College Conference Montreat 2010

Today concludes a four-day interfaith conference at the Montreat Conference Center near Ashville North Carolina. The theme for the conference is “God without borders” and aims to bring together about a thousand college students of diverse faiths from across the United States to learn how to transcend the boundaries we create between one and other through a wide variety of workshops, seminars, roundtable discussions, and speakers.

The conference aims to address the borders between us and God, between faiths, between families and friends, between the rich and poor, and within ourselves. Once identified, the conference will explore how these borders limit our view of the world and of each other, and will discuss constructive ways to overcome them.The theme of “God without borders” is an interesting subject that aims to educate the youth that there is endless possibilities to what God is. God has no boundaries, knows no limits, and doesn’t favour one person over the other because of their faith. God is within each and every one of us; it is the good that connects us all. The youth at this year’s conference are engaging in interfaith dialogue to learn the tools to effectively communicate this to their peers and become interfaith leaders of their generation.

Leading the conference is an array of interfaith leaders, religious scholars, and artists. The keynote leaders of the conference are Eboo Patel (founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Youth Core), and Cynthia Rigby (W.C. Brown Professor of Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary). Other leaders include Rev. Anna Carter-Florence (Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia), Troy Bronsink (Singer-songwriter at the Abbot Neighbors Abbey, and a PCUSA minister), and Bruce Reyes-Chow (Pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco). Each of the leaders will have an opportunity to address the students, and share their unique experiences and insights on religion, God, and how to be an interfaith leader in the community.The College Conference at Montreat has come at a time where more and more youth are beginning to question the limitations of their own religions, and are looking outside for ways to become more connected with one and other. As a result the interfaith youth movement is rapidly growing across the world in an attempt to reverse the lack of education of the “religious other” that has been the source of conflict in the past. Gatherings like the College Conference at Montreat are safe environments to ask questions and learn with an open mind about other people’s faith, culture, and traditions so that we can realize that we are more similar than we are different.

What people are saying about the conference on Twitter:

@breyeschow Jesus does not need us to defend him or protect him from the infidels. That is not what preaching is about. Anna C-F
@SEAriale Gotta love a worship service that has us sing a U2 song as a Congregational response
@johnariale had a great day in Montreat – thought provoking keynote, insightful students at workshops and now off to worship.
@ifyc from Eboo – how many young leaders from Montreat will create an interfaith council on their campus? Learn at http://bit.ly/5Y8a3T
@MontreatCC2010 In 2010 – Simplify your life; Be generous; Advocate. Consider those in extreme poverty: http://vimeo.com/6978210 (via @eugenecho)
@thinson God’s life-giving purpose for all is demonstrated and where diversity is respected and embraced in worship.
@danwboles The #poor, #homeless and #oppressed are not able to speak their own story for shame. We need to, are called to stand up for them.
@ifyc from Eboo – I am inspired by 1000 young interfaith leaders at the College Conference at Montreat.
@danwboles If you want to be an interfaith leader, your gonna have to start with understanding your own faith first. Don’t make it up as you go.
@Gustorama RT @c_lawnknee: What are you doing in 2010 to be worthy of your religious traditions? – Eboo Patel. Wow that’s powerful