[{"id":66,"date":"2023-10-30T09:27:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T13:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/?page_id=66"},"modified":"2024-02-05T16:09:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T20:09:51","slug":"book-orders","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/book-orders\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Orders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A book with the proceedings of the symposium is available at no charge as long as supplies last. Please contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/ccservices\/bookstore\/\">Allegheny Campus Store<\/a> about availability.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-70 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2023\/12\/MTM-Front-Cover-Final-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"281\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2023\/12\/MTM-Front-Cover-Final-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2023\/12\/MTM-Front-Cover-Final.jpg 432w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/>Meeting This Moment: Exploring the State of Allegheny College\u2019s Methodist Affiliation<\/strong><br \/>\nJane Ellen Nickell, editor<\/p>\n<p>At a time when both Allegheny College and the United Methodist Church were facing significant transition, representatives of the two institutions came together to consider the current state of their affiliation, which began in 1833. This symposium was held at Allegheny College March 17-18, 2023, and examined the larger relationship, without considering whether the affiliation should continue. Members of the Allegheny College community and the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference presented papers on the history of the institutional connection and various aspects of affiliation, and three keynote speakers addressed the state of church-related higher education in general. While the conversation focused on specific institutions, insights from the symposium and the keynote addresses can be instructive to others confronting similar issues.<\/p>\n<p>This project was undertaken with a Reframing the Institutional Saga grant from the Council of Independent Colleges and NetVUE (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education) and was funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Towns Family Lectureship in Practical Ethics.<\/p>\n<h3>Book Contents<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreword by Dr. Ron Cole, President, Allegheny College<\/li>\n<li>Introduction by Rev. Dr. Jane Ellen Nickell, Allegheny College Chaplain Emerita<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Historical Perspectives<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cAn Ever-widening Gap: Allegheny College and Methodism over the Years\u201d by Rev. Dr. Jane Ellen Nickell and Charlie Waid, Allegheny \u201825<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe Ties that Bind: Methodism\u2019s Early Relationship with Allegheny College\u201d by Rev. Dr. Susan Lyn Moudry, Ordained Elder, Western PA UMC Conference<\/li>\n<li>\u201c\u2018This Peculiar Convocation\u2019: The Thoburn Jubilee and Allegheny\u2019s Missionary Legacy\u201d by June Meadow Gromis, Former Allegheny Student<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Aspects of Affiliation<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cDoing Good: Institutions, Cultures, and Enabling Morally Virtuous Action\u201d by Rev. Erik Hoeke, Ordained Elder, Western PA UMC Conference<\/li>\n<li>\u201cLooking Back as a Means to Live Forward: Claiming One&#8217;s Institutional Truth in Order to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Campus Community\u201d by Dr. James Puglisi, Allegheny \u201884<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWriting Our Stories: Naming Loss and Drawing Our Bounds\u201d by Rev. Lynette S. Moran, Ordained Deacon, Western PA UMC Conference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>The Larger Context of Church-Related Higher Education<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Academy\u201d by Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President, Trinity College<\/li>\n<li>\u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Church\u201d by Rev. Dr. Peter D. Weaver, United Methodist Bishop, Retired<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe State of United Methodist Higher Education\u201d by Melissa Spas, Allegheny \u201903, Vice President of Religion, Chautauqua Institution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Afterword: Closing Remarks by Rev. Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, Bishop, Western PA UMC Conference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A book with the proceedings of the symposium is available at no charge as long as supplies last. Please contact the Allegheny Campus Store about availability. Meeting This Moment: Exploring the State of Allegheny College\u2019s Methodist Affiliation Jane Ellen Nickell, editor At a time when both Allegheny College and the United Methodist Church were facing [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/book-orders\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Book Orders&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-66","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":60,"date":"2023-02-06T16:35:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T20:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/?page_id=60"},"modified":"2023-03-16T08:47:33","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T12:47:33","slug":"registration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/registration\/","title":{"rendered":"Registration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There is no charge for the conference, however, pre-registration was requested to plan for conference sessions and meals. Registration is now closed but you may use the <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/rDNv7F1fZ9qNURrSA\">online registration form<\/a> to update your registration if your plans have changed.