The upcoming Selma-Dallas County Men’s Conference is expected to draw upwards of 2,000 participants from across the state.

According to Wayne May, who is chairing the conference, advance registration is strong. Already, men from Demopolis, Auburn, Opel, Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery, Needsville, Thomaston and Jackson &045; as well as Selma and Dallas County &045; have signed up.

A previous men’s conference held in 1997 attracted about 1,000 men, according to May.

It is being co-hosted by Ebenezer Baptist, whose pastor is the Rev. Dr. F.D. Reese, and by First Baptist, whose pastor is Dr. John Fain. May said that about 25 churches altogether are involved.

The conference

will feature nationally known speakers Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Steve Farrar and the Rev. Chette Williams. According to organizers, the speakers will present power-filled sessions to inform men how to discern the culture, defend their convictions, lead families spiritually, be a Christian father, and to finish strong with Christ.

Evans, founding pastor of the 6,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, is also an author and host of &uot;The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,&uot; broadcast on 500 U.S. radio stations and in over 40 countries worldwide. He served as chaplain for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and is now the chaplain for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.

Farrar holds spiritual leadership conferences nationwide, designed to equip men in personal character and holiness to lead the family, the church and the nation in a time of moral and spiritual crisis. Also an author, he is founder and chairman of Men’s Leadership Ministries.

The Rev. Chette Williams has served as the Auburn University football team chaplain since 1999, when Coach Tommy Tuberville was looking for a &uot;spiritual coordinator.&uot; He also serves as Auburn University Campus director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as state director for Urban Ministries of FCA.

The two Friday night sessions will be held from 6:30 until 10 p.m. The final session, on Saturday, will run from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Related events include a community worship service at the Jenkins center on the Concordia campus on Thursday, Feb. 19, 6-9 p.m., with Evans speaking, and a Chamber of Commerce Leadership Breakfast on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 a.m. in the Carl Morgan Convention Center, with Evans speaking.

Finally, there will be a ministers’ lunch on Friday, Feb. 20, at the St. James Hotel, with Evans speaking.

Individual registration fee for the conference is $10. For general information, contact Brenda Niblett at (334) 877-4400 or Beverly Washington at (334) 875-1382. For conference information and registration forms go to www.SelmaDallasMensConference.com.