April 3-5, 2025
Exiles in Babylon is a 3-day conference designed to engage the most polarizing topics in the church today. We’ll tackle issues like sexuality, gender, critical race theory, social justice, transgender identities, politics, and more. Together, we’ll think biblically and Christianly about these topics –resisting the noise of the culture wars to better love our neighbors.
Pre-Conference: An Afternoon with Holy Post
Gospel and Race after George Floyd
Social Justice and the Gospel
Debate: Is the Evangelical Church Good for this Country?
Transgender People and the Church
We’ve invited a diverse range of speakers and presenters to share their stories and lead us in these conversations. Each main session includes short, engaging talks and panel discussions with live audience Q&A.
THURSDAY
1-3pm. Pre-Conference: An Afternoon with The Holy Post
3:30-4:30pm. Patreon Meet-up
5pm. Doors Open
6-9pm. Session 1
FRIDAY
8am. Door Opens
9am-12pm. Session 2
12:15-1:30pm. Lunch Breakouts
2-3:15pm. Breakouts
3:30-5:30pm. Session 3
*Optional Afterparties
SATURDAY
8am. Doors Open
9am-12:30pm. Session 4
We’re partnering with The Holy Post to bring you a special Pre-Conference session at Exiles in Babylon 25!
Our friend Kaitlyn Schiess will host a dynamic panel exploring politics, culture, theology, and anything else the audience wants to talk about.
Don’t miss this incredible kickoff event!
Thursday, April 3 @1pm
*Additional Registration Required
Lunch Breakout hosted by The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender
How can parents and disciple-makers help the next generation to wisely walk in a sexually and gender-confused world like Jesus? What are three foundations they can lay underneath their children’s feet so that no matter how their kids experience sin within them or around them they are able to wisely choose the way of Jesus? The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender’s Director of Parent Programs and Discipleship, Laurie Krieg, has been teaching at the intersection of faith and sexuality for over a decade while parenting her own three kids. She will help us to unpack a biblically loving path forward. After teaching, Laurie will be joined by Brian and Karen Mulder, Directors of Helping Parents Love, and together they will answer questions about new and ongoing parenting initiatives at The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender.
Lunch Breakout hosted by Transform Minnesota
A pastoral discussion exploring how we lead Christians to place their hope and allegiance in God’s Kingdom when society beckons us to trust the political realm for a better world. Hosted by Transform Minnesota, this will be a conversation with three Minnesota pastors exploring how they cast vision for a Kingdom mindset in a world that emphasizes political means, how they navigate politicized issues by teaching biblical principles, and how they preach to and shepherd politically divided congregations.
Hosted by Posture Shift
Best-practice missiology offers leaders a better plan to care for poorly engaged people groups around the globe. Join Bill Henson with Posture Shift, as we explore how a look at LGBT+ history, culture, and language mobilizes and equips your team with the missional skills necessary to effectively engage, care for, share Christ with, and provide belonging for LGBT+ people of all ages and stages.
Hosted by Dr. Greg Boyd
In the book of Revelation, God’s people are called to “come out of Babylon”—a city defined by insatiable consumption, deception, and allegiance to “the beast.” This seminar will explore the meaning of these symbols and discuss how they apply to America today. Most importantly, we’ll discuss practical ways for God’s people to resist Babylon and faithfully “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev 14:4).
Hosted by NEME
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead in Gaza, many more throughout the region. Funded by our tax dollars, Israel has pulverized the infrastructure needed to support life. More broadly, global tidal waves of brutality roll across the world. What is our responsibility as Jesus followers in the face of supercharged violence and why are Christians largely silent? Join Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, and Dr. Ben Norquist as we confront the demons that hold the American church back from speaking and acting with Kingdom conscience when it comes to Palestine-Israel and against violence from which we benefit. We will talk about the critical role lament should be playing in our evangelical faith and the repentance we need in this moment. We call attendees to renewed moral responsibility for the violence in our hearts, policies, and cultures, the urgency of costly repentance, and the hopeful path to solidarity.
Hosted by The Center for Pastor Theologians
For centuries, the Protestant Church has resisted the Biblical call to live as exiles in the world, a refusal has led to a deformed ecclesiology and a deformed vision of pastoral ministry. In this session, we will explore the dual identity crisis facing the church today: we are caught in an ecclesial identity crisis and a pastoral identity crisis. In response to this dual crisis, what is needed today is an exilic ecclesiology and an attendant vision of the pastor as a theological shepherd of the church’s identity as a people in exile.
Church of the Open Door
9060 Zanzibar Lane North
Maple Grove, MN 55311