Conference 2.0 is a GO!
Questions/Comments: BenDixon@SouthernOrthodox.org
First, we want to thank all of you who made last year’s conference so wildly successful. Thank You! Clearly, we vastly underestimated the level of enthusiasm surrounding the fellowship.
We have received a great deal of feedback regarding our inaugural conference and want to apply your feedback and lessons learned to put together an even bigger, better conference this September. This means that the conference is expanding from two days to three days, with two full days of speakers and panels in addition to fellowship on Sunday. That’s double the speakers, double the panels, double the time for fellowship!
Registration form and PayPal button are located at the bottom of this page, so be sure to register TODAY! Deadline for registration AND PayPal payment is September 1.
Speaker Lineup
Friday, September 6th, 2024, we will kick off our three-day Annual Conference in Lockhart, the Barbecue Capitol of Texas. This only seemed fitting after our first conference was right next door to Lexington, NC – the barbecue capitol of North Carolina. With two full days of speakers, we’ve decided on two general themes (one for each day of speakers).
(1) The Sacramental Nature of Art and Music in the Southern and Orthodox Traditions.
(2) Culture, Mission, and Obstacles to Outreach.
Friday will largely focus on the rich heritage of Southern and Orthodox art and music, the continuity between the two traditions and much more. Saturday, the conversations will surround Southern and Orthodox culture, worldview, and values and the interplay between the two traditions; the importance of service in Southern parishes and missions; the struggles of evangelism and how to navigate these obstacles as they arise both in our parishes and in society – and more.
Another thing we really felt we needed more of this year was time for fellowship. With this in mind, we have structured the conference both to allow more time for Q&A and breaks to catch up with friends, old and new, as well as dedicated social functions around the conference – as you will see in the full schedule below. Friday evening, we will host a welcome reception for attendees, as well as a farewell reception Sunday afternoon after the Divine Liturgy at nearby parish, Saint Andrew the First Called.
Also on Friday Night there will be a VIP Event (included at a discount in VIP ticket package, or available to purchase separately for single day tickets) featuring a live episode of the CounterFlow Podcast with Buck Johnson. Buck will facilitate a conversation – including audience participation – with a group of thought leaders on topics of interest for Orthodox Christians in Dixie. Proceeds from this event will go to the Saint Andrew the First Called Building Fund.
After the main events of the conference end on Saturday, we will meet at the host parish for Vespers/Vigil, followed by Divine Liturgy Sunday morning, followed by Trapeza – we consider this to be the most important part of the conference, as nothing will aid our mission of firmly planting the Church in Dixie as common prayer and partaking of the Holy Mysteries.
Schedule of Events
Friday
9:00am Doors open (Coffee and breakfast items available)
9:15am Opening prayer, comments, event sponsors
9:30am Alphonse Vihn – The Sacramental Vision of Flannery O’Connor
10:30am Q&A
10:45am 15-minute break
11:00am Dr. Donald Livingston – The Foundation of Southern Letters and Character: Greek & Latin Leaning in the Antebellum South.
11:45am Q&A
12:00pm Break for Lunch*
1:00pm Fr. Philaret (Farley) – Musical Identity in Orthodox Appalachia
2:00pm Q&A
2:15pm 15-minute break
2:30pm Guest Speaker (Unannounced)
3:15pm Q&A
3:30pm Panel Discussion of Day One Speakers
4:15pm Fellowship (facility closes at 5:00pm)
7:00pm – 9:00pm Welcome Reception
8:00pm VIP Reception: CounterFlow with Buck Johnson – Special Guests Fr. John Whiteford, Jim Jatras, Conrad Franz, and Rebecca Dillingham.
*Please note that lunch is not provided on Friday
Saturday
8:00am Doors open (Coffee & Breakfast Items Available)
8:30am Opening prayer and remarks; the future of the Ludwell Fellowship
9:00am Fr. Joseph Huneycutt – Orthodixie: Under Reconstruction
10:00am Q&A
10:15 am Jim Jatras – Southern Orthodoxy in Post-America America
11:00am Q&A
11:15am 15-minute break
11:30am Ben Dixon – Podvig or Prelest? Overcoming Obstacles in the Southern Orthodox Mission
12:15pm Break for Lunch (Provided)
1:15pm Fr. Peter Heers – From Convert in the South to Athos to Orthodox Priest in a Greek Village: Culture and the Healing of the Soul
2:15pm Q&A
2:30pm Dr. Clark Carlton – title pending
3:15pm Q&A
3:30pm 15-minute break
3:45pm All Speakers Panel, Q&A
4:30pm Closing Remarks and Prayer
4:45pm Fellowship
6:30pm Vespers
Sunday
9:00am Hours and Divine Liturgy
Trapeza after divine services
Location
The main events will be held at the First Lockhart Baptist Church Connection Center in central Lockhart. Capacity is limited to 200 and seats are filling up fast.
