Joanne L. VerBurg has a ready answer for anybody venturing to ask her why she was so eager to sign up for the 2010 Pastors Conference. That’s an easy one for the senior minister at Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Cary, N.C.
Her enthusiastic answer: It will be a relaxed get-together in between General Assemblies; a time to be refreshed; and an escape from the 24/7 demands of ministry, among other things.
The 2010 Pastors Conference will be held Sept. 21-23, 2010, at the Doubletree Mission Valley hotel, located at 7450 Hazard Center Drive in San Diego, Calif. “It will be a time to share experiences in ministry with colleagues of all ages and stages of ministry as we gain a fresh perspective of what it means to be church today,” asserts VerBurg. “It will be a time for ‘give and take’ as we dialogue with Disciples leadership.”
Renowned author and theologian Diana Butler Bass will be the featured speaker at the conference. Bass’ work in the areas of mission, context and transformation are key components to the revitalization of the mainline Protestant church. She has spent years studying and surveying congregations that are progressive, mainline, revitalizing and growing spiritually, as well as numerically.
“We are taking advantage of the slow economy to go to a city that we normally can’t afford to go to – San Diego,” said Associate General Minister and Vice President Todd Adams. General Minister and President Sharon Watkins will give a “State of the Church” address at the conference on Tuesday, Sept. 21 following a complimentary reception that begins at 3 pm.
Pastor VerBurg was the first person to sign up for the 2008 conference and could not wait for the recently open registration for 2010. The 2010 conference features a discounted single room rate of $400. Double occupancy is $300 per person. Triple occupancy is $255 each, and quad occupancy is $225 a person. Spouses of clergy are invited to participate in the meals and events for $175, when his or her spouse registers as a single occupancy attendee. All rates will increase $50 per person after April 1, 2010.
The registration fee includes roundtrip airport transfers from the San Diego airport to the hotel, the opening dinner, breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday of the conference, lunch on Wednesday and two nights lodging at the Doubletree Mission Valley. The special hotel rate will be available for three days before and after the conference for people wanting to spend extra time in San Diego.
By James Patterson
