The 2026 Teleios Conference Committee was excited to be partnering with Oblate School of Theology and The Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality for last year’s conference: The Art of Becoming.
The spiritual life concerns evolving into the person God wants us to become. This journey moves with faith, love, and perseverance. It is an art—the art of becoming.
The art of becoming guides us through the ups and downs of life, the hills and valleys, the green pastures and the barren wildernesses. The art of becoming allows us to discover God’s presence and calling for our lives.
Sometimes we are so busy with our knowing and our doing that we don’t reflect on whom we are becoming. The art of becoming integrates knowing and doing with being the person God created.
Thank you for joining us at the Oblate School of Theology on February 26-28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas, as we explored The Art of Becoming.
Teleios Conference 2026 Speakers
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Fr. Ronald Rolheiser
Oblate School of Theology
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Dr. Lanta Davis
Indiana Wesleyan University
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Dr. Steve Porter
Westmont College
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Dr. James Wilhoit
Wheaton College
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Dr. Jackie Halstead
Abilene Christian University
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Dr. Khalia J. Williams
Candler School of Theology
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Dr. Soong-Chan Rah
Fuller Theological Seminary
Teleios Conference 2026 Schedule
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Registration Details/Summary
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How do we move from being good to being great? How do we break the long-standing patterns and habits of mediocrity in our lives? How do we move beyond the last and deepest sadness of our lives? During this retreat we will attempt to take a deeper look at the invitations that Jesus has given us to grow. The great mystics have always stated that when we reach the highest level of human maturity, we will have only one question left: How can I be more helpful? How can we be more mature, more helpful, and more generative?
Speaker Bios -
Please direct all questions to QR Code on screen.
Thursday | February 26, 2026
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Between each inhale and exhale lies a sacred pause - a quiet, often unnoticed space where transformation begins. This liminal moment, neither grasping nor releasing, offers a powerful metaphor for the spiritual journey of waiting, discernment, and becoming. In a world that prizes constant motion, the pause invites us to slow down, to listen, and to lean into the mystery of who we are becoming. Drawing from theological reflections on breath and embodied practice, this session explores how stillness is not a break from the journey - it is the journey.
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Whether crafting a stained-glass window or crafting the human soul, forms of art require theoretical and practical knowledge. Knowledge of the craft (its ends and means) and knowledge how to craft (its embodied dispositions, skills, and practices). Unfortunately, both types of knowledge—knowledge about the process and knowledge of how to proceed—can be lost. For instance, when there are no longer any or many persons who know what it takes to hand-build a wood canoe, the idea of building one seems out of reach. This paper explores the recurring tendency of the Christian church, broadly construed, to mislay the understanding and informed practice that is required to make substantial progress in becoming like Christ. While not an extinct craft, the art of being conformed to Christ’s likeness has been on the endangered craft list for some time. After canvassing some of the historical, cultural, ecclesial, and personal conditions that have recently obscured the art of becoming Christlike, we turn to what it would take to reclaim the required understanding and know-how of Christian sanctification.
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Lunch Options in San Antonio
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In this session, we will attend to both the rationale (why) for spending time in silence and solitude as well as the "how." Jesus had a pattern of moving back and forth from solitude to ministry. These times of extended solitude with his father offered him the sustenance he required for his very full ministry. It is also how we are sustained in our busy lives/ministries and allows us the opportunity to keep Christ at the center of all we do. The "how" involves a discussion of contemplative prayer practices that give us the opportunity to listen and receive in the silence and solitude.
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In our chaotic and stressed world, we are faced with the profound need for prophetic and pastoral voices. In this session, we will explore how the book of Lamentations offers the much needed discipline of lament and the spiritual act of listening to form prophets needed for our times.
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Dinner Details
Friday | February 27, 2026
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The imagination is a powerful tool in our becoming. Art and stories not only delight the soul, but can offer us a vision of who we want to become. If we want to develop the virtue of hope, for instance, we can start by training the imagination. This presentation will look at how images and stories of hope show us what hope looks like—and then stirs our soul to imitate what we see.
