Covenant Leaders Conference
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront · January 18–22, 2027
About
Midwinter isn’t just a conference. It’s a sanctuary.
Since its beginning, Midwinter has been anchored in the idea that pastors need one another. Decades later, the world has changed, and so has ministry, but that conviction hasn’t.
Jesus was honest with us: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We gather in Jacksonville this January to hold both halves of that promise together. Join us for five days of being present in worship rather than responsible for leading, learning alongside others instead of being the one with answers, and fellowshipping with people who know this work from the inside.
Registration opens October 5, 2026. Early registration pricing runs through November 20, 2026.
Worship
In general sessions, you’ll worship, learn from, and be inspired by thought leaders, and be renewed in your passion for the mission God has placed before you.
Breakout Sessions
In-depth dialogue with pace-setting leaders from diverse fields, in midsized gatherings that equip you with practical tools and renewed purpose.
Relationships
If you’ve never been to a Midwinter, this is a time to meet colleagues and build the connections we need — we are better together, side by side in ministry.
Local Experiences
Beyond conference programming, explore our host city of Jacksonville, Florida, and all it has to offer.
Highlights
What Midwinter Looks Like
A look back at previous Midwinters — worship, workshops, and the friendships that carry pastors through the rest of the year.
Speakers
Worship, Learning, and Inspiration
We have an incredible lineup of speakers and worship leaders for Midwinter 2027, beginning with Monday’s worship service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Willie James Jennings will be preaching, and Dr. Tony McNeill will be leading worship alongside the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus and All Voices Chorus.
Monday, January 18
Dr. Willie James Jennings
Preaching
A Service for MLK Jr. DayDr. Willie James Jennings is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School. Jennings is a theologian who teaches in the areas of Christian thought, race theory, decolonial and environmental studies.
Dr. Jennings is the author of the forthcoming Reframing the World: A Christian Doctrine of Creation (Yale University Press). He is also the author of The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race, published by Yale University Press and recipient of the 2010 American Academy of Religion Book of the Year in the Constructive-Reflective Studies category. A Calvin College graduate, Jennings received his M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Duke.
Dr. Tony McNeill
Worship Leader
A Service for MLK Jr. DayDr. Tony McNeill has been serving as the Director of Worship and the Arts at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (America’s “Freedom Church”) since August 2012. Prior to coming to Atlanta, Dr. McNeill was a visiting lecturer in choral music at his alma mater, Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) from 2010–2012, where he conducted the ASU Men’s Glee Club, ASU Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the ASU Gospel Choir.
Dr. McNeill, affectionately known as “Dr. T,” is sought after as a workshop clinician, lecturer, consultant, mentor, and guest choral conductor throughout the country. He earned a bachelor of music education degree from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Florida State University, and a doctorate of worship studies from the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville.
Tuesday, January 19
Tammy Swanson-Draheim
President, Evangelical Covenant Church
Rev. Swanson-Draheim serves as the first female president in the denomination’s history. She has held a variety of roles within the denomination for more than twenty-three years and, most recently, served as superintendent of the Midwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church since 2011.
President Tammy is hosting conversation hours throughout the week during breakout times. Sign up when you register online. Space is limited.
Robert Guerrero
Vice President Catalyst, NYC & North America, City to City
Preached in Spanish, with live translationRobert Guerrero works toward catalyzing networks of existing churches in the city for City to City North America as vice president catalyst, NYC & North America.
Born to Dominican parents in New York City, Robert has spent much of his life in both the United States and the Dominican Republic. He earned a degree in theology from Moody Bible Institute and, during his studies, was active in the ministry of Lawndale Community Church in Chicago, as well as planting La Villita Community Church. In 1995, Robert and his wife moved into the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, where they planted Iglesia Comunitaria Cristiana (ICC) with a focus on justice and compassion for community members with the fewest resources.
Robert is also the co-founder of the Coordinating Community of Del Camino Network for Integral Mission in Latin America, with networks in Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
Wednesday, January 20
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra
Academic Dean, Centro Latino, Fuller Theological Seminary
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra is the academic dean of the Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as assistant professor of integral mission and global transformation.
Before coming to Fuller, Rev. Dr. Salvatierra taught in a wide variety of academic contexts, including multiple years for the Master of Arts in Transformational Urban Leadership and LA Term programs at Azusa Pacific University; the DMin programs at New York Theological Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Nazarene Theological Seminary; the Master of Arts in Urban Studies program at Eastern University; and the sociology department of Biola University.
