c. 2007 Religion News Service
(UNDATED) Here is the RNS calendar of major religious holidays, denominational meetings and other events for May and June. It will be updated monthly.
April 28-May 2
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): General Board meeting, Indianapolis. Contact: Wilma Shuffit at 317-713-2492; e-mail: wshuffit(at)cm.disciples.org
April 29-May 1
Anti-Defamation League: National Leadership Conference, Washington. Contact: Myrna Shinbaum at 212-885-7747; e-mail: adlmedia(at)adl.org; Web site: http://www.adl.org
WordAlone Network: annual convention of conservative movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Golden Valley, Minn. Contact: Pastor Mark Chavez at 651-633-6004; e-mail: wordalone(at)popp.net; Web site: http://www.wordalone.org
April 29-May 4
United Methodist Church: Council of Bishops meeting, Green Lake, Wis. Contact: Ernest Lyght at 914-615-2221; e-mail: bishop(at)nyac.com
May 2-4
Evangelical Press Association: annual convention, Colorado Springs, Colo. Contact: Doug Trouten at 763-535-4793; director(at)epassoc.org; Web site: http://www.epassoc.org/convention.html
May 3
National Day of Prayer
National Day of Reason, observance designed as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer, co-sponsored by American Humanist Association. Contact: Roy Speckhardt at 202-238-9088; Web site: http://www.nationaldayofreason.org
May 3-4
Yale Divinity School “Faith and Citizenship” conference, New Haven, Conn. Contact: Gus Spohn at 203-432-3466; e-mail: gus.spohn(at)yale.edu; Web site: http://www.yale.edu/divinity/faith/index.shtml
May 5
Lag B’Omer (Jewish day of celebration, marking the cessation of a second-century plague that killed 20,000 disciples of Talmud scholar Rabbi Akiva; begins at sundown. The day also marks the death of Jewish mystic Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai.)
May 11-13
World Congress of Families IV, international and interfaith gathering addressing traditional families, Warsaw, Poland. Contact: Larry Jacobs at 815-964-5819; media(at)worldcongress.org; Web site: http://www.worldcongress.org
May 17
Ascension of Christ (Christian)
May 20
Orthodox Union: Annual Dinner, New York. Contact: Steve Steiner at 212-613-8318, e-mail: steiners(at)ou.org
May 22
Declaration of the Bab (commemorates anniversary of Baha’i prophet-herald’s announcement that he was the herald of a new messenger of God; begins at sundown)
Shavuot (Jewish celebration of the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai; begins at sundown and ends on May 24 at nightfall)
May 27
Pentecost (Christian celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit)
Global Day of Prayer, observed worldwide. Contact: Robert Bakke at 812-238-5504; e-mail: info(at)gdopusa.com; Web site: http://www.gdopusa.com
Pluralism Sunday, global observance of Pentecost by churches that will dedicate their worship services to celebrating interfaith relations, sponsored by the Center for Progressive Christianity. Contact: Jim Burklo at 415-332-3790; e-mail: jtburklo(at)yahoo.com; Web site: http://www.tcpc.blogs.com/pluralism_sunday
May 28
Ascension of the Baha’u’llah (Baha’i commemoration of the death of prophet-founder Baha’u’llah; begins at sundown)
June 1-2
Center for the Study of Church Management and Pope John Paul II Cultural Center: “Best Practices in Church Ministry Performance” meeting, Washington. Contact: Kate Lyon at 212-420-8383, ext. 106; e-mail: klyon(at)plesser.com
June 2-6
Metanexus Institute: conference with the theme “Transdisciplinarity and the Unity of Knowledge: Beyond the Science and Religion Dialogue,” Philadelphia. Contact: Elizabeth Kenny at 215-789-2200; e-mail: conference2007(at)metanexus.net; Web site: http://www.metanexus.net/conference2007
June 3-6
Sojourner/Call to Renewal Pentecost 2007. Washington. Contact: Jack Pannell at 202-745-4614; e-mail: jpannell(at)sojo.net: Web site: http://www.sojo.net
June 5
