The Open Table Conference in 2019 was held at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, on June 7 - 9, 2019. Below you can listen to all of the Plenary Sessions, a Q & R session, and two breakout sessions.

All of the recordings below can be downloaded at no charge (~250mb)

Jesus in the Garden

Plenary session 1 - Dr. Brad Jersak

Brad is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, Canada. He is editor-in-chief of “Christianity Without the Religion” magazine and teaches at Westminster Theological Centre. He is also the author of over a dozen books, including “Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God Who Speaks” and “A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful Gospel.”

The Good, the Truth, and the Beauty

Plenary session 2 - Brian Zahnd

Brian is the lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, which he and his wife Peri founded in 1981. He is the author of several books including “Water to Wine”, “Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God”, and “Postcards from Babylon.” His favorite activity is spending time with their three sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and seven grandchildren.

Human as Jesus is human

Plenary session 3 - Kenneth Tanner

Kenneth is pastor of Church of the Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and seven children. His writing has appeared in “Books & Culture”, “Huffington Post”, “Sojourners”, “National Review”, “Christianity Today”, “Behemoth”, and “Real Clear Religion.”

What is real?

Plenary session 4 - Dr. C. Baxter Kruger

Baxter is the Director of Perichoresis. He has a degree in Political Science, a Doctorate in Philosophy and is the author of eight books including “The Great Dance”, “Across All Worlds” and “The Shack Revisited”. He resides in Mississippi with his wife Beth. They have four children and recently became proud grandparents.

Image of God, as Kids see it

Plenary session 5 - Katie Skurja

Katie founded Imago Dei Ministries and is the author of “Paradox Lost: Uncovering Your True Identity in Christ”, which peels away misconceptions of the nature and character of the triune God. She holds a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a Masters of Spiritual Formation. She and her husband, Jim, have two sons.

The Rut

Plenary session 6 - John Macmurray

John is the founder and director of the Northwest School of Theology and the Open Table Conferences. Formerly an adjunct professor in Bible Literature, he now speaks internationally, and writes. His books include “A Spiritual Evolution” and “Father Fiction” (co-written with Donald Miller). He is also a landscape nature photographer, published in National Geographic, Sierra Club, and Audubon.

Christianity is a Religion

Plenary session 7 - Wm. Paul Young

Paul is the author of “The Shack”, “Eve”, “Cross Roads”, and “The Shack Reflections. He was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of what was Netherlands New Guinea (now West Papua). He suffered great loss as a child and young adult, and now enjoys the “wastefulness of grace” with his family in the Pacific Northwest.

Being Good or Being Real

Plenary session 8 - Eden Jersak (feat. Brad Jersak)

Eden Jersak is the author of “Rivers from Eden: 40 Days of Intimate Conversation with God” and runs Fresh Wind Press. She was in the leadership team of Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship from its inception 15 years ago and was the lead pastor for 5 years. She is currently a lay teacher at The Bridge in Abbotsford, Canada.

Responsibility

Plenary session 9 - WM. Paul Young

Panel Q & R

question and response

All of the speakers offer responses to questions posed by the participants in an open mic forum.

God and Immigration

Breakout session - Gaby Viesca

Gaby was born in Mexico and lives in Portland. She has degree in International Business and a M.A. in Biblical Studies. She currently serves as a chair of the Evangelical Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion and is a member of the Advisory Council for The Institute for Cultural Engagement.