Paul Nixon to Speak at Schauffler Symposium

Paul Nixon, an author, ordained pastor and expert in congregational development, will speak at the Schauffler Symposium on Monday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium on the campus of Defiance College. Nixon is author of the book Issues of Poverty and Faith in the Beltway: A Model for Your Backyard.  The presentation is free and open to the public.

Nixon is pastor of EpicenterDC, a new church being launched in the greater Washington, D.C. area, a multi-site project focused on serving the people in emerging urban neighborhoods of high density housing along the subway lines. An ordained pastor of the United Methodist Church, Nixon has been involved with congregational development for more than 20 years. He consults with churches and conferences all across North America, with a specific passion for coaching church planners and churches with initiatives to reach new demographic groups in their communities. He is also the author of Fling Open the Doors, Healing Spiritual Amnesia, and I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church.

Nixon’s appearance is part of a daylong event for local church laity, clergy, social work professionals, students and faculty. He will conduct an afternoon workshop on the topic “I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church,” an event sponsored by the Northwest Ohio Association of the Ohio Conference United Church of Christ.

Additional Defiance College sponsors of the day and evening events are the Ralph and Lorna Peters Lectureship, the Calista Olds Lectureship, and the Schauffler Symposium.

October 1, 2008