Current Conferences
Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:44
For lay leaders, clergy, commissioned lay pastors, seminary students, and all who wish to take part in fashioning a new vision for the church.
If we believe God yearns to turn the church loose to be a Gospel force in the world, how can we partner in what God is doing? Differences – of culture and color, gender and generation, political perspective and theology – are gifts to be explored and celebrated as we live into a Church Unbound.
Key Leaders
- Brian McLaren, Washington, DC; Keynote & Preacher; an author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers and activists. Author of The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything and A Generous Orthodoxy.
- Eugene Eung-Chun Park, San Francisco, CA; Bible Study Leader; Professor of New Testament, author of The Mission Discourse in Matthew’s Interpretation and Either Jew or Gentile: Paul’s Unfolding Theology of Inclusivity. He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and also has a congenial relationship with Korean Presbyterian Churches in the US and in Korea.
- Jud Hendrix, Louisville, KY; Music and Worship Team; Jud is the organizing pastor of Covenant Community Church in Louisville, KY and the Coordinator of the Ecclesia Project, a program to identify and cultivate innovative leaders and start new Christian Communities. He is also the director of the Center For Integral Spirituality. He is married to Lori Hendrix has three children.
- Liz Kaznak, Louisville, KY; Music and Worship Team
- Harry Pickens, Louisville, KY; Music and Worship Team; professional musician, speaker, consultant. Special Assistant to the Provost for New Initiatives, University of Louisville.
- Nelson Johnson, Greensboro, NC; Preacher; pastor and founder of Faith Community Church, co-founder of the Beloved Community Center, and has been active in the movement for social and economic justice since high school in the late 1950’s.
- Carol Howard Merritt, Washington, DC; Preacher; pastor of Western Presbyterian Church, author of the book Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation.
- Margaret Aymer, Atlanta, GA; Preacher; assistant professor, New Testament, Interdenominational Theological Center, with a special interest in biblical hermeneutics, particularly how African diasporic communities signify the Bible as “scripture.”
Workshops Offered
Workshops are offered on Thursday (11:30-12:30 pm & 2:30-4:00 pm) and again on Friday (11:30-12:30 pm & 2:30-4:00 pm). You may register for ONE workshop on Thursday and ONE workshop on Friday.
- Worship Practicum Interested in creating and facilitating worship at Church Unbound? Through a creative and open process, participants will work with our worship leaders to discern, create, and facilitate the evening service. During the morning, we will meet in a large group to reflect on the scripture passage, discern how the text speaks to what is emerging at the conference, and begin envisioning how to weave it all together through creative music, spoken word, and embodied expression in that evening’s service. In the afternoon, we will meet in small groups to do the actual creation of the worship liturgy, music, and space. Participants must be available for practice before that day’s evening service and for reflection after the service. You may elect to sign up for one or both days of the workshop. If you play any type of instrument please bring it to the conference, a few guitars and drums will be available. Worship Catalyst – Jud Hendrix, Liz Kaznak, and Harry Pickens (see bios above)
- Something Is Trying to Be Born (Thursday only) What if the pains and struggles of the Christian community are actually labor pains, as we prepare to give birth to a new generation of Christian faith globally? We’ll share stories and signs of pregnancy from Christian communities around the world. Brian McLaren (see bio above)
- Statements and States: Questions and Quests – How the Church Changes (Friday only) Let’s ask and discuss 10 questions that are transforming the faith around the world and across denominations. These questions invite all of us to have a constructive voice in the conversation – and to become active, responsible listeners as well. Brian McLaren (see bio above)
- Bible Study Workshop What if Bible Study were not a lecture to be prepared by the leader or a book to be read together by participants, but an opportunity for the whole community of God to engage each other and God in the reading and living out of scripture? From southern Africa comes such a process, a process called Contextual Bible Study. In this workshop, participants will create a Contextual Bible Study together, evaluate what it takes to do one, and receive access to comprehensive, free resources that will enable them to create Contextual Bible studies in their own faith communities. Margaret Aymer (see bio above)
- The Emerging Congregation Changes in the culture, toward which terms like “postmodern” and “post-Christian” point, mean that we can no longer “do” church in ways we did only a couple of generations ago. This workshop will explore those cultural shifts and how congregations can adapt to them while remaining faithful to the Gospel. Jim Kitchens, Nashville, TN; pastor of Second Presbyterian Church and the author of The Postmodern Parish, published by the Alban Institute. Being a pastor in both California and Tennessee has given Jim a couple of different perspectives on emerging forms of congregational life.
