Abingdon Press authors Celia Whitler and Becca Stevens will be participating in the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering. Singer/songwriter Whitler will sing and Stevens, an Episcopal priest, will be speaking on Thursday night to an expected audience of over 40,000 youth and adults.The event will be held at the Superdome in New Orleans, July 22-26. This year’s theme, Jesus Justice Jazz, draws from the rich and diverse faith, culture, and artistry of New Orleans. According to the event website, this year’s Gathering will differ from previous Gatherings, as it will focus on exploring New Orleans and understanding the changes it is going through as the entire Gulf Coast region continues to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Celia Whitler is the author of One Wish for You: Celebrating the Women in Our Lives, New Beginnings: Words and Music for Graduates, and On the Way to Somewhere, all published by Abingdon Press. She makes music in a wide variety of genres, both secular and sacred. As a performer and music leader, she has led more than 850 concerts and events for groups. She has provided leadership at the national level for The United Methodist Church; the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; Christian Church, Disciples of Christ; Acteens, Southern Baptist Girls; and the American Baptist Church. She holds degrees in Christian education and elementary education from Centenary College of Louisiana.
Becca Stevens is a graceful prose stylist for whom writing, like love, is a practical endeavor. It is designed, she says, to move readers toward a shared ideal of love and compassion for the world as it is. Her books are Finding Balance: A Sisters Bible Study; Hither & Yon: A Travel Guide for the Spiritual Journey; Find Your Way Home: Words from the Street, Wisdom from the Heart; Sanctuary: Unexpected Places Where God Found Me, nominated by Christianity Today as best spirituality book of 2005, and her latest, Funeral for a Stranger. They have grown out of her work as chaplain of St. Augustine's Chapel at Vanderbilt University, and as founder and director of Magdalene, a residential community for women with a criminal history of drug abuse and prostitution. Her work with Magdalene has earned national attention and spawned both a cottage industry, Thistle Farms, and related programs here and overseas.
About Abingdon Press
Abingdon Press is the publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House. Abingdon Press has a distinguished record in religious publishing for a broad ecumenical audience and specializes in products for church leaders, as well as scholars and students engaged in theological education and the practice of ministry. Abingdon Press offers a wide array of quality academic, professional, reference, and devotional titles published each year.
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