WORD-CENTERED CHURCH
In a time when churches are often shaped by trends, traditions, personalities, or cultural pressures, this workshop seeks to refocus our attention on God's Word as the foundation and authority for the life and health of the church. Together we will consider what it means for Scripture to shape the life of the church—our pastors, our members, our life together as a church, and our witness to the world.
Join us for a “Word-Centered Church” an ACME Regional workshop, hosted by New Covenant Baptist Church, in partnership with 9Marks and Covenant Life Church, with guest speakers Joel Kurz, Aaron Menikoff, Omar Johnson, Jonathan Leeman, Kevin Rogers, and James Choi.
Our aim is to equip and encourage churches to recover a biblical vision of what it means to be a Word-centered church.
“Word-centered churches are not simply about reading the Bible but about making the Bible the defining authority in all of church life.”
WHEN
Saturday, August 29, 2026
9 AM — 4 PM
WHERE
Covenant Life Church
7501 Muncaster Mill Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
REGISTER NOW
$25
$35 starting Aug 10th
The event is open to pastors, church leaders, and members of area churches.
Attendees will be provided lunch on-site and books.
OUR SCHEDULE
9 AM: Opening Appeal
Why Word-Centered Churches Matter — James Choi
9:30 AM: A Testimony
Leading a Church Toward Word-Centered Renewal — Kevin Rogers
10 AM: Session 1
A Word-Centered Pastor — Aaron Menikoff
10:45 AM: BREAK
11 AM: SESSION 2
A Word-Centered Church Member — Omar Johnson
11:45 PM: Lunch
1 PM: SESSION 3
A Word-Centered Church’s Impact on the Community — Joel Kurz
1:45 PM: PANEL / Q&A
2:45 PM: SESSION 4
Word-Centered Authority — Jonathan Leeman
3:30 PM: CLOSING
Our Speakers
Aaron Menikoff
Senior Pastor, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church
Aaron has served as Senior Pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church since June 2008. He holds an M.Div. in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Ph.D. in American Church History. He has served on staff and as an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, later also serving as an elder and interim pastor at Third Avenue Baptist Church.
He is active in several church-serving organizations, hosts Feed My Sheep conferences, and serves on multiple ministry boards. Aaron is also an adjunct professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta, and the author or co-author of several books.
Omar Johnson
Lead Pastor, Temple Hills Baptist Church
Omar Johnson serves in Temple Hills, MD — the community where he was raised and now joyfully ministers. With a deep love for the local church, Omar is especially passionate about seeing the power of God’s Word at work in places that are often overlooked. He is a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and cares deeply about shepherding God’s people through faithful preaching, discipleship, and presence. Omar and his wife, Stephanie, are raising their three children in Temple Hills, where they remain committed to serving their neighbors and pointing them to Christ.
Joel Kurz
Lead Pastor, The Garden Church
Joel and his wife Jess moved to Baltimore in July, 2008 and began work toward planting a new church. Over time, a core group was gathered and The Garden Church constituted as a church in 2012. Joel graduated from Spurgeon Baptist Bible College in 2003 (Mulberry, FL) with a B.A. in Biblical Studies, and later earned a Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary (Louisville, KY). Additionally, Joel serves as director of ONE HOPE and leads the Baltimore Baptist Association as Executive Director. Joel is married to Jess and live with their four children in Baltimore, MD.
Jonathan Leeman
President, 9 Marks
After doing undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science, Jonathan began his career in journalism where he worked as an editor for an international economics magazine in Washington, D.C. Since his call to ministry, Jonathan has earned a master of divinity and a Ph.D. in theology and worked as an interim pastor.
Today he edits the 9Marks series of books as well as the 9Marks Journal and is the co-host of Pastors Talk. He has written for a number of publications and is the author or editor of a number of books. Jonathan lives with his wife and four daughters in a suburb of Washington, DC.
James Choi
Lead Pastor, New Covenant Baptist Church
James was born in Seoul, South Korea. At the age of seven, his non-Christian parents sent him to America to achieve the “American Dream”, but God eventually saved him and called him into pastoral ministry.
During his ministry, he has earning a Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Christian Ministry.
James is passionate about the Gospel, expositional preaching, healthy churches, and raising up the next generation through discipleship. He lives in Rockville, MD with his wife, Jeri, and their three children.
Kevin Rogers
Lead Pastor, Covenant Life Church
Kevin met his wife, Jami, at Liberty University, and they married in 2003 before becoming members of Covenant Life Church, where they were deeply impacted by the church’s community and teaching.
Though initially pursuing a “normal” vocation, he later attended Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College, graduating in 2010 and joining the pastoral team. Kevin went on to lead the College and Career Singles Ministry, serve on the preaching team, and became Lead Pastor in 2021. He is passionate about seeing lives transformed by the power of the gospel. Kevin and Jami have six children and live in Montgomery Village.
