Inspiring and challenging you to go deeper into God's Word and your faith.

Join us at Word of Life Florida for a time of excellent Bible Teaching and Gospel Concerts. You will be encouraged and uplifted while reserving your spot for a day, month, or even the entire Winter Conference Season. We look forward to seeing you this season.

Conferences to challenge your faith.

At Word of Life we believe in the power of the Word of God to change lives. We see this displayed each year at our youth camps, youth retreats, and at each of our conferences that take place at Word of Life Florida during the winter season. From Dr. Ray Pritchard, Dr. Tom Messer, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, and many others, our speakers will challenge both your heart and your mind as they open the Scriptures.

Get ready to study God's Word like never before.

Person speaking in a lecture hall

Conferences

Free

Sun & Tue 6:30pm
Mon-Fri 9:00am

Concerts

$20

Thursday's at 3:30pm
Regular Concerts: $20
Premium Concerts: $24

Tickets coming soon

Speakers

WOLBI Missions Conference

Week 1: January 10 - 12

Dr. Dan Proctor

Founder, Help for Hurting Pastors Former Pastor, CrossRoads Church, Daytona Beach, FL

Week 2: January 14 - 19

Dr. Dan Proctor

He received at Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry from Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, FL.

Our Story:

How did we end up in a ministry to help hurting pastors and pastor’s wives? How are we qualified to do this? Take a couple of minutes and read our story.

Dan was not raised in a Bible believing home, but became a Christ follower as a teenager through his older brother’s influence. Deniece was actually raised in a pastor’s home and became a Christ follower at a young age. They met at college, married after Dan’s sophomore year, and a year later were beginning to serve in a local church in Daytona Beach, Florida. They had no idea of the adventures that lie ahead!

Dan served as an assistant pastor for about five years and then as lead pastor for 30 years. They saw the church go from a small church that had dwindled to about 200 people to a church that averaged 1200 with highs of over 1800 people on Sundays. 

It began when Dan and Deniece came to Daytona as staff members during their college days in a church of about 400 people. Then they came on full time when they were fresh out of college at about 21 years old. Deniece was pregnant with their first son and Dan served on a staff with multiple other staff members and did a variety of different ministries for about 5 years. While they enjoyed serving immensely, the challenges were so tough that they wanted to leave and tried to leave several different times. No doors opened, so they remained in Daytona.

In 1994 they were about to embark on the ride of their lives. The lead pastor resigned 2 weeks after the church had built a new 700 seat auditorium and had just gone 3.5 million dollars in debt (over 7 million in today’s dollars).  On March 6, 1994 the church elected Dan to become the next lead pastor. He was 27 years old with no lead pastor experience whatsoever. The payments on the mortgage alone were over $21,000 a month. The church immediately split with over 100 walking out and going down the street to start a new church. Dan and Deniece were left with about 200 hurting people, no money in the bank, and a mountain of debt.  Dan and Deniece didn’t know if they would even last a year. They ended up staying another 30 years! The church retired all the debt in a little over 8 years. When Dan resigned as lead pastor in 2022 the church had a total of five buildings on a 12 acre property in the heart of Daytona Beach. The church was debt free with 2 million dollars in the bank to be used towards their next 3 year vision that had been laid out in early 2022.  Thousands of people came to know Jesus as their Savior, multitudes were discipled in their faith, and many were sent out all over the world to spread the good news of Jesus. But guess what? Here is reality – There were a lot of tears, pain, hurts, disappointments, fears, failures, mistakes, people problems, bad decisions, family conflict, health issues, miscarriages, betrayals, mental and physical exhaustion, depression, church members leaving, staff members getting angry, personal struggles, and a constant feeling of a total inadequacy to do what we were doing!

Our New Ministry:

That is exactly why we are here! We resigned the lead pastor position at our church in late 2022 in order to embark on a ministry of helping hurting pastors. There isn’t much we haven’t seen in 35 years of ministry in the local church. We desire to use that experience to help pastors and their wives.  We offer this ministry free of charge.  We still reside in Daytona Beach, Florida. We live in the same house we raised all three of our sons in – Clint, Clayton, and Caleb. Two of our sons are married and we have 3 beautiful grandsons. We all live within five minutes of each other. Nothing (except Jesus) is more precious to us than our family.  

