The National Council of Presbyterian Men has selected these words of Paul for the theme of its annual gathering in Louisville, Kentucky, April 27–29, 2007. It’s not that most of the men of the Presbyterian Church are young or looked down on—quite the contrary! Our concern is for the next generation of Presbyterian Men.

During its gathering in Louisville the National Council will focus on our ministry to younger men and how we can encourage their participation in the life of the church. It’s no secret that the majority of the members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are women, so we have a task: to find, encourage, and equip the men of the church, especially the younger men, for their ministry in and for the church.

We have two keynote speakers for the gathering:

Dr. Roland Martinson—He is the Carrie Olson Baalson professor of children, youth, and family ministry at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, and co-author of Coming of Age: Exploring the Spirituality and Identity of Younger Men.

David Murrow—As owner of Murrow Media, Inc., David has produced and written television documentaries, commercials, and specials including material for the Discovery Channel, NBC, ABC, Food Network, Travel Channel, Dr. Phil, The Miss America Pageant, and many others. He has a degree in anthropology from Baylor University, is an elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and he and his wife have three children. He is the author of Why Men Hate Going to Church.

The complete text of 1 Timothy 4:12 reads:

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity". (TEV)

That is our hope—that we will find and use the best ways to encourage younger men to take their places in the church and be an example for all believers.

Want more information? Check out the Web site of the National Council of Presbyterian Men, Inc., where you can download the registration forms for the gathering. Better yet, if you haven’t already done it, organize and charter your local men’s group. It is a bargain at $50.00 and helps support the work of the National Council. You can find links for the forms on the Web site.

Even more information on men’s ministries can be found on their Web site.

See you in Louisville!