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Annual
Conference
July 10-13, 2008
Pacific
Northwest
ConnECtion
is a four-day retreat experience with gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians.
The conference begins with dinner on Thursday,
July 10, and ends after lunch on Sunday,
July 13. Women can gather early by attending
the 24-hour Women's
Retreat July 9-10. |
| At
the ConnECtion conference, you'll have the
opportunity to hear powerful keynote addresses,
participate in song and worship, sit in
on a variety of workshops, have fun and
fellowship. You can join what we call a
family group (made up of a small number
of people) to reflect on your experiences.
This
will be a rich and rewarding weekend for
you - whether you've been a Christian for
years or are new in Christ - and regardless
of where you are in the journey of bringing
faith and orientation together. |
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Pacific
Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington
This
year's conference and women's retreat will
be held on the campus of Pacific
Lutheran University seven miles south
of downtown Tacoma, Washington, at the intersection
of Garfield Street S. and Park Avenue S.
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Conference
Details
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Keynoters
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Dr.
Ralph Blair is
a psychotherapist in private practice in
New York City. He is founder and president
of Evangelicals
Concerned, Inc.
Since
1980, Dr. Blair has organized and sponsored
ConnECtion conferences which have been life
changing experiences for hundreds of gay
men, lesbians, and friends who are responding
with trust to God's love and who seek to
live thankfully and faithfully under God's
grace and peace. A fellow of the American
Orthopsychiatric Association, he studied
at Bob Jones University, Dallas Theological
Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary.
Dr. Blair speaks throughout the U.S. and
is the editor of a quarterly literature
review on religion and homosexuality.
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Randall
Balmer, Christianity Today
editor at large and the Ann Whitney Olin
Professor of American Religion at Barnard
College, Columbia University, is the author
of The Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism (Westminster
John Knox) and Protestantism in America
(Columbia).
Church
historian Randall Balmer writes: "The evangelical
faith that nurtured me as a child and sustains
me as an adult has been hijacked by right-wing
zealots who have distorted the gospel of
Jesus Christ."
In his new book, Thy
Kingdom Come: An Evangelical's Lament ,
this Columbia University professor and advisory
editor to Christianity Today notes,
for example, that "After casting about,
the Religious Right came up with a new foil,
an enemy right here among us: homosexuals.
... They were corrupting our children and
infecting our military." He suggests:
"Anita Bryant is probably the person most
responsible for advancing the notion of
a gay agenda ...in 1977 [when
she warned:] 'Homosexuals cannot reproduce
-- so they must recruit.'" Balmer
observes that homosexuality has "proven
to be such a durable issue for the Religious
Right [because] it allows evangelicals to
externalize the enemy, based on the supposition
that no true believer could be gay or lesbian.
It also works because it plays on popular
anxieties about sexual identity and gender
roles in the wake of the women's movement
of the 1960s." He further points out:
"Although most of the scientific and medical
research does not support this position,
the Religious Right persists in arguing
that individuals choose to be
homosexual and that, conversely, they can
choose not to be homosexual."
Another evangelical, Harry S. Stout (Jonathan
Edwards Professor of American Religious
History at Yale), endorses Balmer's book:
"Readers on the right and left cannot afford
to ignore this richly provocative and brilliantly
rendered argument against the Religious
Right. ... Balmer writes with the
power and censure of a prophet -- and no
prophet is honored in his own country."
--Record
and Review excerpt by Dr. Ralph Blair
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Evelyn Schave, Evangelist and Counselor
Evelyn
Schave has worked in the service of the
Lord Jesus Christ for over fifty years.
At the age of eight, she preached at the
first Church of God conference ever held
in the State of California. Later
years found her serving as youth pastor,
worship leader, and then as pastor of churches
in California and Washington. She
was co-founder of two church works in Washington
State and was also founder and director
of a drug rehabilitation center.
Evelyn
considers her main calling to be serving
in the office of Evangelist. In recent
years, she has travelled extensively throughout
North America and has made three trips to
the African Continent preaching the good
news of the Gospel!
In 1989, God called Evelyn and her husband,
Dennis, to share the love of Jesus Christ
with the Gay and Lesbian Community.
Since that beginning, she has come to be
recognized as a powerful and loving servant
of God by the many thousands of lives she
has touched. Evelyn has authored a book
entitled "For Such A Time As This", which
depicts her experiences and insights gained
over the years.
In
2003, God led the Schaves to Houston to
be part of Community Gospel Church.
They use the church as the "home base" for
their ministry. They continue to travel
extensively preaching and teaching the Word.
While at "home", they staff the Life Counselling
Center.
June
of 2005 was a particularly memorable time
for Dennis and Evelyn. They were chosen
Honorary Grand Marshalls of the Houston
GLBT Pride Parade. God's favor has
been poured out on the Schaves as they have
become very well known and respected members
of the community.
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Gospel
Concert
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Kirk
Talley has been synonymous
with Southern Gospel Music for over 25 years.
He has been a member of such talented groups
as the Hoppers, the Cathedrals and the Talley
Trio. During his time with the Cathedrals,
Kirk wrote his first # 1 song "Step
Into the Water". The song remained
at the top of the charts for nine months.
While with the Talleys, Kirk wrote the song
"He Is Here". The Talleys received
the 1992 Dove Award for 'Song of the Year'
for this ageless song. "He Is Here"
was also nominated for the 34th annual Grammy
Awards that same year.
Kirk began his solo career in 1993. He has
been traveling and singing all across the
United States and into Canada. Kirk's first
# 1 as a soloist came from his project titled
"I Speak to You". The song, "Joy
on the Other Side of Jordan" was only
the beginning for Kirk's list of accomplishments.
Not only did his next project 'Serenade'
produce two Top 10 charting songs, "Serenaded
By Angels" & "If He Hung the
Moon", but also a string of awards
for Kirk at the 1996 National Quartet Convention.
The "Gospel Voice Magazine" presented
Kirk with 3 Diamond Awards: 'Soloist of
the Year', 'Songwriter of the Year', and
'Song of the Year' for 'Serenaded By Angels'.
The "Singing News Magazine" made
sure Kirk knew the effect he had on Gospel
Music listeners by presenting him with the
1996 Fan Awards for: 'Favorite Male Vocalist',
'Favorite Songwriter', and Favorite Song
of the Year' again for Serenaded By Angels.
Kirk has since had several releases that
have brought with them more awards.
Kirk possesses a genuine love for Gospel
music and strives to present the Gospel
in a unique, yet professional manner. He
says about his concerts:
"I want the people to feel comfortable.
I want them to feel like they are in my
living room, just having a great time and
lifting up praise to our Lord".
Tangible accolades such as various Fan Awards,
Dove Awards, and Grammy Awards have distinguished
Kirk Talley as one of the great talents
in Gospel Music. However, his mission is
to present the Gospel - not gain worldly
fame, but heavenly fortune. This focus is
what has captivated audiences around the
world, and kept Kirk writing and singing
his songs.
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