wfn.org | Groundbreaking event will gather Presbyterian women of color

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

Note #7670 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

16-April-2003
03196

Groundbreaking event will gather Presbyterian women of color

Inaugural event will be in Atlanta in October 2004

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - Two hundred women leaders from throughout the Presbyterian
Church (USA) will gather in October 2004 in Atlanta for the first-ever
National Racial Ethnic Presbyterian Women Consultation, "Come! Be Refreshed
by the Water of Life: A Gathering of Women of Color to Rejuvenate Our
Ministry."

	The invitation-only event will be held on Friday, October 15 through
Sunday, October 17, 2004 at the Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta,
Georgia. 

	According to organizers, the consultation's purposes are four-fold:

	* affirm and celebrate gifts of racial ethnic women of all ages;

	* increase understanding and build solidarity among women of diverse
backgrounds for mutual empowerment and collective action;

	* develop strategies for racial ethnic women's empowerment both in
racial ethnic churches and the church at large; and

	* invite various PC(USA) entities into meaningful conversation with
women of color.

	The five plenary sessions of the conference will include a welcome
and orientation, 
two worship services and two panel discussions.

	The first panel discussion will focus on "understanding the
intersection of our multiple identities and the history of organizing by
women of color in the church and society." The second will "examine
historical and current U.S. immigration policies and how these policies are
impacting women of color, both those that are new and those that have been in
this land for generations, individually and collectively."

	"Mini-consultations" during the gathering will cover topics such as
dismantling sexism in PC(USA), the intersection of race and gender in the
Church's practices and policies, cross-cultural community building among
women of color, advocacy for racial ethnic clergywomen, theological
education, and racial ethnic church strategy.

	Additionally, one session allocated for workshops will address such
subjects as developing leadership skills, grant writing, environmental
racism, sexual abuse, personal finance skills, young women's issues and
spiritual disciplines.

	"Every woman is expected to participate in and contribute to the
process equally as partners to deepen understanding and formulate strategies
for solving the issues confronting us," said the Rev. Unzu Lee, associate for
Presbyterian Women leadership development and conference coordinator. "The
intent of the planning team is to create an intentional community of women of
color of all ages consisting of lay leaders, Christian educators, clergy,
seminarians, seminary and racial ethnic college faculty and administrators,
representatives of the racial ethnic women's constituencies, racial ethnic
staff serving agencies of the General Assembly and middle governing bodies,
and others."  

	Staff and leaders representing various entities will be invited to
the consultation as consulting partners, including the Advocacy Committee for
Racial Ethnic Concerns, the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns,
Presbyterian Women, the Evangelism and Church Development Office, the General
Assembly Committee on Representation, Presbyterian Women, and the Theology,
Worship and Discipleship Office. 

	Registration forms will be available by March 1, 2004. In the
meantime, interested entities and racial ethnic caucuses are being urged to
set aside scholarships for women of color to participate in the event.	

	For more information, please contact Unzu Lee at 1-888-728-7228, ext.
5778 or ulee@ctr.pcusa.org.   

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