Stacey D. Wheeler | Director of Communications and Church Planting Support
On July 9-12, we held our 2026 Ministry Conference for Evangelical Friends Church Mid-America. What an amazing gathering for our yearly meeting! God showed up in our fellowship, teaching, meetings, worship, and in being Better Together, our theme.
On Thursday evening, the pastors and their families enjoyed a pre-conference pastoral event held at the Sedgwick County Zoo at the elephant pavilion. As the baby elephants walked around us with their mamas, we enjoyed a delicious taco dinner and evening together. We played a quick ice-breaker game of zoo animals where we drew the name of an animal, found the group of the same animal, and shared and prayed together—a good way to meet some new people and go deeper. It was a hot evening in Wichita, so the iced tea and cold water were a welcome reprieve from the heat. Kristin Thompson set up a place to pass out registration packets and t-shirts so the pastors and their wives and families would have access to their keys for their dorm rooms at Friends University, for those staying the night there. Meeting at the zoo was a nice way to kick-off the weekend.
On Friday, James Bryan Smith was our main speaker for the pastors in the morning and for the entire conference, also speaking on Friday and Saturday evenings for the general sessions. James Bryan Smith holds an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a D.Min. from Fuller Seminary. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, KS, and director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation (https://www.friends.edu/about/apprentice-institute/), and an ordained United Methodist minister.
Hilarious, brilliant, vulnerable, and kind, Jim Smith helped us to better understand how God views us (we are beloved), to know our true identity in him , to understand our place in this world (the Kingdom of God), and to grasp how these ideas come first in our spiritual formation before we focus on changing any behaviors. Smith equipped and encouraged us to know we are hidden in Christ, explaining what that means. His books are available on Amazon. For this conference, we focused on Hidden in Christ.
He has authored several books on spiritual formation, including A Spiritual Formation Workbook and Embracing the Love of God. For this conference, his 30-day devotional, Hidden in Christ, which explores Colossians 3:1-17, was emphasized, helping us to better understand what it means to live a life hidden in Christ.
On Saturday morning, I had the privilege of leading at our fifth Coffee Hangout breakfast for 20 pastors’ wives. Stacy Penrose, on the leadership team from the beginning for CH along with Betty Jean Penrose, was our speaker.
Stacy taught us to slow down and meditate on scripture as we read it, using Psalm 23 as a guide. She shared stories of how God is using her to minister in her workplace in a bank at Desk Three. Funny and compelling, Stacy took us deeper into her journey in trusting God. We enjoyed visiting with her daughter Libby and her soon-to-be daughter-in-law Viany who joined us at the breakfast. The food was delicious, as well. We have some incredibly lovely, smart, and gifted pastors’ wives in EFC-MA!
The four areas for our 58 churches in a seven-state region each met: Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern in the morning to discuss upcoming events and activities and to continue to cast vision concerning connection in working together. Time was also given during the weekend for the different boards and for the yearly meeting elders to meet.
Next, on Saturday, 150 of us gathered for a delicious brunquet (brunch banquet) at WSU Tech’s Niche in downtown Wichita with Evangelical Friends Mission, hosted by Friends Women. This food was also amazing. We were not missing any meals or losing weight this weekend. DeAnna Linville (Rose Hill Friends), Friends Women President, created a beautiful space that drew our attention to go into all the world and preach the gospel. People were encouraged to pray, give, and go. What an impactful and powerful gathering we shared together.
Later in the afternoon, we held our Worship and Business gathering for over three hours. Important ideas were discussed, and representatives listened, asked questions, and shared together. Clerk Bobby Kirkpatrick from Friendswood Friends expertly navigated and led leading during this important time.
For Ministry Conference 2026, Thayne Thompson, Lead Superintendent, cast vision and led throughout the weekend and spoke on Sunday morning. Tony Wheeler was the MC for the weekend, and Jesse Penna welcomed us and interviewed different thriving ministries we wanted to highlight during our General Sessions.
Thank you to Randy, Carrie, and Zane Beyer and to Darin and Shelda Cay Kearns who helped me lead worship on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning. The Andrew Penrose family led us so well in worship on Saturday night.
On Sunday morning, Lead Superintendent, Thayne Thompson, the visionary for the weekend, preached a compelling sermon about how we are better together.
We want to thank Friends University for their hospitality. The newly renovated atrium and Chapel in the Riney Fine Arts Building became one of the places where we were better together.
God is moving in EFC-MA!
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