Change Your Mind Day, international observances featuring music, poetry, meditation practices and other Buddhist activities sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Contact: Laura Sideman at 800-950-7008; e-mail: laura(at)tricycle.com
June 6-10
Union for Reform Judaism: board of trustees meeting, Seattle. Contact Donald Cohen-Cutler at 212-650-4213, e-mail: dcohen-cutler(at)urj.org
June 7-9
“The Amish in America” conference at the Young Center for Anabaptist Studies at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pa. Contact: Donald Kraybill at 717-361-1469; e-mail: kraybilld(at)etown.edu
June 7-10
Catholic Theological Society of America: annual convention, Los Angeles. Contact: Dolores Christie at dlchristie(at)aol.com
June 9-12
Bread for the World: The Gathering 2007, national conference on overcoming hunger and poverty, Washington. Interfaith convocation with international religious leaders on June 11. Contact: Jennifer Coulter Stapleton at 202-464-8123; e-mail: jstapleton(at)bread.org; Web site: http://www.bread.org
June 9-16
Christian Reformed Church in North America: annual synod, Grand Rapids, Mich. Will feature 150th anniversary celebration on June 10. Contact: Dee Recker at 616-224-0827; e-mail: reckerd(at)crcna.org; Web site: http://www.crcna.org
June 11-14
Episcopal Church: Executive Council, Parsippany, N.J. Contact: Bob Williams at 212-922-5385; e-mail: rwilliams(at)episcopalchurch.org
June 12-13
Southern Baptist Convention: annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas. Contact: Will Hall at 615-782-8617; e-mail: bpress(at)sbc.net; Web site: http://www.sbc.net
June 12-15
Presbyterian Church in America: General Assembly, Memphis, Tenn. Contact: Sherry Eschenberg at 678-825-1000; e-mail: ac(at)pcanet.org; Web site: pcanet.org
June 13-16
Forward in Faith North America (conservative Episcopalians): national assembly, Belleville, Ill. Contact: Ed den Blaauwen at 800-225-3661.
June 15
National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Esperanza USA, Washington. Contact: Arlene Cruz-Larsen at 215-324-0746, ext. 206; e-mail: alarsen(at)nueva.org; Web site: http://www.esperanza.us
June 17-19
Catholic Health Association: annual assembly, Chicago. Contact: Fred Caesar at 202-721-6321.
June 18-21
Orientale Lumen Conference XI (East), sponsored by the Society of St. John Chrysostom and Eastern Christian Publications, Washington. Contact: Jack Figel at 703-691-8862; e-mail: info(at)olconference.com; Web site: http://www.olconference.com
June 20-22
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: general meeting, Albuquerque, N.M. Contact: Sister Mary Ann Walsh at 202-541-3200.
June 20-24
Unitarian Universalist Association: annual General Assembly, Portland, Ore. Contact: John Hurley at 617-948-6131; e-mail: jhurley(at)uua.org; Web site: http://www.uua.org/ga
June 22-26
United Church of Christ: General Synod. Hartford, Conn. Contact: Rev. J. Bennett Guess at 216-736-2177; e-mail: guessb(at)ucc.org
June 25-28
Orientale Lumen Conference XI (West), sponsored by the Society of St. John Chrysostom and Eastern Christian Publications, San Diego. Contact: Jack Figel at 703-691-8862; e-mail: info(at)olconference.com; Web site: http://www.olconference.com
June 28-29
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship: General Assembly, Washington. Contact: Patricia Heys at 770-220-1658; e-mail: pheys(at)thefellowship.info; Web site: http://www.thefellowship.info
June 29-July 2
American Baptist Churches USA: Biennial Meeting and Centennial Celebration, Washington. Contact: Beverlee Everett at 800-222-3872; e-mail: beverlee.everett(at)abc-usa.org; Web site: http://www.abc-usa.org
June 30-July 4
Church of the Brethren: annual conference, Cleveland. Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford at 800-323-8039, ext. 260; e-mail: cobnews(at)brethren.org
KRE/LFEND RNS
Note: Holidays that begin at sundown continue through sundown of the next day, unless otherwise noted.
