Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
Max Broennle | FāVS News Reporter
The Center for Transforming Engagement is hosting the 2026 Preaching Conference in Shoreline, Washington, on May 2 with workshops and speakers discussing how to bring more diverse voices into religious spaces.
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is the keynote speaker alongside six other preachers who will be running workshops. The speakers involved come from various backgrounds and beliefs and will be talking about a range of topics related to embracing shifts in culture within the church.
Bridging generations
Danielle Merseles, associate pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Seattle, will be running a workshop about preaching to both older and younger generations.
“We would want to share the gospel, the same story, the same message to all people trusting that God is at work in each of their lives and that they all can listen to God’s word being proclaimed,” Merseles said.
Pastor Silas Sham, lead pastor of Bethany Community Church Northeast, will be speaking more with new pastors — leading a workshop on “cooking up” a sermon.
“I also for the last three years at my local church have been running congregant preaching cohorts, trying to equip and empower the congregation to discover their voice,” Sham said. “It’s just a really rich time allowing folks to learn the craft of preaching, but also not neglect the character of what a sermon should do and what preaching is.”
The title for this conference is “One Table Preaching: Making Room for Every Voice” and The Center for Transforming Engagement’s website addresses the need for this directly, saying, “It’s no secret that Christendom is in crisis. With many religious institutions unable to address massive cultural fragmentation and isolation, traditional ministry models often can’t do the job.”
Personal stakes
Merseles and Sham are both looking to further efforts to offset this crisis through their workshops.
Sham said the work holds deep personal meaning as an immigrant navigating predominantly white church spaces while also carrying his Chinese-Canadian and Pentecostal identities — backgrounds that have often felt like outliers within broader Christian denominational traditions. Being able to bring that full range of experiences together, he said, feels like an affirmation of who he is and the world he’s called to serve.To register for this year’s conference, visit its website.
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
