Gustavus to Host Association of Congregations Convention

The 23rd annual convention of the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations will be held Saturday, April 17. Gustavus will host pastors and delegates from the more than 500 Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) congregations from the state and across the country that are current member congregations of the association.

Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison, managing director of research and development at the Church Innovations Institute in St. Paul, will deliver the keynote address titled “Building Agreement and Strategies for Spiritual Discernment in Community,” at 11 a.m. in Christ Chapel.

Taylor will lead convention attendees through discussion and exercises, exploring a tested process for developing habits for faith-based conversations and dealing with conflict, and will help those in attendance consider what God is calling Gustavus to be for the Church.

The morning worship serve at 9:30 a.m. in Christ Chapel will feature the Rev. Stanley Olson as homilist and will include music by the Choir of Christ Chapel, the Christ Chapel Bells, and a woodwind quintet. At a noon luncheon, the Association’s annual Covenant Award will be presented by Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle to Rev. Terry Morehouse for significant and distinctive contributions toward strengthening the partnership between Gustavus and member congregations.

The entire schedule for the day is as follows: 

• 8:30 a.m. / Registration and coffee / Courtyard Café
• 9:30 a.m. / Morning worship / Christ Chapel
• 10:10 a.m. / Welcome and business meeting / Christ Chapel
• 11 a.m. / Keynote Address by Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison / Christ Chapel
• 12 p.m. / Luncheon / Alumni Hall, O.J. Johnson Student Union
• 1 p.m. / Discussion Groups / Jackson Campus Center and Johnson Student Union
• 2:45 p.m. / Closing Session with Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison / Jackson Campus Center
• 3 p.m. / Closing Reception / Jackson Campus Center

For more information about the Association of Congregations Convention, visit gustavus.edu/churchrelations or contact Marilyn Beyer in the Office of Church Relations at 507-933-7001 or mbeyer@gustavus.edu.