Thursday, January 21
Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah
Robert Boyd Munger Professor and Chair of Evangelism, Fuller Theological Seminary
Soong-Chan Rah is the Robert Boyd Munger professor and chair of evangelism at Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to his appointment at Fuller, Dr. Rah served as the Milton B. Engebretson professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary.
He holds a ThD from Duke Divinity School, with a primary field of study in theology and ethics and a secondary field of study in American evangelical history. He also holds an MDiv and a DMin, with a concentration in urban ministry leadership, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, as well as a ThM from Harvard University, with a thesis on the immigrant church.
Rah has authored or coauthored over a half dozen books, many of them award-winning, including The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, and Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times.
He is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church and a member of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, the American Academy of Religion, and the American Society of Missiology.
Miriam Swanson
Director, Fusion USA
Miriam Swanson is the director of Fusion USA, an organization that equips local churches to love, reach, and disciple college students. She is originally from the UK, where she was the Global Student Mission Leader for the wider Fusion Movement, but now pioneers this work from her home in Jacksonville, Florida. Miriam is passionate about the potential for kingdom transformation through the hearts of university students across the nation. She is active on Instagram at @miriamgswanson.
Friday, January 22
Cultivating a Culture of Understanding in Polarized Spaces
Christina Burrows, Celeste Cecchi, and Cindy Wu
In a world marked by division, misunderstanding, and tension, how do we take heart and lead with humility? This session introduces key concepts from the Intercultural Agility and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) frameworks to help leaders better understand themselves and those they serve. As we grow in curiosity and awareness of how we show up in shared spaces—and how others experience those same spaces—we become better equipped to lead ministries that foster belonging, honor difference, and reflect the mosaic kingdom, even in the midst of challenge.
Schedule
Five Days, One Purpose
January 18–22, 2027 · All times Eastern
Breakout Sessions
Equipped for the Work Ahead
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Safe Sanctuaries
Led by Ramelia Mabvuta
This intensive one-day training will equip you to pastor a people who have experienced trauma from the injustice of abuse. We will develop a theology of abuse, talk about how trauma impacts victims and survivors, learn how to partner with advocates in our community to bring holistic healing, learn how to respond to victims who share their stories of abuse, and acquire best practices for providing spiritual and practical support. Prework is required. Cost: $25, lunch included
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Ascent to Jerusalem
Led by Hannah B. and Sally Carlson
Serve Globally invites you to join us as seekers exploring God’s heart for peace and justice in the Holy Land. Through a course developed by the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East, we will meet diverse peoples of the land, study historical events and biblical interpretations that provide important context for today, and consider our own next steps toward a hopeful future. Cost: $50, lunch included
9:45 – 11:00 am
Covenant Women of Color
Come join your fellow Covenant Women of Color clergy sisters. This will be a time to reconnect, recenter, and restore ourselves as we embrace the new year!
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Justice Journey for Kids (JJ4K) Information Session
Led by Celeste Cecchi
Curious about Justice Journey for Kids? Come learn more about the newly revised children’s discipleship curriculum designed to help kids follow Jesus in word and deed, integrating evangelism and justice through the Great Commandment and Great Commission. We’ll share an overview of the curriculum, answer questions, and talk about opportunities to join an upcoming cohort of churches journeying through JJ4K together while providing real-time feedback and receiving coaching and peer support. Join us to explore whether JJ4K might be a good fit for your church!
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Are You Beginning to Think About Retirement?
Led by Michael White and Alan Forsman
As you approach this transition, your day-to-day role in ministry may change, but your calling doesn’t end. What will that look like in this next stage of life? Is there a theology of retirement to help you plan? We invite you to a conversation designed to help you navigate what’s next. Beyond exploring these key questions, you’ll have a chance to share how the denomination can support and resource you during this season.
Mon., 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Wed., 11:15 am – 4:30 pm
Then monthly for nine months
Preaching Cohort: The Next Faithful Step: Preaching Prophetically and Caring for Your Soul
Led by Bret Widman and Cheryl Lynn Alexander-Bermúdez
Participants will explore preaching faithfully and prophetically while tending to their own emotional and spiritual health. Meets Monday and Wednesday of Midwinter and will continue with monthly meetings for nine months.
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Committees on Ministerial Standing (COMS) Training
Led by Danielle Ng
This discussion is to train, resource, and equip members of conference committees on ministerial standing to be more effective interviewers of credentialing candidates. Come and receive updates, discuss common problems and issues, and share best practices.
