Home > Conferences > 2012 Gathering
Sharing our Stories, Healing our Lives
Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any
sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.
Proverbs 12:18, Good News Bible
General Information
Join with Christian Feminists from far and wide as they come together for the 2012 EEWC-CFT Gathering to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, Thursday, June 21 through Sunday, June 24, 2012.
Click here to open a printable 2012 Gathering “Save the Date” flyer (will open in a new window or tab).
Discounted early registration is a very affordable $100 per person. Scholarships will be available to those who need financial assistance.
Registration is open NOW! Register and make hotel reservations at any time. Click on any of the tabs below for more information.
Call for Workshop Presenters - Share Your Knowledge
If you have a workshop idea that you would like to be considered and are interested in volunteering to share your talent, gift, or knowledge—be it women’s art, drumming, ecology, finding a church, world peace, women’s health issues, labyrinths, or any topic that you can address from a Christian feminist perspective—please click here to open the Workshop Application Form (Adobe Acrobat format-will open in a new tab).
Deadline for Workshop Application submission is February 15, 2012, so please submit your application now.
Gathering Events
Theme night with Jann Aldredge-Clanton
Nancy Hardesty Memorial, led by Claire Beutler-Cruise,
“Music From Past Conferences,” with Jan Clark
Sunday Worship created by Janet Lundblad, Gail Ricciuti preaching, Jan Clark, music
Plenary – “The Transformational Stories of Jesus,” Virginia Ramey Mollenkott,
Plenary – “In the Presence of the Holy Word,” Alena Amato Ruggerio
Plenary - Melanie Springer Mock and Kendra Weddle Irons
Feminist Women of Faith – Panel Discussion – Anne Eggebroten, facilitatorConfirmed Workshop Presenters and Speakers
Jann Aldredge-Clanton is an ordained minister, author, teacher, and chaplain. She currently serves as adjunct professor at both the Perkins School of Theology and Richland Community College in Dallas, Texas. A native of Louisiana, Jann received the B.A. degree from Louisiana Polytechnic University, the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas Christian University, and the M.Div. from Southwestern Theological Seminary.
A prolific author, Jann has written numerous books, hymnals, and articles. Her most recent books are Changing Church: Stories of Liberating Ministers (Cascade Books 2011) and Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice (Eakin Press, 2011). Her other books are Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2010); Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians (Eakin Press, 2006); Breaking Free: The Story of a Feminist Baptist Minister (Eakin Press, 2002); In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians (Twenty-Third Publications, 1995; Eakin Press, 2004); Imagine God! A Children’s Musical Exploring and Expressing Images of God (Choristers Guild, 2004); In Whose Image? God and Gender (Crossroad, 1990, 2001); Praying with Christ-Sophia: Services for Healing and Renewal (Twenty-Third Publications, 1996; Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007); Counseling People with Cancer (Westminster John Knox, 1998); God, A Word for Girls and Boys (Glad River, 1993; Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007). Jann’s articles have been published in The Journal of Pastoral Care, The Christian Ministry, and elsewhere. Jann is a new member of the EEWC-CFT Council, representing the Southwest.
Join Jann Thursday night for, “Theme Night with Jann Aldredge-Clanton.”
Linda Bieze, Alena Amato Ruggerio, and Letha Dawson Scanzoni. Since 2003, Linda, Alena, and Letha have been meeting by long-distance phone every Friday night for personal sharing and Bible study. They represent three areas of the country (Midwest, West Coast, and East Coast) and three generations, each 20 years apart. Linda is an editor and writer, Alena is a professor of communication, and Letha is an author and editor of Christian Feminism Today and our EEWC-Christian Feminism Today website. Both Linda and Alena are past coordinators of our organization during service on the EEWC-CFT Council.
Linda, Alena and Letha will be presenting the workshop, “Christian Feminists and Personal Finance, Redux.”
