2022 Evangelism Conference

Name: 2022 Evangelism Conference
Start: 2022-10-30
End: 2022-11-01
Location: Montreat Conference Center

Addressing Harm, Embracing Hope

October 30–November 1, 2022 Adult

sponsored by Montreat Conference Center in partnership with Theology, Formation & Evangelism in the Presbyterian Mission Agency

In order to move into the future with a fresh understanding of the wholistic meaning of evangelism, we must repent of the wrong we have done in the name of evangelism and recognize the harm we have caused people and communities.

We have a call upon our lives to share and live the good news of the love of God for people and Creation. The call of Jesus in Matthew 28 is to go and make disciples in the way he lived, served, and taught. The call of Jesus in Matthew 25 is to form disciples who care about people who are hungry and thirsty, people who are sick and in prison, and people in need of clothing and welcome. Scripture is clear that the gospel leads us into forming disciples who will bring justice, good news, and hope to our neighborhoods.

This event will be held online and in-person at Montreat Conference Center. Everyone will join together for plenary and worship.

A discounted conference fee of $70 is made possible by the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Leadership

Rev. Shanea D. Leonard – Keynote Speaker

Rev. Shanea D. Leonard (they/them) is a pastor, teacher, consultant, community activist, and modern-day abolitionist. Shanea has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for over fourteen years. A native of Philadelphia, they received their B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with a focus in urban ministry. They currently carry out their justice mandate as the national Coordinator for Gender & Racial Justice for the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Presbyterian Mission Agency. They have done extensive work within urban areas to eradicate systemic oppression in the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic despair. Shanea is the founder & former pastor of JUDAH Fellowship, which at its height was western Pennsylvania’s only predominantly Black affirming faith community. While in Pittsburgh, Rev. Leonard was a leading revolutionary voice of systemic change in the work of jail reform, LGBTQIA inclusion, racial justice, & civic well-being. In their spare time, Shanea prides themselves on being an amateur DJ, comedian, pretty good chef, and godparent to 5 wonderful children!

Rev. Gregory J. Bentley – Preacher

Rev. Bentley, born in Thomasville, Alabama, graduated from Pine Hill High School in 1986 and enrolled at Stillman College, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the only HBCU founded by the “Southern” Presbyterian Church (PCUS). During his time at Stillman, he joined the Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church and answered his call to the ministry. Convinced of the importance of seminary training, after receiving the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Stillman in 1990, he matriculated at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia from which he received the Master of Divinity degree in 1995. He continued his studies at Auburn University at Montgomery and graduated with the Master of Education degree in 1997. He was ordained at the Northern Heights Presbyterian Church in Selma, Alabama in 1997 and led a bi-vocational career of pastoring and teaching Biology and physical science in the public school system until he came to Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2001. He was called to the pastorate of the Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama on January 1, 2012.

Rev. Bentley contends, “The church is a hospital for sinners and not a museum for saints. It is a vanguard and repository of our noblest aspirations, traditions and values.”

Rev. Bentley enjoys good music from Beethoven to Bessie Smith to BDP to Bluegrass. He also likes to read and play chess. He lives in Huntsville with his wife Diann and his daughters Miriam and Johar.

Rev. Rachel Hood Vogado – Workshop Leader

Rachel is a pastor and artist who has most recently served in congregational ministry settings, with an emphasis in Christian Formation and Education. Rachel received degrees in Art History and Museum Education from Florida State University and her Masters of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. Seeking to inspire faith communities and congregations find ways to weave their stories with God’s story through the visual arts, she has a great love for woodworking, welding and metal work, and textile arts.

Rachel is married to Chris Vogado, who is also a Presbyterian minister and a musician. When Rachel is not working with the church, she enjoys playing and listening to music, adventuring and exploring nature, sending cat photos, and learning a new hobby. Rachel can almost always be found with a cup of hot tea and doing something creative.

Rates & Registration

Virtual Conference Rate

The virtual conference fee is $70. Virtual rate does not include lodging or meals.

In-person Comprehensive Rate

Comprehensive rates below include:

conference fee of $70
room in Assembly Inn (Sunday through Tuesday nights)
meals in the Galax Dining Room (Sunday supper through Wednesday breakfast),
plus a $3 community services fee per adult for public services provided by the Town and the fire district.

Check-in/Check-out for Housing
Housing Check-in: Sunday, October 30, 2022 AFTER 3:00 pm
Housing Check-out: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 BEFORE 11:00 am

Assembly Inn
Single occupancy Private Bath	$407.00
Double occupancy Private Bath	$574.00 ($287/person)
Single occupancy Shared Bath	$362.00
Double occupancy Shared Bath	$529.00 ($264.50/person)

Scholarships

Through the partnership of Theology, Formations and Evangelism (TFE) and the Racial Equity and Women's Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM) we are excited to announce scholarships are available for this conference and the Immersion event by Vital Congregations and Montreat. Please contact Alexandra.Zareth@pcusa.org

Refund Policy

Cancellations must be received by September 16 in order to receive a full refund less a $25 service charge. Cancellations received after September 16 but on or before October 7 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 October 7. All requests must be in writing and received via email, fax, or U.S. mail.

Contact the Registrar

Questions about conference housing, or meals? Please email the registrar at saraha@montreat.org or call 828.419.9813.

Childcare is not provided during this event.

Workshops

A conversation about addressing harm to and cultivating spaces of celebration of the LBGTQIA+ community, led by Pepa Paniagua

In this workshop, Rev. Pepa Paniagua (she/her) will explore the ways that our denomination has been complicit and active in harming the LBGTQIA+ community, and highlight the ways that harm is still happening. She will invite participants to wonder what allyship could look like in their own lives and contexts, and lift up the importance of prioritizing relationships and human dignity from a shared understanding that we belong to one another as collective parts of the the body of Christ. She will touch on her work with kin∙dom community and share her experience with walking with people and churches as they have moved from places of harm toward acceptance, welcome and celebration of the LBGTQIA+ community.

Kalibu and Ulongo: Radical Welcome and Relationship as Evangelism, led by Cheni Khonje

We will discuss employing cultural insights from the Yao people with sprinkles of Dutch hospitality, that enhance our effectiveness in spreading the love of Jesus Christ.

Intersections of Hope with a 1001 NWC & Vital Congregation, led by Robyn Byrd Michalove

Spend time talking through her current context of serving in full-time ministry in both a 1001 NWC and a vital, established congregation in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Share stories, hear stories, answer questions, spend time talking about “hope”.

A Healing Gospel for a Hurting World: Worship and Craft of Radical Welcome, led by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Without claiming that we have some claim upon THE ONE TRUE Gospel or Jesus Christ or THE ONE TRUE WAY for the people of God to Worship together, in the face of the rise of Christian nationalism, violent extremism, and divisive tactics, might we be bolder in claiming and articulating A Gospel that tells a different story? In our time, through the lens of worship, we explore our hesitancy, talk tactics, and encourage one another to be Christians known for living lives of compassion, love, and justice in the world.

Rooted to Reflect: Using Art as a Spiritual Practice, led by Rachel Vogado

Through the art of visual reflection and the process of making, we will find space to reflect and name the ways that we have harmed others in our expressions of care and mission, and prayerfully create new understandings and avenues to live out Jesus’ call in our lives.