2008 Ohio Conference Annual Gathering

Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio
June 8 - 10, 2008  •  Sunday thru Tuesday

Church Professional Event

Monday, June 9, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 10, 8:30 a.m. - Noon

Although these sessions are designed with church leaders in mind, all interested persons – both clergy and lay – are invited and encouraged to attend. 

Prophetic
Renewal

If our churches have a future, this is it!

Led by:  Rev. Michael Piazza, Dean
Cathedral of Hope, Dallas, Texas

“We simply cannot allow Christianity to become a fundamentalist, vindictive, excluding religion. I believe our progressive values and vision are most congruent with the gospels’ witness of who Jesus was and what he taught. We cannot allow the world to come to believe Jesus is the vengeful fundamentalist messiah that, all too often, he is depicted to be. We have a word of grace to speak to the soul of a hurting world. We cannot be silent. We must not allow our witness to die away. It is my conviction that what we have to offer is exactly what people need at this time in history. We must not be apologetic or timid in offering it.”

— from Prophetic Renewal
by Rev. Michael S. Piazza

Discussion Topics

Can these bones live again?  Breathing New Life into the Body of Christ

In this session we will explore the hopes and dreams for the Church’s future. We also will share our struggles and challenges as the leaders who must be the midwives of that future.

A Living Parable of Renewal: The Story of the Cathedral of Hope

One of the secrets of successful leadership in any field is learning from the successes and failures of others. In this session, Rev. Piazza will share how the Cathedral of Hope survived its death and experienced genuine resurrection. Our situations and settings are different, but many of the principles are the same.

21st Century Liturgy: Speaking an ancient word so it can be heard by modern ears

In many contemporary churches video screens are the modern stained-glass windows. How do traditional and smaller churches meet the needs of their future without alienating their current congregations? You will hear practical advice for bringing the Church into the electronic age.

Michael S. Piazza is a spiritual visionary, author and social justice advocate who currently serves as Dean of the Cathedral of Hope, known as the world’s largest liberal Christian church with a predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender outreach, as well as President of Hope for Peace and Justice, a non-profit ministry of Cathedral of Hope whose mission is equipping progressive people of faith to be champions for peace and justice.

A native of Georgia, Rev. Piazza has served in ministry for more than three decades, pastoring churches in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Florida. He holds Bachelor Degrees in history and psychology from Valdosta State College in Georgia and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology, Emory University in Atlanta.

The Advocate magazine named Rev. Piazza one of the most influential people in the gay and lesbian movement August 1999). He has seven published books, Gay by God: How to be Lesbian or Gay and Christian (formerly Holy Homosexuals), Rainbow Family Values, Mourning to Morning, Growth or Death, Queeries: Questions Lesbians and Gays have for God, The Real antiChrist: How America Sold its Soul and Prophetic Renewal: Hope for the Liberal Church, designed to help restore vitality to liberal congregations.

Rev. Piazza and his partner Bill have been together since 1980 and have two daughters.

  2008 Annual Gathering