Note #9174 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:
06136 Feb. 28, 2006
Money woes force cancellation of '06 Peacemaking Conference
Risk of 'deficit situation' moves officials to pull the plug on scheduled Colorado event
by Toya Richards Hill
LOUISVILLE - After "prayerful discernment," the organizers of the 2006 Intergenerational Peacemaking Conference have decided to call it off.
"It's a huge disappointment for us," said Sara Lisherness, coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), adding that the decision to cancel was "in the best stewardship interest of the church and the Peacemaking Program."
The conference, titled "Unmasking Power: Seeking the Faces of Peace," was scheduled for July 22-27 at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. It was canceled because it appeared that it might not generate enough income to cover its cost.
There was a "risk of not meeting our conference expenses and having to be in a deficit situation," Lisherness said.
Factors such as increased air-travel expenses for nearly 100 conference leaders, delays in getting registration materials out, the unlikelihood of signing up the minimum of 500 registrants necessary to meet expenses, and the budget constraints the denomination is facing contributed to the decision to cancel, Lisherness said.
There was no way to meet the budget without raising the registration fee by $50 to $75 per person, she said, but that would have made it impossible for some people to take part, especially people with families, Lisherness added.
She said the cancellation of this year's event doesn't mean the conferences have ended forever. She said plans are under way for the 2007 conference.
The '07 conference is scheduled for July 3-8 at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina. The theme will be "Jesus: Proclaiming Peace."
After that conference, Lisherness said, program leaders will decide whether to hold future meetings in General Assembly years or perhaps to sponsor regional gatherings.
In the meantime, Lisherness and the peacemaking staff are encouraging people to take part in other peacemaking events scheduled for 2006, including Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, DC (March 10-13) and the Presbyterian Women's Gathering in Louisville (July 7-10).
For information on these and other peacemaking events, visit www.pcusa.org/peacemaking.
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