church in multiple locations” that serves a TAB Global audience with multiple weekly services, virtually and in-person. Pastor Goodman is also the author of four books: You Can’t Run from Purpose, Road to Recovery, The Flip Side of Favor, and It’s Complicated. In 2023 Dr. Goodman was selected as a Preaching Exemplar in the inaugural cohort for the Compelling Preaching Initiative, which is advancing the sacred tradition of African American Preaching through scholarship and mentorship. He serves on many community boards and as an adjunct professor/mentor at institutions of higher learning. He is also a content contributor to publications concerning ministry methodologies and contemporary preaching. Dr. Goodman earned a Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and his Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. An avid learner, he also earned a Master of Management with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Cambridge College and was a practitioner of the Clergy Scholars Program hosted by Yale University.  In 2023, he successfully defended his research on the Black Church and Leadership in Times of Crisis, earning a Ph.D. in Leadership from Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina.

Rev. Dr. Phillip Pointer, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Saint Mark Baptist Church, one of the largest Baptist churches in the state of Arkansas. Raised in the Greater Washington D.C. area, Pastor Pointer is a fourth-generation Baptist pastor from lines of Baptist pastors that run on both sides of his family. Over the years, Pastor Pointer has worked to inspire and empower God’s people to grow in contextual understanding of God’s Word, to apply it, and to spiritually mature in Jesus Christ. Under Pastor Pointer’s leadership, Saint Mark’s ministry has grown by leaps and bounds, achieving major installments of community outreach offerings such as job fairs, financial stewardship classes, record expungement seminars, and food drives. He also led a campaign for a Children & Youth Center and led the formation of the Tendaji Community Development Corporation, which provides outreach programs and initiatives that support the entire Little Rock community. Pastor Pointer earned a Master of Divinity degree with honors from The Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. His doctoral study emphasis was “Preaching Prophetically in a Postmodern Culture: Communicating with Contemporary Audiences.”

REGISTRATION

Super Early Bird (May 8-July 9): $80

Early Bird (July 10- September 24): $100

Regular (September 25 – October 9): $125

Student: $50

Senior: $65

Livestream: $50

HOSTS

Mt Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Wisconsin, was founded in 1911 and is one of Wisconsin’s oldest predominantly African American congregations. Mt. Zion has a long history of community service and a deep commitment to equipping healthy pastors to grow healthy congregations and, in turn, advance healthy communities. Pastor Allen serves as the president of the African American Council of Churches; he is passionate about providing theological training to African American pastors who are bi-vocational or serving their congregation without seminary degrees.

Upper House is a nonprofit center for Christian gathering and learning committed to connecting faith, ideas, and communities in Madison and regionally. Located in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Upper House hosts programs and conferences, often in partnership with local ministries, to advance theological education and spiritual formation. A venue known for its space and hospitality, Upper House is delighted to cohost this conference with Mt. Zion.