The American Baptist Seminary of the West (ABSW), based in Berkeley Calif., will start off the year with their annual Pastoral Leadership Conference (PLC) "with strength of heart and mind: envisioning worship renewal" on Jan. 9-11, 2006.
Each year, A team of ABSW faculty and ministry leaders focus the conference on a topic that is brought to their attention by seminary students, the faculty, and those who serve in church-related ministries.
At the Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park, near the San Francisco peninsula, leaders in pastoral ministries will be led through plenary sessions with "worship renewal" at the heart of this year's conference.
The plenary speaker is Dr. James Abbington, a music scholar and author of several books on music and worship, who will also lead the Tues. worship.
The 2006 PLC is partly funded by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), which was founded in 1997 as an "interdisciplinary study and ministry center dedicated to both understanding and revitalizing the practice of Christian worship."
ABSW used past grants from the CICW in conferences that focused on crossing musical language barriers between the African American and Asian American community and consultations on Asian American worship.
On the planning committee are Dr. Nancy Hall, ABSW director of continuing education and alumni, Sandra Lee, a member of the Asian American Caucus and the living water fellowship, Rev. Greg Ledbetter, pastor of Shell Ridge Community Church in Walnut Creek, Rev. Michael Ray-Mathews, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church of San Jose, and Dr. Russell Yee, an adjunct professor at the Fuller Seminary in Menlo Park.