<\/p>\n<p>Walk-ins and those who are pre-registered should check in at the onsite registration table, which is open at 6:15 pm Friday in Quigley Auditorium, and at 8:15 am Saturday at Ford Chapel.<\/p>\n<p>Please contact <a href=\"mailto:jnickell@allegheny.edu\">Jane Ellen Nickell<\/a> or <a href=\"tel:814-853-5721\">814-853-5721<\/a>\u00a0with any questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no charge for the conference, however, pre-registration was requested to plan for conference sessions and meals. Registration is now closed but you may use the online registration form to update your registration if your plans have changed. Walk-ins and those who are pre-registered should check in at the onsite registration table, which is [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/registration\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Registration&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-60","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":56,"date":"2023-02-06T16:30:10","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T20:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/?page_id=56"},"modified":"2023-04-27T12:13:10","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T16:13:10","slug":"schedule","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>To watch videos of each session, click on the links in the schedule below.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/keynote-speakers\/\">Biographies of keynote speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/paper-presentations\/\">Abstracts of paper presentations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Friday, March 17<\/h4>\n<p>Quigley Auditorium<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>7:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1j7YgAbEMvlYtdArlU9ZmZnsxo7nwMyWR\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Keynote Speech<\/strong>: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Academy\u201d<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President, Trinity College<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>7:50 pm\n<ul>\n<li>Break<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>8:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/11RiaG2QHzU2a1wCAdPQZqjQoCXw7KEhm\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Keynote Speech<\/strong>: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Church\u201d<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>The Rev. Dr. Peter D. Weaver, United Methodist Church Bishop, retired<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Saturday, March 18<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>Ford Memorial Chapel<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>9:00 am\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1BY5RneAVAzaOmRKSloqU-A9S8FezVxet\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Paper Session One<\/strong>: \u201cAn Ever Widening Gap: Allegheny College and Methodism over the Years\u201d<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Presenters: Charlie Waid, Allegheny \u201825<br \/>\nThe Rev. Jane Ellen Nickell, Ph.D., Allegheny College Chaplain, retired<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>10:00 am\n<ul>\n<li>Break<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>10:30 am\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/15Wc3dmvhCAzOuavuKfSvjcG3JTrstQt0\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Paper Session Two<\/strong>: Historical Perspectives<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThe Ties that Bind: Methodism&#8217;s Early Relationship with Allegheny College\u201d<br \/>\nPresenter: The Rev. Susan Lyn Moudry, Ph.D., Ordained Elder, Western Pennsylvania UMC Conference<\/li>\n<li>\u201c\u2018This Peculiar Convocation\u2019: The Thoburn Jubilee and Allegheny\u2019s Missionary Legacy\u201d<br \/>\nPresenter: June Meadow Gromis, Former Allegheny Student<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>12:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li>Lunch (provided), Tippie Alumni Center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>2:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/10tyZ_-kxyna_vHt5RtQqfW0YfbEYM5yh\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Paper Session Three<\/strong>: Aspects of Affiliation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Please note that the start time for this session has been changed from 1:30 to 2:00.\u00a0<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Doing Good: Institutions, Cultures, and Enabling Morally Virtuous Action&#8221;<br \/>\nPresenter: The Rev. Erik Hoeke, Ordained Elder, Western Pennsylvania UMC Conference and Th.M. student in Moral Theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry<\/li>\n<li>\u201cLooking Back as a Means to Live Forward: Claiming One&#8217;s Institutional Truth in Order to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Campus Community&#8221;<br \/>\nPresenter: James Puglisi, D.Min., Allegheny &#8217;84, Ministry Formation Manager with Ascension Wisconsin<\/li>\n<li><em>We regret that Rev. Lynette Moran will be unable to attend the Saturday afternoon session, but we look forward to including her paper in the published record of the symposium.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>3:30 pm\n<ul>\n<li>Break<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>4:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1v5YThbUQP1QKM_4UUxGG4EWdseuN-9eS\/view?usp=sharing\"><strong>Keynote Speech<\/strong>: \u201cThe State of United Methodist Higher Education\u201d<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Melissa Spas, Allegheny \u201803<br \/>\nVice President of Religion, Chautauqua Institution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>5:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li>Dinner (on your own)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>7:00 pm\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Closing Session<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><em>Please note that the closing session and dessert reception have been moved to the Tippie Alumni Center. \u00a0<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Ron Cole, President, Allegheny College<\/li>\n<li>The Rev. Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, Bishop, Western Pennsylvania UMC Conference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To watch videos of each session, click on the links in the schedule below. Biographies of keynote speakers Abstracts of paper presentations Friday, March 17 Quigley Auditorium 7:00 pm Keynote Speech: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Academy\u201d Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President, Trinity College 7:50 pm Break 8:00 pm Keynote Speech: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/schedule\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Schedule&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-56","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/56","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/56\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":41,"date":"2022-11-10T10:05:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T14:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2023-04-19T15:24:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T19:24:29","slug":"paper-presentations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/paper-presentations\/","title":{"rendered":"Paper Presentations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Click on the links for each session to view the video.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1BY5RneAVAzaOmRKSloqU-A9S8FezVxet\/view?usp=sharing\">Paper Session One: Historical Background<\/a><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Saturday, March 18 at 9:00 am<\/li>\n<li>Ford Memorial Chapel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u201cAn Ever Widening Gap: Allegheny College and Methodism over the Years\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>Allegheny College and the Methodist church in western Pennsylvania came together in the 1830s to address the college&#8217;s financial need and Methodism\u2019s desire to expand its educational offerings in the area. Within fifty years, the two institutions were at odds over what direction the college should take. Focusing specifically on governance structures, as well as financial ties and diverging worldviews, this paper will trace the evolution of that relationship, which has led to recent calls for the college to disaffiliate.<\/p>\n<p>Presenters: Charlie Waid, Allegheny \u201825 and The Rev. Jane Ellen Nickell, Ph.D., Allegheny College Chaplain, Retired<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/15Wc3dmvhCAzOuavuKfSvjcG3JTrstQt0\/view?usp=sharing\">Paper Session Two: Historical Perspectives<\/a><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 am<\/li>\n<li>Ford Memorial Chapel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u201cThe Ties that Bind: Methodism&#8217;s Early Relationship with Allegheny College\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>This paper will examine the relationship of Allegheny College and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), in the early to mid-1800s, through the lens of the MEC. Throughout the nineteenth century, Methodism was on a trajectory of greater influence and institutionalization. One aspect of this trend toward institutionalization was MEC emphasis on higher education, which in the early 1800s led directly to the creation of formal ties with institutions like Allegheny College. During this time, a number of Methodists influential with the higher education movement\u2014such as Martin Ruter and Matthew Simpson\u2014were involved with Allegheny College. These associations furthered the connections between Methodist mission and the denomination\u2019s rising influence. This paper will argue that the early partnership between the MEC and Allegheny College aided Methodism\u2019s missional endeavors and provided an outlet for greater influence for the MEC.<\/p>\n<p>Presenter: The Rev. Susan Lyn Moudry, Ph.D., Ordained Elder, Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201c\u2018This Peculiar Convocation\u2019: The Thoburn Jubilee and Allegheny\u2019s Missionary Legacy\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>From the 11th to the 13th of April 1909, Methodist clergy and scholars descended on Allegheny College for the fiftieth anniversary of Bishop James M. Thoburn\u2019s departure to India. The Jubilee was designed to commemorate the impactful missionary career of the Bishop, but also as a forum to discuss ways to expand the role of Methodist institutions like Allegheny in training students for missionary work. This paper will examine the contemporary reception of Thoburn\u2019s career, methods, and values, along with those ideas being discussed at the Jubilee, with the goal of evaluating their legacy in a post-colonial world.<\/p>\n<p>Presenter: June Meadow Gromis, Former Allegheny Student<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/10tyZ_-kxyna_vHt5RtQqfW0YfbEYM5yh\/view?usp=share_link\">Paper Session Three: Aspects of Affiliation<\/a><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Saturday, March 18 at 2:00 pm<\/li>\n<li>Ford Memorial Chapel<\/li>\n<li><em>Please note that this session will begin at 2:00 instead of 1:30 as previously announced, and will not include Rev. Lynette Moran, who is unable to be there. We look forward to including her paper in the published proceedings.