Call for Papers: 2027 BHHS Annual Conference in Raleigh
2027 Annual Conference
Call for Papers: 2027 BHHS Annual Conference in Raleigh
The Baptist History & Heritage Society (BHHS) invites paper and panel proposals for its 2027 Annual Conference, May 17–19, at First Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. The conference will again be held in collaboration with the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR) and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals (AMGP).
Scholars, clergy, lay leaders, practitioners and students are invited to submit proposals on any topic in Baptist history and identity. Proposals do not have to address the conference theme.
The theme of the joint meeting is “Faith, Health, and Human Flourishing: Truth, Trust, and the Common Good in a Pluralistic Democracy.” It offers opportunities to explore how Baptists have understood health and healing, shaped healthcare institutions and public policy, and negotiated questions of religious conviction, scientific authority and public trust.
Potential topics include Baptist hospitals, nursing schools and medical missions; responses to epidemics and public-health crises; race, gender and unequal access to healthcare; disability, accessibility and leadership in Baptist life; environmental justice, mental-health advocacy, pastoral counseling and chaplaincy; and Baptist women’s campaigns for sanitation, housing and social reform. Proposals might also examine Baptist interpretations of sickness and healing, faith healing and the prosperity gospel, or the ways religious convictions and experiences of medical racism and exclusion have shaped public trust.
The joint meeting will connect these questions with religious freedom, Christian nationalism and democracy. Drawing on Baptist commitments to liberty of conscience, church freedom and the separation of church and state, participants will consider how faith communities can contribute to the common good in a pluralistic society.
Proposal formats
Themed sessions should bring together two or three papers around a unified theme and identify a suggested moderator. Creative session formats are also encouraged. Each paper will receive 30 minutes, including discussion.
Individuals may submit different proposals to BHHS, NABPR and AMGP, but the same proposal may be submitted to only one organization. Please disclose submissions to multiple organizations.
Graduate student participation
Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit proposals. All graduate students must register; registration is reduced to a $5 administrative fee, whether or not they propose a paper. Graduate students who present papers and request funding from BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver will receive a $250 travel stipend.
How to submit
Submit presenters’ names and contact information, a presentation title and a 300-word abstract by January 31, 2027. Decisions will be sent by or before March 1, 2027.
Questions? Contact BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver at aweaver@thebhhs.org.
