First National Episcopal Conference of Evangelism Held
Diocesan Press Service. November 8, 1972 [72186]
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The First National Episcopal Conference on Evangelism was called to define the needs of the Church in the field of evangelism and to learn of the skills available within the Church to meet those needs. The Rev. Robert B. Hall, coordinator of the Conference and Executive Director of the Episcopal Center for Evangelism in Miami, Fla., had hoped that at least 200 people would attend.
As it was, the largest church in communicant strength in the Diocese of Tennessee could barely contain the number of people attending the Conference in Memphis October 4-7. There was standing room only, and many had to sit on the floor of Grace-St. Luke's Church for the Wednesday evening Keynote address by Father Hall and the Thursday evening "Invitation to Joy" by Eleanor Searle Whitney.
There were over 500 registrants; these and many more attended the workshops and convocations. They ranged in age from 20 to the late 70's, and came from 38 states, Canada, England, and Sweden. Lay persons outnumbered the clergy by at least two to one. The response and the interest expressed by the participants were overwhelming, and the entire meeting was marked by contagious joy.
Beside the evening convocations there were morning and afternoon assemblies and workshops. There were presentations of programs which have been successful in evangelism and spiritual renewal: Faith Alive; the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer; Brotherhood of St. Andrew; Bible Reading Fellowship; American Bible Society; Witnessing Laymen; Yokefellows; The Pittsburgh Experiment; Project Test Pattern; Daughters of the King; The Fellowship of Witness ; The Fishermen, Inc. ; the Church Army; and the Gideons.
Twenty-two aspects of evangelism were demonstrated and discussed. Among them were: child evangelism; small group evangelism; evangelism to the community; Key '73; preaching missions; evangelism in the fine arts; and evangelism and the religious.
Workshops were designed by Father Hall so that each participant could attend six lectures by leaders of nationally recognized ability. The witness and the experiences of the participants were collected to provide the Church with resources for those at work within the congregations.
Delegates were urged to dress casually, and a comfortable, happy informality was evident in all the sessions. Music was provided by Our Father's Children, a dozen high school and college age young people from Alexandria, Va., led by Duke Jefferies.
Leaders and speakers for the Conference beside Father Hall and Mrs. Whitney were: Mr. Gordon Abbott, Manager of The Fishermen, Inc. ; Mr. Hugh Bellas, President, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew; Miss Hattie Bunting, President, Daughters of the King; Mr. Fred C. Gore, President, Faith Alive; Mr. Harry C. Griffith, Director, Bible Reading Fellowship; the Rev. Donald Hultstrand, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer; the Rev. Charles Huffman, Associate Director, The Pittsburgh Experiment; Mr. Gordon Kelly, Fine Arts Contemporary Evangelism; the Rev. Loren Mead, Director, Project Test Pattern; Mr. Keith Miller, author and lecturer; the Rev. Claxton Monro, author of "Witnessing Laymen Make Living Churches ;" the Rev. Peter Moore, Vice-President, Fellowship of Witness ; the Rev. Marney Patterson, Canadian evangelist and seminary lecturer; Dr. John Gooch, the Gideons; the Rev. Chan Y. Choi, American Bible Society; the Rev. Joe Hale, Key '73; and Miss Louise Boswell, the Rev. Jeff Schiffmayer, Mr. Dave Stoner, Pamela A. Lee, Sister Jean Marie, OSH, and Mr. Hugh Tarcai.
The Rt. Rev. W. F. Gates, Suffragan Bishop of Tennessee, welcomed the delegates to the Conference. Other bishops attending were: the Rt. Rev. Roger W. Blanchard, Executive Vice-President of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church; the Rt. Rev. David B. Reed, Bishop Coadjutor of Kentucky; and the Rt. Rev. Frederick W. Putnam, Suffragan Bishop of Oklahoma.
Father Hall said that another national evangelism conference is being planned but that the date and location have not yet been chosen.
"We have demonstrated her," he said, "that there is a need for evangelism in the Episcopal Church."