- Evangelism Unbound Who says Presbyterians are too timid to share their faith? It’s time to unbind our tongues to share the Good News! Years ago Jack Haberer developed a program of friendship evangelism that has been refined and refined — and has been taught and used widely. It’s Reformed. It’s unthreatening and even disarming. And it’s easily put into practice, especially when utilizing Jack’s own version of the “four spiritual laws.” After 22 years’ service as pastor of churches in Florida and Texas, Jack Haberer is now editor of the Presbyterian Outlook, the independent, biweekly news and resource magazine serving the PC(USA).
- Justice and Peace Shall Kiss. . . Using Psalm 85:10 as a starting point, participants will be invited to explore what it means to “do justice” as an integral part of one’s ministry. Sara Pottschmidt Lisherness is the Director of Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She has written articles for several magazines and journals, including Presbyterians Today, Horizons, Church & Society, and Ideas! and has served as content editor of two issues of Church & Society. She co-edited Striking Terror No More – The Church Responds to Domestic Violence. Additionally, she has written and edited peacemaking curriculum for children, youth and adults.
- Missional Christianity and the Plurality of Truth This interactive workshop will explore the idea that missional Christian faith is inherently and irreducibly pluralist in nature, suggesting that the diversity of Christian faith is not, as some ways of thinking seem to suggest, a problem that needs to be overcome. Instead, this diversity is part of the divine design for the church as the instrument of God’s mission in the world and a provisional demonstration of God’s will for all creation. John R. Franke is the Lester and Kay Clemens Professor of Missional Theology at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, PA. He holds the DPhil degree from the University of Oxford and is particularly interested in engaging postmodern thought and culture from the perspective of missional Christian faith. He has spoken on the relationships between the gospel, theology, mission, and culture throughout the US and around the world and is actively involved in research and writing. In addition to publishing numerous articles and reviews he is the coauthor of Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context, the author of The Character of Theology and Barth for Armchair Theologians. His most recent book is Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth.
- Multi-Cultural Ministry How do we design our worship service and worship space so that we communicate to all that one culture will not predominate, but that all cultures and generations will find genuine inclusion? How do we offer leadership as pastors, elders, deacons and leaders that is sensitive to the wide diversity of cultures present in our midst, while maintaining unity and coherence in our life together? Jin Kim, Minneapolis, MN; Pastor and Head of Staff, Church of All Nations; holds degrees from Georgia Tech, Princeton Seminary, and Columbia Theological Seminary (D.Min. specializing in New Church Development)
- Prayer and Spirituality Examine “spirituality” and “prayer” in the Reformed tradition, both individual and corporate. We will ask to what extent we can make use of our theological ancestors’ piety in today’s world and to what extent our contemporary piety/spirituality might be in need of “being re-formed.” Dieter U. Heinzl is Associate Pastor for Adult Education and Programs at Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO. He teaches theology and ethics as adjunct professor at Eden Theological Seminary, is a member of Spiritual Directors International and an active spiritual director, and serves as 1st Vice President of Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls. If you want to blog with him, you can check him out on souljourner.me. Dieter holds an M.Div. from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.
