HAMMOND | Thousands of pastors, church officials and Christians have flocked to Northwest Indiana this week for the 45th annual International Pastors' School at Hammond's First Baptist Church.

By the numbers, the delegation includes more than 6,000 people from 45 states and 19 nations, said church media coordinator Dan Wolfe. The Rev. Jack Schaap, pastor at First Baptist, hosts the conference. The conference opened Monday and runs through today. Wednesday evening's session was open to the public.

The nondenominational event features a variety of workshops, referred to as Schools, designed to help pastors and church leaders to grow and serve their church communities.

Among the workshops available across the church's sprawling campus in downtown Hammond are School For Pastors' Wives, School of Marriage Counseling, School of Church Media and School of Church Music.

Wolfe said the School that has undergone the greatest growth in the past few years has been the School of Spanish Work. Separate Schools for full-time workers, ladies and laymen are available to attendees of the Pastors' School.

Two longtime attendees of the Pastors' School are Steve Cape and Larry Oxendine. Cape is the pastor of Chattanooga, Tenn., Hillside Baptist Church and has been attending the Pastors' School in Hammond for 24 years. Oxendine is the pastor of Bucyrus, Ohio's, Whetstone Baptist Church and has been regularly attending the event for 21 years.

"It's very exciting," Cape said. "Just to see the passion to help others that people here have is very exciting and it has been continuing for many, many years and I believe that it will continue to do so for many years to come."

Both Cape and Oxendine said they feel rejuvenated after attending a Pastors' School.

"Really, it is just coming here and getting recharged," Oxendine said. "Being around so many other people that are like-minded just recharges you and gives you so much energy, not just as a pastor but in all facets of your life.

"You get to a point, I wouldn't say you feel depressed, but you get to feel like you need somebody to pat you on the back and they do that here."

Not only does the conference provide spiritual leadership to its delegates, but it pumps an estimated $1 million into the region's economy during its run, officials said.