1:30 – 4:00 pm
Women in Leadership
Join this gathering of women-only leaders to be celebrated and encouraged in our call as we lead, preach, and advocate to create a more just society for all to flourish. Come and be lifted up, laugh and cry together, worship and pray, hear gifted speakers, attend breakout conversations, and be poured into. All women—volunteers, lay leaders, bivocational, licensed, commissioned, or ordained—are welcome to attend.
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Preaching through the Mosaic: One Word, Many Voices
Led by a panel of Covenant pastors
One passage of Scripture. Several preachers. Many lenses. In this all-Midwinter afternoon session, a team of Covenant pastors will each bring a short message on the same text, shaped by their own context, culture, and calling within our “Take Heart” theme. Come to hear how God’s word speaks with fresh depth when we listen together across the beautiful diversity of our Covenant family.
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Missionally Engaging American Christian Nationalists
Led by Caleb Campbell
This workshop moves from diagnosis to practice, drawing on lessons learned from cross-cultural missionaries who enter a foreign culture with hospitality and curiosity. Together, we will learn to ask questions that open conversation, recognize the fear and longing beneath the rhetoric, and build dignified offramps that let people move without being shamed or humiliated. Using a field guide and guided role play, you will practice these conversations before you have to have them at your dinner table.
Rev. Dr. Caleb E. Campbell is the lead pastor of Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he has served on staff for twenty years, and the founder of the Center for Applied Political Theology and director at the Surge Network. He is the author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor (InterVarsity Press, 2024) and The Politics of Loving Your Neighbor (Brazos Press, 2027). He holds a Doctor of Ministry in missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary, where his research focused on a missiological approach to political extremist groups and congregationally applied political theology.
Most breakouts are offered twice: 1:00 – 2:30 pm and again at 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Sessions offered only once are marked.
The Preaching Cohort also meets today, 11:15 am – 4:30 pm. .
If I Perish, I Perish: Taking Heart for Justice and Mercy
Led by Cindy Wu and Steve Eng
In every generation, God calls people to courage—Moses before Pharaoh, Esther before King Xerxes, and pastors and churches today before systems that harm the poor and the displaced. Come explore what it means to take heart in the call to advocate for immigrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations through Christ. Join long-time Covenant ministers Steve Eng, advocacy director for the National Association of Evangelicals, and Cindy Wu, co-founder of Mosaic Formation, as we speak and act for justice, mercy, and gospel witness in a time of global uncertainty.
Take Heart: Every Church Has a Yes
Led by Zach Szmara
In a season when immigration policies are changing rapidly and many immigrant families are experiencing uncertainty, fear, and disruption, how can the Church respond with both courage and faithfulness? In this workshop, we will begin with a biblical foundation for understanding God’s heart for immigrants and the Church’s call to welcome and love them. We will explore the changing immigration landscape and what these shifts mean for immigrant families and the communities walking alongside them. Finally, we will move from understanding to action. Every church is in a different context and has different capacity, but every church has a yes. That could mean learning more, connecting families with trustworthy legal consultations, helping families prepare for uncertainty, or offering a Welcome Program. No matter what your yes is, Immigrant Connection is here to partner with you. Together, we can take heart, remain present, and faithfully take the next step God has placed before us.
Crescendo: Storytelling
Led by Lynda Delgado (1:00 pm session) and Jim Sequeira (3:00 pm session)
Develop an increased understanding that storytelling and story-listening are sacred, essential practices between generations. Stories leave memories and valuable legacies that cement life’s experience, wisdom, and purpose from one generation to the next, blessing them with identity, belonging, inspiration, and encouragement for the future. The next generation is strengthened, which in turn strengthens communities.
Reengaging Millennial and Gen Z Families
Led by Jessica Springer
Understanding why families are not “sticking” the way families did in the past and sharing practical tools to support and meet families where they are.
People, Purpose, and Practice: Navigating Church HR
Led by Heather Hernandez and Michael White
Navigating the complex world of human resources and legal requirements can be a challenging aspect of ministry. We’re here to help explore best practices in supervision, policies, performance reviews, and hiring—helping you uphold your church’s mission and values while maintaining professional excellence.
Starting a Security Ministry
Led by Chris Jones
Jesus called us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). This session is designed to help us welcome those who enter our churches/schools wisely in this uncertain world. You will learn how to evaluate what your faith community has and doesn’t have regarding safety and security policies and procedures, identify threats and hazards inside and outside your facility(s), and understand what training and exercise options are available and how to make them realistic and fun to participate in.
Moving Beyond “Covenant Nice”: Speaking the Truth in Love
Led by Catherine Gilliard and Anthony Thomas
How do we move beyond “Covenant nice” to engage difficult conversations with honesty, courage, and grace? This session explores practical ways to address challenging theological, relational, and leadership issues while maintaining respect and strengthening relationships.
