Evangelism Conference

Over the Labor Day weekend I attended the National Evangelism Conference of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The setting was the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville Tennessee. They claim that this is the largest hotel in the United States. I must say that it was a beautiful setting with all its indoor gardens under three huge domes; the facilities for our meetings were very nice. Getting around was a challenge to those with mobility limits. I walked over 6 miles every day getting from room to meeting place, to restaurants, back to room, etc. Although it was possible to get to all the rooms and meetings by wheelchair it meant some circuitous routes to take ramps and elevators.

More pictures I took at the Conference.

It also seemed to be inappropriate for a Church group living in an awareness of the fact that two thirds of the world's people do not have enough to eat to meet in a place that I would describe as a temple to consumerism. I actually used the word obscene to describe my reaction to the great expense it takes to maintain the tropical gardens. It was not that the costs to participants were so outrageous, I probably paid as much for a room in a second class hotel in New York City at the multicultural conference several years ago. It is the total cost of maintaining this luxury facility, the carbon foot print something like this must occupy, and the isolation from the poor. Even in the most luxurious hotel in a major city the poor at visible when you step out into the streets. Here the impoverished were miles away in the city.

I was shocked not just how luxurious and isolated this was, but how quickly I became acclimated to this level of luxury, hardly thinking about the level of excess I was experiencing.

As for the conference I thought there were many good things going on. Jim Wallace from Sojourners magazine spoke on the first night, (read Presbyterian News Service Article) we had some great preachers. A two and a half hour worship service with communion seemed a little over the top, and then the preacher was far from the best that the conference presented. Although most of the music was not my style it was impressive and appealing to a younger generation. One of the most impressive services was with the Hot Metal Connection faith community leading. The co pastors presented the sermon barefooted, jeans and a tee shirt, holding a fishing net and engaging in dialogue between Peter and Andrew. They were wonderfully gifted and very thought provoking. It was the first event of the conference and for me the highlight of the conference. I went to four workshops, three either good or excellent, the last so boring that I could not stay for more than one hour of a 90 minute workshop.