Portland, Oregon-On February 5 and 6, Multnomah Biblical
Seminary's Institute of Intercultural Studies: New
Wine, New Wineskins will be sponsoring its third
annual "Social Justice Conference." This year's keynote
speaker will be Dr. Raymond Bakke, Executive Director
of International Urban Associates, and a leading expert
in urban ministries in America and abroad.
Dr. Bakke will address God's heart for the city and
challenge conference attendees to reach out to their
communities with God's love and compassion. While in
Portland, Dr. Bakke will speak at select venues such
as Multnomah, Reed College and First Covenant Church.
The events will focus on structural evil and the call
for systemic change. Just as Dr. Frankenstein's creation
turned against his master, our own creations can begin
to control our lives, shaping our values and behaviors,
and impacting us in negative ways. For example, technology,
urban planning, ideological shifts and gentrification
can foster evil. Evangelical Christians are prone to
emphasize personal guilt and responsibility and downplay
accountability in the public arena. We need to be aware
of factors such as these and their potential effects
on our society, providing an effective response.
Events open to the general public include "Compassion
and Social Justice," held at First Covenant Church at
45th and Burnside in Portland on February 5 from 7:00-9:00
p.m., and "Principalities and Powers," a forum held
at Multnomah Biblical Seminary on February 6 from 2:45-9:00
p.m.
A preacher, teacher, executive director and inner city
missionary, Dr. Bakke has personally led or served as
a major resource leader for urban ministry consultations
in more than 200 large cities on six continents. He
has authored "The Urban Christian," a groundbreaking
book on urban ministry which has been translated into
seven foreign languages, "A Theology as Big as the City,"
and "The Expanded Mission of City Center Churches."
Dr. Bakke will be joined at the forum, "Principalities
and Powers," on February 6, by several other noted speakers
such as Dr. Leroy Haynes, President of North Portland
Bible College; Dr. Richard White, Assistant Professor
in Urban Studies at Portland State University; Mr. Ronn
Elzinga, Partner in the Law Firm of Ronn Elzinga and
Associates; Professor David Needham, Professor at Multnomah
Bible College and Multnomah Biblical Seminary; Josh
Butler, M.Div. student, Multnomah Biblical Seminary;
and Dr. Paul Metzger, Assistant Professor at Multnomah
Biblical Seminary and Director of New Wine, New Wineskins.
For the February 6 event, there will be a suggested
donation of $5 at the door. The conference will be located
at Multnomah Biblical Seminary's Travis-Lovitt Hall.
Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact
Multnomah at 503.251.6767 or newwine@multnomah.edu.
Please check out our Web site www.new-wineskins.org
for other future events.
The Institute of Intercultural
Studies: New Wine, New Wineskins, directed by Dr. Paul
Metzger, is an official program of Multnomah Biblical
Seminary, and is dedicated to bringing Christ to contemporary
culture.