wfn.org | Racial-ethnic event will focus on church growth

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7332 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

01-July-2002
02234

Racial-ethnic event will focus on church growth

Also on agenda: discipleship, social justice, leadership development

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Learning how to build a fully inclusive church for worshipers from a variety of races and cultures will be the focus of participants in this month's fifth Racial Ethnic Convocation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The gathering, to be devoted largely to issues related to racial-ethnic and immigrant church growth, is scheduled for July 25-28 in Los Angeles. Its theme will be A New Attitude For Discipleship and Ministry (Ephesians 4:17-24).

The program is expected to attract 800 to 1,200 participants, including representatives of the PC(USA)'s five racial-ethnic caucuses, church pastors and members. It is the largest gathering of racial-ethnic Presbyterians.

"We anticipate this event to be a defining movement for racial-ethnic ministries of the entire denomination," said the Rev. Helen Locklear, PC(USA)'s associate director for racial-ethnic ministries. "It should indeed be a time for rejoicing and gratitude for God's guidance. A time for dreaming new dreams. A time for growth and faith. And a time for strengthening the ties that bind us together as one fellowship of love in our journey into this new century."

The convocation, held every three years, is sponsored by the Racial Ethnic Ministries program area, in conjunction with the National Cross Caucus, which is composed of two members from each of the five caucuses. The last convocation, in Orlando, FL, drew more than 1,000 participants.

Through program speakers, a panel discussion and 37 workshops, participants will try to accomplish four objectives: 

* To reaffirm and celebrate God's gift of unity and diversity;

* To provide opportunities to deepen spiritual awareness and commitment;

* To learn how to revitalize and create new racial-ethnic and immigrant ministries; and,

* To connect generations, cultures, communities and church structures.  

Workshop topics include spiritual growth and discipleship, community outreach and church growth, gospel and culture, leadership development and social justice. The Rev. Mary Newburn-Williams, associate executive for outreach for the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley, will conduct a workshop exploring the basics of congregational redevelopment.

"The basics in redevelopment is really going to deal with, in general, the importance of change and how our hearts and minds and souls really need to be prepared and ready for that," Newburn-Williams said. "But more than any of that, being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and really being open to God's word; really being open to where God would have us to go in ministry."

A host of denominational leaders are scheduled to address the convocation, including General Assembly Council (GAC) Executive Director John Detterick; the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the PC(USA)'s stated clerk; the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, moderator of the 2002 General Assembly; and the Rev. Curtis A. Kearns, director of the denomination's National Ministries Division(NMD). 

The preacher during opening worship will be the Rev. Ella Busby, pastor of New Harvest Presbyterian Church, of Florence, SC. Bible-study leaders will be the Rev. Wafik Wahba, of Toronto, Canada, and David Cortez, a professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Closing worship will be led by the Rev. Martha Sadongei, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, of Phoenix, AZ. Hugh Davis, music director at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church in East Orange, NJ, will oversee music for the convocation.

The five PC(USA) racial-ethnic caucuses are: the Native American Consulting Committee, the National Asian Presbyterian Council, the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus, the National Hispanic Presbyterian Caucus and the National Black Presbyterian Caucus.

For more information, contact Laverne Rhodes, senior administrative assistant, by phone (toll-free) at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5695: by mail at 100 Witherspoon Street, room 3621A, Louisville, KY 40202; or by email at reconvo@ctr.pcusa.org.
------------------------------------------
Send your response to this article to pcusa.news@pcusa.org

------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an 'unsubscribe' request to

pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org