Season 3 was shot and recorded at the Carolina Conference, Charlotte, NC, and sponsored by Southern Adventist University.

Ryan's special guests for this season are made up of local pastors, students, Conference employees and church members in the Carolinas.

This is a special episode dealing with the past, present and future of State and Regional Conferences. This topic could not be covered in our normal 20 minute conversations. Join Ryan and his guests as they share the history and their personal perspectives on these two different conferences.

Let us introduce you to this episode's special guests:

Evan Willis is lead pastor of the Northeast SDA Church in Charlotte, NC. He graduated from Pine Forge Academy, Oakwood University, and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological seminary. Currently, he is a third-year doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his research interests are Black male outcomes in urban and suburban Christian schools. He and his wife Aleya have 4 sons Jeremiah, James, John, and Joshua. His favorite scripture Isaiah 61:1-3.

Ryan Ashlock has served as pastor of the University City Seventh-day Adventist Church since 2012. He has a passion for helping people connect with God, understand how Christian faith is based on reason and evidence, and think through the implications of the gospel for life, work, and relationships. Ryan and his wife Laura, have three teenage daughters. Prior to coming to Charlotte, the Ashlocks spent five years in Thailand where Ryan taught religion classes at Asia-Pacific International University and served as senior pastor of the University Church.

www.isryanbeckerright.com

Special Thanks to Southern Adventist University for sponsoring this show.

Resources for understanding or exploring more on regional conferences and black experience and contributions in the Seventh-day Adventist Church:

Comprehensive Overview of Regional Conferences: https://adventistregionalministries.org

Regional Voice Magazine: https://adventistregionalministries.org/regional-voice/

Black History SDA: http://www.blacksdahistory.org

Maps and Stats: https://www.regionalretirement.org/maps--stats.html

Regional Retirement Website Story: https://www.regionalretirement.org/our-story.html

Helpful Links from RegionalRetirement.org: https://www.regionalretirement.org/helpful-links.html