A major apologetics conference will be starting Friday at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Top experts on the subject will be participating as speakers.
It's the 19th National Conference on Christian Apologetics conference at the campus of Southern Evangelical Seminary and its designed for all levels, from the PH.D. to the typical, everyday Christian. However, it is designed more for the average Christian, according to spokesman Eric Gustafson, because they have more contact with people who have questions about Christianity and need to be able to answer.
"When you're having a conversation with, say, a coworker or a loved one at a family gathering and they say something, you have only a short window of time to give them a satisfying answer -- because their interest level won't be there if you have to wait and come back with an answer," he says.
In addition, non-Christians are welcome and frequently do attend, he adds.
"Every year we have atheists who show up, and they're very respectful; and often times when they do give us their feedback, they compliment us on how balanced our approach is, that we're not there to beat anyone over the head," Gustafson remarks.
"We are training the attendees to use apologetics with love and respect the way the Bible commands us to."
The goal is to equip each person there, regardless of their level of understanding of the faith, to become an army to answer questions about Christianity and bring the lost into the kingdom.
Online registration is over, but walk-ins are welcome.