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Around the World in Four Days: The 2025 New Wineskins Conference
Published September 30, 2025
Attending the New Wineskins Mission Network conference in Ridgecrest, NC, is like going on a Christian world tour led by the local bishops, priests, and missionaries––without ever leaving the beautiful NC mountains. This year’s conference was held September 17-20 and may have been the best one ever!
Just like on a top-of-the-line cruise or tour, every detail was carefully prepared and taken care of. Each day flowed so effortlessly and was filled with good food, plenty of opportunities to listen and learn from old friends and make new ones, large plenary sessions for everyone together and about 90 small breakout sessions to choose from, and prayerful, spirit-filled worship!
We “traveled” to southeast Asia with the archbishop of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, the Most Rev. Dr. Titus Chung. We “traveled” to Nigeria with the Ven. Justice Okoronkwo, Director of Research and Training for the Anglican Diocese of Jos. We traveled to Ghana with the Rev. Akua Ofori-Boateng, Director of Programmes for the Diocese of Accra. We visited Gambella, Ethiopia, with their Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Maet Paul. We traveled to the mountains of Nepal and the war zones in Myanmar, and we visited the growing churches in Brazil and the burned churches and brick kilns in Pakistan. I could go on. Just like any world tour, it was a little mind blowing but so very interesting, inspiring, and important that you don’t want to miss a single minute. The slides, the videos, the clothes, and the music all came together to create for each traveler the amazing miraculous work of God all over our world––right now!
One “tour excursion” that was available throughout the conference was the bookstore, where we could purchase books written by many of our fellow conference attendees and speakers. One unexpected treat this year: we were able to receive, as a gift, an advance copy of “How Beauty Will Save the World” by the Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins, who spoke in a plenary about how God called him––and provided all the resources he needed––to go from being a full time professor at Asbury Seminary to founder of the non-profit Creo Arts, a Christian organization that exists to bring the beauty of the gospel to local communities across the nation through the arts.
Another “tour” destination was the incredible exhibit hall, where around sixty or more agencies, schools, and mission groups had set up displays. Each colorful display had “treasures” to give away or sell. These items and the accompanying literature helped to explain what each particular ministry is all about. Many “tourists” spent hours strolling through the exhibit hall looking at all the “local wares” from all over the world.
There was also a really fun opportunity this year to participate in a service project together and learn firsthand about “Kids Around the World.” On Friday afternoon, we were invited to help pack individual meal packages that would be loaded into a shipping container destined for Uganda. The youth took an hour shift, the children and their families took an hour shift, and then everyone was invited to help finish. We successfully packed 30,000 meals in just three hours! The Rt. Rev. Godfrey Loum, Bishop of Gulu in the Church of Uganda, was there to help us fill the bags. When he returns to Uganda, he will receive the container and then distribute the packages to the food-insufficient families of his diocese.
Dandelion Ministries, a nonprofit that uses creative expression to magnify the grace of Jesus Christ in places of pain, organized an art project and invited everyone to drop by anytime and pray for the unreached people groups of the world and then add a hand print to a mural. On the final evening plenary, it was set up on the stage for everyone to see. It was a beautiful visual example of all of us coming together to help fulfill God’s great commission in the world!
The final plenary session on Saturday morning was a worship service with communion for the 1600+ people who attended the conference. Of course, they saved the best speaker for last: the Most Rev. Steve Wood, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). However, even our amazing archbishop might admit his warm-up speaker may have upstaged him. That speaker was Daniel Booman, the 11-year-old son of the Rev. David Booman, Rector of Holy Comforter Sumter. Daniel preached a message on Matthew 12:21 with poise, confidence, and eloquence far beyond his years. It was so inspiring. Of course, it is in his DNA, and clearly his mom and dad have loved him and home-schooled him well.
From the first session of the conference (when half of those present stood to indicate it was their first time at New Wineskins) to the closing service hearing from Daniel Booman, it clearly felt as if God were telling us all that our future is in good hands. It seemed like God was saying, “I am raising up a generation for such a time as this. There may be wars and threats of wars, but remember I am God and there is no other like me!”
It is impossible to convey to you just how special, unique and powerful this New Wineskins conference was. All of us who attended this year would love to tell you more and answer your questions. Also please, please go to the New Wineskins website and enjoy listening to the speakers and seeing more photos. Mark your calendar now for the next conference, which will be September 20-23, 2028. God willing, we will see you there.