Workshop Description: This will be a reprise of a workshop given at the 2010 gathering. You are invited to join a dialogue on money matters spanning the generations from Depression-era to Baby Boomer to Generation X. Linda, Alena, and Letha will talk about their personal approaches to money management and why it is important for Christian women to be wise stewards and managers of their finances.
Claire Beutler-Cruise is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She served as one of the Coordinators for EEWC’s Conference 2000 in Chicago. She is the author of “When You Pass through the Waters” which appeared in the Spring, 2000 issue of EEWC Update.
Claire is coordinating the memorial for Nancy Hardesty and other EEWC members and friends we have lost this year.
Claire will be presenting the workshop, “Laughter Yoga.”
Workshop Description: Laughter Yoga is based on emerging science from gelatologists (researchers who study the effects of laughter on the human body) that proves the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Laughter can boost immune systems; lower blood pressure; decrease the stress hormone, cortisol; increase seratonin, which elevates mood; increase dopamine, which relieves pain; and much more! And the best part is that we can do all this for free! In the workshop, we will learn where Laughter Yoga comes from and practice laughter exercises.
Jan Clark was born and raised Southern Baptist in Macon, Georgia, and along her career journey served as a Baptist Book Store manager for several years in Greensboro, North Carolina. A graduate of Furman University, she later studied at Duke Divinity School, completed a year-long residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at University of North Carolina Hospitals, was ordained as a Baptist minister, and became a hospice chaplain. She retired from the hospice ministry in January 2010. She has been a member of EEWC-CFT since attending the Norfolk, Virginia, conference in 1996 and is presently serving on the council, representing the Southeast. Jan lives in Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Jan will be presenting “Music from Past Conferences” and also coordinating the music for the Sunday morning worship service.
Anne Eggebroten describes herself on her website as “a writer, mother, (somewhat) radical feminist, and born-again Christian who teaches Women & Religion at California State University, Northridge.” She is the editor of Abortion—My Choice, God’s Grace: Christian Women Tell Their Stories (New Paradigm Books, 1994). Her commentaries appear on Women’s eNews and in Christian Feminism Today, as well as in her blog Martha y Maria: Women’s Lives, Women’s Rights. Currently Anne is working on a memoir about her own feminist expectations in collision with the social realities of marriage, church, paid/volunteer work, and raising three daughters. Anne is one of the founding members of EEWC-CFT, has served as a Southwest representative on the EEWC-CFT Council, and is a frequent writer and book reviewer for Christian Feminism Today magazine.Anne will be moderating the “Feminist Women of Faith” panel discussion.
Diana J. Ensign, J.D. has studied Buddhism, Tai Chi, Yoga, Hinduism, Unitarian Universalism, 12-Step programs, and Goddess Rituals. She has participated in Wisdom Circles, Sweat Lodges, and Native American ceremonies. Certified in Reiki III, Diana has completed Shaman workshops, dream workshops, and nonviolent communication workshops. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a degree in English and Wayne State University Law School, located in Detroit. Ensign grew up in Michigan and currently lives in Indianapolis. Her greatest teachers are nature and her two daughters. She lives with her husband, a biologist, who works for nature conservation. She celebrates life through music, long walks, and sunshine.Diana will be participating in the “Feminist Women of Faith” panel discussion.
Reta Halteman Finger, a long-time member of EEWC-CFT, retired in 2009 from teaching Bible (mostly New Testament) at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. She lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and since her retirement from Messiah College has been teaching part time at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in addition to other writing and speaking projects. Reta edited the Christian feminist magazine, Daughters of Sarah, for 15 years and is a frequent writer and reviewer for Christian Feminism Today. Using the search box on our EEWC-Christian Feminism Today website, you’ll be led to many of her online articles. A gifted teacher, Reta is uniquely skilled in relating the Bible to today’s issues and in getting others involved in discussions about the material she presents. She specializes in life in the early church and is the author of Roman House Churches for Today: A Practical Guide for Small Groups, and Of Widows and Meals: Communal Meals in the Book of Acts. She is also co-editor with Kari Sandhaas of Wisdom of Daughers: Two Decades of the Voice of Christian Feminism (a book of selected articles from Daughters of Sarah magazine). Reta is a past Southeast representative on the EEWC-CFT Council.
