I am excited about the 2016 Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference. It will take place on the campus of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville (FL), September 20-22, 2016.

Cutting It Straight is primarily a preaching conference. Our goal is to train, model, and promote text-driven teaching and preaching.

• Robert Smith Jr. teaches preaching at the Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. But Smith is not one of the proverbial professors who teach it because he cannot do it. The author of Doctrine That Dances, Dr. Smith is one of the powerful and passionate preaching voices of our country. We are excited to have him speak at Cutting It Straight of the first time.
• Mac Brunson is the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Our congregations meet six blocks from one another. Mac Brunson and FBCJAX are good friends to me and the Shiloh Church. It will be a great joy to have Brunson preach and his church choir minister in song during the opening night of the conference (Tuesday).
• Albert Mohler is the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. Dr. Mohler is also hosts a podcast each weekday called, The Briefing. A faithful and articulate preacher, Mohler travels the country speaking at schools and conferences.
• Rufus Smith is the Senior Pastor of the Hope Church, a thriving multicultural church in Memphis.  He has served the congregation since 2010. Pastor Smith is clear and compelling preacher of the gospel. He is scheduled to speak during our Wednesday evening worship service with R. Albert Mohler.
• Maurice Watson is the Pastor of the historic Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington D.C. I call him “Mr. Preacher.” He is one of my preaching heroes, who has poured much into me and has been a pastor to me in so many ways.
• Steven J. Lawson is the President and featured speaker for One Passion Ministries. He is an itinerant preacher and professor who trains him to rightly handle the word of truth. The author of multiple books and commentaries, Lawson embodies what it means to preach the word faithfully, clearly and passionately.
• Alex Montoya has been the pastor of First Fundamental Bible Church in Whittier since 1972. He teaches at The Master’s Seminary. And he is the author of Preaching With Passion. I am glad and grateful Pastor Montoya accepted our invitation to speak for us on preaching with passion. He will give a plenary lecture and teach breakout sessions.
• Romell Williams Jr. is the Pastor of the Lilydale Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, where he has served for more than ten years. He is also one of my best friends. Yet I can objectively say that Williams is model preacher, who proclaims the word of God with precision, clarity, and authority.
• Jason K. Allen is the President of the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City (MO), where the motto is simply, “For the Church.” He is the author the book, Discerning Your Call to Ministry. Allen also hosts the new podcast, Preaching and Preachers. He will lead a breakout session on formal education for expository preaching and lead a joint session on the devotional life of the Christian minister
• Charlie Dates is the Pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, where the Lord has used him to revitalize this historic congregation. Dates is also the contributing author of Letters to a Birmingham Jail. And he is my friend. I am glad to have him speak again this year and help us understand how to rightly handle the word of truth.
• David Helm is a Lead Pastor of the Holy Trinity Church of Chicago and the author of Expository Preaching A friend of Cutting It Straight from its inception, Helm will join us to teach on the first principles and priorities of biblical preaching.
• K. Edward Copeland is the Pastor of New Zion Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. He is the author of the book, Riding in the Second Chariot. He is also a musician and songwriter. Pastor Copeland will talk to us about the relationship between worship and the word. And will lead sessions in both our preaching and worship tracks.
• David L. Olford is a preaching professor and leads the Stephen Olford Institute that trains men in expositional preaching. Written with his father, Stephen Olford, David has authored Anointed Expositional Preaching. Olford will lead sessions on the fundamentals of expositional preaching.

These and other speakers help us grow in our preaching and teaching – not to mention the speakers who will lead sessions in our worship, youth ministry, and women’s ministry tracks. We are praying for a blessing and fruitful conference. Join us for Cutting It Straight 2016!