Thirtieth Annual Men’s Conference

By Dick Hooper, Coastline Communicator
Photos courtesy of Dick Hooper

FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA — Thirty six men representing 10 parishes from our Diocese learned Why We Whisper the E Word, Evangelism at the thirtieth annual Men’s Diocesan Conference and Retreat held at Camp Beckwith the weeend of  March 4-6.  The guest speaker, Bishop Keith Whitmore, Assistant Bishop of Atlanta, is in charge of congregational development for his diocese and knows first hand that Episcopalians are often reluctant to speak about their faith.  He stated to the conference that contrary to the old wives tale that Episcopalians finally arrived on the West Coast only after the Pullman car was invented, we were actually an evangelistic church until 1920.  At that time the General Convention adopted a corporate business approach to its management and the Presiding Bishop, who until then had been exactly that, the person presiding over the general Convention.  After 1920 the PB became the CEO.  As a result of that paradigm shift, the church seemed to adopt an attitude that evangelism should be left to the professionals.

Bishop Whitmore reminded the men of the first part of the Great Commission.  That is Jesus empowered his disciples to go out into the world.  In the Episcopal Church the clergy is the successor of the apostles and should lead the process of evangelism, but he said that the clergy needs to encourage the laity to evangelize because they approach people in their daily lives where they are, rather than how people want to appear to a clergyman.  Moreover, the Gen X and millennial generation are not churched as we were.  They must be personally invited rather than expected to come to church.  Today we are very much like the early church in that we must meet people and invite them as Andrew invited his brother Peter to meet Christ.  Bishop Keith quoted Archbishop William Temple that “the church is the only institution which exists for those who are not members.”

All is not lost for the Episcopal Church, said the bishop.  These same two generations, more than their predecessors, are searching for mystery and a spiritual life.  Look at the publications flooding the market, he suggested.  Rationalism has reached its logical conclusion and we are in a transitional time.  Through the liturgy we have the strong spiritual appeal younger people are searching for.  However, the church, if it is to change, must change at a grass roots level by inviting one seeker at a time.  How does the laity interest the seeker?  Bishop Whitmore had a simple, but powerful suggestion.  Each Christian should be able to tell their own story; they need to witness what the gospel means in their own life.  It is not about theology or doctrine, but about a way of life. He said.  Americans tend to compartmentalize their life separating secular from spiritual, but as the church of Incarnation, Episcopalians know that God we live in a sacramental world in which He acts in ordinary lives daily.  That is our unique message.

He reminded his audience that we believe we live in a time line so that life goes on in a different way even after death.  God has promised a new body just as our Lord was changed after his resurrection.  However, our goal is not to live for future glory, but to live life to the fullest now.  After all, our future is already assured through Christ’s sacrifice.

The participants tried to take the bishop’s advice and enjoy good fellowship, worship and great food.  As usual for the conference Sam Richardson brought Apalachicola oysters for an oyster shuck on Friday to start the events.  For the first time at the conference, Walt Kindergan and Charlie Roose teamed up to have a powerful Taize service Saturday night.  Also a first, Bishop Whitmore spoke ex cathedra, literally from his chair to remind the men that the bishop’s role in the early church was to sit and teach his flock.  By sitting and teaching in a conversational style, he encouraged individual thought and group conversation.  As a vote of confidence for the conference, the men raised $530 at the final Eucharist for Camp Beckwith.

Next year the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bp. Katharine Jefferts-Schori, will celebrate Eucharist  and stay to greet the attendees and lead a question and answer session at the Thirty First Men’s Conference.  The theme next year is Remembrance so save the dates March 2, 3 and 4 of 2012 and come to enjoy a spiritual and fun weekend for men.