Lodging
In terms of lodging there are options to meet any budget in and around Lockhart. The Best Western in Lockhart and up the road in Luling (Best Western Longhorn Inn) have good reviews, as does the La Quinta Inn. For those wanting to spend a few extra bucks or who don’t mind the commute, San Marcos is 25 minutes away. Being a university town (Texas State) it has plenty of hotel options.
Tickets & Sponsorships
We are offering both tickets and sponsorships this year. You can find details on the different packages below.
Tickets
We understand that not everyone can join us for both days – that’s okay! We’ve structured the tickets so that folks who can only join for Saturday and Sunday (like our first conference) can purchase a ticket for only those days. This will be the General Admission ticket below. We have added an optional add on for General Admission attendees who wish to attend the CounterFlow Live event. Lastly, special pricing for major clergy and seminarians can be found at the bottom of the ticket description section below.
If you have questions, please email our Operations Manager, Ben Dixon, at BenDixon@SouthernOrthodox.org
Ticket Descriptions
General Admission $60 – This grants the bearer admission to the conference starting Saturday morning. All attendees are welcome to the Welcome Reception on Friday evening, as well as to the services of our host parish Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The modest increase in cost from last year reflects the greater offerings of Conference 2.0, the need for a larger venue, etc…
(Optional add on to Gen. Admission) VIP Event $50 – This optional add on is for those purchasing a General Admission ticket but would also like to attend the Counterflow Live event.
Full Package $110 – This grants the bearer admission to the conference on both Friday and Saturday, in addition to all related events excluding the Counterflow Live VIP Event. – please note that Friday attendees are responsible for their own lunch (excluding speakers, for whom lunch is provided).
VIP Package $150 – This grants the bearer access to the entire conference and all related events, including the Counterflow Live VIP Event.
Clergy Pricing – As with last year, all major clergy in a Canonical Orthodox jurisdiction receive free general admission. We are also extending this offer to Seminarians as well to encourage them to attend. For Full and VIP tickets, major clergy and seminarians receive a 50% discount.
Sponsorships
In addition to tickets, we will be offering conference sponsorships this year. Sponsorships will allow us to secure a venue of sufficient size to facilitate the hundreds of people who want to attend Conference 2.0; to offset some of the cost of our speakers who are traveling from across the country to be with us; show our appreciation to those putting in so much time and effort to making this conference a success.
You will notice in the sponsorship descriptions mention of “membership in the Philip Ludwell III Orthodox Fellowship.” Yes, you are reading that right. We have lost count of the number of people who have asked “how do I become a member of the fellowship,” and so, we’ve decided to open up membership to our followers. The details of how this will work will be announced at the conference, but fellowship members will play an active role in the fellowship and will eventually be members of Ludwell Fellowship state chapters.
Sponsorship Level Descriptions
Level One $250 – Includes of VIP Package ticket and name of purchaser listed in Conference 2.0 program sponsors section.
Level Two $400 – Level Two includes the perks of Level One, plus one-year membership in the Ludwell Fellowship (general membership), and exclusive Ludwell Conference 2.0 merchandise.
Level Three $600 – Level Three includes 2 VIP Package tickets with special seating at conference, one-year membership in the Ludwell Fellowship (general membership), exclusive Ludwell Conference 2.0 merchandise, name of purchaser (or company) will be included on conference signage and advertising materials, and special thanks during events.
Conference Registration Form & Payment: Deadline for registration AND PayPal is September 1!
Once you have filled out and submitted your registration for the conference, please pay for your ticket/sponsorship via the PayPal button below. You will get a confirmation email after both the form and the payment have been completed. Thank you!
Please Note: The PayPal is simply the usual donation link, so you’ll just make a donation for the amount of tickets/level of sponsorship you’ve registered for.
In Closing
We can’t wait to see y’all in Lockhart! Glory to God for All Things!
