On Saturday, the Men’s Super-Conference will convene in Natchez for the first time.
The conference is sponsored by the Laymen’s Department of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention and is held each year in different counties throughout Mississippi.

Approximately 800 to 1,000 men from about 20 Mississippi counties are expected to attend.
The event may not have been possible without the cooperation of the Superintendent, Fred Butcher, and the Natchez Adams Public School System.

The opening of the event will begin at 8 a.m. in the Steckler building, where everyone will assemble for registration and an opening ceremony led by the State President, Bro. L.C. Mitchell. A light breakfast with coffee and juice will be prepared for early arrivals.

Following the opening of the conference which will consist of greetings from high school principal Tony Fields, Mayor Darryl Grennell and Bro. Larry Woods, district director of the laymen ministry, we will conduct a class period.

The day will include teachings on various subjects concerning men and boys from a Biblical perspective, with the aim being to strengthen men and young men in their walks with the Lord in hopes they will be more productive in the local church and the communities in which they live.

The conference is designed with the young men in mind and among the main attractions are the Bible Bowl and Bible Drill competitions. The participants of this event have been studying questions for months, and the competition is broken down into age groups. The young men will compete with those on their own level.

The Bible Bowl contestant will be asked a question and be required to hit the buzzer before he answers the question. The first one to hit the buzzer will be given an opportunity to answer. The young men are so familiar with the 250 questions that may be asked, that it is seldom the announcer completes the question before someone has already hit the buzzer. Competitors are impressive to watch and should be commended for their efforts.

The Bible Drill requires the contestants to find the book and verse of the Bible that the announcer calls out to them. It all has to do with speed and again one has to hit the buzzer in order to have an opportunity to answer. Bros. Allen Oliver, Larry Jackson, Michael Winn, Ben Tucker and Eric Wilson have done an excellent job of getting the local contestants ready for the conference.

On the recreational side of the event is the three-point shoot-out, in which there is a long line of young men waiting to hit the three-pointer from a pre-determined location. The line of participants gets shorter as some will miss and others will go on until a winner is selected in each category.

This year’s motivational speaker will be the Rev. Lester Walls, a former Jackson State University and Oakland Raiders football player, who will speak at the end of the conference to encourage the young men and all in attendance. Walls is currently on staff with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Executive Director of the Men’s department, Bro. Eric Wilson, along with Bro. Larry Woods, county laymen director of the AMB Association encourages all men and young men of the county to please try and attend this fruitful event. The event will end around 12:30 p.m. following lunch and closing remarks by organizers and Rev. John Scott Jr. the moderator of the AMB Association.

Rev. John W. Scott Jr. is moderator of Antioch Missionary Baptist Association of Adams County.