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October 7, 2008

Interest building around ‘Big Tent’ event

10 PC(USA) groups to hold concurrent gatherings in Atlanta next June

by Susan Lindsey
Senior Communications Associate

SNOWBIRD, UT — “Join us at the Big Tent!” the General Assembly Council’s director of Evangelism and Church Growth Eric Hoey urged council members at their fall meeting here Sept. 30-Oct. 3.

Hoey introduced the event and played a short video promoting it.  

“Big Tent” is a first-of-its-kind event scheduled for June 11-13, 2009 in Atlanta, bringing together 10 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) conferences under the common theme, “… and the word became flesh.”

The event, which has been characterized as “a denominational happening” and “a big Presbyterian family reunion,” was approved in September 2007 by a joint leadership team of the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council.

In addition to their own conferences, the participating groups will share common worship and some common meals, a shared exhibit hall, some common workshop sessions, and a Saturday evening celebration event in Centennial Park.

Participating “Big Tent” groups include:

• Healthy Ministry Conference;
• Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) biennial Social Justice Ministries Conference;  
• Racial Ethnic Convocation;
• Presbyterian Communicators Network Conference;
• New Immigrants Ministries Convocation;
• Stewardship and Investment Conference;
• Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference;
• Evangelism and Church Growth Conference;
• National Multicultural Church Conference; and
• National Elders Conference.