The short answer
In 2027 there are 10 church leadership conferences with dates confirmed on the organizers' own sites, spread across 13 events from Feb 17-18 to November. The calendar below runs February, March, April, May, August, September, October and November. The next deadline to know about: Watermark's early pricing ends November 6, 2026.
Start with the calendar, then use the role finder to narrow it down.
Our top pickALIGN 27
May 5-6, 2027, Oak Brook (Chicago area), IL. Two days built for whole church teams, with role-based tracks and a written plan to take home. Teams of 4 or more are $159 per person through March 23, 2027.
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Every confirmed event in date order.
February 2027
C3 Conference
Revival-minded leadership content with practical frameworks for building and leading.
Official siteMarch 2027
Shepherds Conference
Personal holiness, sound doctrine and ministry faithfulness. 2027 theme: The Pastor: His Character, Convictions, and Calling.
Official site
Exponential Global Conference (Option 1)
2027 theme: The End of Leading Alone, moving from isolation to Friends on Mission. 250+ workshop options.
Sold out
Official siteExponential Global Conference (Option 2)
2027 theme: The End of Leading Alone, moving from isolation to Friends on Mission. 250+ workshop options.
Registration open
Official siteApril 2027
Church Leaders Conference (Weekend 1)
Lessons from ministry at Watermark Community Church, with mainstage sessions, breakouts and a behind-the-scenes look at ministry in action.
Monday and Tuesday
Official site
ARC Conference
Relationships and encouragement across denominations, networks and backgrounds. Theme: Don't Do Ministry Alone.
Official siteChurch Leaders Conference (Weekend 2)
Lessons from ministry at Watermark Community Church, with mainstage sessions, breakouts and a behind-the-scenes look at ministry in action.
Wednesday and Thursday, same content
Official siteMay 2027
ALIGN 27
Role-based tracks, team frameworks and a written plan to take home. Two days, with an optional pre-conference.
Official siteAugust 2027
Team Church Conference (West)
Building teams that build the church. Hosted by Kevin and Sheila Gerald.
Official site
Global Leadership Summit
Two days of leadership teaching, available in person, online or at a local partner site.
General leadership
Official siteSeptember 2027
SpireConference
Mainstage sessions, tactical breakouts on leadership, operations, culture and team dynamics, and role-based mixers. Optional preconferences cost extra.
Official siteOctober 2027
Team Church Conference (East)
Building teams that build the church. Hosted by Kevin and Sheila Gerald.
First East conference
Official siteNovember 2027
ICOM (International Conference on Missions)
Global missions conference with mainstage sessions, workshops, pre-conference training and an exhibit hall. Held annually since 1948. 2027 president: Greg Swinney.
Official siteFind a conference by role
Based on who each organizer says the event is for.
Lead pastors
- ALIGN 27, May 5-6
- C3 Conference, Feb 17-18
- Shepherds Conference, Mar 10-12
- Exponential Global Conference, Mar 15-17 and more
- Church Leaders Conference, Apr 26-27 and more
- ARC Conference, Apr 27-28
- Team Church Conference, Aug 2-4 and more
- Global Leadership Summit, Aug 5-6
- SpireConference, Sep 28-30
- ICOM (International Conference on Missions), Nov 4-6
Executive pastors and operations leaders
- ALIGN 27, May 5-6
- SpireConference, Sep 28-30
Church planters
- Exponential Global Conference, Mar 15-17 and more
- ARC Conference, Apr 27-28
- SpireConference, Sep 28-30
Staff and ministry teams
- ALIGN 27, May 5-6
- C3 Conference, Feb 17-18
- Exponential Global Conference, Mar 15-17 and more
- Church Leaders Conference, Apr 26-27 and more
- ARC Conference, Apr 27-28
- Team Church Conference, Aug 2-4 and more
- Global Leadership Summit, Aug 5-6
- SpireConference, Sep 28-30
- ICOM (International Conference on Missions), Nov 4-6
Missions and outreach leaders
Leaders who also work outside church settings
- Global Leadership Summit, Aug 5-6
Registration deadlines to know
Dates the organizers have published for early pricing.
| Date | Conference | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2027 | ALIGN 27 | Early-bird rates ($189 individual, $159 teams of 4+) end. Rates rise March 24. |
| November 6, 2026 | Watermark Church Leaders Conference | Early pricing ends at 11:59 PM CST ($229 individual, $209 groups of 6+). |
| December 10, 2026 | C3 Conference | Early registration rate ends at 11:59 PM. |
| December 31, 2026 | SpireConference | Early bird rate of $249 ends. Regular rate is $289 through May 31, 2027, then $329. |
Exponential's March 15-17 option is sold out as of November 3, 2026. Its March 18-20 option is open.
