Pastor Bayless Conley Returns to Pulpit After Critical Boating Accident
After surviving a boating accident that left him in critical condition in January, Pastor Bayless Conley is returning the pulpit this weekend.
Conley is pastor of Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, California, and a speaker known for applying the Bible to everyday life through his television program, Answers With Bayless Conley. The broadcast reaches into more than 200 nations in the world.
“Due to the severity of his injuries, some of his doctors felt that it would be about 18 months before he could resume his preaching duties,” the church said in a statement. “It has been approximately five and a half months since he was airlifted from Catalina, where the accident occurred, to the emergency room in Los Angeles.”
Bayless grew up in Southern California, where, during his teenage years, he became involved in a lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse. After years of searching for truth and a number of near-death experiences, he found answers and freedom in Jesus when a 12-year-old boy shared God’s message of hope with him in a park one day. Bayless’ background and story have enabled him to reach a diverse audience globally.
Conley and his church family are expressing gratitude to first responders and medical teams that are helping him recover from his injuries. Conley, or “Pastor B” as his congregation affectionately calls him, will be ministering at services on July 12 and 13.