“Preaching at the End of the World”
February 9-10, 2026
Description to come.
Keynote Speaker - Melissa Florer-Bixler
Melissa Florer-Bixler
Melissa Florer-Bixler is the pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church, and a graduate of Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary. Florer-Bixler's writing regularly appears Christian Century, where she is a Voices columnist. She has also written for Sojourners, Geez, Anabaptist Witness, The Bias, Image Journal, Faith&Leadership, and Anabaptist Vision. She is the author of Fire By Night: Finding God in the Pages of the Old Testament and How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace. As co-chair of the Wake County Community Remembrance Project, she helps to establish memorial for victims of race-based lynching. Florer-Bixler organizes around efforts to shift resources from policing and prison to community wellness. You can read her regular writing on Substack.
Keynote Addresses
Session 1: It's the end of the world as we know it | Global crisis, climate disaster, and authoritarian regimes are features of each age in history. For thousands of years, the book of Revelation has accompanied congregations to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ in the midst of this chaos -- with mixed results. In a new season, with new questions, how do we preach Revelation today?
Session 2: Can I get a witness? | Revelation's violent scenes and bloody battles have often challenged worshippers in the peace church. But what does Revelation tell us about violence and the orientation of believers who stare into the face of destruction? In this session, we explore preaching the message of active, non-violent witness in John's apocalypse.
Session 3: Church among the graves | John's apocalypse portrays the church as witness to the nations but also invites the church to name its complicity with the principalities and powers. How does Revelation invite the peace church to renewal in our current time?
Interactive Workshops
More details to come.
Presenters
More details to come.
Schedule
| MONDAY, February 9 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Pre-Conference Masterclass | TBA |
| 12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch and Registration | Dining Hall and Outside Chapel |
| 1:00–1:30 PM | *Welcome and Worship | Chapel |
| 1:30–2:45 PM | *Keynote Address #1 and Discussion | Chapel |
| 2:45–3:30 PM | Coffee and Conversation; Campus Tour; Visit CommonWord Bookstore | Outside Chapel |
| 3:30–4:30 PM | *Stories of the Church and Conversation | Chapel |
| 6:00–8:00 PM | Dinner with Cheryl Pauls, CMU President | Cheryl's Home |
| TUESDAY, February 10 | ||
| 9:00–9:30 AM | *Welcome, Announcements, and Worship | Chapel |
| 9:30–10:45 AM | *Kenote Address #2 and Discussion | Outside Chapel |
| 10:45–11:15 AM | Coffee and Conversation; Visit CommonWord Bookstore | Outside Chapel |
| 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | *Bible Study | Chapel |
| 12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch | Dining Hall |
| 1:00–2:15 PM | *Workshops | TBA |
| 2:15–3:00 PM | Coffee and Conversation; Visit CommonWord Bookstore | Outside Chapel |
| 3:00–4:15 PM | *Keynote Address #3 and Discussion | Chapel |
| 4:15–4:30 PM | Farewell | Chapel |
* denotes available online
renew is open to anyone involved in Christian ministry and leadership, regardless of specific congregational or denominational context.
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