Bethany president to keynote 2010 Progressive Brethren Gathering.

The third Progressive Brethren Gathering will be held on Nov. 12-14 at Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind. Sponsored by Womaen’s Caucus, Voices for an Open Spirit, and the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests (BMC), the conference will explore the theme "Forward Together: Conversations Towards an Enlivened Community."

Ruthann Knechel Johansen, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, will be the keynote speaker. Her presentation is entitled, "Becoming Incarnational People." Johansen became president of the seminary in July 2007. For the previous 20 years she had been a professor at the University of Notre Dame where she taught in the Program of Liberal Studies, administered the interdisciplinary Core Course in the College of Arts and Letters, and was a Fellow of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.

In addition to the keynote address, workshops will offer opportunities for conversation and reflection, and worship will be an important part of the event. Debbie Eisenbise, pastor of Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Kalamazoo, Mich., and Kreston Lipscomb, pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Springfield, Ill., are scheduled to preach, and Mutual Kumquat will perform.

Cost of the two-day event is $100, with limited scholarships available and special rates for students and children. On-line registration is available at www.progressivebrethren.org. For more information contact Carol Wise at 612-343-2060 or cwise@bmclgbt.org.

Source: 8/27/2010 Newsline