Reta will be presenting the workshop, “Is Paul a Healer? The Stories Behind First Corinthians.”
Workshop Description: The house churches in Corinth are falling apart. Factions vie for power and control. Both female and male slaves receive no honor, and the wealthy and better-educated pull rank over those socially beneath them. In this interactive workshop, we will examine selected portions of Paul’s letter to discern whether or not his words can help heal the schisms. Bring your copy of 1 Corinthians!
Reta will also be participating in the “Feminist Women of Faith” panel discussion.
Kenra Weddle Irons teaches religion at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. Before that she taught religious studies for six years at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. Kendra reports that she became a committed feminist in college, and her research interests have centered around Christianity in America, women in Christianity, and Methodism. Her first book, Preaching on the Plains: Methodist Women Preachers in Kansas, 1920-1956 (University Press of America), was published in 2007. Kendra is a member of the EEWC-CFT Council, representing the Southwest. She and Melanie Springer Mock co-write the blog, “Ain’t I a Woman: De/Constructing Christian Images.Melaine Springer Mock and Kendra Weddle Irons will co-present a plenary.
Melanie Springer Mock is a professor of English at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, where she was the winner of George Fox’s 2009 Faculty of the Year award. She earned her Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University in 1999 with a concentration in Composition and Rhetoric and Modern American Literature. Her most recent book, co-edited with Rebekah Scheneiter, is Just Moms: Conveying Justice in an Unjust World (Barclay Press, 2011). She also wrote Writing Peace: The Unheard Voices of Great War Mennonite Objectors (Cascadia Publishing House, 2003). Her essays have appeared in Christian Feminism Today; Adoptive Families; Mennonite Weekly Review; the Chronicle of Higher Education; and Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers; among other places. Melanie is not only a frequent contributor to Christian Feminism Today magazine but has also written Web-exclusive features for our EEWC-CFT website, including an essay titled “God’s Gift of Motherhood Comes in Different Ways.” Melanie represents the Northwest on the EEWC-CFT Council. She and Kendra Weddle Irons co-write the blog, “Ain’t I a Woman: De/Constructing Christian Images.
Melaine Springer Mock and Kendra Weddle Irons will co-present a plenary.
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, a frequent speaker for EEWC-CFT events, is the author or coauthor of 13 books, including Women, Men, and the Bible; The Divine Feminine:The Biblical Imagery of God as Female; Sensuous Spirituality (recently revised and updated); Omnigender; and (with Letha Dawson Scanzoni) Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? A Positive Christian Response. For more than three decades, she taught English at William Paterson University of New Jersey and is a recognized Milton scholar. She has published numerous essays on literary topics in various scholarly journals as well as articles for religious publications. Virginia has contributed many articles and reviews to Christian Feminism Today, a number of which are available on our website. On the audio section of our website, you can listen to two of her presentations: “Comprehending the Dimensions of God’s Love: What Is Our Contribution?” from our 2006 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, and “Dutiful or Prodigal: God’s Promise Remains the Same” from our 2010 Gathering in Indianapolis. Virginia is one of the founding members of our organization.
Virginia’s plenary presentation is entitled, “The Transformational Stories of Jesus.”
Gail Ricciuti is associate professor of homiletics at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York, where she has taught for the past 13 years. Before that, she served as a Presbyterian pastor for 25 years. Her articles and reviews have been published in Christian Feminism Today, and she serves on the EEWC Council as Northeast representative.
Gail will be preaching at the Sunday morning worship service.
