wfn.org | Bishop Charleston to help Episcopal Communicators "tell their stories"

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2000-203

Bishop Charleston to help Episcopal Communicators "tell their stories"

By Jim Goodson

     Bishop Steven Charleston will be a keynote speaker at the Episcopal 
Communicators Conference April 19-21, 2001 at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas.

     Charleston will lead discussions on spiritual development and ways 
communicators serve the Lord, the church and their profession. He is the 
president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School and the former Bishop of Alaska. 
Charleston is also chair of the House of Bishops' Justice, Peace and Integrity of 
Creation task force.

     "We're very excited Bishop Charleston has agreed to come to our conference," 
said Episcopal Communicators president Herb Gunn. "He's a wonderful presenter. 
This offers us a chance to deepen our understanding of the role of communicator 
and its spiritual opportunities."

     Episcopal Communicators meet annually to network, learn, relax, pray and 
worship. This year's event is being held at Camp Allen, a secluded retreat and 
conference center northwest of Houston. The theme of the 2001 conference is 
Telling Our Story. Communicators will have the opportunity to describe their 
spiritual and professional development as imparters of the written, spoken and 
electronically-transmitted word of Christ and the church.

     Others who have been asked to present at the conference include Ted 
Mollegen, a member of the Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development, and 
the Episcopal Church's new Director of Communication, Dan England. Workshop 
topics include web design, how to strengthen parish communications, headline 
writing, layout and the digital age.

     Camp Allen will give hard-working communicators a chance to relax. The 
1,100-acre wooded camp boasts state-of-the-art meeting facilities, comfortable 
hotel-style rooms and a beautiful new chapel that seats 1,500. Outdoor activities 
include nature hikes, swimming, horseback riding, skeet shooting, canoeing and 
many other opportunities to get away from the hurried world of deadline pressures 
in which Episcopal communicators live.

     One highlight will be a hayride and chuck wagon dinner followed by late 
night star-gazing in the clear, black Texas sky. The annual conference will also 
include the annual Polly Bond Awards, when Episcopal communicators are honored 
for their work.

     "Last year we met amid the hustle and bustle of Chicago," Gunn said, 
referring to the joint EC-Religious Communications Congress event. "This year 
we'll have an opportunity to get to know each other better and to learn from each 
other. We've also built in some recreational activities everyone should enjoy."

     Diocese of Texas communications coordinator Carol Barnwell is host for the 
2001 Episcopal Communicators Conference.

--Jim Goodson is communications director for the Diocese of Dallas and a member 
of the board of Episcopal Communicators.