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Evangelism Academic Conference 2026

ANZERA looks to encourage “Academic Research that Contributes to the
Evangelisation of Aotearoa New Zealand and the World.”
This two day conference on “Reframing Evangelism for the Contemporary World” invites attendees into the academic research on evangelism for “now”.
Keynote speaker: Dr Darrell Bock (Hendricks Center, Dallas Theological Seminary)
Academic Presentations: Papers Accepted for Presentation
Morning Tea, Lunch & Afternoon Tea provided.
Call for Papers
200-word proposals are invited for the conference before May 15, 2026.
Papers must speak to the tagline above: “Academic Research that Contributes to the Evangelisation of Aotearoa New Zealand and the World.” They must include a “so what” concerning contemporary evangelism. They will be assessed in terms of their evangelistic nature, evidence of academic engagement, and their relevance to evangelism today.
Papers can come from any academic perspective but must be 20 minutes in length (strictly monitored) with 10 minutes for Q and A.
Send any proposals and questions to Mark Keown at mkeown@laidlaw.ac.nz or +64 27 269 8357.
KEYNOTE PRESENTER
Darrell L. Bock
Darrell L. Bock is Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas and serves as Executive Director of Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership there. He is an Elder-Staff Advisor at Bent Tree Fellowship in Carrolton, Texas. He has served on the board of Chosen People Ministries for over two decades. In addition, he serves on the board at Wheaton College, currently chairing the Academic Affairs subcommittee, as well as on the boards of the Institute for Global Engagement and Christians in Public Service. He is a fellow at the Kirby Laing Institute in Cambridge, England and a graduate of the University of Texas (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and the University of Aberdeen (Ph.D.). He has authored or edited over forty-five books, including a New York Times Best Seller in non-fiction, numerous works on Jesus and the gospels, and the recently released Cultural Intelligence: Living for God in a Diverse, Pluralistic World. He has had four annual stints of post doctoral study at the University of Tübingen, the second through fourth as an Alexander von Humboldt scholar (1989-90, 1995-96, 2004-05, 2010-2011). He also serves as elder emeritus at Trinity Fellowship Church in Richardson, Texas, does occasional work for Christianity Today, served as President of the Evangelical Theological Society for the year 2000-2001. He often participates in interviews with the media on issues ted to the Bible and Christianity. He is married to Sally and has three married children (two daughters and a son), three grandsons and two granddaughters.
