wfn.org | Perkins & Franklin to Address Peacemaking Conference

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

16-April-1997 
97161 
 
                 Perkins and Franklin to Address 
              1997 Peacemaking Conference on Racism 
 
                         by Julian Shipp 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Changes in leadership at both of the 1997 Peacemaking 
Conferences on Racism -- scheduled July 17-21 at Estes Park, Colo., and 
August 10-14 at Montreat, N.C. -- have prompted Dr.  John Perkins and Dr. 
Robert Franklin to offer to preach and give theme presentations. 
 
     Perkins has agreed to preach and give the theme presentation at Estes 
Park on July 20. Franklin has agreed to preach and give the theme 
presentation at Montreat on August 13.  The theme for this year's 
conference is "Facing Racism: In Search of the Beloved Community." 
 
     On September 27, United Methodist Bishop Leontine Kelly suffered a 
stroke while she was attending her brother's funeral in Washington, D.C., 
and had to cancel her 1997 engagements. Kelly, who is the first 
African-American woman to be elected bishop of any major denomination, 
though recuperating nicely, had to cancel speaking at Estes Park.  
 
     Then on March 6, many were saddened by the sudden death of Dr. Mac 
Charles Jones in Irving, Texas, of an embolism. Jones was 47 years old and 
had just begun serving as the deputy general secretary for national 
ministries of the National Council of Churches (NCC). He was scheduled to 
speak at Montreat. 
 
     Perkins was born in 1930 in New Hebron, Miss., the son of a 
sharecropper.  Despite dropping out of school in the 3rd grade, he has been 
recognized for his work with five honorary doctorates and has authored nine 
books, among them "A Quiet Revolution," "Let Justice Roll Down," "With 
Justice for All," "Beyond Charity," "He's My Brother," and "Resurrecting 
Hope."  He is an ordained Baptist minister, founder of several community 
ministries, co-founder and chairman of the Christian Community Development 
Association and publisher of "Urban Family" magazine.  He is an 
international speaker and teacher on issues of racial reconciliation and 
community development. 
 
     Franklin will become the sixth president of the Interdenominational 
Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta in July.  ITC is the largest 
African-American seminary in the United States.  He has a master of 
divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in religion and 
psychological studies and ethics and society from the University of Chicago 
Divinity School.  The author of the widely acclaimed book "Liberating 
Visions," he has held teaching positions at four divinity schools: Harvard, 
Emory, Colgate Rochester and Chicago. 
 
     Other distinguished speakers addressing the 1997 Peacemaking 
Conferences are the Rev. Lonna Lee, associate pastor of Old First 
Presbyterian Church in San Francisco and past speaker at several youth 
conferences, and Joe Barndt, the director of Crossroads Ministry, an 
interfaith ministry for racial justice headquartered in Chicago. 
 
     "These conferences are designed to help us understand racism and how 
to dismantle it," said Ervin Bullock, associate for conferences for the 
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.  "They come at a crucial time in our 
nation's and church's history.  Every day we lose in dismantling racism 
comes at a great cost to our moral character, national budget and the 
millions of lives affected by racism." 
 
     According to Bullock, more than 20 presbyteries have announced they 
plan to bring a racially diverse team to one of the conferences and that 
this has been particularly encouraging to the conference planners as it 
indicates a promising level of commitment to work constructively to 
dismantle racism once they return home. 
 
     The conferences will offer more than 27 workshops and in-depth study 
courses with training and tools for growing toward the vision of "the 
beloved community."  There will also be a daylong workshop at each 
conference led by Crossroads Ministry to help participants define and 
dismantle racism. Moreover, the Peacemaking conferences will continue their 
tradition of being intergenerational with quality programs designed for 
each specific age group and other activities designed to include all ages. 
 
     The registration deadline is June 10 with a discount given for those 
registering before May 20.  Free registration brochures (#70-270-96-004) 
can be ordered from Presbyterian Distribution Service by calling 
1-800-524-2612. 

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