The 75th annual Torrey Bible Conference began with an enormous amount of students stepping out of the gloomy October day to hear about the topic of conflict.

“This conference came just in time,” sophomore Roderick Garcia said. “You can tell that a lot of prayer was put into this because it’s touching people where they are. It’s going to be a powerful three days.”

Tim Pollard, vice president of distribution and strategy for Peacemaker Ministries, began the three-day Bible conference on resolving conflict and redeeming relationships.

“Being as this is my third one, I feel that this one is being accepted more than those in years past,” junior Jessica Bauserman said. “I’m actually enjoying it a lot. It’s something I’m finding applicable for my life now. It’s also very useful for my life in the future.”

Wednesday’s opening sessions connect to the conflict in everyday life

Pollard started the first two sessions of the conference drawing connecting lines between the relevance of the topic to the students who listened all over campus. As Pollard began Wednesday morning, he asked listeners to raise a hand if they had ever seen situations of conflict take place, such as a church splitting, a marriage ending or a close friendship breaking apart. Many hands were raised.

Pollard showed a short video that emphasized tremendous conflict within a marriage and thereafter explained that conflict is not only inevitable, it can be destructive and painful within any relationship, and can only be resolved through the gospel.

“The gospel is critical to your resolving conflict,” Pollard said.

Second speaker highlights how to apologize

Pollard was the first of the four speakers that will be focusing on conflict and redeeming relationships this week. Gary Friesen, the executive vice president of Peacemaker Ministries, closed out the first day with the message of glorifying God through peacemaking.

“Peacemaking is not about being nice,” Friesen said. “Jesus didn’t come to make bad people nice, He came to make the dead alive.”

Even while battling technical difficulties, such as monitors turning bright blue, Friesen carried on his message of peacemaking and told stories to relay the truths of apology.

One such story was of his 13-year-old son. When Friesen’s son was five, he came home from his best friend’s house in tears after getting into a fight and chasing his friend around the backyard with a stick. The little boy’s father had told Friesen’s son that he was no longer welcome in their home. After some careful counseling on Friesen’s part, his son came to the conclusion that he needed to apologize for what he had done. After the boys were reconciled, Friesen’s son looked up at his friend’s father and asked for his forgiveness.

“My son took this 6-foot-3 hunter guy to his knees through a confession,” Friesen said.

Friesen was adamant on learning how to confess in a way that makes someone ready and able to forgive the fault.

“Some confessions drive you to the cross, and they take the other person with you,” Friesen said.

Students embrace importance of topic

Many students said they found the day’s topics of confession and reconciliation to be applicable to their own lives.

Freshman Elle Meyer said she thought the topic of conflict was an important one to address.

“We should expect conflict in our lives,” Meyer said. “We’re supposed to be able to know how to deal with conflict as Christians.”

“I like that they took a biblical perspective on a topic that everyone faces,” freshman Luke Durain said.

Sophomore Megan Moghtaderi found the evening session to be transforming.
“Two words: Life changing,” she said.