International Pentecostal conference to bring thousands to Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — The United Pentecostal Church International is hosting its annual General Conference for church members and leaders. Their chosen venue? The Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City.

The four-day conference will be held from Tuesday to Friday, featuring inspirational preaching, practical teaching, dynamic worship and networking opportunities for ministers and lay church leaders from across North America.

"The UPCI's General Conference provides a unique opportunity to connect with God, conduct important business, and collaborate with leaders and ministries from across our fellowship," said Dr. David K. Bernard, the general superintendent of United Pentecostal Church International. "We encourage all of our ministers and constituents to attend."

The United Pentecostal Church International has more than six million Pentecostal constituents across 203 countries and many territories across the world. Many of the attendees to this conference will come from across North America and the western United States.

Jonathan Mohr, the director of communications for the United Pentecostal Church International, said previous conferences attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 attendees. He also said people do not need to be Pentecostal in order to attend the sessions or exhibits.

"I think this would be a great time for people to learn what Pentecostalism is all about," he said.

General Conference

The United Pentecostal Church International General Conference has visited Utah in the past, but it is also held across North America. While the organization is an international church, the conference location is chosen by city amenities, rather than by proximity to an international airport.

Mohr said Salt Lake is a "good city" to host a conference in, thanks to the number of nearby hotels and the size of the Salt Palace. Previous locations for their annual conference have included Orlando, Florida; Long Beach, California; and Toronto, Canada

Utah has hosted the conference six times since it started, with the most recent stop in Salt Lake City occurring in 2004.

"We're very excited about coming to Salt Lake City," Mohr said. "It's a beautiful city; we're very happy to be going back there."

The exhibits in the Salt Palace Convention Center will open Tuesday at 5 p.m., then Wednesday through Friday at 9 a.m. Keynote speakers will address the assembly at 7 p.m. each night. Seminars and panel discussions will be held both Thursday and Friday afternoon.

While most of the sessions and exhibits are open to the general public, a closed business session will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday for the church's annual business meeting, where United Pentecostal Church International credentialed ministers vote on church activities and leadership.

Mohr said previous conferences have gathered between 1,000 and 1,500 ministers together, though this year may be smaller as there are fewer Pentecostal churches in the church's Rocky Mountain District than there are on the East Coast.

Busy time for Salt Lake City

The conference will be held just days before the 196th Semiannual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which takes place on Oct. 3 and 4.

Mohr expects that attendees from both conferences will likely cross paths while traveling, though they will likely stay in and around the Salt Palace Convention Center during the day. Some attendees will likely visit Temple Square either before or after their conference, according to Mohr.

"I'm sure people will be visiting local businesses and eating at local restaurants. They will be in and around the Salt Lake area," Mohr said. "I'm certain that will happen. I plan to be among the people that will do that."

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