Reaching the Poor
Multnomah Biblical Seminary's Institute for the Theology of
Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins will
hold two seminars to promote unity in the church and outreach to the poor on April
9th and 10th, respectively. Together, these seminars make
up the annual Spring conference that New Wine puts on in the community.
People often think caring for the poor in the analogy of
giving a poor man fish to eat or teaching him to fish so he can eat forever.
Neither approach moves beyond charity, which keeps the poor dependant and
demeans their humanity. Instead, Christians must help the poor become
entrepreneurs so that they can own the pond together.
An Evening of Inspiration, April 9th
At the introductory seminar, "An Evening of Inspiration:
breaking down barriers", Dr. Paul Louis Metzger will discuss how the white
church has historically failed to build a relationship with the black church.
Together, Dr. Metzger and Dr. John M. Perkins will urge the church to long for
unity and will lay the foundation of what "owning the pond together"
means.
Owning the Pond Together, April 10th
The second seminar, "Owning the Pond Together: developing
communities through entrepreneurship", suggests that community development
involves partnering with the poor by thinking creatively and fostering
micro-enterprise. The seminar stresses the importance for Christians to move
beyond charity and toward cultivating community through effective business
practices. In this way can Christians and the poor own the pond together and
protect the community from being sold out to the highest bidder.
Perkins, Metzger, and Pastor Eric Bahme will present the
importance of partnering with the poor and how to put "owning the pond"
principles into practice.
Church Partnership
Following Perkins and Bahme's lead, churches can help form
local enterprises that meet local needs and employ indigenous people by
partnering with the poor, sharing skills and economic resources and investing
capital so the poor will have ownership in the community. Churches can also
become partners to foster business ownership among the local people.
Registration
- An Evening of Inspiration
Free to the public
Friday, April 9, 7p.m., at Emmanuel Temple Church (1033 N. Sumner).
About Multnomah
Multnomah University is a fully accredited,
private, non-denominational, Christian institution of higher education, located
in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate Bible college, a biblical
seminary, a graduate school, an adult degree completion program, and an online
distance-learning program, Multnomah issues bachelors and masters degrees, and
professional certifications and endorsements.