2016 Society for Pentecostal Studies: A Personal Reflection and General Report
Undoubtedly, my biggest regret from 2016 SPS conference is that I missed the dance performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by David Reed’s wife Carlynn Reed and her dance mentor, Carlos Zapata. From everything I’ve heard it was phenomenal. The Sheraton Fairplex Hotel restaurant, otherwise so efficient during our stay, had an unexpected problem in the kitchen that unavoidably delayed everyone in my dinner group, all of whom planned to attend the dance but didn’t get to do so. Instead we came in to the performance hall just in time to catch the Teresa Berger (Yale) lecture on “From Brooding over Waters to Moving through Cyberspace: Cartographies of the Spirit.”
Interesting Business Meetings
Business meetings may seem like a sort of “necessary evil” to a lot of us. However, in the case of SPS, I’ve found that the emphasis in that well-worn phrase is on the word necessary. I was able to attend two Interest Group Business meetings: Theology and Ecumenical Studies. Ecumenical Studies intentionally schedules its business meeting at a different time than the other Interest Groups. In the true spirit of ecumenism, they intend to make it possible for members with diverse interests to participate. Sammy Alfaro (Theology) and “Crip” Stephenson (Ecumenical Studies) effectively led the way for their respective groups to prepare for next year. By the way, I’m sure they, and other IGLs, would appreciate my mentioning that the Call for Papers proposal form for SPS 2017 opens April 1 at SPS-USA.org.
Of course, the general SPS business meeting was a time of elections and reports. Fortunately, the elections went smoother than the national experience has been thus far during the 2016 presidential election cycle in the USA (which was nevertheless a frequent conversation topic around table fellowship during the conference!). As noted below, the nomination of Margaret (“Peg”) English de Alminana (Southeastern University) for Executive Director was confirmed. Also, Mark Cartledge (Regent) was elected as 2nd Vice President. Dale Coulter now moves to 1st Vice President, and Jacqui Grey becomes SPS President. Michael Wilkinson is Immediate Past President. SPS members also voted on a small bylaws change to reflect the Executive Director-elect process.
Rich Fellowship and Food
At any SPS gathering the best parts are often the fellowship with friends across a break time snack or in the hallway or on the sidewalk as we go back and forth to and from the various meetings. Indeed, many of us plan “meetings within the meetings” at SPS. For example, I was able to be part of one group like that which is working on expanding Mennonite Church USA and Pentecostal relationship. Of course, I saw others doing the same. After all, many of us only see each other once or twice a year, and there’s much to say and do. It is always a challenge to get the time in that we need between parallel and plenary sessions, but it is simply too good of an opportunity to pass up. Many of us will likely carry away delightful memories of an Executive Committee member coming into the break/exhibit area to “shoo” us back on schedule (read helpfully direct us).
Category: In Depth, Winter 2016
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