BONNE TERRE Elaine Bales was a second-generation Jehovahs Witness (JW) who lost her family and friends when she walked away from the false religion. Now a follower of Jesus, she leads a worldwide ministry that replaces the lies of the Watchtower with the truth of Scripture.

Paul Blizard was a third-generation JW who met Jesus in 1982 and was disfellowshipped from the Watchtower for approving a blood transfusion for his daughter.

Christopher Marshall was a Bethelite, working in the Watchtowers headquarters in New York, before meeting Christian apologist Al Stewart and coming to faith in Christ.

All three of these once-devoted JWs are now serving Christ faithfully and are featured speakers at There Is Something Better, the 2022 Witnesses Now for Jesus Conference July 22-23 at Sonrise Baptist Church in Bonne Terre.

The event is free and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday.

Other speakers include Robert Bowman, widely regarded as the leading evangelical scholar addressing Mormon and Jehovahs Witness interpretations of the Bible; Roger Sherrer, a former atheist who now serves as youth pastor at First Baptist Church, Lebanon, Mo.; Charles Smith, a former Jehovahs Witness who serves as director of Witnesses Now for Jesus Midwest; and Rob Phillips, who directs the apologetics ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention.

This conference is designed to show the power of the gospel to transform lives, says Smith. Each testimony illustrates the deceptive ways Satan keeps people in darkness through false religions. At the same time, conference attendees will hear about the redemptive work of Christ, who shows that when it comes to a search for truth among the worlds religions, there truly is something better.

Apologetics is simply the practice of defending the Christian faith. Apologetics comes from the Greek noun apologia, which means a defense. Every Christian is urged to be ready at all times to defend the faith with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15-16).

For more information about the event, contact Charles Smith at 314-277-3866.

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Apologetics conference to feature former Jehovah's Witnesses - The Pathway