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Doing Good: Institutions, Cultures, and Enabling Morally Virtuous Action&#8221;<br \/>\n<\/strong>What does it mean to &#8220;do good,&#8221; not only as individuals but as institutions? How do the structures we create, and in which we participate, affect and even determine our ethical beliefs and behavior? Allegheny College&#8217;s conversation about whether to remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC) reflects a larger discord between two institutions with distinct structures, cultures, and guiding values. It is also an example of how institutions can constrain or enable the moral agency of both individuals and other institutions with which they share a relationship. This paper explores the relationship between two institutions\u2014Allegheny College and the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church\u2014with theories of virtue ethics and social structural ethics, posing ethical challenges and opportunities present in the ways both college and conference may choose to \u201cmeet this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Presenter: The Rev. Erik Hoeke, Ordained Elder, Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church, Th.M. Student in Moral Theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Looking Back as a Means to Live Forward: Claiming One&#8217;s Institutional Truth in Order to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Campus Community&#8221;<br \/>\n<\/strong>The question: As institutions of higher education continue to evolve in the pursuit of fostering equitable and inclusive campus environments, a process of looking forward; how does an institution reconcile past history, or even existing history, that may conflict with an aspirational institutional identity and desired campus climate? This paper will consider the need and role of truth-telling, such as \u201ctruth and reconciliation commissions,\u201d as a means for an institution to gain an understanding of the impact of institutional history, culture, and operational practices on traditionally underrepresented and\/or marginalized individuals and campus entities over the history of the institution.<\/p>\n<p>Presenter: James Puglisi, D.Min., Allegheny \u201884, Ministry Formation Manager with Ascension Wisconsin<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWriting Our Stories: Naming Loss and Drawing Inclusive Bounds\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>Tying together three theoretical approaches of emotion, this paper aims to better understand how we individually and collectively grieve and make meaning of our grief during times of social change. It also considers how institutions, groups, and individuals dynamically interact to impact the experience of grief. The paper connects to the author\u2019s dissertation study of grief and the United Methodist Church at this time of change.<\/p>\n<p>Author: The Rev. Lynette S. Moran, Ordained Deacon, Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of Pittsburgh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Click on the links for each session to view the video. Paper Session One: Historical Background Saturday, March 18 at 9:00 am Ford Memorial Chapel \u201cAn Ever Widening Gap: Allegheny College and Methodism over the Years\u201d Allegheny College and the Methodist church in western Pennsylvania came together in the 1830s to address the college&#8217;s financial [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/paper-presentations\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Paper Presentations&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":39,"date":"2022-11-10T09:59:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T13:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/?page_id=39"},"modified":"2023-04-17T11:22:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T15:22:58","slug":"keynote-speakers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/keynote-speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Keynote Speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Click on the links for each session to view the video.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney: President, Trinity College<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Joanne-Berger-Sweeney-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Headshot of Joanne Berger-Sweeney\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Joanne-Berger-Sweeney-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Joanne-Berger-Sweeney.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>Joanne Berger-Sweeney became the 22nd president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in July 2014. Since that time, she has overseen several major accomplishments, including the completion of a new strategic plan; the creation of the Bantam Network mentoring program for first-year students, and the Career and Life Design Center; the introduction of a new, innovative liberal arts curriculum for the 21st century; and strengthening the relationship with the dynamic capital city that is its home by expanding Trinity\u2019s campus footprint into downtown Hartford.<\/p>\n<p>Before coming to Trinity, Dr. Berger-Sweeney served as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, after beginning her academic career as a member of the Wellesley College faculty. She received her undergraduate degree in psychobiology from Wellesley College, an M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Berger-Sweeney has served on many boards in the Hartford region and beyond, including Hartford HealthCare, where she chairs the Governance Committee; the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, for which she is the past chair; and the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1j7YgAbEMvlYtdArlU9ZmZnsxo7nwMyWR\/view?usp=sharing\">Keynote Speech: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Academy\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Friday, March 17 at 7:00 pm<\/li>\n<li>Quigley Hall 101<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Rev. Dr. Peter D. Weaver: United Methodist Church Bishop, retired<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-52 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Peter-Weaver-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Headshot of Peter Weaver\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Peter-Weaver-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Peter-Weaver.