Faithful Conversations

Finding new ways to engage difficult issues

Robert Welsh, president of the Council on Christian Unity, explains the Faithful Conversations at the 2011 General Assembly.

Engaging in meaningful conversation presents a challenge when thousands of interested Disciples share the same room, yet have limited time for debate. We confront this challenge at each General Assembly business session.

As an experiment, two topics in the 2011 General Assembly will be discussed using methods that allow large groups to have meaningful conversation and allow all voices to engage. They are conversational practices that will introduce Disciples to ways to approach complex issues in a world that often becomes polarized when engaging in debate.

The two topics, “Faithful Response to Christian Unity and Peacemaking” and “Immigration,” will introduce these different conversation models.

Come, join the experiment and let your voice be heard!

War and Peace: an honest conversation

Beginning with “from the heart” sharing in a business plenary, Assembly Disciples will engage the difficult issues of war and peace, while still laying claim to unity in Christ.

“Somehow, somewhere, we need to model honest, genuine disagreements as Christians, and still claim each other as one family,” said Robert Welsh, Council on Christian Unity president in describing the intention of a conversation he and his board have designed for the Nashville Assembly.

With an approach that begins Sunday in plenary with story telling from a variety of perspectives, the conversation will continue in one of a number of Monday afternoon sessions Welsh calls, “Conversations at the Heart of our Faith.”

Monday, July 11 (2:30-5:00 pm): Renaissance Belmont Rooms 1, 2 & 3

1. Christian Perspectives on War and Peace (Timothy Lee, moderator) - Belmont Room 3 - Renaissance Hotel

Part A: Three Historical Perspectives in Christian Tradition (Sharon Warner)

Part B: Historical Perspectives among the Disciples of Christ (Jim Higginbotham, moderator. Craig Watts, Newell Williams)

2. Pastoral and Theological Perspectives on War, Peace, and Unity (Virzola Law, moderator) - Belmont Room 2 - Renaissance Hotel

Part A: Fishbowl panel presenting the different positions and identifying the issues (Ellen Lewis; Krista Johnson, Rita Nakashima-Brock; Steve Doan)

Part B: Focused conversation on the way the issues get “played out” and “lived out” in congregations. Using the values modeled in the discussion consider what it would take to address issues of War and Peace while manifesting our God Given unity with particular attention to the way the table shapes, informs and guides our discuss. (Doug Skinner and Dani Loving Cartwright)

3. New Developments regarding War and Peace in the Ecumenical Movement (Robyn Fickes, moderator) - Belmont Room 1 - Renaissance Hotel

Part A: Reporting on recent events and ecumenical statements related to War and Peacemaking from NCCC and IEPC/WCC ( Tamara Nichols Rodenburg, La Marco Cable, Jordan Blevins, Robert Welsh)

Part B: Looking to the Future: Seeking and Building a Just Peace (Scott Thayer, Dennis Sparks)

More details »

Recorders of these conversations will prepare a summary that will be received in Wednesday morning’s business session, along with any recommendations for next steps by the church.

Who is my neighbor?

Meanwhile, in an effort to introduce Assembly Disciples to a wide range of perspectives on immigration, planners will invite participants in the Tuesday afternoon business session to learn the stories of real-life characters – ranging from a U.S. border patrolman to an undocumented high school student.

“There are no easy answers to problems as complex as immigration,” says Jennifer Riggs, Refugee and Immigration Ministries director. “The church can be a catalyst for meaningful conversation that can ultimately lead to compassionate and reasonable solutions – because our faith perspective brings a lot to the discussion.”

An outdoor, candlelight Immigration Prayer Vigil on Tuesday night and a Wednesday afternoon Resource Group on how to have “holy conversations” will offer two more opportunities for interested Disciples to faithfully respond.