The annual Iron Works Men of Steel conference kicked off Friday evening at the Covington Center Arena, drawing men of all ages to participate in a program designed to strengthen their spiritual walk with Christ.

More than 400 men attended the Friday portion of the event, which included a tailgate to start and a sermon after.

The tailgate included many different kinds of food. The attendees received a meal with entry, and they had their choice of pig, shrimp, burgers, hot dogs, and sausage dogs, among other options.

Men of the community crowded around outside of the arena where there were multiple grills and loaded up their plates.

The sermon was held inside of the arena, where Dr. John Ed Matheson, Dr. Crawford Loritts, and Sid Bream spoke on various topics relating to the struggles Christian men face in today’s society.

Dr. John Ed Matheson was the senior pastor at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery for 36 years.

Dr. Crawford Loritts is the Senior Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Ga.

Sid Bream is a former Major League Baseball player and is now the spokesperson for Christian Sports International.

“As a man I feel better equipped on how to impact another man’s life because we share the same struggles daily,” event co-founder Walt Merrell said. “Our goal is to make an impact in the lives of these men so in turn they will make an impact in the community and in faith.”

The conference will continue today at 9 a.m. and will finish at noon.