From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
APCE Conference Attracts Nearly 1,000 Participants
From
PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org
Date
01 Mar 1998 16:10:52
13-February-1998
98046
APCE Conference Attracts Nearly 1,000 Participants
by Julian Shipp
BOSTON-Gathering nearly 1,000 strong here Feb. 3-7, the Association of
Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) annual event offered Christian
educators, clergy and lay Christian education volunteers an opportunity to
celebrate their ministry through worship, conversation and an array of
learning, growth and fellowship experiences.
Affiliated with three Presbyterian and Reformed denominations: the
Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the
Reformed Church in America, APCE members also approved a goal to increase
APCE's racial/ethnic membership over the upcoming years.
"I feel privileged and honored to serve APCE," said Marion Barclay of
Toronto, Canada, APCE Governing Cabinet president. "I don't think I've
ever met a group of more dedicated, hardworking people."
Conference leaders Dr. Thomas H. Groome and the Rev. Amitiyah Elayne
Hyman, along with a complement of workshop leaders, led the 985 registered
participants in focusing on this year's conference theme, "Claimed by God,
Remembering the Covenant, Living the Promise."
A Presbyterian minister in the Washington, D.C., area for 17 years,
Hyman led spirited worship that included innovative liturgy, sermon and
songs. During worship on Feb. 5, for example, Hyman asked worshipers to
remove their shoes in the ballroom of Boston's Marriott Copley Place Hotel,
calling space used for the worship of God "holy ground."
True to her passions - the earth itself and indigenous cultures,
including her own Woodland Indian and West African cultural heritages -
Hyman then began a series of relaxation techniques designed to help
worshipers concentrate on alleviating stress and obtaining a higher level
of spiritual awareness. Hyman's creativity also extended to her liturgy -
taken from 1 Peter 2:10 - which culminated in a fluid, harmonic chant by
the people.
"Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people," Hyman
said, encouraging her audience to sway rhythmically to the soothing tones
of her voice. "Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy."
Hyman has been featured on "The Protestant Hour," on which five of her
sermons where broadcast in 1994. She has also spoken at PC(USA) gatherings
for Women of Color, African-American Advisory Committee, and regional
meetings in New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Groome, professor of theology and religious education at Boston College
in Chestnut Hill, Mass., engaged the audience in a series of stimulating
Bible conversations, making the central point that all Christians are
called to be "apprentices" (disciples) to Jesus. But, he said, Christian
educators are also "apprentices" to Jesus as teacher.
As the church prepares to enter the new millennium, Groome said,
Christian educators must commit themselves to "total Christian education" -
that is, to "inform, form, and transform communities and persons in lived
and living, whole and wholesome Christian faith for the reign of God."
Groome is the author of "Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our
Story and Vision" and more than 60 published articles that have appeared in
scholarly collections and journals of religious education, pastoral
ministry and theology.
In between worship and plenaries, participants had many scheduled
activities from which to choose, including participating in more than 60
workshops, visiting a Cokesbury-managed bookstore, buying handcrafted
international gifts, and perusing displays featuring information, resources
and other tools of the trade for those involved in educational ministry.
One best-selling item was the new APCE promotional video, which is
designed to help people better understand the role of APCE in supporting
and enriching educational ministry in the PC(USA), Reformed Church in
America, and the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
"The APCE Cabinet feels that there are many ways this video can be
used," said Patte Henderson of Charleston, W.Va., president-elect of APCE.
"Some of these ways are to help develop a network among other persons
serving in educational ministry, to promote membership in APCE and to
encourage support of educators by the larger church."
During a special visit to the Children's Museum and Computer Museum in
Boston, APCE members took an interactive journey through the gigantic "Walk
Through Computer 2000." Lights flashed, disks spun and data whirled as
visitors operated what is billed as the biggest desktop computer in the
world.
Increasing APCE's racial/ethnic membership
During APCE's corporate meeting, members approved two steps designed to
increase the organization's racial/ethnic membership.
In October 1996, APCE's 13-member Governing Cabinet decided that is was
time to take steps to be more inclusive and representative of the church
and church educators in APCE's life and work. Of particular concern was the
lack of representation by racial/ethnic educators in APCE's membership at
large as well as on the governing cabinet. This concern was presented to
APCE members at the 1997 gathering, at which time four racial/ethnic
representatives were elected to the cabinet for one-year terms.
The racial/ethnic representatives are Anne Yee Hibbs, Asian-American
representative of the Presbyterian Church in Canada; Jesus R.
Sanchez-Reyes, Hispanic representative of the PC(USA); Betty Jacob, Native
American representative of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; and Lester
Staton, African-American representative of the PC(USA).
With the new representatives at the 1997 fall Governing Cabinet
meeting, a more inclusive dialogue occurred to develop a process that
ensured continued racial/ethnic representation in APCE's decision-making
functions. However, according to Stephen Kolderup of Elkhart, Ind., APCE's
Coordinating and Planning Committee chair, more time and consideration
needs to be given to the establishment of a member data base that would be
useful in facilitating elections by racial/ethnic communities and other
related issues.
In light of these considerations, APCE members approved the following:
* That the four persons appointed for the 1997-98 term be reappointed
for two more years, the appointments ending in February 2000, with
permission for the cabinet to make new appointments in the event of
vacancies.
* That the cabinet present a plan for racial/ethnic representation on
the APCE Cabinet to the 1999 business meeting.
The 1999 annual event, the APCE Dimension, will be held Feb. 3-6 in
Chicago.
------------
For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
phone 502-569-5504 fax 502-569-8073
E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org Web page: http://www.pcusa.org
mailed from World Faith News <wfn-news@wfn.org>
--
Browse month . . .
Browse month (sort by Source) . . .
Advanced Search & Browse . . .
WFN Home