Alena Amato Ruggerio is associate professor of communication at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, and also served for a time as interim coordinator of women’s studies there. She earned her Ph.D. at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. A prolific writer and frequent contributor to Christian Feminism Today, Alena’s work has also appeared in the Christian Century, The Other Side, Feminist Media Studies, Oregon Humanities, and Eerdman’s Encyclopedia of Religion. Her teaching specialties include courses in Women Transforming Language (feminist rhetorical theories), Texts of Truth (rhetorical approaches to interpreting sacred texts), and persuasion. Currently, she is also the assistant to the editor of Christian Feminism Today and has been guest editor or co-editor for several issues of that publication. Her article on third wave feminism was the first on the topic that Christian Feminism Today published. Her article,”Slaying the Public Speaking Mastodon: How to Vanquish Your Fears of Public Speaking” is a web-only feature on our website. You can listen to her 2008 EEWC-CFT conference speech on the audio section of our website. Alena serves on the EEWC-CFT Council as Northwest representative.
Alena will be a plenary speaker and will also co-present the workshop, “Christian Feminists and Personal Finance, Redux” with Letha Dawson Scanzoni and Linda Bieze.
Linda Williams is a retired literature editor who worked for 23 years in educational publishing. Before that she conducted continuing education courses in poetry for 12 years, and she also taught English at a small college. In recent years, she has tutored international students in English as well as engaging in various editing projects. Linda has led retreats using poetry and has presented workshops on poetry at several EEWC conferences. For a preview of how she makes poetry come alive, see her review essay on Mary Cartledgehayes’s book of poetry, “Sweetness and Light in the Winter, 2008 issue of Christian Feminism Today magazine. She also wrote the web-exclusive book review of Poets on the Psalms by Lynn Domina. Linda’s appreciation of visual art matches her interest in poetry, as is seen in her comments about two remarkable paintings of the Supper at Emmaus, one of the most popular essays on our EEWC-CFT website.
Linda will be presenting the workshop, “Finding Healing Through Reading Poetry.”
Gathering Registration
Registration is open and hotel reservations are available. Discounted early registration (before May 1) is a very affordable $100 per person and is open now. You can register and pay online, or fill out and mail in a registration form with your check or money order.
Click here for complete registration information.
Scholarships will be available for those who need financial assistance. Please contact the registrar for information on obtaining a scholarship. Click the Donate tab above to donate to the 2012 Gathering Scholarship Fund, or donate during the online registration process.
Click here to open the registration website in a new tab or window. Both registration options, online and mail-in, will be available and explained fully on the Gathering registration website.
Hotel
The 2012 Gathering will be held at the Cambria Suites Indianapolis Airport Hotel.
To make your reservations call the hotel at (317) 279-2394. Let them know that you will be attending the EEWC-CFT Gathering and you will receive a special room rate of $109.00 per night.
Click here to visit the hotel’s website.
Donate to the Gathering
Your donation will help make this conference the best it can be. Click the button below to donate (via PayPal) to the EEWC-CFT 2012 Conference fund. Any donation amount is appreciated.
Use the button below to donate to the 2012 EEWC-CFT Gathering general fund.
Use the button below to donate to the 2012 EEWC-CFT Gathering scholarship fund.
Gathering Gear!
Purchase 2012 Gathering gear from our CafePress online store.
Buying gear is a great way to support EEWC while getting some fun stuff for yourself or your friends! EEWC-CFT receives a portion of the purchase price on each item.
Click here to visit the CafePress Store.
Book and Art Sale
Friday and Saturday during lunch Gathering attendees will have an opportunity to purchase books and artwork created by EEWC members. This is the perfect chance to get gifts for special people in your life.
Attendees interested in selling items at the Gathering should contact Louise Davis for more information at wezedavis [at] aol [dot] com, or use the contact form on this website. You must contact Louise before May15 and express your intention to sell items. There is no booth fee or other charge, however you are responsible for setting up your own items. Table space will be provided.