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>Peter D. Weaver was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Grove City and the city of Pittsburgh, where his father was a Methodist pastor.\u00a0 Educated at West Virginia Wesleyan College (B.A.), Drew University (M.Div.), and Boston University (Th.D.), his background in higher education has included serving on seven boards of trustees of United Methodist colleges and universities, teaching at four universities, leading campus ministries, and chairing the Western Pennsylvania Conference Committee on Higher Education. He has received four honorary degrees.<\/p>\n<p>From 1971 to 1996 he served urban United Methodist Churches in Pittsburgh, which had inclusive ministries with urban youth, university students, the LGBTQ+ community, older adults, persons who were homeless, industrial workers, and corporate executives. He hosted a weekly radio program on KDKA and was a founder of Bethlehem Haven community for women who were homeless, and the city-wide \u201cOne Voice Against Racism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1996 he was elected a United Methodist Bishop, serving the 1,000-plus churches in the Philadelphia area, and later the Boston area and churches across New England. During this time, he was elected President of the global Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, which engaged him in United Methodist missions, including educational work, around the world. He has also served as interim Bishop of Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>Pete is married to Linda, and they live in Williamsburg, Virginia. Their eight daughters and thirteen grandchildren also keep him engaged in education.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/11RiaG2QHzU2a1wCAdPQZqjQoCXw7KEhm\/view?usp=sharing\">Keynote Speech: \u201cChurch-College Relations: A View from the Church\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Friday, March 17 at 8:00 pm<\/li>\n<li>Quigley Hall 101<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Melissa Spas, Allegheny \u201803: Vice President of Religion, Chautauqua Institution<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-53 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Melissa-Spas-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Headshot of Melissa Spas\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Melissa-Spas-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/files\/2022\/11\/Melissa-Spas.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>Melissa Spas serves Chautauqua Institution as Vice President for Religion.\u00a0 In that role she is responsible for the strategic vision and leadership of worship, religious programming, and ecumenical and interfaith collaboration at Chautauqua. She oversees the development and expansion of a robust religion program during Chautauqua\u2019s traditional nine-week Summer Assembly season and serves as the architect of a new year-round set of programs and partnerships to ensure that the religion pillar is a distinctive component of Chautauqua\u2019s overall program.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to joining the staff of Chautauqua Institution, she served as the acting director of Lake Institute on Faith &amp; Giving at Indiana University\u2019s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and as an assistant director for Leadership Education at Duke University\u2019s Divinity School.<\/p>\n<p>A proud graduate of Allegheny College, Melissa also studied at Harvard Divinity School and North Carolina State University. She is a lay person in the United Methodist Church, and a member of Broadway UMC in Indianapolis, Indiana. She and her husband Giovanni Machado live with their toddler son Robert Orlando in Chautauqua, New York.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1v5YThbUQP1QKM_4UUxGG4EWdseuN-9eS\/view?usp=sharing\">Keynote Speech: \u201cThe State of United Methodist Higher Education\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Saturday, March 18 at 4:00 pm<\/li>\n<li>Ford Memorial Chapel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Click on the links for each session to view the video. Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney: President, Trinity College Joanne Berger-Sweeney became the 22nd president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in July 2014. Since that time, she has overseen several major accomplishments, including the completion of a new strategic plan; the creation of the Bantam Network [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/keynote-speakers\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Keynote Speakers&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-39","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":9,"date":"2022-04-11T13:19:19","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T17:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meetingthemomentsymposium\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2022-04-15T13:05:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T17:05:48","slug":"call-for-proposals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/call-for-proposals\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for Proposals"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\"alt\">Proposal Schedule<\/h3>\n<p><div class=\"column-short column-one-third    \"><strong>Submission of Proposals<\/strong><br \/>\n<i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right fa-lg\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i> June 30, 2022<\/div><div class=\"column-short column-one-third    \"><strong>Notification of Acceptance<\/strong><br \/>\n<i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right fa-lg\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i> August 1, 2022<\/div><div class=\"column-short column-one-third   column-last  \"><strong>Final Paper Submission<br \/>\n<\/strong><i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right fa-lg\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i> January 31, 2023<\/div><div class=\"clearcolumnfloats\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Allegheny College invites proposals for scholarly papers reflecting on the college\u2019s affiliation with the United Methodist Church (UMC), at this moment of significant transition for both institutions. Papers will be presented at a symposium at Allegheny College on <strong>March 17-18, 2023<\/strong>, then published in an edited volume.