News
119th New Wilmington Mission Conference
Posted August 13, 2024
By Kerry Michelle Dowdy, Member East Butler Church and Candidate for Ministry
The 119th New Wilmington Mission Conference (NWMC) ran from July 19 to July 24, 2024. As a Pittsburgh Theological Seminary student, I had seen emails about the conference but did not make plans to attend. When COVID happened, NWMC offered free online only access and that is when I thought I should see what this is all about. For the next couple of years I opted for the online only and noticed there were parts of the conference I was missing. That included not just speakers that needed their identity protected, but the worship and songs.
So, in 2023 I went to NWMC in person, and I was super nervous and excited. I tend to thrive in smaller groups so for meals I would try and get there early and leave as soon as possible! I also found places on the beautiful campus of Westminster College where I could quietly read or watch the various critters scurrying around. I enjoyed the smaller workshops in the mornings and afternoons, and I managed to meet several people.
The theme this year was Make Peace and Build One Another Up from Romans 14:19. This couldn’t have been a more appropriate theme with the events that occurred at the nearby Butler Farm Show Grounds earlier. Where I work, we were flooded with calls, mostly hateful, concerning the events that transpired. I was able to re-connect with God in such a tranquil place of Westminster College, especially Brittan Lake. My room this year overlooked the lake. I spent much less time reading and watching the critters on campus and found myself staying at the meals talking and learning about other cultures and countries.
There were so many familiar faces from last year. It was wonderful to hang out with them and meet some other folks. It really is like a big family reunion! Everyone I encountered was friendly and genuinely wanted to meet and get to know you. There are also activities besides speakers and workshops like tie-dying, meeting the King’s horses, pickleball and other outdoor sports, canoeing on Brittan Lake, campfire with s’mores, and so many other gatherings.
Now if you think you need to leave the kids with a babysitter—nope! This is an intergenerational conference, meaning that there’s programming and activities for just about every age! It is awesome seeing kids ranging in age all singing and dancing to the worship music before speakers. The music is performed by a live band, and they rock the outdoor Miller Auditorium.
So, if you’re still not convinced you should be at the 120th NWMC June 18-23, 2025, let’s talk about rooms and meals. There are dorm rooms available if commuting back and forth or booking a motel seems too much or costly. I opted to stay in the dorms both last year and this year. There’s a cool community atmosphere in the dorm building even though the dorms are not air conditioned. Don’t let the non-air conditioning in the dorm rooms scare you off, with a fan, it’s quite tolerable and you’re not in your room that much anyway. The workshops are in buildings with air conditioning.
This year I attended the Adult 2 workshops with Dr. Mary Ho, who spoke about Paul’s third mission trip and the people mentioned in his letters. The Sunday morning Worship service was with Rev. Ellen Sherby who is the associate director of Global Connections in World Mission in the Presbyterian Mission Agency. The speakers that you will meet have some amazing credentials and experience to share. I can also say I learned a lot by just talking to folks like someone I met who lived in Africa and a pastor from Nepal. People from all over attend NWMC!
What about meals—am I going to starve there? You could think of meals as a very large church potluck, and no one will shame you for going back for seconds! There are three meals served: breakfast, lunch, and dinner with several options to choose from. For lunch and dinner, there are several stations with meal choices from pizza and nachos to lemon pepper pork with rice and a medley of vegetables to salads and other vegetarian options. And as for desserts, there are different dessert options at lunch and dinner including ice cream.
If you’re still on the fence about joining in and think well it sounds like too much walking. Hey, there’s transportation where volunteers will help you get around to the various places on campus.
Lastly, if you’re thinking mission is something I’m not interested in, or my church doesn’t do mission, guess what? We’re all part of God’s mission! Sometimes that means going abroad to other counties to proclaim God’s word. There is a program called Summer Service where a group of young adults can apply and if selected, they will embark on a 6-week mission trip where they will learn the culture and engage in projects. The 2024 group included three young women that went to Belize who shared their experiences on Tuesday night at the conference. Also, the mission field is in our backyard in the neighborhoods where we live and worship! There’s so much and so many people with whom we can share the good news of Christ! You’ll hear about local opportunities and ideas, as well.
So mark your calendar for July 18 to 23, 2025 as we Make Disciples of All Nations (Matthew 28:18-20) at the 120th New Wilmington Mission Conference!
