Christian Conference at Prestonwood Baptist Church

Last week, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, hosted a significant Christian apologetics conference that attracted nearly 5,000 attendees from over 20 states.

Johnston, the church’s associate pastor for apologetics and cultural engagement, expressed his excitement, stating, “I believe we are pioneering a new movement of Christian thinkers that the church has never seen before, and that makes me very optimistic.”

The conference, known as the Biblical Worldview Conference (BWC), is promoted as the largest apologetics event in the nation and has been under Johnston’s leadership for the past three years. Initially focused solely on Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA), the event has expanded to include students from 17 additional schools, homeschool groups, and co-ops from across the United States.

“This started as something we wanted to do to educate our Christian students, and then we actually closed classes for two days,” Johnston noted. “We talked to them about frequently asked questions.”

This year, notable speakers included Senior Pastor Jack Graham, author J. Warner Wallace, YouTubers Melissa Dougherty and Ruslan KD, along with Trinity Broadcasting Network host Eric Stakelbeck.

Johnston emphasized the need for speakers to deliver shorter, impactful messages to help students share the gospel effectively in a world where platforms like TikTok and Snapchat dominate attention spans. “We need you to get your best message across in 20 minutes,” he said, adding that it’s essential to convey beliefs succinctly. “We have to make those organic moments when we’re having coffee together more effective and give you a two-minute truth bomb that will change your life.”

In his view, effective communication can coexist with Biblical truth. “How can I give a quick, clear answer, and give it a rationale rather than a concise answer?” he asked. “That’s what I’m trying to do at this conference.”