Historic Christian Gathering to Chart Gospel Politics of the Future
Unprecedentedly diverse “Envision” conference June 8-10
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
In an election year when religious leaders are getting media scrutiny, the chorus of voices -- both new and established -- calling for rethinking the role of faith in public life grows louder. Hundreds of Evangelical and Mainline Christian activists will gather in Princeton, New Jersey, on June 8-10 to envision the future of Christian engagement in the public square.
The conference – Envision – is organized by an unprecedentedly diverse group of leaders, scholars, artists and activists, and will include prominent Christians such as Richard Cizik, Jim Wallis and Brenda Salter McNeil. At this critical moment, this prophetic group will craft a statement charting the gospel politics of the future.
Conference directors and participants will be available to media between now and the conference.
"We are not just people of vision, but are also implementing a public strategy that will not only shape the Fall's election, but is transforming culture beyond politics, both in the United States and abroad," says Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, who was recently featured in TIME Magazine’s annual “TIME 100.”
"What we're witnessing is the beginning of what could be another Great Awakening in which the hunger for spirituality and social justice are fueling a revival and inspiring a movement that will significantly impact politics in the 2008 election and beyond," says Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners and author of the New York Times bestsellers God’s Politics and The Great Awakening: Seven Commitments to Revive America.
"No matter who gets elected, the real work of social change comes after all the confetti has hit the floor. This is a chance for all the diverse followers of Jesus to think through our role in a new political era," says conference co-director and New York Faith & Justice founder Lisa Sharon Harper, author of the forthcoming Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican or Democrat.
The conference will present a rare opportunity for Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Pentecostals, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, Whites and many other groups represented in the church universal to draw on their diverse experience and shared faith to forge common ground for the next century of Christian public engagement.
"Envision 08 is ¡Ahora! An idea whose time has come, re-thinking our faith amongst a great diverse mosaic, the mosaic of 21st century U.S. Christianity," says conference steering committee member Rev. Gabriel Salguero, director of Princeton Theological Seminary’s Hispanic Leadership Program.
The conference will take place June 8-10, 2008 at Princeton University Chapel. A complete list of speakers and program details can be found at www.ev08.org. The week before the conference, Christians across the country, as well as those attending the conference, will gather for an online dialogue to create a vision for the future of faith in politics.
Conference directors and participants will be available to media between now and the conference.
Envision ’08 directors and steering committee:
• Rev. Dr. Peter Heltzel – New York Theological Seminary, 646-279-6690, peterheltzel@gmail.com
• Lisa Sharon Harper – Executive Director, New York Faith & Justice, 646-702-9776, lisasharper@mindspring.com
• Rev. Gabriel Salguero – Director, Hispanic Leadership Program, Princeton Theological Seminary; Executive Member, Latino Leadership Circle, 609-497-7994, Gabriel.salguero@ptsem.edu
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Participant spokespersons:
• Rev. Richard Cizik – Vice President for Governmental Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals. Please contact Sarah Kropp at skropp@nae.net or call Richard at (202) 253-6525..
• Rev. Jim Wallis – Founder and President, Sojourners. Please contact Jason Gediek, Deputy Press Secretary, Sojourners, T: (202) 745-4633 / jgedeik@sojo.net
