by Hannah Fair, Student Public Relations Writer
More than 100 missionaries and 54 mission agencies will gather at Cedarville University January 8-10, 2019, for the largest annual Missions Conference in the university’s history.
Dr. Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), will keynote four main sessions, while Cedarville’s Dr. Matt Bennett, assistant professor of missions and theology, will wrap up the conference.
“The purpose of the missions conference is to expose the Cedarville student body and community to the needs of the world and the missionaries who are serving to meet those needs,” said Brian Nester, director of global outreach. “We want our students to catch the burden for reaching the nations with the message of Christ. We are exposing the students to heroes, as I would call them, those missionaries who are reaching the world with the gospel.”
Throughout the week, students and visitors are encouraged to interact with the missionaries and mission agencies at display tables, in the dining hall, at an ice cream social on Jan. 8 at 8:30 p.m. and at Rinnova coffee house Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m.
“God used the Missions Conference during my sophomore year (2004) at Cedarville,” noted Hannah (Mingonet) Romaine, 2007 alumna currently serving with her husband and three children in Spain. “He revealed my lifelong misconceptions about missionaries being super spiritual Christians and taught me that God is not looking for perfect people to be missionaries, but all he needs is a vessel, a tool of grace at his disposal.”
“After surrendering my future goals and life to God during the Missions Conference, I felt as if I was on the precipice of a great adventure, but I never would have dreamed he would send me to serve him full time in Spain with Baptist Mid Missions with a husband whose heart is equally surrendered,”Romaine said.
“Regardless of location or vocation,” Nester offered, “we need to be doing our part in fulfilling the Great Commission.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,193 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.