Our ministry is to help pastors and their wives protect their mental and emotional health!

  • Nobody understands the life and challenges of a pastor except another pastor - somebody who has been there and done that.
  • The burnout that can come from constantly giving and pouring into other peoples’ lives. It can drain you!
  • The incredible weight of responsibility that is felt from speaking publicly week after week, and the preparation that goes into it. It is mentally and physically draining!
  • The deep hurt that is felt when church members disappear and leave the church and YOU without so much as a “goodbye.”
  • The constant staff and board issues. Contention can arise so suddenly and without warning.
  • You and your family live in a glass house and perfection seems to be expected by so many.
  • On top of all of this, you are a human being, with your own struggles, problems, and past baggage. 

Like every other human being, pastors can have marital problems, parenting challenges, depression, anxiety, addictions, insecurities, financial struggles, physical problems, and everything else that other human beings deal with.

There is no way your board, your church members, or your staff can understand the challenges you face - but we do! We are here to help!  We understand this better than most, having pastored in Daytona Beach Florida for almost 35 years. Click here to learn more about who we are and our background and experience in pastoring.  Despite the outward success we saw in our ministry, there were so many bumps, bruises, and intense pain to navigate through in both our ministry and personal lives. We resigned the lead pastor position at our church in order to embark on a ministry of helping hurting pastors. There isn’t much we haven’t seen and experienced in 35 years of ministry in the local church. We desire to use that experience to help pastors and their wives.

Please know that we would absolutely love for you to reach out to us and we are willing to help in any possible way. People go to their pastor when they are hurting and need help, counsel, or guidance. But where does the pastor go? We are here for you! Every day pastors are quitting for a variety of reasons. Don’t quit without talking to somebody! There may be other solutions to what you are feeling.

We would love to hear from you! We are not here to judge in any way; we are here to help! 

Dr. Crawford Loritts

President and Founder of Beyond Our Generation

Week 3: January 21 - 26

Dr. Crawford Loritts

Dr. Loritts’ ministry work has given him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States and much of the world, speaking in churches, evangelistic outreaches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries. He has been the featured speaker at Super Bowls, NCAA Final Four Chapel, and the Pentagon with senior military officers.
Crawford has been a church planter, served for twenty-seven years on the staff of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and served for fifteen years as Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia.
He and his wife, Karen, have been featured speakers at FamilyLife marriage conferences. Dr. Loritts is the author of 9 books including Your Marriage Today… and Tomorrow, co-authored with Karen. He is the host of two national radio programs, the weekend program Living a Legacy and the daily program Legacy Moments.
Dr. Loritts serves on several boards including Cru, FamilyLife and Chick-fil-A. He has received five honorary Doctorates – from Biola University, Cairn University, Moody Bible Institute, Trinity International University and Columbia International University.
As President and Founder of Beyond Our Generation, Crawford is committed to encouraging, mentoring, and helping to shape the next generation of Christian leaders. For more information contact Dr. Loritts HERE.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer

Pastor Emeritus, Moody Church, Chicago, IL

Week 4: January 28 - February 2nd

Dr. Erwin Lutzer

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the Senior Pastor for 36 years. He earned a B.Th. from Winnipeg Bible College, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a M.A. in Philosophy from Loyola University, and an honorary LL.D. from the Simon Greenleaf School of Law.

A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on three radio programs that are heard on more than 1,000 outlets in the United States and around the world.  Dr. Lutzer is also an award-winning author of numerous books including: We Will Not Be Silenced – Responding Courageously to Our Culture’s Assault on Christianity,  Pandemics, Plagues & Natural Disasters – what is God Saying to Us?,  The Church in Babylon,  The Power of A Clear Conscience,  Rescuing the Gospel,  One Minute After You Die,  God’s Devil, He Will Be the Preacher (this is Dr. Lutzer’s autobiography), Christ Among Other Gods, and Hitler’s Cross.   Books by Rebecca Lutzer include: Life-Changing Bible Verses Every Woman Should Know,  Awesome Bible Verses Every Kid Should Know…And What They Mean.

