What might happen if pastors began to see God, the church, and their calling through a fresh lens? At the 2026 Pastors Conference, author and speaker Alan Hirsch will invite pastors to explore that question and rediscover the wonder, challenge, and possibility of following Jesus in today's world.

The conference will take place Monday, November 9, from 3:15–4:30 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center during BGAV's Annual Meeting.

Hirsch will lead the gathering, drawing on themes from his book Reframation: Seeing God, People, and Mission Through Reenchanted Frames. The book invites readers to reconsider familiar understandings of God, the gospel, the church, and humanity—and to rediscover the wonder and possibility of following Jesus.

Hirsch describes the book as “a rollicking journey into an ever-greater encounter with God, gospel, church, and human beings.” His presentation will complement his Tuesday learning lab, Metanoia: How God Changes People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out, which explores how a renewed way of thinking can open individuals and churches to God's transforming work.

Eli Withers, associate pastor of Harrisonburg Baptist Church and organizer of the 2026 Pastors Conference, hopes the gathering will encourage pastors to respond to God's call with renewed faith and openness.

“Alan Hirsch will be challenging us to answer God's call to the Church today the same way those in the New Testament responded to God's call in their day,” Withers said, emphasizing the enduring promises and mercies of God amid the joys and challenges of ministry.

Marcus Vaughan and Leah Gilbert-Harlow will lead music during the gathering.

The conference offers pastors an opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry, reflect on God's continuing call, and consider what new possibilities God may be opening for their churches and communities.

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