Annual Conference Focuses on New Trend in Christianity.

GREENSORO, N.C. -- Christian apologetics is quickly becoming the hottest trend in Christianity. This new trend is the focus of "Truth for a New Generation, Part 2" apologetics conference to be held in Wallington, CT, on September 21, 2004. It will be broadcast to a nation-wide audience and more than 4,000 people are expected to attend.

Apologetics is a presentation of Christianity accompanied with facts which confirm its authenticity. In recent years major Christian denominations have begun to focus on apologetics. Last year, the Southern Baptist Convention added an applied apologetics chair to its North American Mission Board. Other Christian denominations have begun to incorporate apologetic elements into their ministry and outreach plans.

"We've got news 24/7. We've got access to worlds of information at our fingertips. People expect facts from Christianity," said Alex McFarland, organizer for Truth for a New Generation and current National Consultant for Applied Apologetics for the North American Missions Board. "Just a few weeks ago the cave of John the Baptist was found. There are facts out there. People are intrigued to find out that Christianity is supported by the facts of history, and by other compelling lines of evidence"

The conference will host the premier Christian apologists from around the country. They include

--Dr. Ravi Zacharias has spoken in over fifty countries including the Middle East, Vietnam and Cambodia. He has also delivered the main address at the National Day of Prayer hosed by President George W. Bush, spoken at the Annual Prayer Breakfast at the United Nations, and at the invitation of Billy Graham, was a plenary speaker at the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam. He is also the author of A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism, Can a Man Live without God, Deliver us from Evil, Cries of the Heart, Light in the Shadow of Jihad, Recapture the Wonder and I, Issac take you Rebekah, among many others. Dr. Zacharias also has a weekly radio program, "Let My People Think" that is broadcast on over one thousand stations worldwide.

--Erwin Lutzer is the author of numerous books including Failure-the Backdoor to Success, How to Say No to a Stubborn Habit, Why Good People Do Bad Things and Hitler's Cross, which was awarded the Gold Medallion Award in 1995. Lutzer is also a featured speaker on "Running to Win", a daily radio broadcast.

--Lee Strobel is a former atheist is the best selling author of three Gold Medallion-winning books: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary. Before becoming a Christian, Strobel was the Legal Affairs Editor of the Chicago Tribune and was awarded Illinois' top honors for Investigative Reporting and Public Service Journalism, from United Press International. Strobel will host a new show on PAX television called Faith Under Fire this fall.

--Norman Geisler currently serves as Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary and Veritas Graduate School in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Geisler has written over 40 books including When Critics Ask, A General Introduction to the Bible and The Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. He is also listed in "Who's Who In Religion", "Writer's Who's Who" and "Men of Achievement".

--John Ankerberg is the founder and president of The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute in Tennessee and the producer/host of the nationally televised John Ankerberg Show. He has written over 59 books, many of which are considered as "standard texts" on various Christian subjects.

--Gary Habermas is the author of several books dealing with apologetics and philosophy including In Defense of Miracles, Dealing With Doubt, Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ and Forever Loved.

--Rene Coates Scheidt is the host of the syndicated program "Hearts of Hope" and is most famous for speaking about the age old question "Why God allows bad things to happen to people".

The featured musical guest will be Jeffrey Foskett, a legend in the music world, having performed and recorded with the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton and many others. Foskett has performed at Farm Aid, Live Aid, for the Queen of England, for four US Presidents and the King of Monaco.

Rev. Alex McFarland hosts "Truth for a New Generation" which is back for a second year, after the overwhelming success it had in 2003 when it was held in North Carolina. Last year over 4570 people attended the event from 24 states and 4 foreign countries. This year the number of attendees is expected to increase due partially to the broadcast of the conference on Sky Angel Christian Television. Churches and schools all over America will be able watch the event live.

McFarland is a minister from Greensboro, N.C. and is the founder of Faith in Focus ministry. McFarland attended UNC-Greensboro, earned a Master's Degree in Christian Thought from Liberty University in Virginia and has been an ordained minister since 1989. He has been featured on CBS, ABC, and FOX news, "Prime Time America", Billy Graham's "Decision" radio station, as well as dozens of newspapers and magazines across America. In 2003, the North American Mission Board (SBC) appointed Alex McFarland as national consultant for Applied Apologetics.

For more information on the "Truth for a New Generation" conference, Faith in Focus or Alex McFarland please call [phone] or visit www.faithinfocus.org.

Passes are available for reporters covering the event. Please contact John Mims at 336-841-0600 for more information.