Before God Gave Adam and Eve Jobs: Leading Faithfully Without Losing Yourself
Led by Barbara Ettinger and Carlos Ortiz
Before God entrusted Adam and Eve with responsibility, he placed them within an environment designed for their flourishing. God’s first leadership strategy was to create conditions in which they could become the kind of people he intended them to be. In this interactive session, you’ll discover a biblical framework for understanding how God forms leaders and learn to recognize the environments that shape you every day. Through Scripture, shared ministry experience, and lessons from the Covenant’s growing internal coaching network, you’ll leave with renewed hope, one practical experiment to try immediately, and a fresh way of cultivating an environment that helps both pastors and congregations flourish.
Preparing Churches for Female Leaders
Led by Marilyn Williams
Drawing on research on women in ministry across the Covenant, this session will celebrate the progress already made while equipping pastors—whether you are leading affirming or resistant congregations—to take the next faithful steps forward. Participants will learn about concrete initiatives such as “March into Those Pulpits” and pulpit-supply resources, with opportunities to join ongoing connection groups for encouragement and support. Grounded in Jesus’s promise in John 16:33, this session offers both inspiration and practical tools for churches ready to fully embrace women’s call to pastoral leadership.
From Ministry “For” to Ministry “With”
Led by Claudia Garza Alvarado and Grace Shim
Ministry is more than offering our skills, resources, or ideas to another. It is learning to recognize where God is already at work, listening before acting, building relationships before projects, and walking alongside others as equal partners. Led by one of Serve Globally’s global partners, this workshop offers a perspective shaped by ministry on the ground and by the experience of partnering across diverse communities. Together, we will explore how to move from doing mission for others to participating in God’s mission with others—creating partnerships that cultivate dignity, local leadership, flourishing, and mutual transformation.
Neighborology
Led by Travis Randolph and Paul De Neui
John 16:33 invites us to view Christian hospitality through the eyes of our neighbor. When we struggle to find the right words, we can take heart that Christ is already present in our neighborhoods working to promote peace and reconciliation. He has overcome the world, including our fears and insecurities in interfaith work. We need new eyes to see the surprising ways God is at work!
Taking Heart: Stories and Practices for the Town & Country Church
Led by Tim Shekleton, Harvey Cozart, and Tamara Hutsell
Join a facilitated panel of town and country practitioners as they speak candidly about where they see God at work, the challenges of ministry in their contexts, and the practices and partnerships that sustain hope in their communities. Through guided conversation and interactive discussion, participants will have space to reflect on what encourages them, what they’re learning, and how they might build stronger connections with fellow town and country pastors.
Starting and Strengthening Churches
Led by Glenn Peterson, Pat Stark, Mary Hendrickson, and Fil Nesta
Jesus’s pattern for changing the world is still at work—it’s the church! He went deep with 3. He sent 12. He released 72. Join us as we explore what that progression means for Covenant churches today. Drawing on research, real stories, and the Covenant’s own renewal DNA, The 3. The 12. The 34?! invites pastors to reimagine their church not as an endpoint of the mission but as its engine.
Surviving a Building Project: A Pastor’s Guide
Led by Rollie Persson, Rob Hall, and Kyle Thomsen
Is it possible to do a church building/renovation project and maintain your sanity? Yes! The NCP real estate services team, along with pastors who have done building/renovation projects, will walk you through the role of a pastor in casting a vision, determining what you can afford, avoiding burnout by effectively delegating tasks, and utilizing consultants to raise capital funds. This session will be highly interactive, so bring your questions.
Se Un Consejero Eficaz: Cómo Acompañar, Orientar Y Establecer Límites Saludables
Led by Ana Siguenza
¿Cómo Podemos Acompañar Y Aconsejar Eficazmente Sin Cruzar Límites Que Puedan Causar Daño O Exponernos A Conflictos Legales?
En este taller práctico aprenderemos principios esenciales para brindar una consejería pastoral saludable, responsable y efectiva. Exploraremos la diferencia entre el cuidado y la consejería pastoral, los límites que todo líder debe establecer, incluyendo algunos aspectos legales importantes que debe conocer. Al finalizar, los participantes contarán con herramientas para acompañar de manera más segura y responsable, reconocer situaciones de abuso, identificar cuándo una necesidad está fuera de su alcance y obtener recursos pastorales prácticos que les ayuden a responder adecuadamente ante diferentes situaciones.
ALIPE Breakout
Led by Robert Guerrero
Details coming soon.
