Toni Hopper
DUNCAN — Everyone needs a little faith. Children, parents, coaches, players, people without power for a week.
But the Christian Center in Duncan can help everyone sustain or regain their faith with the annual Faith Conference that happens this month.
Yes, it’s all about the faith.
Coming to the Duncan church at 7 p.m. Thursday, is Mark Barclay out of Midland, Mich., who Pastor James Miller said, is extremely popular with the teenagers.
“The adults, teenagers, they really enjoy Mark Barclay,” Miller said. Barclay will also be speaking at the Lawton Christian Center, Feb. 19.
“He really does serve people. He’s a no nonsense preacher, a pastor of pastors,” Miller said. “He really has a unique ministry in the way he relates to ministers and people — and he has a relationship with over 500 pastors that call on him regularly.”
The conference which began Wednesday started with Mark Hankins out of Alexandria, La., and Dr. Miles Monroe. Speaking tonight is Dr. Bill Winston from Chicago. He will be at the Lawton center.
“Our goal is just to provide a means for people to come and be exposed to these other ministers. It’s an opportunity to be exposed — for people to be saved, who are lost out there. The conference gives those of us who are born again to be around people who have a relationship with God. It runs the spectrum of purposes,” Miller said.
Miller encourages everyone who is interested in hearing Barclay speak, visit the Duncan Christian Center when he does. Those attending do not have to be regular members. Miller said that Barclay is known amongst many for his pastoring skills.
Miller, who has been pastoring here since March 2000, said the Christian Center was first founded in Lawton in 1986.
The Duncan site opened in 1991 and there is also one in Chickasha.
As a pastor, Miller as one might expect, regularly reads the Bible to keep his faith alive, but he said there’s something that everyone can do even when they don’t have a Bible at hand.
“Prayer is definitely key. It still has to be based on the word of God. You have to consider what you pray,” he said.
Miller said that the Faith Conference can give people a newly-energized focus on what role the Bible plays in their lives.
“Whether it’s behavior, relationships, we strongly depend on the Bible and how we conduct ourselves. The word of God becomes our target, our focal point. Without right understanding, it’s difficult to having the right relationships,” he said.
When the Christian Center started a radio station in the fall of 2001, its aim was to provide free air time to ministers and make connections with the ministries.
“Our intention was to provide a voice to these ministries in Southwest Oklahoma and Texas,” Miller said. The Faith Conference was a way to put the face to the voice heard on the radio, he noted.
“We believe it’s an opportunity for the people here to increase their faith, their spiritual growth.”
Miller compares the conference and building faith to a school, where at each level, a person learns and advances.
“You go through the grades, to increase your knowledge base. Growing spiritually is similar to that. To increase your ability in the natural world is the same thing to your spiritual growth.”
— Toni Hopper is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. She can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 132 or by e-mail at: toni.hopper@duncanbanner.com.
