I’d like to encourage you to sign up for a special event at this year’s General Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina called “Loving Your Muslim Neighbor.” It’s designed to help us all develop loving relationships with Muslim people who live around us and to whom God calls us. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Westin Hotel. The price for “early birds” is $35 if you sign up before June 1.
No event at this year’s Assembly is probably more important than this one. I spend lots of time in congregations across CBF life and I can tell you that there is still a great deal of misunderstanding out there about Islam, its basic tenets, and the worldview of Muslim adherents. We need to understand and to cultivate listening hearts that are open to relationships and that enable us to overcome our fears of otherness and difference.
Here’s a brief overview of the conference:
Recognizing the current fear and misunderstanding about Islam and Muslims in the United States, this seminar will assist Christians to explore and respond to a call to minister among Muslims. There are more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide with an estimated 6-7 million in the United States. Muslims have become our neighbors, doctors, colleagues and fellow students. Yet, many Christians don’t have any meaningful relationships with them.
An emphasis will be on how to “Love your ‘Muslim’ neighbor” as we seek to be the presence of Christ in the world. Experts in this field will lead plenary and breakout sessions on a number of interesting topics related to Islam including common misperceptions that Muslims have of Christians and that Christians have of Muslims.
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