- Racial Reconciliation – Then and Now An exploration of where we have been and where we still need to go regarding race relations in the United States. Drawing upon his experience as a survivor of the Greensboro Massacre and an organizer of the anti-Klan rally of 1979, Johnson helps participants understand what it means to live into Martin Luther King Jr.‘s vision of social and economic justice, the vision of a “Beloved Community.” Nelson Johnson (see bio above)
- Reframing Hope In a new generation, radical cultural transformations happen all around us in the way that we communicate, relate and organize. Why are these movements occurring? How should our congregations respond? In this workshop, we will explore these shifts and learn how to find hope for our churches in the midst of it. Carol Howard Merritt (see bio above)
- Unbound Witness in Washington Learn how you can improve the effectiveness of your advocacy and ease conflicts within your church through the use of these simple rules. Part I will provide an introduction to the Institute and its work, with an emphasis on belief systems. Part II will be an examination of our listening & communication skills. Both Parts I & II will include civility tips for improving the way we relate to others, based on our book, Reclaiming Civility in the Public Square – 10 Rules That Work. Cassandra Dahnke and Tomas Spath are co-founders of the Institute for Civility in Government. Along with Donna Bowling, they have co-authored the above-referenced book. They have addressed community groups, schools, churches and members of Congress, and have been interviewed on radio and television. Both are ordained pastors in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and are actively serving in congregations.
- Urban Ministry An eschatological approach to urban ministry that seeks to overcome the dividing walls of culture, race, theology, economics and mission enabling presbyteries with urban, suburban and rural congregations. Effective urban ministry is vital to the life of the church and yet many communities seek to peacefully coexist with divisions between urban, suburban and rural congregations. The workshop will provide participants a process model which teaches diverse communities how to do effective ministry in the context of our Christian heritage. Elder Tom Priest Jr. is past Moderator of the Presbytery of Detroit and currently chairs the presbytery’s Metropolitan Urban Ministry Team and Coordinating Cabinet. Tom has spent many years working for reconcilation and inclusion in our church and society. Tom holds Mdiv from Ecumenical Theological Seminary, MS Engineering from Rensalear Polytechincal Institute and BS Civil Engineering from Howard University.
Program Fee
On or before July 1st:
- $205 – regular full fee
- $130 – spouse/family member fee
- $105 – college/seminary student fee
- $ 80 – spouse/family member of college/seminary student fee
After July 1st:
- $230 – regular full fee
- $155 – spouse/family member fee
- $130 – college/seminary student fee
- $105- spouse/family member of college/seminary student fee
Scholarships are available for this conference.
Cost for Housing and Meals
The following rates for Assembly Inn, Winsborough, & Glen Rock Inn are per person and include all room and meal charges for the entire conference (Wednesday supper-Saturday breakfast). No adjustments to package will be made except for extended stay. Meals for children ages 5-11: $38.75; under 5: no charge. No room charge for children under 12 years of age in the same room with parent(s).
Assembly Inn
- Single, Private Bath: $343.50
- Single, Connecting Bath: $286.50
- Double, Private Bath: $226.50 per person
- Double, Connecting Bath: $211.50 per person
Winsborough/Glen Rock Inn
- Single, Connecting Bath: $196.50
- Double, Connecting Bath: $136.50 per person
Learn more about these and other housing options available in Montreat…
Registration/Child Care Information
Conference begins Wednesday, August 11, with registration 3-5 PM, Assembly Inn. Conference ends Saturday, August 14, at approximately 11:30 AM.
If you would like conference information mailed to you via U.S. mail, please email carolo[at]montreat.org. Questions about registration? Email the registrar at susana[at]montreat.org.
Child care is available. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. LIMITED ENROLLMENT.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received by July 1 in order to receive a full refund less a $25 service charge. Cancellations received after July 1 but on or before August 5 will receive a 50% refund of the conference fee and payments made toward room and meal charges (if applicable), less $40. No refunds will be issued after August 5. All requests must be made in writing and received via email, fax, or U.S. mail.
Planning Team
Tracy Bailey, Black Mountain, NC
Merri Bass, Montreat, NC
Christopher Edmonston, Tarboro, NC
Jack Haberer, Richmond, VA
Thao Hoang, Houston, TX
Louise Johnson, Princeton, NJ
Stacy Johnson, Princeton, NJ
Tricia Dykers Koenig, Cleveland Heights, OH
Rosy Latimore, Troy, MI
Matthew Rich, Lumberton, NC
Sponsored by The Presbyterian Outlook, Cross Cultural Alliance of Ministries, and Montreat Conference Center.