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Something for Everyone
New Wilmington Mission Conference–2026
By Rev. Kerry Michelle Dowdy
Posted August 11, 2026
The theme verse from the 121st New Wilmington Mission Conference held on July 17-22 was Isaiah 6:8: “Here I am, Lord, send me!” This was appropriate as we think of mission as being sent usually somewhere far from home. Would you be surprised to learn that mission can be right in your own neighborhood as well as overseas? Each one of us is a missionary as we are sent to make disciples by proclaiming the Word of the Lord. We call this Missio Dei – Latin for mission of God or the sending of God’s people.
So, what is New Wilmington Mission Conference? From their website (https://www.nwmcmission.org/): “NWMC is the longest-running Christian Mission-focused event in the United States” and “it is an intergenerational and family-friendly Mission Conference that focuses on being challenged to participate in the mission of God through every aspect of life, expressing God’s creativity, sustaining God’s creation, and cooperating in God’s plan of redemption.” I have never attended another conference that has so much to offer every age group in attendance from age specific workshops to all-inclusive activities/worship.
During the Mission Fair, there are many kids with their Bingo cards trying to find people who are a missionary or speak a different language. This year we had some young adults join the praise band offering their talented voices and keyboard playing. They performed a concert in memory of Bruce Smith that many in Beaver-Butler Presbytery may know from Calvin Presbyterian Church.
Each morning there is worship and meeting at the Anderson Auditorium by Brittan Lake. This time begins and ends with Christian songs led by the Praise band and everyone is encouraged to stand and sing. Then there is prayer and some announcements. Just about everyone looks forward to the beginning segment which the kids were a huge part of! They performed a dance to World on Fire. They brought forth waving of flags from all the countries and places where the Summer Service missions have gone. My favorite was story time when a book these children wrote together was read by some of the kids. They also played an intergenerational game to see who could follow directions the quickest to land a paper airplane onto a target with at least one foot on a paper plate.
A favorite family activity is tie-dying in the Westminster College quad. There are sports and games to play from frisbee, pickleball, basketball and even canoeing on the lake. And the food is amazing. If you’re commuting, there is a nominal fee for meals but if you stay on campus-meals are included.
Now, it’s not all fun and games, there’s learning and challenging of oneself! The Rev. Dr. Anne Zaki who teaches Preaching, Communication, and Spiritual Formation at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, spoke during the Anderson Auditorium meeting time about the theme verse in four different meetings focusing on Here I Am, Lord, and Send Me. Sunday worship service was led by Rev. Dr. Uchenna D. Anyanwu from Calvary Ministries (CAPRO) in Nigeria. It’s not often (at least not for me) to hear a pastor from a different country preach. His sermon focused on Luke 5. He explained the theology of boats (places where we encounter God) and nets (ordinary things that can become instruments of God’s work).
There were several evening speakers and many workshops throughout the day to choose from for each age group. There were actually more workshops than I could attend in each time slot. One of the workshops I found most interesting was learning about ‘Serving God in Central Asia’ where I learned about the five different “stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and how each is culturally different. I tried some regional food and our speaker, Helen, showed us a video highlighting the five different countries and gave us authentic hats from Central Asia.
I also went to workshops about AI, spiritual growth, and several on the future of mission presented by With You Always which is an organization that seeks to remember and follow the former PC(USA) mission co-workers. You can access links to their workshops from the NWMC webpage.
The 122nd NWMC dates are July 16-21, 2027 and the theme is from Acts 20:24: Finish the Race. Proclaim the Good News. Hope to see you there!
