REGISTRATION IS LIVE!
https://forms.gle/JMjv898bzKNyt2NH9
SAN is pleased to inform you that we are putting on a FREE event next year July 29-August 2, 2026. Registration is above. What are we covering? I am glad you asked.
OUR MISSION & THEME SELECTION
OUR MISSION: For the better part of four years, SAN has sought to conduct a seminar, yet, we never could figure out the details to make it happen. Finally, in July of 2025, I was in the Murray, KY area and took a tour with Bradley Smith of the Spring Hill Suites. Very casually, as the tour concluded, our guide informed us that there was a conference center attached. We took another tour of those facilities and here we are! When the planning for this Conference began, the decision was made to try and do something unique from other conferences. We desired to cover entire books of the Bible in one week. Also, there was a desire to give the opportunity to showcase the great MSOP Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Association.
We have spent many hours planning this conference, and we hope and pray that it will bring much good to the Kingdom for years to come. Our mission simply put is to faithfully preach the Word of God to the church and those in the world and give them the sense of what His Word means (Nehemiah 8:8). Anything on top of this is just “icing on the cake” that we will gladly enjoy! May God bless the efforts of MSOP & SAN as we seek to “Preach the Word and change the world.”
2026 THEME SELECTION: Certainly, a task of covering any book of the Bible in one week’s time is a daunting one, and we have made the willing decision to cover the Psalms in its entirety (with 50 additional special studies) over a period of five days. The question “Are we crazy?” has been posed on more than one occasion. So why did we then choose the Psalms instead of any other book of the Bible?
BJ (Dad) has written an excerpt on why Psalms was selected, and I do not intend to step on what he already accomplished. I simply want to let you know why this theme is such a passion of mine. I sat in school at MSOP from 2015-2017, and one of my favorite classes was the Psalms class. There was such depth and relatability that I knew that one day I would love to either teach it, or do something with it. What a blessing it is to be able to do both this week! I hope that the next time we sit down to study the Psalms, this conference’s work will be one of the top resources considered.
WHAT TO EXPECT
FROM WAYNE RODGERS: The Scattered Abroad Network’s purpose is to publish podcasts that teach, inspire, and edify through the Word of God and real-world applications of faith and practice. The name, taken from Acts 8:4 where the disciples were “scattered abroad” and “went everywhere preaching the Word,” reflects our podcasters’ shared mission to preach the Gospel, even while scattered in different works across our brotherhood (Matt. 28:18–20).
For the first time, listeners, supporters, and members of the Lord’s church are invited to attend a powerful gathering where Scattered Abroad podcasters, MSOP alumni, instructors, and staff will come together to present a unique and in-depth study of God’s Word. This inaugural Gathered Together Conference has been years in the making and has the potential to be unlike any other event in the brotherhood: 200 lessons focused on a single book of the Bible, with related topics drawn from its message. This year’s focus on the Psalms will challenge and encourage us to deepen our relationship with God and renew our place of service in His Kingdom.
FROM BRADLEY SMITH: The Gathered Together Conference provides another opportunity to study the Bible to an extent that might not be afforded in our normal Bible study settings. Not only in quantity (200 sessions), but in quality, we aim to provide in-depth analysis of the book of Psalms. We are utilizing well-established preachers which you have no doubt had the privilege of learning from, as well as some lesser known, but extremely capable younger men. The ladies’ track was also designed with the modern Christian women in mind. We hope to provide an experience that is not only educational, but edifying.
WHY STUDY THE PSALMS
By BJ Clarke
Have you ever seen a copy of the New Testament with the book of Joshua published at the end of it? What about Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or the Book of Malachi? Have you ever purchased a copy of the New Testament with any of these books printed at the back? I have never personally seen such a volume. On the other hand, have you ever seen a copy of the Book of Psalms affixed to a copy of the New Testament? Indeed, you have. While not every published copy of the New Testament includes a printed copy of Psalms at the back of the book, it is quite common to find those that do. The inclusion of Psalms as an appendix to countless copies of the New Testament raises an interesting question. Of the 39 books which comprise the Old Testament, why has Psalms been included while others have not? Occasionally, I have seen New Testament printings which include the Book of Proverbs at the end, but these are rare compared to the multiplied copies of the New Testament which include the Book of Psalms. So, what makes the Book of Psalms so unique that publishers would choose to include it but not other books? It is certainly not because the Book of Psalms is more inspired than other Old Testament books, for Paul affirmed that “all scripture is inspired of God” (2 Tim. 3:16).
Some might say that Psalms is so often published along with copies of the New Testament because the New Testament quotes from it more than any other Old Testament book. It is true that Psalms is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament, but that is likely not the reason for its inclusion. Someone else might say that its frequent Messianic emphasis is the reason we find it in our modern day editions of the New Testament. To be sure, there is a distinct Messianic emphasis in the Psalms, but that alone is not the reason it has been incorporated. There are other books in the Old Testament with an equal Messianic emphasis, but you don’t see those books published at the back of our New Testaments. What then is the reason for the popularity of Psalms to the publishers of the New Testament?
Perhaps the main reason is that the Book of Psalms is comprised of some of the most comforting material to be found anywhere in the annals of literature, inspired or otherwise. All of mankind suffers the common problems of life and is “full of trouble” (Job 14:1). The Psalms are an inspired record of the writings and lyrics of human beings who experienced the very same tests and trials we face. Our technology may be different; our troubles are not! Just about everyone has heard of Psalm 23, and there is a reason for that—we need the comfort of this passage every bit as much today as they did then! In times of trial it is comforting to read of others who have been there, done that, and lived to tell of it. Such is the appeal of the Book of Psalms.
We hope that you will make the effort to be with us! Let’s all Gather Together next July 29-August 2nd!
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