| Of the 173 presbyteries in all 50 states, only one carries the name of John Calvin. Reason enough that the Presbytery of John Calvin, which includes 27 counties of southwest Missouri and six counties in Southeast Kansas, will celebrate the 500th birthday of the Reformation leader. The event will take place on September 12-14, 2009. Although the presbytery is headquartered in Springfield, all events will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Branson, 420 W. Main St.
The three-day celebration will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday with worship and workshops that follow discussing the Reformed Tradition, the history of the Reformation and John Calvin. The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and professor of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, will present the opening worship and plenary message on Saturday. His talk will cover the significance of Calvin in today's world. Other workshop topics will include Calvin's Work with Women, The Ecumenical Significance of Calvin's Legacy, Calvin and Leadership and Calvin and the Confessions.
Dr. Munn Hinds, interim pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Branson, will conduct Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. The Calvin Celebration Service will begin at 2:30 p.m. with guest speaker Kirkpatrick. Robed clergy are invited participate in the procession at his service. Communion will be co-celebrated by Kirkpatrick and Rev. Nancy Kahaian. Choirs and choral representatives, including soloists, are invited to sing at the Choral Fest at 4:30 p.m.and that will be followed by a dinner.
The Stated Meeting of John Calvin Presbytery will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday with worship, followed by a special plenary about the Reformation and John Calvin. Preaching during worship will be The Rev. Dr. Stephan Graham, associate for leadership development for the Presbyterian Church (USA). The plenary speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Anna Case Winters, professor at McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL.
Presbyterians and other “reformed” denominations trace their roots to John Calvin, a 16th Century church reformer of French descent. He was born in 1509 in Noyon, a French village about 60 miles from Paris. His father worked for the bishop in the area, was involved in law and convinced his son to follow in his footsteps. However, John Calvin switched to theology, studied for the ministry and served as a pastor in Geneva.
“Jean Cauvin” worked with other French reformers of the time to challenge the Catholic Church by creating a church and society that emphasized the grace and forgiveness of God, salvation through justification by faith and a more representative church government. His leadership led to a more open and just society in and around the Geneva, Switzerland area and to caring for the poor and indigent, welcoming refugees and educating all people. He founded the Academy of Geneva, now known as the University of Geneva.
He emphasized hard work, discipline, salvation, and building a better world. He was the author of several theological writings, the most famous of which is “The Institutes of the Christian Religion.” This historic volume addresses many issues of Christianity, including baptism, The Lord’s Supper (or Holy Communion), salvation, the Christian life, stewardship, and sin.
Special hotel rates are available at the newly renovated Barrington Hotel for those who stay for the weekend. Contact the Branson Tourism Center at (800) 268-4014 or by sending an e-mail here.
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