VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 6/16/23)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), a proud sponsor of American Baptist Churches USA’s 2023 Biennial Mission Summit, June 23-25, eagerly anticipates engaging with many hundreds of registrants at the San Juan, Puerto Rico, event, which promises enlightenment, periods of reflection and uplifting worship.
ABHMS will have a significant presence in the exhibit hall to highlight its ministries. Directors and national coordinators associated with Leadership Empowerment, the Center for Continuous Learning, ministrElife, Intercultural Ministries, and more, will be available to listen and inform. In addition, Judson Press, an ABHMS publication ministry, will staff a pop-up store.
The bookstore will operate throughout the summit, with many of the latest Judson Press titles on hand. Customers will also have electronic access to the publisher’s full catalog of titles for their shopping convenience. Other attractions will include the appearance of Judson Press authors, who will be available to meet fans and sign books, and an ice cream social as a pre-celebration of the publisher’s 200th anniversary in 2024.
A stage in the ABHMS exhibit will feature scheduled activities, among them thoughtful conversations between the Rev. Meg Biddle, host of the ABHMS web series “Ministry Mondays with Meg,” and several Judson Press authors. The ministrElife team will also present on the soon-to-be-released Version 2 of the online platform for ministry professionals to showcase its many important upgrades.
On the first day of the summit, the American Baptist National Network of Chaplains, Pastoral Counselors & Specialized Ministers will host an ABHMS-sponsored breakfast. “We want our guests to enjoy a safe and sacred space for a meal and fellowship,” said the Rev. Dr. Patricia Murphy, ABHMS/ABCUSA ecclesiastical endorser, about the event. She described the early morning repast as both a “a time for intentional prayer” and an opportunity to learn more about the value of associating with the national network.
On the evening of Saturday, June 24, Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, ABHMS executive director and CEO of Judson Press, will be joined on the plenary stage by the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washam, ABHMS board president. Together they will deliver “Worshipful Work—American Baptist Home Mission Societies Report: Testify!” on ABHMS’ standout initiatives and accomplishments over the two years since the previous Mission Summit.
On June 25, ABHMS will host a Sunday luncheon that will feature an intriguing perspective on leading in tumultuous times. The program, titled “Testify! Dear Disruption…,” is intended to convey the power of testifying as a means of achieving spiritual and emotional uplift through daunting periods of societal turbulence.
“Our guests will hear three speakers read letters they’ve written to a variety of ‘disruptions’ we’ve experienced as a diverse American Baptist family these last few years,” said the Rev. Dr. Lauren Ng, ABHMS’ director of Leadership Empowerment and the luncheon’s lead organizer. In addition to the testimony of the speakers, the luncheon program will also incorporate music and interactive experiences, which Ng believes “will imbue us with hope as we look toward God’s promises for us for such a time as this.”
For more information about ABHMS, visit abhms.org.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Founded in 1824, Judson Press a publishing ministry of American Baptist Home Mission Societies, produces Christ-centered spiritual and leadership resources for the transformation of individuals, congregations, and communities.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.