Columbus, Ohio Conference Report
The Office of Reconciliation and Mediation Ministries (ORM) held our Bi-Annual Chapter Leaders Conference in Columbus, Ohio on October 7-9. We are grateful to Pastor Jeff Broadnax and the CentrePoint congregation for generously allowing us to use their building for a venue.
I feel that this one was one of the best conferences we have had – perhaps even the best! There seemed to be a unanimous feeling that “something special” was happening. It was as if ORM was about to enter a new phase.
Kimberly Brummett, Director’s Office Program Specialist, of the U S Justice Department was a guest and observer at the conference. She said she really enjoyed and appreciated it and thanked me for the opportunity. She will report back to her boss, Community Oriented Policing Director Bernard Melekian.
They are planning a national event on Reconciliation and Safe Cities in Washington, DC and are considering me as one of the guest speakers.
John Connors, an elder in GCI and an experienced CEO of major standing and start-up companies gave us two presentations, in which he challenged us to take ORM into the next phase of its existence. He pointed out that what began as a rather haphazard idea from “fighting fires of broken relationships” has developed into a full-fledged organization that has the vision and talent to make a significant contribution in a hurting world.
John reminded us that even though ORM was very much “of God,” it was still subject to the rules of good business practice. He told us that ORM had “come of age,” and must be ready for what comes next. John has already been a tremendous help to me. He confronts me with the difficult questions that are essential to sound management.
Tony Pierce and Cliff Parks updated us on the progress on their fascinating cross-cultural outreach in Peoria, Illinois. Their work is complex, expansive, and fits right in with the message of Jesus in Matthew 25 on helping to meet the needs of the poor, hungry, imprisoned, etc. The scope of what they are involved in is “mind-bending.”
Tom Pickett reported on ORM’s new broadcast opportunity on KCLE Big Country Radio Station in Cleburne, Texas. The weekly program, titled “A Time to Reconcile” now has four regular broadcasters: Tom, his son David, Pastor Charles Dorsett and yours truly. (You can hear the program on the web site: www.atimetoreconcile.net)
Other speakers at the conference included Jeff Broadnax, Evelyne O’Callaghan Burkhard, Willard High, Ron Washington, John Halford and George Hart. We also commissioned Pastor Larry Hinkle as a new chapter leader in Florida.
We were joined in our final session by the Columbus, Ohio congregation. Following my sermon on John 4, “An On Sight Job of Reconciliation,” we ended with Communion led by Jeff Broadnax and me.
ORM is now incorporated as a non-profit organization in its own right, and we are focusing on reaching an even larger community as God leads us. Our vision is to put the teachings of the Word of God into action by advancing relationships between people of different beliefs and points of view.
2012 looks like being a special year for ORM. Keep in touch through our web site: (atimetoreconcile.org)