Dr. Lutzer’s speaking engagements include Bible conferences and seminars, both domestically and internationally, including Russia, Belarus, Germany, Scotland, Guatemala, and Japan. He also leads tours to Israel and the cities of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Dr. Lutzer and Rebecca live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Dr. Mark Bailey and Dr. Mark Yarbrough

Dr. Bailey: Chancellor & Former President, Dallas Theological Seminary | Dr. Yarbrough: President, Dallas Theological Seminary

Week 5: February 4 - 9

Dr. Mark Bailey

Dr. Mark L. Bailey came to Dallas Theological Seminary in 1985 as a professor in the Bible Exposition department. In 1997 he was appointed as vice president for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean. In 1999, he was appointed to the role of Provost. In March 2001, Dr. Bailey was named as the Seminary’s fifth president in its 96-year history. After nineteen years as president, he transitioned to the role of chancellor in July 2020.

For over 40 years, his career passions have been theological education and pastoral ministry. He pastored in various churches in Arizona and Texas and has also led numerous tours to Israel and the Middle East. His board service includes Bible Study Fellowship, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, Word of Life, International Alliance for Christian Education, and Steve Green Ministries.

Dr. Bailey and his wife, Barby, have been married over 48 years. They have two married sons and six grandchildren.

Additional Speaker Info

Dr. Mark Yarbrough

Dr. Mark Yarbrough began his tenure as the 6th president of DTS on July 1, 2020. He also serves as Professor of Bible Exposition. Along with his responsibilities of leading DTS, he serves as an elder of Centerpoint Church in Mesquite and travels extensively leading tours and speaking at conference centers. Mark has recently authored Jonah, Beyond the Tale of a Whale. He has been married for twenty-nine years to Jennifer, his high school sweetheart. They have four adult children, one son-in-law, and reside in Sunnyvale, Texas.

Mr. John Bouqet

Senior Pastor, Bethel Baptist Church, Savannah, OH

Week 6: February 11 - 16

Pastor Tom Joyce

Pastor of Discipleship & Family, Immanuel Bible Church, Springfield, VA

Week 7: February 18 - 23

Dr. Tom Messer

Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL

Week 8: February 25 - March 1

Dr. Tom Messer

Dr. Tom Messer is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville. A native of Northfield, Massachusetts, Dr. Messer graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1982 and was later awarded a Doctor of Divinity.  In 1982, he began his association with Trinity Ministries as a basketball coach and teacher at Trinity Baptist College, where he earned his Master’s degree in Ministry. In 1991, he was appointed Executive Vice President of the college. On December 6, 1992, he became the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church and president of Trinity Baptist College. In 1998, he was named Chancellor of Trinity Baptist College. Pastor Messer and his wife Lisa have four children: Drew, Christie, Michael, and Jacob. Dr. Messer enjoys spending time with his family, studying the Bible, reading books on the Christian life or church growth, eating barbecue or seafood, and playing golf. He's also a fan of basketball, football and baseball.

