STILL
1. noun: calm and at rest
2. adverb: nevertheless
CenterPeace Conference
October 24–26, 2024
When we gather together in 2024 for the biennial CenterPeace Conference, we will rest in the Holy Spirit. We will open our palms, be still, and know that our Creator is God (Psalm 46:10). We will also find encouragement to hold fast to our faith. Despite the challenges of life, nevertheless, we will persist in our pursuit of Christ and community with each other.
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Is this conference for me?
The CenterPeace Conference is a warm-hearted gathering of LGBTQ+ Christians, their churches, and their families. It's an amazing time of making new friends and reuniting with old ones. The Conference features a range of speakers, worship leaders, storytellers, and those ready to listen to your heart.
If you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community and looking for a place to belong, come to Conference and you’ll find it. If you’re a parent or family member of someone who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, please join us at Conference. Are you a friend or ally? Come and get involved with CenterPeace!
And if you’re a pastor, elder or other church leader, there’s no better place for you to learn from trusted teachers how to examine scripture, extend hospitality, and embrace those in your reach who long for spiritual community.
Conference Details
We're excited to host the 2024 CenterPeace Conference at Wilshire Baptist Church. Wilshire is conveniently located in Dallas, with several local restaurants nearby. The conference hotel is The Beeman, which can be booked for $160 to $175/night using the hotel link below.
Wilshire Baptist Church
4316 Abrams Road
Dallas, TX
The Beeman Hotel
6070 N Central Expy
Dallas, TX
Schedule
The main conference will open at 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 24th, and wrap up around noon on Saturday, October 26th. We're also excited to offer a pre-conference workshop for pastors and church leaders and a post-conference workshop for parents of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Thursday, October 24
Noon - 7:00 pm
1:30 - 5:00 pm
4:45 - 6:30 pm
6:00 - 6:45 pm
7:00 - 8:30 pm
9:00 - 10:30 pm
Conference check-in open
Pastors Workshop
Dinner Meetups
First-timers Orientation
General Session 1
Late Night Activities
Friday, October 25
8:00 - 9:00 am
9:00 - 10:30 am
11:00 am - Noon
Noon - 1:30 pm
1:30 - 2:30 pm
2:45 - 3:45 pm
4:00 - 5:00pm
5:00 - 7:00 pm
7:00 - 8:30 pm
9:00 - 10:30 pm
Conference check in
General Session 2
Breakout A
Lunch Meetups
General Session 3
Breakout B
Special Options
Dinner Meetups
General Session 4
Late Night Activities
Saturday, October 26
9:00 - 10:00 am
10:15 - 11:15 am
11:30 - 12:15 pm
12:15 - 12:30 pm
12:30 - 1:30pm
12:30 - 1:30 pm
1:30 - 5:00 pm
General Session 5
Breakout Session C
Closing Ceremony
Break
Parent Lunch (pre=order box lunch)
Workshop check-in
Workshop for Parents
Special Activities
At the conference we want you to feel connected and supported. CenterPeace prioritizes a community atmosphere where everyone has someone to eat lunch with and talk to. If you have registered, watch for more information on the following options:
Prayer Room
We will have a room at the conference designated for prayer. Would you like someone to pray for you? We've got you covered!
Meal Buddies
At the conference, you will have an opportunity to sign up to eat a meal with others. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, this will give you a chance to meet and get to know others. Some of these meal groups will be affinity groups (e.g. for parents, LGBTQ+, pastors, young adults etc).
Late Night Events
After the evening plenary sessions, stay and hangout. We might be playing board games, doing a hymn sing, or watching a documentary.
Online Conference Community
Communicate with each other, keep up on what's happening at the conference, arrange to hang out or stay in touch afterward. We will have a private online group to facilitate getting to know each other.
Pre-Conference Workshop: Pastors & Church Leaders
Thursday, October 24
1:30-5:00 pm (check-in 1pm)
How does a church that has long held a traditionalist view move toward becoming fully affirming of LGBTQ+ people? How should a church committee study the issue, engage the congregation in the process, and implement a new way forward? What are the challenges and rewards? This session will include teaching from George Mason, who served as senior pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church for more than thirty years and was instrumental in guiding the church through the discernment process on LGBTQ+ inclusion. You will also hear from a panel of pastors and participate in group discussion and reflection. Come meet other pastors and ministry leaders who are striving to make a difference in their churches and communities for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
George A. Mason is senior pastor emeritus at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He served as senior pastor for 33 years, from 1989 until 2022. For 22 years at Wilshire, he directed an innovative clergy apprenticeship program called Pathways to Ministry that launched more than 40 trained pastors into congregational ministry. He now serves as director of alumni. George is also founder and president of Faith Commons, an interfaith nonprofit organization that amplifies diverse faith voices for the common good. and he is adjunct professor at Perkins School of Theology at SMU and lead advisor of the Baptist House of Studies. In 2023, George began working as a ministry consultant with the Center for Healthy Churches. He recently published his second book, The Word Made Fresh: Preaching God's Love for Every Body. George holds both the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. His doctoral field of study was systematic theology, with a minor in philosophy of religion. A native of New York City, George has been married to Kim since 1979. They have three children and seven grandchildren.
Post-Conference Workshop: Parents of LGBTQ+ Children
Saturday, October 26
1:30 - 5:00 pm (pizza lunch from 12:30-1:30pm)
Are you a parent of an LGBTQ+ child (adult or youth) and longing to connect with other parents? Do you feel uncertain about how to respond to a child coming out or need guidance in how to best support your child? Don and Susan McLaughlin, parents of a gay son, and Stan Mitchell, a former pastor ministering to LGBTQ+ people, will share their stories and wisdom in a nurturing environment. Learning to love our LGBTQ+ children well involves going deeper with God. The reward comes in the realization that God’s unconditional love for each of us is more profound than we ever realized.
Don and Susan McLaughlin have been married 42 years and are blessed with five adult children and four granddaughters. Their ministry is focused on facilitating gospel-centered restoration where relationships have been fractured. They have actively served with the LGTBQ+ community since 2001. Don has served as the preaching minister for the North Atlanta Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia since 1997. His academic work focuses on developing strategies and environments that inspire and equip people for meaningful intercultural relationships. Don is the author of Love First: Ending Hate Before It’s Too Late and Heaven in the Real World. Susan was raised in central Indiana in a home devoted to God. Putting God first was generationally modeled for her through grandparents, parents and a loving church community. She attended Harding University, majoring in music, and later taught elementary school music. Susan is engaged in sharing her faith and serving in multiple ministries.
Stan Mitchell currently serves as a Teaching Pastor at The Village in Atlanta, GA. and Austin New Church in Austin, TX. He is the Pastor Emeritus of GracePointe Church in Nashville, TN, having served as its Lead Pastor from 2003 through 2019. In 2015, GracePointe made the move to the full affirmation and celebration of LGBTQ+ people. He spends his vocational time now as a speaker, LGBTQ+ advocate, and consultant. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School.
Special Conference Events
