The 5th Annual Converts’ Conference

📍 The Mecca Center
🗓 April 24–26

Whether you are new to Islam or continuing your journey, or have been a life long Muslim, join us for an inspiring weekend of learning, growing, and building lasting connections together.

✨ Fantastic speakers sharing powerful talks & interactive community workshops to accompany our shared learning spaces
☕🍨 New this year: Ice cream & coffee socials
🤝 Community, volunteer & leadership trainings

Registration required | Childcare services available (Ages 3-10)

Download the program with the button below

As part of the 5th Annual Converts’ Conference at The Mecca Center, we are hosting a special Leadership Training focused on strengthening how we support New Muslims in our masajid. This session will take place on Saturday, April 25th from 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM (lunch to follow).

We warmly invite imams, board members, volunteers, and community leaders from across our local masajid to join us for this important and collaborative session.

The Mecca Centers 5th Annual Converts’ Conference Sponsors!

The Mecca Center

5th Annual Converts’ Conference

A Compass in Faith: Retracing the Steps of the First Believers

April 24–26, 2026

Friday, April 24 – Community Night (Prayer Hall)

• 7:30 – 9 PM: Sheikh Yousef Wahb: The Courage to Believe: Lessons from the First Converts (A reflection on the earliest Muslims who embraced Islam despite uncertainty, pressure, and sacrifice.)
• 9 – 10:00 PM: Ice Cream Social

Saturday, April 25

Morning Session:

• 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM: Conference Bazaar Open
• 9:45 – 11:45AM: Community and Leadership Training by Convert Engagement Committee – Youth Lounge (Opposite Banquet Hall)
• 12 – 1PM: Leadership Training Lunch

Saturday, April 25, Banquet Hall

Afternoon Session – Main Program:

• 1:30 – 2:00 PM: Conference Registration, Welcome & Community Engagement

SEGMENT 1: The Courage of the First Believers

2:00 – 3:45 PM

• 2:05 – 2:30 PM: Imam Dawud Walid: Faith Under Pressure: Standing Firm Like the First Muslims (Exploring the lives of early companions who endured persecution, family pressure, and hardship while remaining steadfast in faith.)
• 2:25 – 2:50 PM: Sister Hazel Gomez: When Faith Changes Everything: Identity, Family & Belonging (A look at how embracing Islam reshaped relationships, identity, and sense of belonging—then and now.)
• 2:50 – 3:45 PM: Q&A + Community Reflection Workshop

SEGMENT 2: Learning Islam the Way the Companions Did

4:00 – 5:45 PM

• 4:00 – 4:25PM: Sheikh Joe Bradford: Faith Through Companionship: The Prophetic Model of Learning (How the Companions were nurtured through mentorship, community, and lived example—and what this teaches us today.)
• 4:25 – 4:50PM: Sister Angelica Lindsey-Ali: Raising the Next Generation of Believers (Lessons from the Companions on nurturing faith within families and building strong foundations for future generations.)
• 4:50 – 5:45PM: Q&A + Practical Community Workshop

5:45 PM — Asr Prayer

SEGMENT 3: Carrying the Legacy Forward

6:15 – 8:00 PM

• 6:15 – 6:40PM: Imam Tom Facchine: From Believers to Builders: How the Companions Built the Ummah (How the first Muslims transformed faith into leadership, service, and community-building.)
• 6:40 – 7:05 PM: Conference Speaker Panel; moderated by Sheikh Yousef Wahb: Every Believer Has a Role (A reflection on purpose, contribution, and how each individual can actively shape the future of the community.)
• 7:05 – 7:45PM: Q&A + Legacy in Action Workshop

7:45 PM — Maghrib Prayer
 8:00 – 9:00 PM — Dinner
 9:15 PM — Isha Prayer

Sunday, April 26: Reflection & Community Day

• 1:00 – 3:00 PM: Coffee Social at Shaghf Cafe

Mecca Banquet Hall

• 3:45 – 4:10 PM: Chaplain Abdul-Malik Ryan: Between Two Worlds: Letting Go and Holding On (What does it mean to step into faith without losing yourself? A look at the balance between letting go, holding on, and finding belonging in Islam.)
• 4:10 – 4:40 PM: Sheikh Tahir Wyatt: The Character of the Companions (Exploring the defining qualities of the first Muslims—humility, sincerity, generosity, patience, and honesty—and how these traits shaped the early Muslim community.)
• 4:40 – 5:30: Panel Discussion with Chaplain Abdul-Malik Ryan and Sheikh Tahir Wyatt

5:30 PM: Snacks

5:45 PM: Asr

• 6:00 – 6:20 PM: Ustadh Ubaydallah Evans: Faith That Endures Across a Lifetime (A reflection on how the companions sustained their faith through changing circumstances, success, and hardship, and what it means to grow spiritually over a lifetime.)
• 6:20 – 7:45 PM: ConverTsations: Conference Takeaways (A guided community reflection exploring lessons from the companions and how we can carry their example forward in our lives and community.)