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This class explores the practice of biblical meditation as a delight-driven, prayerful pondering of Scripture in the presence of Christ. Drawing inspiration from Psalm 1 and the example of Jesus, we’ll learn how meditation opens our hearts to receive God’s love and deepens our love for Him and others. Far from being a duty, biblical meditation is a spiritual practice that fosters adoration, attentiveness, and joy in God’s Word.
Speaker Bios -
Thank you!
Saturday | February 28, 2026
Hotel Information:
Our room block at TownePlace Suites San Antonio Airport is officially full. Due to the larger attendance this year, our reserved hotel block has reached capacity.
We have made additional arrangements with Home2 Suites by Hilton for your convenience. Please follow the link below to book.
Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Airport, TX | 210-342-0400
94 NE Loop 410 San Antonio, Texas 78216 USA
In-Person FAQ:
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Conference dates are February 26-28, 2026 for both in-person and online attendees.
You can view the At-A-Glance Schedule HERE. -
Our room block at TownePlace Suites San Antonio Airport is officially full. Due to the larger attendance this year, our reserved hotel block has reached capacity.
We have made additional arrangements with Home2 Suites by Hilton for your convenience. Please follow the link below to book.
Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Airport, TX | 210-342-0400
94 NE Loop 410 San Antonio, Texas 78216 USA -
The San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is the closest to the conference, only 10 minutes from the Oblate School of Theology. This airport is serviced by several commercial airlines, including American, Delta, United, and Southwest, among others. We recommend using Uber or Lyft for transportation from the airport to the hotel of your choice.
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The conference programming will begin at 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 26th and conclude at 12:00 PM on Saturday, February 28th.
We recommend arriving sometime on Thursday afternoon, and planning a departing flight for sometime after 3:00 PM on Saturday. -
The conference is being held in the Whitley Theological Center, at the Oblate School of Theology.
284 Oblate Dr, San Antonio, TX 78216
Plan your route using this link on Google Maps:
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CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Alamo Heights (403 Treeline Park, San Antonio, TX 78209)
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You are welcome to rent a car, but rideshare options (Uber, Lyft, etc) are also abundant! The drive between the Oblate and the recommended hotels and restaurants are roughly 3 miles, 10 minutes each way.
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We have a limited number of vendor tables at the conference that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pricing is as follows:
--Single Table: $100
--Double Table: $200Please note that to be considered for a vendor spot, you must first register as an attendee here.
After completing the registration, please contact Angie Schmit, our vendor coordinator: aschmit@chord.org She will let you know the availability of booth space, and send you the reservation form to complete.
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All times listed on the website are Central Time. For those who are attending online, you can convert to your local time zone HERE.
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There are benefits to both. In-person attendees will be able to interact more directly with the class teachers, and of course, enjoy face-to-face fellowship with other in-person attendees. As of now, all in-person classes are planned to have live teachers.
Online attendees will be able to join the in-person classes via video stream.
Both in-person and online attendees will have access the the digital pass following the conference, which will include recordings of all sessions.
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Yes. All classes will be recorded.
Recordings will be made available sometime after the conference ends (allowing time for editing and adding subtitles). Access to class recordings is included in the registration fee. -
Yes. Registration includes access to both in-person and online classes. You can choose to join some sessions at Oblate and others from the comfort of your hotel room. The information to access online classes will be provided to you prior to the start of the conference.
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Yes. Online access is per device, not per person. So, if you and a few friends want to have a watch party gathered around one computer screen, that is fine.
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For the best experience, we recommend watching the conference using either a laptop or desktop computer. If possible, we also recommend using a wired internet connection as opposed to wifi, as this will provide you the most stable connection possible regardless of how many other devices are in your home. You will be able to access the conference using a mobile device, however the quality of your conference experience may be inferior to those who use a laptop or desktop.
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Email us at contact@teleiosconference.com