Timothy I. Cho 
Following everything that has transpired since the 2016 presidential election, it goes without saying that the upcoming election year is at the forefront of many Christians’ minds. Especially in light of the recurring statistics that 81 percent of White Evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and that three-quarters of White Evangelicals continue to approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, it is more timely now than ever for Christians to thoughtfully and charitably consider the role of Christian identity in politics as they prepare to enter the voting booth.
To address this important topic, The Front Porch, an organization dedicated “to be a place for conversations on biblical faithfulness in African-American churches and beyond,” is hosting the Just Gospel 2020 Conference in March 2020.
As explained on the conference’s website, the Just Gospel 2020 Conference has a singular goal of “help[ing] Christians think biblically and deeply about being Christians and taking our Christian identity and perspective into our political lives.” Featuring prominent speakers to discuss the important topic of “Healing Conversations About Christians and Politics,” the conference hopes to “model how Christians who differ in secondary and political matters can nevertheless do so charitably and in a way that preserves both unity and freedom of conscience.”
The conference will feature the following speakers, some of whom have been featured previously on Faithfully Magazine:
- Jon Ward – Writer
- Mark Vroegop – Lead Pastor at College Park Church
- Jenny Yang – Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief
- Esau McCaulley – Assistant Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College
- Duke Kwon – Pastor at Grace Meridian Hill
- Garrett Kell – Pastor at Del Ray Baptist Church
- Jonathan Leeman –Editorial Director for 9Marks
- Gracy Olmstead – Writer
- Roland C. Warren – President and CEO of Care Net
- David Platt – Pastor at McLean Bible Church and Founder of Radical
- Darryl Williamson – Lead Pastor at Living Faith Bible Fellowship
- Vincent Bacote – Associate Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College
- Justin Giboney – Co-Founder and President of the AND Campaign
- Russell Moore – President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Kelly M. Kapic – Professor of Theological Studies at Covenant College
- Andy Naselli – Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary and Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church
- Thabiti Anyabwile – Pastor at Anacostia River Church
In addition, Faithfully Magazine’s Editorial Director, Nicola A. Menzie, is scheduled to participate in the panel discussion “Remaining Christian (and Sane) with News Media Consumption” with Jon Ward and Gracy Olmstead.
The Just Gospel 2020 Conference will take place March 5-7, 2020 at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. See the conference schedule on the website for more information.
