How Faith Helps Us Approach Our Differences:

“The Ministers’ Manifesto on Racial Beliefs” of 1957 and What It Can Teach Us Today

A Workshop Commemorating
Martin Luther King Day and Honoring the Rev. Jim McDonald

Monday, January 21, 2008 - 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Aldersgate Room – Wesley Mem
Sponsored by: The Wesley Foundation at the University of Virginia & Wesley Mem UMC

It often seems that religion plays a divisive rather than a unifying role in contemporary life. In public—and especially political—discourse, matters of faith more often define differences than establish common ground. But that need not be the case.

This workshop will focus on a successful and historic effort to use religious conviction as the basis for resolving strong differences of belief and opinion. We seek to learn what this approach has to teach us and to identify some of the most crucial areas in which it might be applied today.

Issued by 80 Georgia ministers, “The Ministers’ Manifesto” offered a Christian perspective on race relations. It has been praised as “an example of the kind of influence and impact that the church should have” in public affairs. We will begin with a detailed examination of the manifesto (click here for copy) and a consideration of its historical and theological context. In the second part of the workshop, we will discuss what we can learn from the manifesto and how we can use faith to approach our differences today.

10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.           Introduction and Welcome (Deborah Lewis)

Location: Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church

10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.          PANEL I: Three Perspectives on the Manifesto

                                                Rhetorical (Kay Neeley)

                                                Theological and Historical (Heather Warren)                      

12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.            PANEL II: Using Faith to Approach Our Differences Today:
                                                Setting an Agenda for Future Discussion and Action

Gene Rader (Project IMPACT)

Kendra Hamilton (Former Charlottesville City Councilor)

James Trice (Presbyterian Church)
Location: The Wesley Foundation at the University of Virginia 

(Lunch and small group discussions followed by brief panel presentations and open discussion. Lunch will be provided.)

1:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.              Final Thoughts and Future Plans

An exhibit documenting the historical context of and response to “The Ministers’ Manifesto” will be available for viewing before and after the workshop. The exhibit was created by the Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the manifesto and has graciously been loaned to us by them for this event.

For additional information, contact:
Kay Neeley, Wesley Families Program Coordinator (neeley@virginia.edu /924-6117);
Deborah Lewis, Director of the Wesley Foundation (deborah@wesleyuva.org /977-6500, www.wesleyuva.org) ; Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (www.wesleymem.org , wesleymemorial@earthlink.net /296-6976)