FEB. 26 - Tuesday in San Diego

I'm not sure how many folks are here...at least 1000. The weather is wonderful. It is always a stimulating event. This is the National Pastor's Convention, sponsored by Zondervan, a large Christian resource company.

(REMEMBER - you can access links with "more info" by clicking whenever you see text in color like in the paragraph above.)

There are a lot of musicians, artists and comedians here - I will follow up later with more about them.

Here are the presentations I experienced on Tuesday:

ERWIN McMANUS - I have heard him before. He is lead pastor of Mosaic, a creative church in L.A. (in fact he prefers the title "cultural architect" to pastor!) Here are a few thoughts:

People are not looking for a new religion. What would motivate someone to do that? Not because we have a better argument than someone else. Only if they step into an environment of unconditional love.

People enter into our church environments, and it looks like we place our meaning on meaningless things. Sometimes it appears we have sacrificed our children (the next generation) for our traditions.


I also heard a seminar presented by four persons on "redefining power - finding our place in a global church." It focused on some of the disparities in power among various Christian groups in a global context. The same imbalanced systems of patron/client that we see in the world can also be found in the global church. Implications for global mission relationships were explored. The four presenters were:

ATHENA EVELYN GOROSPE - Old Testament studies professor at Asian Theological Seminary in Manila, Philippines

MARK LABBERTON - senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, California

D. ZAC NIRINGIYE - assistant bishop of the diocese of Kampala, Uganda, Africa

J. DANIEL SALINAS - general secretary of GBUP, a student ministry in Paraguay


JOHN RUCYAHANA is an Anglican bishop in the African country of Rwanda. He had several close calls with death during the ongoing genocide in his country. He founded an orphanage for children who became orpahs in the genocide and ministered in prisons to its perpetrators.

He focused primarily on giving an evangelistic message to pastors:

I am not talking about the historic, remote Jesus, but the Jesus who accepted me and touched my life. As we read in 2 Peter 1, we are "partakers of the divine nature."


LES & LESLIE PARROTT are a married couple who have a passion for strengthening marriage. Their vision - to reduce the divorce rate in our country. Every one percent point reduction in divorce and touch the lives of a million children!

They had a neat communication device they suggested for married couples - "sharing withholds." Information (positive or negative) that we have withheld from our spouse for whatever reason.

I need to run, but I will try to remember to post more about this process!