wfn.org | Stroke Forces Cancellation of Speaker

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

18-February-1997 
97088 
 
              Stroke Forces Cancellation of Speaker 
           at 1997 Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference 
 
                         by Julian Shipp 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Bishop Leontine Kelly of the United Methodist Church, one 
of the scheduled keynote speakers for the 1997 Presbyterian Peacemaking 
Conferences, on the theme of racism, has canceled her engagement due to a 
stroke she suffered last fall. The conferences will be held July 12-21 at 
Estes Park, Colo., and Aug. 10-14 at Montreat, N.C. 
 
     Kelly, the first African-American woman to be elected bishop of any 
major denomination, canceled all of her 1997 engagements in order to 
recuperate from her illness. Kelly's stroke occurred Sept. 27, 1996, while 
she was attending her brother's funeral in Washington, D.C. 
 
     Dr. John Perkins has accepted the invitation to speak in Kelly's stead 
at the Estes Park conference. An ordained Baptist minister, internationally 
known speaker and teacher on issues of racial reconciliation and community 
development, Perkins has been recognized for his work with five honorary 
doctorates and has written nine books, including: "A Quiet Revolution," 
"Let Justice Roll Down," "With Justice for All," "Beyond Charity," "He's My 
Brother" and "Resurrecting Hope." 
 
     Other speakers at this year's conference will include Mac Charles 
Jones, director of the Burned Churches Project of the National Council of 
Churches (Montreat conference); the Rev. Lonna Chang-ren Lee, associate 
pastor of Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco (both 
conferences); and Dr.  Joseph Barndt, executive director of Crossroads 
Ministry, which provides education and training to dismantle racism and 
build antiracist, multicultural communities (both conferences). 
 
     "Facing Racism: In Search of the Beloved Community" is the theme for 
this year's conferences as issues of race continue to divide American 
society and the need to build inclusive communities calls the church to 
action. The purpose of the conferences is to help participants understand 
and dismantle racism and to provide tools for the sharing of their 
experience back home. 
      
     The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program is encouraging presbyteries to 
send racially diverse groups to these conferences and is offering a limited 
number of registration scholarships (one per presbytery) to the first 
presbyteries registering a diverse group of participants. For more 
information, contact Ervin Bullock, associate for conference planning of 
the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, at (352) 694-7995. 
 
     Registration brochures (#70-270-96-004), posters (#70-270-96-006) and 
promotion packets (#70-270-96-008) are available from Presbyterian 
Distribution Services at 1-800-524-2612. The registration deadline is June 
10, 1997, with discount fees for those registered before May 31, 1997. 

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