Conferences & Events

2025 Annual ConferenceCall for Papers

The Baptist History & Heritage Society (BHHS) is now accepting paper and panel proposals for its 2025 Annual Conference, May 19-21 at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, held in collaboration with the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR) and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals.

BHHS invites paper and panel proposals in any area pertaining to Baptist history and identity.

BHHS also welcomes proposals for papers and panels that address critical issues related to abuse in Baptist churches and denominations, particularly ministerial sexual misconduct, clergy sexual abuse, other forms of abuse, and abuse prevention efforts.

Proposals for themed sessions are also encouraged. These sessions should consist of two to three paper presentations focused on a unified theme and include a suggested moderator. Additionally, creative session proposals that diverge from the traditional paper presentation format are welcomed. Each paper will be allotted 30 minutes, which includes time for discussion.

Graduate students are especially encouraged to participate. Registration is free for graduate students, and those presenting a paper will receive a $250 travel stipend.

Proposals must be submitted by January 15, 2025, and should include the name(s) and contact information of the presenter(s), the title of the presentation, and a 300-word abstract. Notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent by March 1, 2025.

Submit your proposal here.

For questions, please contact BHHS Executive Director Aaron Weaver at aweaver@thebhhs.org.

*Please note that individuals may submit different paper proposals to multiple organizations, but may not submit the same paper or panel proposal to multiple organizations. For individuals submitting multiple papers through multiple organizations, please indicate so when submitting.

The 2025 Annual Conference of the Baptist History and Heritage Society again will be held in conjunction with the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR) and the Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals (AMGP). The conference will run from mid-afternoon on Monday, May 19, 2025 through 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Conference registration tentatively opens March 1, 2025.

Purpose and History of Annual Conferences

Previous Annual BHHS Conferences

2024 Baptist History and Identity (Raleigh, N.C.)
2023 Baptists in the Great Southwest (San Antonio, Texas)
2022 Baptists and Science (Virtual)
2021 Baptists and Public Advocacy (Virtual)
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019      Baptist Engagement with Social Justice and Those on the Margins (Raleigh, N.C.)
2018      Baptist Women in the Twentieth Century (Atlanta, Ga.)
2017       Biographies and Narratives: Baptist Experiences and Convictions (Augusta, Ga.)
2016       Perspectives in Baptist History and Identity (Waco, Texas)
2015        Seeking Justice: Baptists, Nashville and Civil Rights (Nashville, Tenn.)
2014        Exploring the ‘Other’ Baptists (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
2013        Faith, Freedom, Forgiveness: Religion and the Civil War, Emancipation and Reconciliation in Our
Time (Richmond, Va.)
2012        Baptists and Theology (Raleigh, N.C.)
2011        Baptists and Education (Dallas, Texas)
2010        Baptists and Revivalism (Georgetown, Ky.)
2009        Baptist Contributions, 1609-2009 (Huntsville, Ala.)
2008        Baptists and the First Amendment (Atlanta, Ga.)
2007        African Americans in Baptist History (Campbellsville, Ky.)
2006        The Contributions of Baptist Public Figures in America (Washington, D.C.)
2005        Women in Baptist History (Birmingham, Ala.)
2004        Baptist Footprints in the Northwest (Vancouver, Wash.)
2003        Baptists on the Frontier (Belton, Texas)
2002        Baptists and Diversity (Jefferson City, Tenn.)
2001        Baptists and World War II (Pensacola, Fl.)
2000        Reflections on Baptist Life in the Twentieth Century (Savannah, Ga.)
1999        Baptist Theological Education (Liberty, Mo.)
1998        Texas Baptists and the Southern Baptist Convention (Dallas, Texas)
1997        Baptists and the Civil War (Richmond, Va.)
1996        Two Ways To Be Baptist: J. Frank Norris and George W. Truett (Nashville, Tenn.)
1995        The Spirit of Southern Baptists, 1845-1995 (Augusta, Ga.)
1994        Ministries of Baptist Laypeople (Memphis, Tenn.)
1993        Baptists and the News Media (Nashville, Tenn.)
1992        World Missions: Two Centuries of Baptist Achievement (Birmingham, Ala.)
1991        Religious Education in Southern Baptist Churches (Nashville, Tenn.)
1990        Southern Baptists and Relationships with Other Denominations (Nashville, Tenn.)
1989        Baptists in America: 175 Years of National Organization (Nashville, Tenn.)
1988        Ordination in Baptist Heritage (Nashville, Tenn.)
1987        Women in Southern Baptist History (Birmingham, Ala.)
1986        Baptist Church Music Heritage (Nashville, Tenn.)
1985        Baptists and the History of Church-State Relationships (Nashville, Tenn.)
1984        The Role of the Bible in Baptist History (Nashville, Tenn.)
1983        Ethnic Southern Baptist Heritage (Nashville, Tenn.)
1982        Southern Baptists Nationwide (Charleston, S.C.)
1981        Black Southern Baptist Heritage (Nashville, Tenn.)
1980        Southern Baptist Theologians (Louisville, Ky.)
1979        Baptist Polity: A Look at Church Order (Nashville, Tenn.)
1978        The Heritage of Baptist Thought (Fort Worth, Texas)
1977        Communicating Baptist History Through Contemporary Media and Art Forms  (Nashville, Tenn.)
1976        Baptists and the Struggle for Religious Liberty in Early America (Richmond, Va.)
1975        Our Denominational Heritage and the Present: The Role of Baptist Oral History (Nashville, Tenn.)
1974        Baptists and the Bicentennial (Nashville, Tenn.)
1973        Our Denominational Heritage and the Present: The Role of the State Baptist Historical Society
(Birmingham, Ala.)
1972        Baptists and Social Revolution (Nashville, Tenn.)
1971        Libraries: Archives and Indexing (Nashville, Tenn.)
1970        125 Years of Southern Baptist Convention History (Nashville, Tenn.)
1969        Writing Baptist History (Nashville, Tenn.)