Consortium Board Meeting of Record

Friends:

Yesterday we had the Board of Trustees Meeting of Record.
This is important for us as a Corporation.

Dean Pollard and all at Howard were gracious as usual.
The meeting was packed with Annual Reports--Student Board, Librarians, Executive Director--as well as Committee reports. We chose four new Public Trustees, approved the audit and the Budget for next year, gave out the Essay Contest Awards, ....

All of this and much more filled a two hour session ably chaired by Ambassador Clyde Taylor who was reelected as Chair--as was Sheila Garcia as Vice Chair and Michael Cooper-White as Treasurer.

This meeting is hard work--but necessary for our continued collaboration.

Peace,
John

Consortium Certificate in Muslim Christian Dialogue

Friends:

On Tuesday I wrote about the Consortium Certificate in Ecumenism.

Yesterday I met with the students in Wesley's Doctor of Ministry Program in Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue for lunch. Many of them are also interested in the Certificate in Muslim-Christian Dialogue. We are working out the details as to how they can use their electives in the Doctoral program to complete the requirements for the Consortium Certificate.

After the Doctoral students went back to class, I met with a Masters degree students at Wesley who is also interested in the Certificate. She too should have problem finishing the required 12 graduate credits.

Let me know if you are interested.

Peace,
John

Ecumenism Certificate

Friends:

Last Friday I was very happy to participate in the Graduation Ceremony of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. While I often get to Gettysburg to visit, I rarely am able to attend graduation. It was very enjoyable.

I was particularly happy to be able to present the Consortium Ecumenism Certificate to Susan Beck. Susan had been my student in a course on ecumenism at Gettysburg. She went on to finish the 12 graduate credits. She also went on to win the national essay contest of the Lutheran Ecumenical Officers [the LERN network] and to revive the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Service at her Internment Placement. She is quite an effective ecumenist. Susan is in her second career--an encouragement to all of us who have passed 45!

Peace,
John

Faculty Events

Friends:

I am privileged to attend many faculty events during the year.
Some of these are faculty groups; others are special lectures and presentations.

A month ago I was happy to be invited to attend the lectures of Drs. Mary Moschella, Fred Smith and Shaun Casey as they were Promoted to Full Professors at Wesley. I was able to attend two of the lectures. Dr. Smith really gets going, really 'wound up,' when he speaks on Urban Ministry. I always find his words inspirational and today was no exception. 'We need to analyze the context' is one of his major points that I need to hear.

Since I am a Virtue Ethicist, I always like to hear about the virtues. I have not heard a talk on joy for a long time. In her "Toward a Pastoral Theology of Joy" Dr. Moschella was speaking my language. Her talk was the keynote for a year-long project. She believes that there is little work on joy in pastoral ministry [much more on the theology of suffering]. I look forward to her 'from the ground up' study of this virtue.

While I had to leave before Dr. Shaun Casey's presentation, I have read his recent book on the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election and the role of religion--which has received very positive reviews. I am hoping to get a copy of his presentation that evening!

Peace,
John

Consortium Well-Kept Secret #1
Ecumenical Resources

Friends:

We have one of the best and up-to-date online listing of ecumenical resources anywhere.
If you go to our home page www.washtheocon.org
and click on ecumenical resources you will find the fine work
of Dr. Mitzi Budde--Librarian and Professor at VTS.

Peace,
John

Crossin Annual Report to Friends

Annual Report to the Friends of the Consortium
John W. Crossin, OSFS
Executive Director
April 29, 2010

This year my report will look to the future. In April of 1971 the Consortium was incorporated here in the District of Columbia. To mark our 40th Anniversary, we are in the planning a number of events to which you are invited.

· Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, will be the speaker for the Annual Tachmindji Event on Monday Afternoon, October 25that Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. He will speak about the 100th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Movement.

· Bishop Thomas J. Hoyt of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church will receive the Consortium Ecumenism Award and give the Annual Figel Lecture at the Student Board’s Prayer Service for Christian Unity. This event will take place at Howard University Divinity School and is tentatively scheduled for February 2nd.

· The Annual Friends Reception will take place in April around the time of the actual founding. We are making plans for a Gala Reception.

During the Fortieth Anniversary Year we will be revising our Strategic Plan. We are hoping that all who are part of the Consortium will give input into our planning process. We welcome your questions.

The school year 2009-10 has been a busy one.

o Dr. Richard Jones began his time as the Al-Alwani Chair in Muslim-Christian Dialogue on July 1. His courses are supporting the Certificate Program. His inaugural lecture took place in March—and is available on the Consortium Website.

o The Tachmindji Event was a joint one with the Dadian Art Gallery and the Luce Center at Wesley. The Gallery sponsored an exhibit of icons and presentations by the artists. The Tachmindji speaker was Professor Richard Schneider of Toronto, a distinguished theologian and expert on icons.

o Metropolitan Kallistos—a leading Orthodox Theologian--came again this year from England and this time received the Ecumenism Award at the Student Prayer Service and gave the Second Figel Lecture. He updated us on the international Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and it progress.


o At the Prayer Service Marc Delmonico received the Consortium Ecumenism Certificate.

o The distinguished Professor of Anthropology Douglas Fry came from Finland and addressed the latest evidence on human conflict and our potential for peace. His public lecture was sponsored by the Consortium Science and Religion Faculty Group chaired by Father Wimmer.

These are just a few of the Consortium events and activities of the past year.


Peace,
John

The Annual Friends' Reception--An Enriching Evening

Friends:

The Annual Friends Reception--Sponsored by the Public Members of the Consortium Board of Trustees--took place this past Thursday Evening in the Atrium of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Fifty friends gathered this year to renew acquaintances--and to hear our Presenter, Rev. Dr. David Gortner of VTS speak of "Young Adults and the Church." I think that Dr. Gortner offered us many insights--drawn from his 'field research' and study. A point that sticks with me is that we complain about the absence of young adults--but often don't expend much personal energy or resources in engaging them.

It always is good to see Consortium friends that I don't see often enough--and learn from them. It is enriching.

I was happy that a dozen past and present trustees were in attendance. Two of our Honorary Sponsors were also able to make it--Major Steve Morris of the Salvation Army and Bishop John Byron Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington.

Thanks to all who made this event the Ninth Annual a success.

Peace,
John