“I was watching footage of a music festival last night which was filmed back in 1995,” writes Phil Topham. “It was easily dated by the outfits people were wearing, but it was also clear what was missing – smartphones.”
It’s 2026. We live with digital abundance: YouTube sermons, theological podcasts, worship playlists, and more. With all the helpful, edifying, Christ-exalting content out there, why bother meeting together? Physically, I mean.
In a digital age, just how do in-person Christian conferences endure? Perhaps because they offer something that digital spaces cannot: embodied presence. Topham, of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) – which is launching its spring conference, Rising Lights, this year – continued with his description: “People were engaged with the festival in the moment. It reminded me of the simplicity of gathering at a time where life was not curated and mediated through a device.”
Steve Midgley of Biblical Counselling UK (BCUK) – whose national conference, this summer, is titled “Identity” – is convinced that interpersonal ministry is best learned in person; for example, by “catching fleeting expressions, reading people’s body language, speaking wisely and noticing how our words are received”.
Andrew Bray, of St Andrews Bookshop – which runs an annual Christian literature festival at its base in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire – argues that in-person gatherings provide an organic aspect that you perhaps can’t get online. “I love seeing people gather in our bookshop afterwards for tea, coffee, and biscuits, where the conversation carries on,” Bray said. “Those relaxed conversations are a natural extension of the festival and a reminder of the value of coming together around literature.”
One conference that has demonstrated the ability to endure is the Keswick Convention, which has been running since 1875. Sarah Bennington, of Keswick Ministries, told en that the impulse to gather has not faded, no matter the state of the world: “Gales, downpours and collapsed tents never dampened enthusiasm, nor did a global pandemic – nor even two World Wars.”
“Today’s convenient digital access to world-class Bible teaching and curated musical choices hasn’t dampened enthusiasm either,” Bennington continued. “Christians still long to convene in person because they are hungry – and choosing to seek out not just a meal, but a feast.”
Interestingly, Ruth Moore of Hutchmoot - a spring conference for artists and art-lovers - also chose this word, using the phrase "relational feast" to describe Hutchmoot. Could we describe "online meetups" in the same way?
When God’s people gather together, it’s a powerful picture of the church united in worshipping Jesus – says Zoë Davies of Big Church Festival; stories of God’s global work are shared – emphasised Tom Clarke of the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention, which is celebrating its 90th convention this summer; and voices are united under “our Head and Worship-Leader Jesus Christ,” as detailed by Tim Vasby-Burnie, who leads Psalm Roars – where God’s people gather, throughout the year and across the country, to sing Psalms together.
Matt Wan, Bible by the Beach's Director, had much to add to the discussion: "Christian conferences aren’t becoming obsolete in the digital age; they’re becoming more important.
"As screen time continues to increase, so does our longing for real connection. That’s why gatherings like Bible by the Beach matter: Christians come together, walk together on their faith journey, and experience the joy of community.
"We have seen this trend growing in recent years, particularly in church groups. The added benefit of a conference is that it also reveals the scale of what God is doing when so many believers walk together side by side. It’s a powerful encouragement; something which technology can never replace!"
In a digital age, it seems Christian conferences endure because they offer something incomparable – and deeply Biblical – about gathering God’s people together. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together…” (Heb.10v24-25a).
