One of the highlights of each spring semester at Lancaster Bible College is the annual Missions Conference, a lasting memory for many students and alumni. This year, Missions Conference is planned for Feb. 4-6, 2025, with the theme of “God So Loved the World That He Gave.” This focus seeks to help students understand God’s heart for the world and what part they can play in it by giving of themselves.
Dr. Ed Scheuerman, here in his Intercultural Studies office, leads LBC’s annual Missions Conference.
During the week, classes will follow a modified schedule, creating time for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to engage with the rich content that Missions Conference offers. The conference’s main session will begin at 9:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, during which those attending will hear from Dr. Ed Scheuerman, the year’s primary speaker, as well as other missionaries from around the world. The public is invited to attend these daily morning sessions, prior to which mission agencies, including many led by LBC alumni, will set up displays in the lobby of LBC’s Good Shepherd Chapel. The week will include breakout sessions for deeper study, cultural immersion through food, music from around the world and special events to drive home the year’s theme.
Scheuerman, known around campus as “Dr. Ed,” is the Director of the Intercultural Studies program (ICS) at LBC and has played an influential part in Missions Conference for many years. He has come alongside countless students, raising them up as future leaders in the field and igniting their excitement around missions.
“The annual missions conference always gives us as a college community the opportunity to get back to the Bible’s message about WHY missions exists,” he said. “In short, missions exists because God’s heart is for all of His world to glorify His Name. My hope is that each attendee will get a better understanding of how he/she needs to be involved in seeing Jesus proclaimed to ALL the world.”
Dr. Ed and his wife, Carol, served with PIONEERS in Southeast Asia for 23 years. They returned to Pennsylvania in the summer of 2010 in order for Dr. Ed to take up his role as Director of the ICS program. His book, “Knowing God to Make Him Known: Living Out God’s Attributes Cross-Culturally,” was published in 2021. In this, his 15th and final year at LBC, he is looking forward to the next ministry God has for the Scheuermans—helping missionaries to stay and thrive on the field.
Missions Conference is known to impact students of all majors, but it holds a specifically deep meaning for ICS majors. This program intentionally prepares students who aim to serve in a missions capacity as a career or ministry choice. The program’s mission statement is to “equip servant leaders to be effective cross-cultural communicators, compassionate examples and committed disciple-makers of Jesus Christ.”