“Let Justice Roll” is the theme of the ninth annual Chester Brown, Hampton Baptist Church Preaching and Worship Conference, set for May 21-23 and sponsored by Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond.
Plenary and worship sessions, which will be held at Northminster Baptist Church in Richmond, will explore Christ's call to minister to “the least of these.” Through inspiring sermons, engaging stories in song and informative small group experiences the conference will examine what it means to offer Christ's hospitality; to provide a place and belonging for those who are invisible in our society and to stand with those whose voices are not heard.
Conference participants will have the opportunity to experience worship expressed in several different modalities: formal liturgical, Celtic, contemplative, contemporary and emergent. Though different in form, these times of worship all offer the possibility of genuine encounter with the living God who calls us to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.”
Conference leaders include Tony Campolo, founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, an organization that develops schools and social programs in various third world countries and in cities across North America. Campolo is the author of many books, his most recent being, Speaking My Mind: The Radical Evangelical Prophet Tackles the Tough Issues Christian Are Afraid to Face.
Also on the program is musician Kate Campbell. Her newly-released 11th album, For the Living of These Days, finds her returning once again to her favorite source materials: her parents' small but vital record collection; the Baptist hymnal; classic folk, soul and country music; and the pens of Alabama's finest songwriters. As a pastor's child in Mississippi, Campbell was raised on the gospel records of Mahalia Jackson, Pearl Bailey and Elvis Presley.
The schedule:
Monday, May 21
• 1:00—Registration
• 3:30—Break out Session 1
• 4:45—Hospitality Break
• Dinner on your own
• 7:00—Formal Liturgical Worship with Tony Campolo and Kate Campbell
• After worship: Kate Campbell in concert at the Coffeehouse
Tuesday, May 22
• 9:00—Plenary Session with Kate Campbell, “Preaching and Telling the Story”
• 10:15—Breakout Session 2
• 11:30—Celtic Worship
• 12:15—Lunch
• Afternoon free
•3:30—Contemplative Taizé worship
•4:15—Breakout Session 3
•5:30—Banquet featuring Kate Campbell
•7:00—Contemporary Worship with Tony Campolo and Kate Campbell
Wednesday, May 23
• 9:00—Plenary Session with Tony Campolo
• 10:30—Plenary Session with Thomas Graves, BTSR president, “Beginning Again”
• 11:15—Emergent Worship with Tony Campolo
Breakout sessions include:
• Hospitality and Social Justice, Elizabeth Newman, professor of theology and ethics, BTSR (Breakout Session 1, Monday, 3:30)
• “Love is the Welcome”: New Hymns of Peace and Justice from the Music of Iona, Deborah Carlton Loftis, professor of church music, BTSR (Breakout Session 1, Monday, 3:30)
• Sermon Planning and Preaching on Social Justice Texts, Scott Spencer, professor of New Testament, BTSR (Breakout Session 1, Monday, 3:30)
• Urban Spirituality, Benjamin P. Campbell, pastoral director, Richmond Hill (Breakout Session 2, Tuesday, 10:15)
• Creating a Climate for Social Justice, Cecil Sherman, visiting professor of pastoral ministry, BTSR (Breakout Session 2, Tuesday, 10:15)
• A Prophetic Voice from the Loft: Choral Resources for Themes of Justice in our Worship, Deborah Carlton Loftis, convener (Breakout Session 2, Tuesday, 10:15)
• Pastoral Care and Social Justice, Daniel G. Bagby, Theodore F. Adams Professor of Pastoral Care, BTSR (Breakout Session 3, Tuesday, 4:15)
• Studying Job: 2008 Smith & Helwys Bible Study, Mark E. Biddle, Russell T. Cherry Professor of Old Testament, BTSR (Breakout Session 3, Tuesday, 4:15)
The registration fee of $125 includes conference materials, lunch and dinner on Tuesday. Registration deadline is May 7. For more information or to registerm, call (804) 204-1220 or email pwconf@btsr.edu.
Church-matched scholarships are available. Scholarships are granted on the basis of need and the ability of a church to supply at least half of costs for housing, food and registration.The scholarship cannot cover travel costs. Completed applications may be submitted to Victoria Atkinson White at vawhite@btsr.edu.