Open Door church to honor Gushee
Open Door Community Church, 709 W. Lee Ave., Sherwood, will honor author and theologian David Gushee during its annual fall conference, Friday-Sept. 20. Gushee, professor of Christian ethics and director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., will be presented with the Peggy Campolo Carrier Pigeon Award at 7 p.m. Friday.
The award is named for Campolo, wife of author, pastor and speaker Tony Campolo. She inspired the Rev. Randy Eddy-McCain to start Open Door Community Church. Eddy-McCain said the name of the award came from a quote by Campolo, who calls herself a straight ally to the gay community -- "I'm just a carrier pigeon from the misunderstood to the misinformed." The award is given each year to an individual who "gives love, support and a voice to the misunderstood children of God."
Gushee's most recent book, Changing Our Mind, calls for Christians to fully include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the life of the church.
The conference will continue with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 19, followed by a talk by Gushee and a question and answer session. A panel discussion on the evangelical church and marriage equality will be at 10:45 a.m., featuring Peggy Campolo, Stan Mitchell, Rob and Linda Robertson, Dick King and Susan Cottrell. Lunch will be provided at noon, followed by a presentation by the Robertsons.
Musician Ray Boltz will perform at 7 p.m. and Mitchell, an evangelical pastor who supports full inclusion of LGBT individuals in the church, will speak, with a meal to follow. The conference will conclude Sept. 20 with worship services at 10:45 a.m., followed by a potluck.
Information is available online at sherwoodopendoor.org or by calling (501) 833-9500.
-- Christie Storm
Nuns visit Arkansas to seek info on poor
The "Nuns on the Bus" will be making stops in Fayetteville and Little Rock as part of their cross-country tour to listen to the stories of Americans "living in the margins" and work toward change.
The nuns will lead a town hall meeting at 1 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 224 N. East Ave., Fayetteville, before heading to Little Rock for a town hall meeting at First United Methodist Church, 723 Center St., at 7 p.m. At 9:30 a.m. Monday, the sisters will also visit the Better Community Development Inc. Empowerment Center, 3604 12th St.
The "Nuns on the Bus" tour, sponsored by the Catholic social justice group Network, is themed "Bridge the Divides: Transform Politics." The seven-state tour, which started Thursday in St. Louis, will end Sept. 22 in Washington with a rally to welcome Pope Francis. The sisters have picked up Francis' call in his encyclical, "Laudato Si," to work toward an "economy of inclusion." They plan to lobby Congress for increased federal funding for programs that help the marginalized and poor.
Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, said to do that, "we must have a politics of inclusion that fosters economic justice, prioritizes the common good, and builds community where everyone's voice is heard. By listening to the people, especially those on the margins, and responding by eliminating factors that perpetuate poverty and injustice, we will create change."
Information is online at nunsonthebus.org.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Religion on 09/12/2015