What church leadership conferences cost
As published by each organizer on November 3, 2026. Travel and lodging are extra.
| Conference | Published pricing |
|---|---|
| ALIGN 27 | $189 per person, or $159 per person for teams of 4 or more, through March 23, 2027. Rates rise to $229 and $199 on March 24. |
| C3 Conference | Early registration rate runs through December 10, 2026. See the official site for current pricing. |
| Shepherds Conference | See the official site for registration details. |
| Exponential Global Conference | $149 individual. Groups of 10-19 get 5% off and groups of 20-99 get 10% off. Optional pre-conference is $39. |
| Church Leaders Conference | $229 per person, or $209 per person for groups of 6 or more, when registering by 11:59 PM CST on November 6, 2026. Rates then rise to $279 and $259. |
| ARC Conference | See the official site for registration details. |
| Team Church Conference | See the official site for registration details. |
| Global Leadership Summit | See the official site for current pricing. |
| SpireConference | $249 through December 31, 2026, then $289 through May 31, 2027, then $329 through October 2, 2027. Christian college students $35. Preconferences are a separate fee. |
| ICOM (International Conference on Missions) | 2027 registration pricing was not posted on the organizer's site as of November 3, 2026. See the official site. |
How to choose
- Name the one problem you want solved. Doctrine and pastoral care, multiplication, team culture, operations and a written plan are different problems with different conferences.
- Decide who goes. If you want your team to leave agreeing on a next step, look at conferences with team rates and role-based tracks.
- Check the date against your calendar and budget. Early rates end well before the event, and some options sell out.
- Go to the official site. Confirm dates, price and speakers there before you register. Everything here links to them.
Not confirmed yet
We could not confirm 2027 details on an official site as of November 3, 2026, so these are not in the calendar.
- Church Conference (formerly The Orange Conference) (The ReThink Group). A third-party event listing shows April 27-29, 2027 at Gas South Arena in Atlanta. We could not confirm this on the organizer's own site, so it is not in the main list.
- Church Leaders Summit (The Church of Eleven22, Jacksonville, FL). Held in September in past years. We could not confirm 2027 dates on the official site.
- The Gospel Coalition national conference (The Gospel Coalition). Held every two years, so a 2027 edition (TGC27) is expected. We could not confirm dates or a city.
- Basics Conference (Truth For Life). The 2026 conference is September 29-30 in Valencia, California. 2027 dates have not been announced.
Frequently asked questions
What church leadership conferences are happening in 2027?
We found 10 conferences with dates confirmed on the organizers' own sites, which adds up to 13 dated events: ALIGN 27 (May 5-6), C3 Conference (February 17-18), Shepherds Conference (March 10-12), Exponential Global Conference (March 15-17 and March 18-20), Watermark Church Leaders Conference (April 26-27 and April 28-29), ARC Conference (April 27-28), Team Church Conference West (August 2-4), Global Leadership Summit (August 5-6), SpireConference (September 28-30), Team Church Conference East (October 11-13) and ICOM (November 4-6).
Which months have the most church leadership conferences in 2027?
March and April are the busiest, with three events each: Shepherds and two Exponential options in March, and two Watermark weekends and ARC Conference in April. August follows with two (Team Church West and the Global Leadership Summit). There is no confirmed conference in June or July, and we will add one if an organizer announces it.
How early should I register for a church leadership conference?
As early as your budget allows. Exponential reports that registration has sold out for five straight years, and its March 15-17, 2027 option was already sold out on November 3, 2026. Early rates also end soon: Watermark's early pricing ends November 6, 2026, C3's early rate ends December 10, 2026, and ALIGN 27's early-bird rates end March 23, 2027.
How much does a church leadership conference cost?
Among the conferences with a published price, individual tickets range from $149 (Exponential) to $329 (SpireConference's late registration rate). ALIGN 27 is $189, or $159 per person for teams of 4 or more, through March 23, 2027. Travel and lodging are extra, so budget for those separately.
Is there a church leadership conference for executive pastors in 2027?
ALIGN 27 (May 5-6, Oak Brook, IL near Chicago) is our top pick for executive pastors. It names executive pastors among the leaders it is built for, and teams of 4 or more pay $159 per person through March 23, 2027. SpireConference (September 28-30, Arlington, TX) also names executive pastors in its audience and offers an Executive Leadership ticket category. We have not found a 2027 conference built only for executive pastors as of November 3, 2026.
What is the difference between a church leadership conference and a church planting conference?
A church leadership conference is aimed at pastors, staff and ministry leaders who run an existing church. A church planting conference such as Exponential Global Conference is focused on starting and multiplying churches. Many events serve both, and ARC Conference names pastors, church planters and ministry teams in its audience.
Are there church leadership conferences I can attend online?
The Global Leadership Summit (August 5-6, 2027) is offered in person, online or at a local partner site. Most other conferences on this list are in person, so check each official site for streaming or recordings. Watermark's Church Leaders Conference lists recordings of breakouts and mainstage sessions with registration.
How is this list kept accurate?
Dates, places and prices come from each organizer's own site and were last checked on November 3, 2026.
About this list
A conference is included when its 2027 dates and location are published on the organizer's own site and it serves pastors, church staff or church leadership teams. General leadership events that churches commonly attend are included and marked.