Reflections from Shepherds Conference 2025

By Robb Brunansky

Published March 8, 2025

The first Shepherds Conference I attended as a pastor was in 2016. I had attended the conference in 2001 and 2002 while a student at The Master’s Seminary (in 2000 the conference was suspended while they re-tooled the event), but in God’s providence I was unable to come back for this annual pastor’s conference for 14 years. I have attended every Shepherds Conference since 2016 with the exception of 2018 due to other ministry commitments and 2021 because the conference was canceled that year due to COVID restrictions. That makes 2025 my tenth time attending the Shepherds Conference.

This year’s conference felt different. Not different in a bad way at all, for this year’s conference was excellent. But it was different.

First, Steve Lawson’s absence was notable. It’s always tragic when a pastor disqualifies himself from ministry, and so the reason for his absence prompted reflection afresh as to the importance of integrity, the importance of accountability, and the importance of pursuing personal holiness. As Nathan Busenitz reminded us during his Friday morning session, we must guard ourselves because we are prone to wander. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders not only to guard the flock of God but to guard themselves, and how easy it is for any Christian, including pastors, to become entangled in devastating sin if we do not take this warning with due seriousness. Lawson has owned the 3:30pm Friday afternoon session at Shepherds Conference for a while, so when that time rolled around and Paul Washer preached – and did he preach! – it felt different.

Second, and more noticeable, was the absence of John MacArthur from the conference. I remember the days when Pastor John would open the conference on Tuesday or Wednesday and close it down on Friday night. The past few years, he has only closed the conference on Fridays. We all knew the day would come when he would not be at Shepherds Conference, but that day always seems to be in the future. This year, that day came, and Pastor John was physically unable to attend due to his ongoing health issues and recovery. He made a video to greet and encourage all the men attending the conference. When Friday evening rolled around, H.B. Charles did a marvelous job by God’s grace of proclaiming the Word. But it was different without John being there to share what the Lord had laid on his heart from the Bible as we were sent back to our respective ministries. It hit me especially hard when Pastor John shared in his video that he is on his last lap. Of course, that’s clear to anyone who has been paying attention over the past year or so, but to hear him say it almost felt piercing for someone who has spent his entire life listening to Pastor John’s preaching. I’ll have more to say about Pastor John and how God has used him in my life and ministry later, but to attend Shepherds Conference and not hear John preach was different.

The conference thus had a different feel, but the conference was still a stellar event that left 5,000 men encouraged to proclaim Christ unflinchingly and unapologetically in the places God has them. Each day featured four general sessions as well as breakout sessions on Wednesday and Friday and a Q&A on Thursday. The conference also brought men together from around the globe, and I ran into old friends more than a few times, reconnecting with people and hearing updates on how God is at work in their lives and ministries. It’s such a blessing to see faithful men of God growing in their faith and their ministries year after year. The service at the conference is second-to-none, as volunteers from Grace Church go above and beyond to make sure the attendees are well cared for, refreshed, and edified. The joyful attitudes and friendly smiles make the entire church campus an uplifting place to be throughout the conference.

My favorite conference session was the Friday afternoon session with Paul Washer, as he preached on the importance of prayer in proclaiming Christ. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the point in my life or ministry where I am not convicted by a sermon on prayer. If there is one thing my flesh hates above all else, it is to turn off all my distractions, open my Bible, and seek God’s face in prayer. Prayer as I walk through life is easy in the ongoing sense of awareness of God’s presence, a desire to do what is pleasing to Him, and calling out to Him or thanking Him as various events occur. But setting aside time to do nothing other than pray is the challenge. The challenge is slipping away to pray, as our Lord often did, so that we are spending time with our Heavenly Father. How flippantly we enter His presence! How easily we take this gift for granted! Washer’s reminder that apart from the Spirit of God we will be like wind-up toy soldiers who are very active for a few days and then peter out was powerful. I don’t want to leave seeking God’s face for a few days or weeks, but to be more devoted to prayer in my life continuously. And I want to lead by example with my family as well.

A close second was the Friday morning session by Nathan Busenitz. Nathan embodies a gentle, humble spirit mixed with unswerving conviction and passion for Christ in a unique way. You can see the Spirit of God at work in his life powerfully enabling him to communicate truth with boldness and gentleness. This sermon was a shining example of that rare mix of gifts, as he talked about the importance of pastoral training and proclaiming Christ. He walked through Acts 19-20 and how Paul trained men from Ephesus for ministry in the school of Tyrannus. He reminded us of the importance of training men for ministry because of the global impact such training has on the expansion of God’s kingdom. The examples of John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon remind us that training pastors multiples the growth of the church. As we are in our first year with DHBI, I was reminded again of the importance of the institute and why we are doing it. We need to train men so that the gospel will be proclaimed in the next generation throughout the world to all nations.

H.B. Charles’ breakout session on Wednesday about the holiness of the pastor was a helpful reminder of what is before us and what is at stake in our ministries. Abner Chou’s message that reminded us of the greatness of our Lord opened the conference by fixing our eyes on Jesus, and there they remained the rest of the event. All the speakers put the spotlight on Christ, which is where it belongs not only this week but every day of our lives. He alone is worthy of honor and glory and praise.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend Shepherds Conference, and to be here with 16 men from Desert Hills. I also want to thank our friends from GCC that allowed us to stay in their house across the street from the church. That gave us the opportunity to fellowship around the kitchen table for lunches and dinners and discuss what God was teaching us throughout the week. It also allowed us to share fellowship with men from around the world who came and shared a meal and fellowshipped with us, as we got to hear about what God is doing in other nations. Now it’s time to head home with full hearts that overflow with gospel truth, ready to continue to run the race and proclaim Christ to the ends of the earth.