Walker Memorial conference asks what faithfulness looks like as church decline levels off

Walker Memorial Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., is holding its fourth annual Being the Church conference on Jan. 23, 2027, with a theme built around the “Foolishness of the Cross.” The event will bring national faith leaders together to examine sacrifice, discomfort and other countercultural practices the church says are central to Christian life.

Why it matters: - American church attendance has been declining for decades, but recent research suggests the slide may be leveling off. - Walker Memorial Baptist Church is using that moment to ask whether churches are asking people to pursue faithfulness, or just appear successful. - The conference frames sacrifice, discomfort and other countercultural practices as central to Christian life and community change.

What happened: - Walker Memorial Baptist Church will host the 2027 Being the Church One-Day Conference on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2027. - The conference will be held in person at the church’s historic sanctuary at 2020 13th Street NW in Washington and will also be available via webcast. - Early registration is open at the conference site. - This is the fourth year of the conference, which launched in 2024.

The details: - The 2027 theme is “Foolishness of the Cross,” drawn from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. - Organizers say the theme challenges a culture inside and outside the church that prizes influence, efficiency and appearance. - The conference will focus on practices often dismissed as impractical, including radical forgiveness, public confrontation of injustice and suffering on someone else’s behalf. - Speakers include Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Rev. Dr. Gabby Cudjoe-Wilkes on the foolishness of spiritual discipline. - Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III will speak on the foolishness of criminal justice reform. - Reverend Allison Henderson-Brooks will address the foolishness of God’s wisdom. - Reverend Joel C. Gregory, Ph.D., will lecture on the foolishness of preaching. - The Reverend Robert Smith, Jr., Ph.D., will tackle the foolishness of forgiveness. - Rev. Dr. William H. Curtis will unpack the foolishness of redemptive suffering. - Past conferences have covered ministry foundations in 2024, whether the Bible is “a blessing or a burden” in 2025, and the intersection of poverty and public policy in 2026. - Past speakers have included internationally known theologians, scholars and a sitting U.S. senator focused on public policy.

Between the lines: - The conference is positioning itself against a version of church growth measured by polish, convenience and optics. - Senior Pastor the Rev. Ademuyiwa T. Bamiduro said the real issue is not why fewer people attend church, but what the church is asking people to show up for. - The event’s message suggests that the church sees endurance, sacrifice and service as more important than short-term popularity. - The new companion track, called the “Christport Journey,” turns the conference from a one-day gathering into a longer test of commitment.

What's next: - Registrants can choose one of six Christport Journey themes tied to the lectures and commit to monthly spiritual and practical engagement. - Participants will also take part in quarterly video check-ins through January 2028. - Walker Memorial says Christport is meant to test whether convictions hold up over a year, not just an afternoon. - Members of the press interested in coverage or in speaking with Bamiduro are being directed to contact Kelly Davidson.

The bottom line: - Walker Memorial is turning a slowdown in church decline into a broader challenge: faith, the church says, should be measured by costly obedience, not by outward success.