Phillips Pastor’s Conference 2027 Will Focus on Stewardship and Church Transformation

The Phillips School of Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center will convene its 30th Pastor’s Conference and 83rd Founder’s Celebration from January 4 through January 7, 2027, at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia in Dunwoody, Georgia. The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church posted the official announcement on September 8, 2026, and identified the conference theme as “Open for God’s Business: Stewarding God’s Economy, Resources for Justice, Liberation and Church Transformation.” That theme places stewardship within a wider biblical and pastoral frame. Money and property are part of the conversation, but so are the ways churches deploy people, influence, tradition, institutional capacity, and spiritual gifts in service to God and neighbor. The host venue is located at 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, Dunwoody, Georgia 30346, in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The official event page lists a conference registration fee of $150 and a hotel room rate of $159 per night plus tax, while noting that participants receive the hotel reservation link after registering. Because prices, room availability, and program details can change, prospective attendees should confirm the current terms through the official registration page before making travel plans. The event is presented as an in-person gathering with pastoral training and worship, designed for CME members and friends and especially relevant to pastors, clergy, seminarians, church trustees, and ministry leaders. Its nationwide value comes from bringing leaders within a historic Black Methodist denomination into one shared setting to reflect on congregational life, public witness, and institutional faithfulness. The gathering therefore speaks to leaders serving churches nationwide today.

For pastors carrying responsibility in communities shaped by economic pressure, social inequality, and rapidly changing ministry conditions, the conference offers a focused opportunity to connect theology with leadership practice. “Stewarding God’s economy” asks leaders to consider whether a church’s resources are aligned with its stated mission. The added emphasis on justice, liberation, and transformation widens that examination: budgets, facilities, preaching, Christian education, advocacy, partnerships, and pastoral care can all be evaluated by how faithfully they serve God’s purposes and strengthen people. The Phillips School of Theology announcement promises powerful training and vibrant worship sessions, creating a rhythm in which instruction is joined to prayer, proclamation, fellowship, and denominational memory. Founder’s celebrations also give participants a way to honor the institutions and leaders who built the ministry while asking what faithful stewardship requires next. A pastor may attend for theological renewal, a trustee for a clearer framework for decision-making, a seminarian for vocational formation, or a ministry leader for relationships with peers facing similar challenges. The practical reason to attend is not merely to collect ideas. It is to step away from the pace of local ministry, examine resources through a biblical lens, worship with fellow leaders, and return with a more integrated vision of stewardship. Congregations benefit when leaders can connect financial choices and organizational systems to discipleship, justice, and mission. Participants should use the official CME event page for the latest registration, hotel, and schedule information and should plan travel early because the gathering begins immediately after the New Year holiday.