The 2024 Fall Theological Conference will be held September 30-October 2 at Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center, 13653 Lodge Boulevard, Grafton, Illinois.
The cost is $275 per person for double occupancy shared rooms; $350 per person for single occupant rooms; and $125 per person for commuters. Retired rostered ministers receive a $50 discount on their registration. The cost covers all lodging and meals (Monday supper through Wednesday breakfast).
Registration is open now at CSIS-ELCA.org/ftc24; the deadline is Friday, August 23. Additional details, including the schedule, can be found here.
The conference theme is “The Holy Spirit in the Bible Today,” presented by the Rev. Dr. Mark Allan Powell. Phyllis Trickle said, “The age of the Spirit is now upon us.” For fifty years, Pentecostalism has been the fastest growing (and the most culturally diverse) expression of Christianity in America and in the world at large. And nowadays, those who have no interest in being religious often identify themselves as spiritual (as in “spiritual but not religious”). What does this mean for Lutherans in the 21st century? We will go back to the Bible for a survey of different roles ascribed to the Spirit by key authors — and then we will consider how some aspects of our Lutheran tradition may be more meaningful than ever before.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Allan Powell recently retired as professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He is the editor of the Harper Collins Bible Dictionary and has published more than 40 books on religious subjects, including in the areas of spiritual formation (“Loving Jesus”), stewardship (“Giving To God”), and homiletics (“What Do They Hear?: Bridging the Gap between Pulpit and Pew”).
In addition to the main presentation, the bishop’s hour will include time with leaders from our companion synods in the Malagasy Lutheran Church in Madagascar.