wfn.org | Teleconference with Church Leaders Set for June 4

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

30-April-1997 
97186 
 
        Teleconference with Church Leaders Set for June 4 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Presbyterians throughout the country will have the 
opportunity to discuss their questions and concerns about the Presbyterian 
Church (U.S.A.) with denominational leaders during a first-of-its-kind 
national teleconference June 4 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time. 
 
     The "town meeting"-style telecast will originate from the Presbyterian 
Center in Louisville and can be downlinked at any place where the "KU" 
satellite band can be received.  It will feature brief remarks by the Rev. 
Clifton Kirkpatrick, General Assembly stated clerk; the Rev. John M. 
Buchanan, moderator of the General Assembly; Youngil Cho, chair of the 
General Assembly Council (GAC); and the Rev. Frank Diaz, GAC interim 
executive director. 
 
     The rest of the teleconference will consist of the leaders' responses 
to phone-in questions from teleconference viewers around the country. 
 
     Claude Brock, coordinator for church and public relations in the 
Office of Communication, who is setting up the teleconference, told the 
Presbyterian News Service the reasons for it are "connectionalism and 
efficiency."  He said the total cost of the teleconference will be less 
than $7,000, with little or no cost to local downlink sites.  "That is an 
extremely cost-efficient way to enable thousands of Presbyterians to hear 
from and talk directly to their leaders," he explained. 
 
     For example, if 100 downlink sites are established and 25 
Presbyterians are present at each site, the cost of the 90-minute 
conversation will be less than $3 per participant.  "Because this is so 
new," Brock added, "100 sites with 10 to 20 people at each site would have 
to be considered very valuable -- a good opening for the kind of event 
we've never had before." 
 
     Diaz said he hoped the June 4 teleconference will be just the 
beginning of using teleconference technology to "foster greater 
connectionalism throughout the denomination." 

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