New Orleans- Congress on Evangelism -Part 1

The Congress on Evangelism January 5-8
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans


FUMC and the Austin District of the UMC sent me to the Congress on Evangelism to learn what I could and report back. I've reported on this to a couple of Sunday school classes, but figured this might amuse the 3 of you who read my blog as well. The theme of the week was Restore, Rebuild & Renew. “…they replied, “Let us start rebuilding,” So they began this good work.” – Nehemiah 2:18
All of the key note speakers spoke to this theme in one way or another.

Tuesday, January 5th
I arrive in New Orleans only to discover that it will not be warmer in this southern city than it is in Austin. In fact a cold-spell is covering most of the United States and it is as cold in New Orleans, LA as it is in Denver, Co. Genius that I am, I did not bring a coat. This leads to a walking tour of the area around the fabulous Roosevelt Hotel (freezing the entire time) where I find a very warm jacket at Foot Locker for $32. Score! The hotel is one of the most beautiful I've ever stayed in. It has just been restored to its pre-Katrina, art-deco splendour and I'm in awe. Thank you Congress on Evangelism for not being at the Motel 6.

I am still cold later that afternoon so I decide to have dinner in the hotel to avoid a trip outside. A sweet Methodist couple from Punxatawny, PA invite me to eat with them, for which I am grateful. I learn about Phil the groundhog and what a wonderful life he leads. The food is wonderful, but it is in incredibly tiny portions (which leads me to eat at McDonalds at 9:30 at night after the service- I am not proud of this but it was close and it was really cold out!).

Every evening started off with worship led by choirs from the surrounding UM churches. It was sublime and emotional. The key note speaker the first evening is Pastor Rudy Rasmus, of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX. http://www.pastorrudy.net/ Rasmus took a church with 9 members and turned it into a church with 9000 members. Rasmus is a dynamic preacher and perfect to kick off the conference. There are 620 attendees with perhaps 10% African Americans. I meet people from Montana, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and of course, Louisiana. Everyone loves Pastor Rudy by the end of his sermon.

Rasmus has a small goatee with 3 braids, I'm not going to lie, it looks odd. Rasmus laughs and explains that it is his way of spotting judgmental people from 10 feet away. If they look at him and move in the opposite direction then he knows they don't like jazz musicians... and people who look a little funky. This is the gist of his message. He wants to start a “love revolution”. He says that we can only rebuild when we remember that Jesus used people on the margins of society and put them at the center. Rasmus equates Jesus with unconditional love. He reminds us of John 3:16 AND 17 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”