Dr. John Barnett

Founder and Director - Global Partners Ministry

Week 9: March 3 - 8

Dr. John Barnett

Dr. John Barnett has been teaching the Word of God for 30+ years.
Born and raised in Michigan, John has studied at Michigan State University, Bob Jones University (B.S., B.A., M.A., M. Div.), The Master’s Seminary (faculty and Th. M. work), Dallas Theological Seminary (Dr. of Biblical Ministry) and with Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri Fellowship.
As a home educating family, John and Bonnie teach children and teens with enthusiasm and love. In the past 30 years of uninterrupted ministry, John has served congregations in Michigan, Georgia, Rhode Island, California, Oklahoma and Michigan. In 2017 the precious saints at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan commissioned and set out John and Bonnie as full-time global partner missionaries. John & Bonnie are now ministering the Gospel primarily in Asia, Europe, Africa & the Middle East. Their new Gospel ministry focus is two-fold:
  1. EQUIPPING Frontline Career Partners who minister the Gospel in the 45+ limited-access, creative-access, and closed countries across the globe: through face to face doctrinal Biblical teaching, personal ministry coaching, Scriptural marriage & family counseling, and personal accountability-focused discipleship of these dear, highly-committed servants of the Lord, that live in such dark and hostile areas.
  2. MOBILIZING Next Generation Partners through training centers spread across three continents that train Asians to Reach Asia, Europeans to reach Europe, and Africans & Middle Easterners to reach their own cultures. We do this through being adjunct faculty at these key Bible schools, Theological Seminaries, Scripture Training Centers and Regional Bible Institutes. We teach the students, and then mentor, disciple, and coach them in pastoral and local church ministry. We also stay connected to visit them in their local ministries when they graduate and start reaching their own countries.
John has served on the Faculty of theMaster’s College & Seminary. He was an Associate Pastor to Dr. John MacArthur at Grace Community Church for five years overseeing the Shepherding Ministries. During graduate school, John served as the Assistant Dean of Men at Bob Jones University for five years.
Called to the ministry as a young man—his passion remains prayer and the ministry of God’s Word. As a global Christian, and having ministered the Word in 40 nations around the world, John’s ministry is deeply touched by outreach and evangelism. Since 1978, in conjunction with Land of the Book Tours. John has led dozens of study tours, retreats, travels, and pilgrimages with over 1,500 participants, and taught on site in 21 countries and on five continents. His Tours filmed onsite are available to watch online.
As a Seminary Professor of Theology, Church History and the English Bible, John’s messages reflect the background of the Scripture from the ancient biblical world, the history of the church and the daily life in far corners of the planet. In 1998 a new ministry called Discover the Book Ministry was launched to provide electronic copies of Pastor John’s audio, video, and text studies free of charge to pastors, missionaries, and other believers. Since then, this ministry has grown to serve saints in all 50 states and over 145 lands around the world, as well as through daily radio on a growing number of radio stations in the USA, Europe and the Caribbean.

Dr. Ray Pritchard

President & Founder, Keep Believing Ministries

Week 10: March 10 - 15

Dr. Ray Pritchard

Dr. Ray Pritchard serves as president of Keep Believing Ministries, an internet-based ministry serving Christians in 225 countries. He has ministered extensively overseas in China, Bolivia, Columbia, Paraguay, Belize, Haiti, Nigeria, Switzerland, Russia, India, Nepal, and South Korea. He is a frequent conference speaker and guest on Christian radio and television talk shows. He has written 31 books, including Stealth Attack,  The Healing Power of Forgiveness,  An Anchor for the Soul,  The Incredible Journey of Faith,  The ABCs of Wisdom,  Leadership Lessons of Jesus (with Bob Briner),  Why Did This Happen to Me?, and  Credo: Believing in Something to Die For.

He is a co-host of Today’s issues on American Family Radio.  For 26 years he pastored churches in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Chicago. Most recently he pastored Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL for sixteen years. He is a graduate of Tennessee Temple University (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and Talbot School of Theology (D.Min.). He has been married to Marlene for 46 years. They have three sons (Josh, Mark, and Nick). Josh and Leah were married in July 2006 and have two children, Knox and Violet. Mark and Vanessa were married in July 2007 and have three children, Eli, Penny, and Zoe. Nick and Sarah were married in July 2014 and have two children, Hannah and Joshua.

Dr. Pritchard’s hobbies include biking, surfing the Internet, and anything related to the Civil War.

Concerts

Tim Zimmerman & The King’s Brass

Tim Zimmerman & The King’s Brass

Week 2: Jan. 18, 2024

The Klassens

The Klassens

Week 3: Jan. 25, 2024

The Booth Brothers

The Booth Brothers

Week 4: Feb. 1, 2024

WOL Overflow Band

WOL Overflow Band

Week 5: Feb. 8, 2024

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Week 6: Feb. 15, 2024

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – Decades of Love Concert

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – Decades of Love Concert

Week 6: Feb. 16, 2024

Robin Jewell

Robin Jewell

Week 7: Feb. 22, 2024

Dennis Swanberg

Dennis Swanberg

Week 8: Feb. 29, 2024

The Merrills

The Merrills

Week 9: Mar. 7, 2024

The Annie Moses Band

The Annie Moses Band

Week 10: Mar. 14, 2024


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