<\/p>\n<p>Affiliated since 1833, the two institutions no longer share the close ties they did when many clergy from the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference earned degrees or continuing education credits at Allegheny. As the country has experienced significant social change, the college has moved in a more progressive direction than the surrounding region so that many in the college and the conference have become distant and even suspicious of one another. That distance resulted in a petition from Allegheny faculty and students to the Board of Trustees to disaffiliate from the UMC in light of its restrictions on the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons. While awaiting the outcome of the next UMC General Conference, now postponed to 2024, trustees have suspended the college affiliation with the church.<\/p>\n<p>The symposium is not a referendum on affiliation, so papers should not advocate for or against that move. Instead, we seek balanced perspectives from both the college community and the Western PA Conference reflecting on the historic relationship, factors leading to this transitional moment, and thoughts on what a future relationship might look like. Any personal reflections should be framed within a thoughtfully argued, well-supported scholarly paper.<\/p>\n<h3>Possible Themes<\/h3>\n<p>Possible themes include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n<h4>Identity and Inclusion<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What are the roots of the divergent paths the two institutions have taken in response to diversity and inclusion, especially around sexuality?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How do changes in this relationship mirror trends in the larger U.S. society?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How does Allegheny\u2019s identification with a specific Christian denomination affect non-Christian members of the college community?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How have stereotypes and misperceptions of each other contributed to distance between the college and the conference?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Past, Present, and Future of the Institutional Relationship<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How have both institutions benefited from the affiliation in the past?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What commonalities brought the college and church together and sustained it for nearly two centuries? How have those changed?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How does this relationship fit into the larger story of Methodist higher education?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How has the legacy of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and colonialism that marks most American institutions shaped the college, the conference, and their relationship with one another?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What underlying factors may have contributed to the college reconsidering its affiliation at this point in time?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If a more inclusive church emerges from the 2024 UMC General Conference, how might that influence the college\u2019s decision on affiliation?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How would disaffiliation impact future interactions on the local and regional level?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What are both institutions trying to hold on to and why?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Structural Issues<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What shifts in the regional history and economy may have contributed to the distance between the two institutions?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How have economic trends impacted both institutions and their relationship?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What are the financial implications of affiliation, and how would disaffiliation affect those?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How have the informal ties that anchored the institutional relationship altered over time?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Where do the global nature of the UMC and the global priorities of the college intersect? Where might they create tension?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Submission<\/h4>\n<p>Please submit a 400-500 word description of your proposed topic, along with your name, email address, phone number, anticipated technology needs, and your affiliation with the Western PA Conference and\/or Allegheny College. Those submitting successful proposals will be invited to write a 2500-word paper for presentation and publication.<\/p>\n<h4>Compensation<\/h4>\n<p>Selected paper writers will be compensated $500 upon completion of their presentations. Travel assistance is available for those outside the Meadville area.