The enduring power of conferences in a digital age

“I was watching footage of a music festival last night which was filmed back in 1995,” writes Phil Topham. “It was easily dated by the outfits people were wearing, but it was also clear what was missing – smartphones.”

It’s 2026. We live with digital abundance: YouTube sermons, theological podcasts, worship playlists, and more. With all the helpful, edifying, Christ-exalting content out there, why bother meeting together? Physically, I mean.

In a digital age, just how do in-person Christian conferences endure? Perhaps because they offer something that digital spaces cannot: embodied presence. Topham, of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) – which is launching its spring conference, Rising Lights, this year – continued with his description: “People were engaged with the festival in the moment. It reminded me of the simplicity of gathering at a time where life was not curated and mediated through a device.”