2:00 – 4:00 pm
From Noise to Nuance: Putting AI to Work in Your Ministry
Led by Jim Spellos
With so much information and misinformation about artificial intelligence available, knowing where to begin can be a challenge. What can these tools actually do, and how can they help with the everyday work of pastors and ministry leaders? This practical, demonstration-rich session begins with a clear explanation of generative AI, its capabilities and limitations, and how to ask better questions to get more useful results. We’ll explore tools for research, communication, presentations, and planning, with examples relevant to the work of churches and ministry teams. We will move beyond individual conversations with AI to explore skills, workflows, and agents that can help carry out more involved tasks. Whether you’re just getting started or already experimenting, you’ll discover practical ways to put AI to work while understanding where accuracy, confidentiality, and human oversight matter. Come ready to cut through the noise and leave with ideas you can use right away.
After attending this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify ten or more AI tools and applications that can support everyday ministry and administrative tasks.
- Apply effective prompting techniques to a work-related task, and identify where AI-generated results require verification and human review.
- Differentiate between AI tools, skills, workflows, and agents, and identify an appropriate use for each in their work.
Jim Spellos teaches business audiences what generative AI actually does — and what it doesn’t. He is President of Meeting U., whose mission for more than 25 years has been to help people become more productive and more comfortable with technology. That work now centers almost entirely on generative AI: what it’s genuinely good at, where it fails, and how people without a technical background can put it to work.
Special Events
Connecting and Growing Together
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
$15ACCW Lunch (Women & Men)
Are you a sister who is ordained, licensed, commissioned, or pursuing credentials? Or a brother who is committed to women flourishing in ministry? Join us at the Advocates for Covenant Clergy Women (ACCW) luncheon where we will meet new and old friends, fellowship, and Take Heart as we celebrate what God is doing through God’s daughters.
You will also hear ACCW updates and have the opportunity to share ideas as we continue the work before us. We have come a long way, but we still have far to go. Let’s eat together, share stories, and encourage one another on this journey. We see you, we hear you, and we are here for you!
7:30 am
$10Coaching Workshop Intensive Alumni Breakfast
Coaching Workshop Intensive alumni, this breakfast is for you! Join fellow trained Covenant coaches for a time of continuing education, table fellowship, and meaningful connection. Gather with Covenant pastors, global personnel, and leaders from our growing internal peer coaching network of more than 250 trained coaches. Enjoy breakfast, great conversation, and practical learning as we explore timely topics in coach development while strengthening the relationships that are such a valued part of Covenant life. Join us as we continue learning, encouraging one another, and growing together as a peer coaching community.
7:30 am
Capacity: 50Covenant Servant Leadership Equipping Lay Leaders Breakfast
Join the Covenant Servant Leadership (CSL) team for breakfast and a two-way conversation about forming lay leaders. We’ll share what CSL is, where it’s headed, and practices we’re hearing about from churches of different sizes and contexts. Your feedback will help shape the resources and support the denomination provides for equipping lay leaders.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
$20Crescendo Luncheon: Building on a Legacy of Service
After celebrating its tenth anniversary last year, Crescendo, a ministry of Make and Deepen Disciples, is entering a new decade with a new leader. Dr. Steve Wong assumed the role of part-time coordinator of adult discipleship in October. Join us to meet Steve and share in exploring the current ministries relating to 60+ and future possibilities with 40s and 50s. Reservation required.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
$15Covenant Chaplains Association
Join the Covenant Chaplains Association (CCA) as we gather spiritual care colleagues from diverse spaces including healthcare, retirement communities, military, corporate, and education. We will welcome new members, network over lunch, engage a panel of chaplain peers, and enter into prayer together. (CCA annual meeting has moved to February online.) Lunch included.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 175Church Planters Lunch
Join us for a special gathering focused on the shared mission of starting new churches and strengthening existing ones. Connect with pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders from across the Covenant. Hear stories of transformation, learn about resources that foster church health and missional vitality, and celebrate how God is advancing God’s kingdom through our churches. Enjoy lunch, fellowship, and encouragement as we envision together what God has in store for our movement. Lunch is provided.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 125Serve Globally Lunch
Come discover how Serve Globally is partnering with the global church in 2027—bearing witness to the good news of Christ, strengthening local communities, and joining what God is already doing around the world. In a time when we are called to Take Heart, we’ll celebrate stories of hope and faithful partnership while sharing resources and opportunities to equip your church for deeper missional engagement in the year ahead.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 45Integrated Wholeness: Spiritual Direction in a Fragmented World (NPTS)
NPTS has trained spiritual directors for more than twenty years through the Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction. Hear from Weborg alumni who are bringing this ministry into the world through meaningful and transformative ways. Spiritual direction begins with the integrity of the director. A life that is increasingly integrated in God is also capable of creating sacred space where another can listen for the sound of the Beloved within. In a world filled with the noise of ambition and despair, apathy, and busyness, spiritual directors invite us to slow down, pay attention, and embrace the inward journey toward wholeness. Come explore the ministry of spiritual direction and discover how the Weborg Center might equip you for this sacred work. Led by center director Rev. Rich Johnson. Lunch is provided.
