Annual Assembly 2020
Assembly Overview
Please note that certain recordings may contain discussion or business from the Assembly. Most recordings have a Q&A at the end.
Keynote Speakers
JUD HENDRIX
To see Jud Hendrix’s video recording, click here.
Jud Hendrix, the keynoter for Thursday, October 22, is the Executive Director for Interfaith Paths to Peace, cofounder of the Big Table, a coach and consultant with New Possibilities Associates and an adjunct professor at Bellarmine University and JCTC. Jud has worked in the area of personal and social transformation for 30 years.
ROBERT WELSH
To see Robert Welsh’s video recording, click here.
Rev. Dr. Robert Welsh, our keynoter for Friday, October 23, has served as a congregational pastor outside Bardstown, KY, Dean of Students at Transylvania University and he was on the staff of the World Council of Churches.
Dr. Welsh retired in April 2017 after 18 years as President of the Council on Christian Unity where he served as the chief ecumenical officer for the Disciples of Christ.
Preacher
TERRI HORD OWENS
Rev. Terri Hord Owens serves as the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Hord Owens’ resume includes more than 20 years in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management before she entered seminary. For 15 years, she served as the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
To see the worship service video recording with Rev. Terri Hord Owens, click here.
Workshop Session I
THE GOLDEN RULE: NATURAL DISASTERS PRESENTED BY JIM GARRETT
Have you ever watched a news report on natural disaster survivors working to reclaim their homes and lives and wondered, "Is there something my church community can do to help?" and “How can I get involved?” Caring for those impacted by disaster has been described as practicing Christian faith with your sleeves rolled up. This workshop will introduce you to ways congregations and ecclesiastical governing bodies can help in times of great need. The focus will be to discuss important ways church communities can serve and "do to others," as they respond to disaster in organized and effective ways.
To see Jim Garrett’s video recording of his workshop, click here.
THE GOLDEN RULE BOOK STUDY: FEARLESS DIALOGUES:A NEW MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE BY GREGORY C. ELLISON, II, PRESENTED BY REV. BRIAN CLARDY
In these contentious and perilous times, open and honest dialogue is what is needed in order to create the conditions in which these critical problems can be resolved. The Rev. Dr. Greg Ellison's ground breaking work, Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice, provides unique insights on how faith communities can best grapple with difficult questions that make problem solving difficult. This workshop will delve into these multifaceted questions.
To see Brian Clardy’s video recording of his workshop, click here.
Workshop Session II
THE GOLDEN RULE: POLITICAL EMPATHY PRESENTED BY DR. PETER CAPRETTO
It is not difficult to find consensus among pastors that we should strive to be moral and ethical people. However, agreeing on what exactly that looks like in political contexts is far more challenging. If Jesus’s Golden Rule requires us to “walk in the shoes of others,” then empathy seems crucial for ethical Christian living. Yet, if we assume that we’re imperfect and we take moral responsibility seriously, how do we know when we are not being empathic with others? Drawing upon contemporary social scientific and theological research, this workshop explores how empathy can both enrich and hinder the political decision making of nearly everyone, across the political spectrum.
To see Peter Capretto’s video recording from this workshop, click here.
THE GOLDEN RULE: INTERFAITH RELATIONS-PANEL DISCUSSION, MODERATED BY REV. CAROL RUTHVEN
A discussion of how other faith traditions incorporate the Golden Rule into their teachings. The panel includes Rabbi David Wirtschafter of Temple Adath Israel in Lexington, Dr. Matthew Pierce, Associate Professor of Religion, Center College in Danville.
To see The Golden Rule: Interfaith Relations-Panel Discussion, click here.
FRIDAY’S CLOSING DIALOGUE PRESENTED BY SUSAN GARRETT AND JUSTIN REED
A discussion of the Golden Rule as referenced in the Old and New Testaments
