Congregations must grapple with the contentious times in which we live. Eastern Mennonite Seminary鈥檚 2017 School for Leadership Training (SLT) will speak to divisions of race, power, privilege and ideology鈥攁nd how pastors might recognize and work with such dividedness 鈥� with the theme, 鈥淵earning To Get Along 鈥� And Be True to Ourselves.鈥� The conference will be Jan. 16-18 at 草莓社区 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
鈥淲e have to recognize differences, and can鈥檛 just sweep them under the rug until we become a bland, monolithic society, culture, or church,鈥� says , SLT coordinator. 鈥淏ut at the same time, we don鈥檛 want differences to keep us apart.鈥�
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) will be a 鈥渃ommon thread鈥� throughout the conference.
Christena Cleveland, a social psychologist and fifth-generation minister who teaches at Duke University Divinity School, will be a keynote speaker. Drew G.I. Hart, an author, activist, and pastor who teaches at Messiah College, will also present. [Cleveland was a speaker at the 2016 faculty-staff conference; read more .]
Plenaries and workshops will cover Jesus鈥� expos茅 of power and division, the differently-abled community, white-washing Jesus, restorative justice in the police force, and other topics that encourage 鈥渘eighboring鈥� instead of 鈥渙thering.鈥�
鈥淧astors and church leaders are hungry for ways to lead congregations through the hard work of connecting, even in the face of differences,鈥� says Horning. 鈥淧lus, as many congregations find themselves in culturally pluralistic communities, they see the need for respectful, engaged dialogue across those differences.鈥�
Workshops include:
- 鈥淩ebirth of a White Nation鈥� with , professor of history and mission, Eastern Mennonite Seminary;
- “Will You Be My Friend?” with David Gullman, chaplain for ;
- 鈥淧ower, Privilege, Promise: Hagar and Sarah in Scripture and Tradition鈥� with Andrea Saner, professor of Bible and religion;
- “Understanding the Other Through the Window/Mirror of Popular Culture,” with Ben Bixler, PhD student, Drew University;
- “Practical Bridge-Building,” with Bob Gross, church consultant;
- “Restorative Justice at Work in the Community,” with , Harrisonburg Police Department;
- 鈥淪eeking the Peace of the City鈥� with , professor of restorative justice and peacebuilding at the , and her husband, Julian Turner;
- 鈥淐ombat to Communion: Coming Together at God鈥檚 Table in the Aftermath of War鈥� with United Methodist Church Pastor , president of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace;
- “Celebrating Differences in a Multi-Cultural World,” with Dr. S, Fulbright Scholar from Indonesia;
- “How Do You Measure Life Change? The Role of Data and Measurements in Community Engagement,” with , director of church development, EVANA Network.
鈥淚t is our hope that participants will leave SLT 2017 with renewed hope in humanity, in our ability to recognize differences, and at the same time enter into valuable engagement in the face of those differences,鈥� says Horning.
For more information, visit , call 540-432-4698, or email slt@emu.edu.