4:00 – 5:15 pm
Missionally Engaging American Christian Nationalists
This workshop moves from diagnosis to practice, drawing on lessons learned from cross-cultural missionaries who enter a foreign culture with hospitality and curiosity. Together, we will learn to ask questions that open conversation, recognize the fear and longing beneath the rhetoric, and build dignified offramps that let people move without being shamed or humiliated. Using a field guide and guided role play, you will practice these conversations before you have to have them at your dinner table.
Rev. Dr. Caleb E. Campbell is the lead pastor of Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he has served on staff for twenty years, and the founder of the Center for Applied Political Theology and director at the Surge Network. He is the author of Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor (InterVarsity Press, 2024) and The Politics of Loving Your Neighbor (Brazos Press, 2027). He holds a Doctor of Ministry in missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary, where his research focused on a missiological approach to political extremist groups and congregationally applied political theology.
9:00 pm
$15Antiracism Discipleship Pathway Reception
This gathering is for participants—past and present—of the Antiracism Discipleship Pathways. We will share stories, testimonies, and prayer requests over light refreshments. After refreshments, Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra will lead a training on the principles of Christian Organizing. Rev. Salvatierra will prepare participants to recognize opportunities to join God in making things right in our broken world.
7:30 am
$20Racial Righteousness Breakfast: Loving Our Christian Nationalist Neighbor
Many people in our communities have been discipled into the Christian Nationalist movement, some knowingly and others unwittingly. Given the growth and spread of this movement, the church must ask the gospel question "How do we faithfully love these neighbors?" The Christian Nationalist movement promises safety, belonging, and stability, while simultaneously forming Christians in ways that undermine our witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. During our time together, we will define American Christian Nationalism, explore why it is so attractive to so many people, and offer some missional approaches to enact a posture of a Christlike love toward those who have given themselves over to Christian Nationalism.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 30The Listening Lunch: Come Hungry. Leave Restored.
Pastors spend much of their lives listening to others, but when was the last time you experienced the gift of being heard? Over lunch, you’ll experience what it feels like to be genuinely listened to—and learn one listening practice you can use immediately in ministry. Listening is a skill, and you can get better at it through training and practice.
Come to strengthen your capacity to listen well, and discover how better listening can help pastors and ministries thrive. An optional, free online cohort will follow Midwinter for those who want to keep learning. Hosted by Serve Clergy as part of its commitment to helping pastors Flourish Fully. Lunch is provided.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
$15Paul Carlson Partnership Luncheon: What Difference Can a Bridge Make?
Join Paul Carlson Partnership for lunch as we welcome Sheldon Gilmer, former PCP Board Member and longtime collaborator with the Covenant Church of Congo. Sheldon will share stories from years of service alongside our partners and explain how strategic bridge rehabilitation projects are improving access to healthcare, schools, churches, and economic opportunities. Lunch included.
5:00 pm
$30Asociación Latina De La Iglesia Del Pacto Evangélico (ALIPE) Business Meeting
Asociación Latina De La Iglesia Del Pacto Evangélico (ALIPE) links pastors and leaders of Latino congregations through connection, fellowship, and resourcing. Join our annual ALIPE pastors’ and leaders’ gathering during Midwinter.
5:00 pm
$35African American Ministers Association (AAMA) Business Meeting
The purpose of the AAMA is to support African American credentialed clergy and seminary students. The annual business meeting is from 5 to 7 p.m. A fellowship reception will immediately follow.
5:00 pm
$25Covenant Asian Pastors Association (CAPA)
The Covenant Asian Pastors Association supports Asian/Asian American clergy, ministry leaders, seminary students, missionaries, chaplains, and those serving in Asian/Asian American or cross-cultural contexts. CAPA is a strategic partner in pursuing the goals of the Covenant and its vision to impact the world for Christ. The annual business meeting is before dinner off-site. We hope you can join us.
