Guest Post on World Convention

The following was received as an e-mail from someone who found my blog, as she herself explains. Wanting to share it, I asked and received her permission to publish it here. Today is the first day of the World Convention, so it seems appropriate. My thanks to Sara, and I hope for updates from her and others who attend World Convention.

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I found your blog while Googling "World Convention," and I appreciate the information you have provided. I am a deacon at Vine St. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nashville, and I was very much excited a couple of years ago when I learned that World Convention was coming to Nashville. To my surprise, it has been little mentioned in my congregation; and after my Googling experience I suspect this is true within congregations of all three groups of the Stone-Campbell Movement.

Nonetheless, there was a sign-up table for World Convention volunteers at my congregation's annual committee sign-up event. I will be working two afternoon shifts at the information desk and am looking forward to it. I also agreed to coordinate meals for international guests staying at our church. As it turned out, so many people were denied visas that we ended up with no one staying there.

I grew up as a devout member of the Church of Christ, fourth generation in one of my family lines. In college I suffered from major depression, and I wanted nothing further to do with God. Nonetheless, on the first weekend that I lived in my first apartment I passed a Methodist Church, a Presbyterian Church, a Church of Christ, and two Lutheran Churches [not to mention two synagogues] to attend Vine St. I knew that the Disciples shared a heritage with the Church of Christ, and I was particularly attracted by the shared belief in baptism by immersion and weekly communion. After a year of attendance, I joined, thirty-nine years ago this November.

Some of us who have left the Church of Christ (and there are a number of us at Vine St.) have been described as "whiners" who don't appreciate the heritage our parents and grandparents gave us. All I can say is that some of us left the Church of Christ with real scars, which can take time to heal. But I am thrilled to attend an event with all three groups represented. May God bless all of us this week!

Sara Binkley Tarpley