SOLA Conference 2021 has gone digital. In continuing its commitment to the local church, the SOLA Conference Team decided to produce and present two plenary sessions, two panel discussions, and seven microtalks and interviews to equip churches, leaders, and Christians all over the world.
This year’s conference theme is “Witness.” The SOLA Conference hopes to equip the local church to be a compelling witness despite our divisive and divided society and culture. To this end, the conference will host multiple guest speakers to discuss topics from cancel culture to the importance of local church, from the state of race in America to equipping women in our congregations. We have also included speakers of different ethnicities to speak, especially about the Asian American experience, as well as purposefully including women in our discussions and talks.
All videos and transcripts will be available beginning May 24. We will also be highlighting each session and talk on our social media pages. Today we will be sharing the information for the two plenary sessions and two panels of the 2021 SOLA Conference.
Plenary Sessions
“Rising Above Cancel Culture with the Fruit of Gentleness”
Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church
Description: In a defensive, divided, politically and socially hostile “cancel culture,” how can Christians live counter-culturally by loving others as Christ has loved us, even when we were his enemies? How can we become the kind of people who turn away wrath with the fruit of Christ’s gentleness (Proverbs 15:1)? In this message, Nashville pastor Scott Sauls will explore what a gentle answer can look like in our hearts, homes, churches, and world.
Bio: Scott Sauls is husband to Patti, dad to Abby and Ellie, and serves as senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He was also a lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC after planting churches in Kansas City and Saint Louis, where he also taught homiletics at Covenant Seminary. Scott has authored five books including his most recent, A Gentle Answer. He writes weekly at scottsauls.com and can be found on Facebook or Twitter/Instagram at @scottsauls.
“The Church: No Better Witness?”
Harold Kim, Senior Pastor of Christ Central of Southern California
Description: The Church has been called to be a witness of Christ to the ends of the earth, but recently it seems like there are so many reasons to be done with the Church. What is the Church? And how does the Church provide no better witness despite being broken and blemished?
Bio: Harold is the founding pastor of Christ Central of Southern California and serves on the Board for Christ Central Network (CCN) and as President of SOLA. He graduated from UC Berkeley, received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in 2001. Harold is gratefully married to Sun Hi and a happy father of two daughters, Taylor and Elizabeth. His great joy and passion is to see lives changed as Jesus Christ becomes central to everything.
Panel Discussions
“Race, Gospel, and the Local Church”
Michael Lee (moderator), Lead Pastor of All Nations Community Church
PJ Tibayan, Pastor-Theologian of Bethany Baptist Church
Bobby Scott, Pastor of Discipleship of Community at Faith Bible Church
Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church
Description: In this panel, four pastors from diverse contexts discuss how the church can remain gospel-centered and united as it engages with the topics of justice, racism, and diversity.
Bios: Michael Lee currently serves as the lead pastor of All Nations Community Church. He also serves as a council member and the Executive Director of the SOLA Network. Originally from Atlanta, Michael majored in philosophy at the University of Southern California and received his Masters of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology. He is a huge USC Trojan football fan, avid golfer, and donut aficionado. He resides in Pasadena with his wife, son and daughter, and dog.
P.J. Tibayan is a pastor-theologian of Bethany Baptist Church in Bellflower, CA, where he lives with his God-fearing and beautiful wife and their five children. He writes at gospelize.me, helps lead The Gospel Coalition LA Regional Chapter and the Shepherd LA Conference (for pastors), and serves on the SOLA Editorial Board. He is currently a doctoral student (DMin) in Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary working on the book of Revelation.
Bobby Scott is the Pastor of Discipleship at Community of Faith Bible Church in South Gate. He loves teaching the Word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit watching God’s Word transform lives (2 Cor 3:18). Pastor Bobby is passionate about strengthening the urban church. He has pastored for over twenty-five years and enjoys writing. You can follow Pastor Bobby on Twitter @pastorbscott. Pastor Bobby married up when God blessed him with his wife, Naomi. He loves his six kids (ages 15-24). As a UCLA alumnus, his two favorite two teams are UCLA and whoever is playing SC. Go Bruins!!!
Scott Sauls is husband to Patti, dad to Abby and Ellie, and serves as senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He was also a lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC after planting churches in Kansas City and Saint Louis, where he also taught homiletics at Covenant Seminary. Scott has authored five books including his most recent, A Gentle Answer. He writes weekly at scottsauls.com and can be found on Facebook or Twitter/Instagram at @scottsauls.
“How Can the Church Support Asian American Women? An Honest Conversation with Hannah Chao, Soojin Park, and Heidi Wong”
Hannah Chao (moderator), SOLA Editor and SOLA Editorial Board member
Soojin Park, Youth Ministry Director at Christ Central Presbyterian Church
Heidi Wong, College Ministry Director at Exilic Church
Description: The rise in violent attacks against Asians, especially Asian women, has shown the need for the church to examine the ways it can be better supporting women at this time. Hannah Chao, Soojin Park, and Heidi Wong discuss how churches can amplify the voices of women and equip them to become partners.
Bios: Hannah Chao is the editor of SOLA, where she also often writes. She has been editing for SOLA’s website since its inception in 2016. She is currently a student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.A. in print journalism. Hannah attends All Nations Community Church, where she is also the administrator. She is a wife and mom of two beautiful girls.
Soojin Park is on SOLA’s Editorial Board, and she is the Youth Ministry Director at Christ Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA. She is currently a student at Reformed Theological Seminary DC where she is pursuing a Master of Divinity. Before entering vocational ministry, Soojin started her career supporting anti-human trafficking organizations and later worked as a conference planner for tech companies.
Heidi Wong is the College Ministry Director at Exilic Church in New York City. She currently works in the technology industry, and is a part-time student at Reformed Theological Seminary NYC where she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies.
Check back tomorrow for information about our microtalks and interviews.