LCMS Black Ministry Convocation Held in D.C. area in July

LCMSNews
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod will convene its Black Ministry Family Convocation at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. July 31 to August 3 under the theme “Radiating the Flame” from Jeremiah 20:9. The convocation, which is expected to attract more than 600 participants, will include daily worships services, business sessions, inspirational messages and performances by Lutheran choirs and musicians.

This is the first Black Ministry Family Convocation to be held in the Washington, D.C., area, even though the nation’s capital is rich in African American history and has a strong LCMS Black-ministry population, according to Dr. Phillip Campbell, executive director of the Board for Black Ministry Services, which sponsors the biennial gatherings.

Workshop topics include: Loving Parents, Loving Dads, Conversational Evangelism, Vacant—and Still Ablaze, Walking the Talk: Lessons in Outreach, The Role of a Deaconess, and Addressing Conflict and Disagreements in the Church Family
Worship services will be led by Dr. Yohannes Mengsteab, national director for new mission fields development with LCMS World Mission, and Dr. Frazier Odom, mentor pastor of Great Commission Lutheran Church in St. Louis.

Keynote speaker for the four-day convocation is Gill Hill, former president of the Detroit City Council and a former Detroit police detective who played the role of Inspector Todd in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films. LCMS First Vice President William Diekelman, will speak on the convocation theme and bring words of encouragement to participants.

Comedian Sean Sarvis of Fort Washington, Md., and a dance and drama troupe from Peace Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C., will provide entertainment at the Friday night banquet.

A separate youth program for junior-high and high-school students will offer Bible studies, fellowship activities, and a trip to Six Flags amusement park in Largo, Md.


Pre-convocation sessions for educators, Black ministry district leaders, and pastors serving Black ministries will be offered July 30-31.

For more information, or to register online, visit the Board for Black Ministry Services Web site at http://blackministry.lcms.org/. Or, contact the Synod's Black Ministry office in St. Louis at (800) 248-1930, Ext. 1751, or black.ministry@lcms.org mailto:black.ministry@lcms.org .

Dr. Phillip A. Campbell
Executive Director
Board for Black Ministry Services

Dr. Campbell's primary focus is the expansion of Black Ministry in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.Campbell holds a BA in Philosophy from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, IN; a Masters in Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO; and a Doctorate in Divinity from Howard University, Washington, DC.

He has written two books--Future Family, Ethical Directives f or African Americans and Others, and "Dare to Dream, Dare to Do."Campbell, who has received many honors and awards, has served in urban parishes for more than 20 years: Berea Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD; Our Savior Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, IN; and St. John Lutheran Church, Detroit, MI.

He has also served as instructor of philosophy at Coppin State College, Baltimore, MD; Martin Center University, Indianapolis, IN; Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI; and also Systematic Theology instructor for Concordia Theological Seminary's Delto program at Concordia College, Selma, AL.

Rev. Campbell and his wife Rose have three sons, Phillip, Yari and Matthew and three beautiful granddaughters, Ariel, Zenia and Kiuanna.