5:00 pm
Indigenous Ministers Association (IMA)
We invite Indigenous ministers, spiritual leaders, and those centering Indigenous wisdom in their ministry to gather in a spirit of healing, relationship, and Covenant community. We will gather for dinner off-site.
7:00 am
$25Covenant Kids Congo Walk for Water
Join us to walk or run with Covenant Kids Congo powered by World Vision! You’re invited to move your feet and make an impact by bringing clean water to those who need it most in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Registration is $25 and provides clean water for one person in Congo. Pick up your t-shirt at Midwinter registration.
7:30 am
$15BLESS Breakfast: Live the Mission. Share the Gospel. Make Disciples.
Pastors, ministry leaders, and those growing in their passion for evangelism are invited to join us for this special breakfast with the Palau Organization—creators of the new BLESS App. We will explore how this app empowers local churches to focus their evangelistic efforts and mobilize for mission. Come learn about all the ways this practical tool can catalyze the church to fulfill the Great Commission, embody the Greatest Commandment, and share the hope of Jesus Christ. This breakfast will be a rich time of connection, learning, and imagining how BLESS can help cultivate a vibrant culture of evangelism in our churches and communities.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
$20Spiritual Directors Luncheon hosted by the ACSD
All spiritual directors, spiritual directors in training, and those interested in learning more about the ministry of spiritual direction are invited to join us for lunch. Get to know other spiritual directors, share joys and sorrows from the past year, and dream about what God might have in store for the ministry of spiritual direction in the Covenant in the future.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Town & Country Lunch
Join us in honor of all pastors serving in town and country settings, recognizing how much your ministry matters to God. Learn about new developments from the Town and Country Commission and ministry partners. RSVP during registration. Lunch is provided.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 45Power, Integrity, and the Formation of Healthy Leaders (NPTS)
Power is present in every pastoral relationship, congregational system, and leadership decision, yet it often remains one of the least examined dimensions of ministry. In this lunch panel, Rev. Cheryl Lynn Alexander-Bermúdez, NPTS director of vocational development, will share insights from her doctoral research on “power intelligence,” exploring how power shapes leaders internally, influences relationships and institutions, and affects the church’s witness and mission. A diverse panel of pastors, educators, and Covenant leaders will reflect on the practical implications of this research for pastoral formation, accountability, vocation, and congregational leadership. Join us for a nuanced and practical conversation about power, integrity, accountability, and the formation of leaders who serve the church with wisdom, humility, and enduring faithfulness. Lunch is provided.
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Capacity: 50Clergy and Finances
Serve Clergy invites credentialed clergy to explore principles of financial leadership and stewardship. Hear from experienced leaders, engage in meaningful conversation, and learn about upcoming cohort opportunities designed to strengthen your personal financial well-being and ministry. Boxed lunch provided.
9:00 pm
Capacity: 20AI Conversation
The pace of AI development is breathtaking. For the local church, conference, and denomination, AI brings tremendous potential, significant pitfalls, and new leadership challenges. Pastors already carry a heavy load—and now you’re being asked to navigate AI’s many implications as well.
The Covenant wants to learn how we can better support local church pastors. Come share what would be most helpful to you in your ministry situation. What resources, guidance, or practical tools would you like the denomination to provide?
Additional Events
Around Midwinter
NextGen Conference
Saturday, January 16 – Monday, January 18
Hyatt Regency Riverfront, Jacksonville
For everyone who leads children, youth, and young adult ministries — whether you’ve been at it twenty years or started last week. Teaching you can use, worship you don’t have to plan, and breakouts led by people who learned it the hard way.
Learn More & Register →Covenant Living Communities & Services Chaplains Meeting
Sunday, January 17, 1–5 pm
Monday, January 18, 8 am–noon
Education and inspiration designed to support the work of Covenant Living Communities & Services chaplains and update them on current initiatives. Registration information is sent to all Covenant Living chaplains separately.
Questions: Cameron Wu-Cardona
Spiritual Directors Pre-Midwinter Retreat
Sunday, January 17, 3 pm – Monday, January 18, 3 pm
All spiritual directors, and spiritual directors in training, are invited for connection, encouragement, and equipping in ministry. Topic and speaker to be announced.
$50 members · $100 nonmembers
Become a member at eccacsd.org
Association of Covenant Camps & Conference Centers Annual Meeting
Monday, January 18, 1–4 pm
Tuesday, January 19, Noon–4 pm
Rich time together learning and growing at the ACCCC Annual Meeting & Gathering during Midwinter 2027.
$125
Throughout the Week
Resources & Conversations
North Park Theological Seminary Classes & Cohorts
Seminary and Covenant Orientation students can take classes offered through NPTS during Midwinter. Register for the class through North Park Theological Seminary and for Midwinter using the Midwinter registration form.