<\/p>\n<h4>Deadlines<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Submission of Proposals: June 30, 2022<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Notification of Acceptance: August 1, 2022<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Final Paper Submission: January 31, 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Review Team Members<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Dr. Courtney Bailey: Associate Professor of Communication and Affiliate Faculty of Women\u2019s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Allegheny College<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Dr. Dara Delgado: Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Allegheny College<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Rev. Jeffrey B. Little: Pastor of Saegertown United Methodist Church and Chair of the Western PA Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Rev. Dr. Jane Ellen Nickell: Allegheny Chaplain Emerita, Project Director<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Rev. Sarah Roncolato, \u201880: Pastor of Stone United Methodist and Bethany United Methodist churches, Meadville<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>To submit a proposal<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Submit using our <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/jnCnhnQ6MTZPd7JM8\">online submission form<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Write to us at:\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Jane Ellen Nickell<br \/>\nAllegheny College<br \/>\n520 N. Main St.<br \/>\nMeadville, PA\u00a0 16335<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"box box-tip box-align-\"><div class=\"h4-title\"><i class=\"fa fa-star\"><\/i><span>More Information<\/span><\/div>\nFor more information, please contact: Jane Ellen Nickell &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:jnickell@allegheny.edu\">jnickell@allegheny.edu<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"tel:815-853-5721\">814-853-5721<\/a><br \/>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Allegheny College invites proposals for scholarly papers reflecting on the college\u2019s affiliation with the United Methodist Church (UMC), at this moment of significant transition for both institutions. Papers will be presented at a symposium at Allegheny College on March 17-18, 2023, then published in an edited volume. Affiliated since 1833, the two institutions no longer [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/call-for-proposals\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Call for Proposals&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-9","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":5,"date":"2022-04-11T13:17:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T17:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meetingthemomentsymposium\/?page_id=5"},"modified":"2023-03-16T08:51:53","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T12:51:53","slug":"meeting-this-moment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting This Moment: Exploring the State of Allegheny College\u2019s Methodist Affiliation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Having shut its doors for lack of resources in 1831, Allegheny College entered a patronage agreement with the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1833. The church provided the young college with funding, a broader base of leadership, and regional connections that enabled it to reopen and begin to thrive. Over time, church control diminished, but the two institutions maintained close ties for much of its 190-year history. Methodist clergy served as Allegheny presidents until 1942 and held seats on the Board of Trustees. Many clergy earned degrees and\/or continuing education credits at Allegheny, forming a community with connections to both the church and the college.<\/p>\n<p>Today, however, Allegheny College has only loose ties to the current Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church and has experienced increased tension with conservative church policies. In 2019 Allegheny faculty and students petitioned the college Board of Trustees to end formal affiliation. While prompted by the church\u2019s passage of the Traditional Plan that strengthened prohibitions against \u201cthe practice of homosexuality,\u201d many also feel that affiliation with a single religious organization is incompatible with the college\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/deanofstudents\/student-conduct-system\/statement-of-community\/\">Statement of Community.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>With a grant for \u201cReframing the Institutional Saga,\u201d provided by the Council of Independent Colleges and the Lilly Endowment Inc., the college will explore the current state of its Methodist affiliation by hosting a symposium on March 17-18, 2023, then publishing the symposium papers in an edited volume. Modeled after a Symposium on Church-College Relations hosted by the college in 1991, the symposium brings together a variety of perspectives from the Allegheny community and the Western Pennsylvania Conference to provide critical reflection on the relationship between the two institutions at this moment in time.<\/p>\n<p>The symposium opens Friday evening, March 17, and runs through Saturday evening, March 18. Three <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/keynote-speakers\/\">keynote speakers<\/a> will reflect on the general state of church-college relations, while <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/paper-presentations\/\">papers<\/a> written by scholars from Allegheny and the Western Pennsylvania Conference will address aspects of the specific relationship between the two institutions. The symposium closes with\u00a0a dessert reception and remarks by Allegheny College President Ron Cole and Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having shut its doors for lack of resources in 1831, Allegheny College entered a patronage agreement with the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1833. The church provided the young college with funding, a broader base of leadership, and regional connections that enabled it to reopen and begin to thrive. Over time, church [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"mt-5\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/\">Continue Reading &#8220;Meeting This Moment: Exploring the State of Allegheny College\u2019s Methodist Affiliation&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":546,"featured_media":0,"parent":9,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-5","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.allegheny.edu\/meeting-this-moment-symposium\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]