RICHMOND — Two new resources of the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies will be available at the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. “The Swirling Center: Prospects for Diversity in the Church” is a three-disc DVD set of the presentations and dialogue at the Heritage Center’s convocation on the topic of diversity which was held in May.
Also included are the speeches on diversity delivered at the annual meeting of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society.
Speakers included in “The Swirling Center” are Lloyd Allen, Baptist historian from the McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University; Emmanuel McCall, a Baptist world statesman; and Doug Hicks, a professor in the Jepson School of Leadership at the University of Richmond. Also included are reflections by three Virginia Baptist ministers: Henry V. Langford, a 90-year-old Baptist minister who confronted social change in the 1950s; Barbara Filling, who speaks about gender issues; and Michael Cheuk, who addresses ethnicity issues.
The convocation included some 40 invited participants who dialogued on the subject of diversity in church life. Wayne Faison, team leader of the courageous churches team of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, presided over the period of dialogue and approval of a resolution.
“The DVD set gives everyone a front row seat to hear the challenging speakers and to sense the concern which the participants exhibited over the topic,” says Fred Anderson, executive director of the Heritage Center. “The convocation proved that diversity, especially ethnic and language diversity in Virginia is not a possibility but a reality. The participants considered how practicing Christians should best embrace the reality.”
The DVD set is available for $25 including shipping and handling. A companion booklet will be included at no extra charge while supplies last. The booklet contains the papers of the 2008-09 Heritage Fellows, a group of Virginia college students. They interviewed pastors and denominational leaders and compiled an analysis of the present response to ethnic diversity on the local, state and national levels among Baptists.
The Heritage Center also has published Memories of the Future: A Memoir of Virginia Baptists’ Young Leaders’ Program. Written by Robert Dale, who designed and led the Young Leaders Program, the new book traces the beginnings and development of the initiative which aided some 300 ministers over its twenty-year span. The book is the first in the proposed Our Story series which will capture various parts of the Virginia Baptist experience. Robert Dale will be in the Heritage Center’s booth at the annual meeting to autograph copies of his book. Memories of the Future will be available free of charge at the BGAV meeting. Afterwards, individuals may request a copy for $6 to cover shipping and handling.
Orders for the new resources may be sent to the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies, P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.