- Jan. 14–17: ECCO 5010 Vocational Excellence
- Jan. 18–22: ECCO 5030 Theology of the Evangelical Covenant Church
- Jan. 18–22: FLDC 5300 Vocational Excellence / FLDC 7315 Intercultural Development Module
Conversation Hour with Tammy Swanson-Draheim
Spend time with President Swanson-Draheim during one of the scheduled conversation hours throughout the week — ask questions, share thoughts, or just listen. Check the registration form for dates and times.
Financial Conversations
Come with financial questions, concerns, and goals, and bring any statements or documents pertinent to this confidential conversation with a professional from Covenant Trust Company. Spanish consultations are available.
- Mon. Jan 18, 1:00–5:00 pm
- Tue. Jan 19, 11:30 am–1:30 pm & 4:00 pm
- Wed. Jan 20, 11:30 am–12:30 pm
- Thu. Jan 21, 11:30 am–1:30 pm & 4:00 pm
Meet with Superintendents, Conference Staff & Ministerium Leadership
To make an appointment with a conference superintendent, conference staff, or an officer from the denominational Ministerium during Midwinter, please contact them prior to the event. Limited Ministerium meeting times are available at a designated hotel location.
Ministerium: eccministerium@gmail.org
Spiritual Direction
A ministry of listening, discernment, and prayer in a confidential, encouraging setting. Trained spiritual directors are available Tuesday–Thursday for fifty-minute sessions. Capacity is limited.
Contact: Bruce MacMahon
Travel & Accommodations
Getting to Jacksonville
Hyatt Regency Riverfront
225 E Coastline Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Double Queen
$179/night + tax
King
$189/night + tax
Need a Roommate?
If you’d like to share housing expenses, fill out this form ↗ and we’ll help connect you with others looking to share a room.
Parking
$20/night on Newnan Street, including in/out privileges.
Airport
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
2400 Yankee Clipper Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32218
All attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the airport and hotel.
United Airlines Discount
Special discounts for the Covenant. Book online with code ZT25554726, or call (800) 426-1122, Monday–Friday. Booking fees are waived for meeting reservations.
Book with United ↗Delta Air Lines Discount
Book at delta.com with Meeting Code NY523 under “Advanced Search,” or call Conference & Events Reservations at 800-328-1111.
Book with Delta ↗Registration
Registration Opens October 5, 2026
Early registration runs from October 5 through November 20, 2026. Regular registration applies after November 20, 2026.
| Category | Early | Regular |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Registrant | $395 | $440 |
| Additional Registrant | $365 | $410 |
| Retiree, Spouse, Bivocational | $225 | $275 |
| NPTS / CHET Student | $225 | $275 |
Using your 2027 budget? For Primary and Additional registrations, a nonrefundable $100 deposit made by November 20, 2026, locks in early bird rates. Balance due in full by January 5, 2027.
Need help with registration? Call Jill Ulven at (773) 299-7274.
Register Today ↗Scholarships
Financial Support Is Available
Scholarships are available for credentialed, active Covenant pastors, global personnel, and chaplains (military and institutional) in good standing, as well as retired Covenant pastors not actively serving in a paid ministry position.
- All applicants pay a nonrefundable $100 deposit.
- Primary/Additional registrants who apply and register by November 20 pay only the deposit; after that date, pay the full amount and receive reimbursement (minus $100) if approved.
- Special registrants pay the full amount and receive reimbursement (minus $100) if approved.
Deadlines
General applications are due to your conference superintendent by December 4, 2026. Full-time military chaplains submit online by December 11, 2026.
Scholarships cover the remaining balance of your Midwinter registration. Additional monies are mailed after Midwinter.
Questions: contact the Ordered Ministry.
Policies
Cancellation Policy
Please email events@covchurch.org to submit any cancellation requests; cancellations cannot be accepted over the phone. Registrations that have only paid the $100 deposit will not be refunded. Registrations with a balance paid in full, cancelled before January 8, will be charged a $50 cancellation fee. After January 8, a $100 fee applies. Exceptions may be made on an individual basis.
Substitutions
Substitutions are accepted from the same church or institution, provided the registration and fee paid are the same for the new registrant as the original registrant. To make a substitution, email events@covchurch.org with the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the substitute.
Image Policy
Your participation at Midwinter implies permission for the Covenant to reproduce your image, likeness, or voice in connection with any recorded display or reproduction of Midwinter in post-event publicity and publicity for other Covenant-sponsored events.
