Never to be forgotten was my experience this wednesday offering a keynote address to a capacity crowd of 10,000 to 12,000 home educators in the massive auditorium of the University of Tennessee as part of the 2003 Knoxville convention sponsored by the ministries of Bill Gothard. For the last twenty years this annual conference has attracted thousands of home educators participating in Advanced Training Institute, a unique character driven, unit based approach to Christian home education.

My topic for the evening was “The Promise,” a message which examines the beauty and power of the Fifth Commandment through a simple examination of more than two dozen key Scriptures. My heart is that the message will help sons and daughters embrace a spirit of honor with their Godly parents, but also learn from Scriptural examples how we may honor even abusive or perverse authority figures. Joining me for keynotes this week were David Barton, Gary Smalley, Joni Erikson Tada, and Ray Comfort, to name a few.

From a speakers perspective who has no formal connection to Bill Gothard or his ministry, several observations stood out: First, Knoxville afforded me an opportunity to experience the single most grateful assemblage of individuals with whom I have ever had the honor to speak. There were times when I literally could not move without being immersed in a sea of home educators, each with a special story to share, a signature to request or a note of thanks to offer. Young and old alike communicated with the language of gratitude in a manner that surely gave honor to the Lord. I enjoyed hundreds of conversations over the course of the week, each of which was an encouragement to my soul. Mr. Gothard himself set the standard as a man of encouragement and gratitude, taking regular opportunities to meet with me over the course of the week to give me reports on the impact of my keynote.

Second, the Knoxville conference provided me with the single most remarkable example of a conference organization structure I have ever observed. Like a hive of well-trained bees, the hundreds of staff and volunteers who manned the Knoxville swarmed and moved with a dizzying speed, but always with clear purpose and direction. Though managed by individuals largely under the age of twenty-four, professionalism was extremely high, yet another testimony to the capability of home educators to do great things. Finally, the conference offered the most uplifting and Christ-centered music I have experienced at a home school conference (or any conference for that matter).