wfn.org | Martin Marty to be among speakers at RCC 2000

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 27, 1999 News media contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York
10-71B{394}

By United Methodist News Service

Martin Marty, the well-known authority on American religious tradition, will
be among the speakers at the Religious Communications Congress (RCC) 2000
meeting March 29-April 1 in Chicago.

Registration is now open for the multifaith event, according to Shirley
Whipple Struchen, a United Methodist and RCC 2000 chairwoman.

Marty, the author of 50 books, taught for 35 years at the University of
Chicago and recently directed the Public Religion Project there, funded by
the Pew Charitable Trusts. The university also has established the Martin
Marty Center to promote "public religion" endeavors.

The Lutheran pastor and internationally acclaimed scholar has been asked to
challenge religious communicators to move into the future during his
presentation on March 30.

"He has a unique ability to take deep theological issues and relate them to
our present culture in meaningful stories accessible to a wider public,"
Struchen said.

With the theme, "Faith Stories in a Changing World," the event will focus on
sharing faith through spoken, electronic, online, written and artistic
stories. It will be at the Chicago Marriott downtown.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has been invited to open the event during the March
29 dinner banquet.  Odyssey, a Hallmark-Henson network, will provide the
evening's entertainment during the April 1 closing banquet.

More than 60 workshops, some of which may be repeated, have been confirmed
for the meeting. United Methodists leading workshops and their topics
include Ken Bedell, "Religion on the Internet"; Thomas Boomershine, "How
Religious Stories Get Told in the 21st Century"; Dayton Edmonds,
"Storytelling: Preserving the Peoples' Ways"; and Cam Linton, "Using Digital
Multimedia in Theological Education."

Also, Majorie Kimbrough, "Telling Her Story - Biblical Women are Worthy";
Tom McAnally, "Crisis Management"; Mike Morgan, "For Heaven's Sake -
Cartooning and Faith"; Robert Robertson, "Bring a Friend Sunday: People
Reaching People"; Jerome Smith, "Distance Learning"; Len Wilson, "The Wired
Church: Speaking the Cultural Language of Media"; and Jim Skillington, "The
Internet and the Church."

Other presenters during the congress include Ken Medema, a singer, composer,
poet and storyteller; Patrick A.B. Anthony, a Catholic priest who serves as
the Caribbean regional president of the World Association for Christian
Communication (WACC); Carlos Valle, a Methodist from Argentina, who is the
WACC general secretary; and Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter,
co-directors of Body Wisdom Inc., and coordinators of faith expressions for
RCC 2000. Martha Williamson, executive producer of the hit CBS television
program, "Touched by an Angel," has been invited to speak on April 1.
 
Among the cooperating organizations for RCC 2000 are United Methodist
Communications, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the United
Methodist Association of Communicators and the United Methodist Reporter.

Besides Struchen, United Methodists involved in planning the event include
Rena Yocom, Dan Gangler, Kelly Martini, Cam Linton and Roger Sadler.

Registration information is available at the event's Web site,
www.RCC2000.org, or by calling (212) 870-2985.

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United Methodist News Service
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