Sojourner #059: School Of The Prophets 2026: Speakers Announced

“But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you.” (Jeremiah 1:17)

School of the Prophets 2026: Speakers Announced

In a day when many ministers feel isolated and overwhelmed, when doctrinal drift threatens gospel clarity, and when the temptation to compromise is strong, faithful shepherds need more than encouragement, they need to hold fast to the Word, preach it boldly, and shepherd with unwavering faithfulness. That is the heart behind the School of the Prophets, a storied pastors’ conference in Alabama with deep roots and a renewed mission.

The 2026 School of the Prophets will take place on Monday, February 2, and will be hosted once again at MeadowBrook Church in Gadsden, Alabama. The upcoming conference promises to continue what has become a vital fellowship for pastors, ministry leaders, and church members across the Southeast, and increasingly, beyond.

Originally founded in 1948, the School of the Prophets served for nearly five decades as a leading gathering for pastors throughout Northeast Alabama and the surrounding region. From 1948 to 1994, it helped shape generations of church leadership through sound doctrine, gospel preaching, and pastoral fellowship. 

After a long hiatus, the conference was revived in 2019, staying true to its mission to strengthen church leaders with clarity, with courage, and with Christ-centered conviction. In recent years, it has drawn nationally recognized speakers and renewed its focus on addressing the contemporary challenges facing the Church.

More than a conference, the School of the Prophets is a living expression of pastoral fellowship and biblical community. It seeks not to entertain, but to equip; not to offer gimmicks, but gospel-grounded instruction that serves the Church of the living God. Pastors come to rest, to be strengthened, and to remember why they were called in the first place.

The 2026 speaker lineup reflects this weighty resolve:

• Clint Pressley – Senior Pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, and current president of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

• Richard Ross – Senior Professor of Student Ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

• Geoffrey Chang – Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary.

• Robert Smith Jr. – Distinguished Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School.

• Jeremy Pierre – Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry at Southern Seminary. 

• Joshua McClain – Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church Collierville, TN. 

This gathering isn’t limited to pastors alone. The School of the Prophets is for anyone seeking to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the calling of gospel ministry, whether from the pulpit or the pew. In a statement to Sojourner Magazine, Dr. Craig Carlisle, one of the conference’s key organizers, emphasized:

“All are invited, not just pastors and staff. We will have a sign-up beginning this fall.”

It’s a day for the whole Church to be nourished by the Word, anchored in the gospel, and renewed for the work ahead, by faith.

This is more than a ministry event, it is an attempt to return to the enduring foundations of the Scriptures. A re-centering on the sufficiency of Scripture, the sovereign lordship of Christ, and the unchanging task of shepherding the flock of God as ones who will give an account.

As we prepare for the 2026 gathering, may it be said of us what was true of the prophets of old: that we did not flinch, did not bend, and did not run, but stood, spoke, and served under the authority of the Word and the weight of eternity - for His glory and for the good of many.

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