April 16, 2003
by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - Two hundred women leaders from throughout the Presbyterian Church (USA) will gather in October 2004 in Atlanta for the first-ever National Racial Ethnic Presbyterian Women Consultation, "Come! Be Refreshed by the Water of Life: A Gathering of Women of Color to Rejuvenate Our Ministry."

The invitation-only event will be held on Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 17, 2004 at the Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to organizers, the consultation's purposes are four-fold:

. affirm and celebrate gifts of racial ethnic women of all ages;

. increase understanding and build solidarity among women of diverse backgrounds for mutual empowerment and collective action;

. develop strategies for racial ethnic women's empowerment both in racial ethnic churches and the church at large; and

. invite various PC(USA) entities into meaningful conversation with women of color.

The five plenary sessions of the conference will include a welcome and orientation, two worship services and two panel discussions.

The first panel discussion will focus on "understanding the intersection of our multiple identities and the history of organizing by women of color in the church and society." The second will "examine historical and current U.S. immigration policies and how these policies are impacting women of color, both those that are new and those that have been in this land for generations, individually and collectively."

"Mini-consultations" during the gathering will cover topics such as dismantling sexism in PC(USA), the intersection of race and gender in the Church's practices and policies, cross-cultural community building among women of color, advocacy for racial ethnic clergywomen, theological education, and racial ethnic church strategy.

Additionally, one session allocated for workshops will address such subjects as developing leadership skills, grant writing, environmental racism, sexual abuse, personal finance skills, young women's issues and spiritual disciplines.

"Every woman is expected to participate in and contribute to the process equally as partners to deepen understanding and formulate strategies for solving the issues confronting us," said the Rev. Unzu Lee, associate for Presbyterian Women leadership development and conference coordinator. "The intent of the planning team is to create an intentional community of women of color of all ages consisting of lay leaders, Christian educators, clergy, seminarians, seminary and racial ethnic college faculty and administrators, representatives of the racial ethnic women's constituencies, racial ethnic staff serving agencies of the General Assembly and middle governing bodies, and others."

Staff and leaders representing various entities will be invited to the consultation as consulting partners, including the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns, the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns, Presbyterian Women, the Evangelism and Church Development Office, the General Assembly Committee on Representation, Presbyterian Women, and the Theology, Worship and Discipleship Office.

Registration forms will be available by March 1, 2004. In the meantime, interested entities and racial ethnic caucuses are being urged to set aside scholarships for women of color to participate in the event.

PCUSA News Service