Eighth Annual Paul Henry Lecture Set for April 26

April 19, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

The Revered Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of
Churches, and six-term U. S. House of Representatives Democrat from
Pennsylvania will be featured as the speaker for the Eighth Annual Henry
Lecture on Faith and Public Life.

Edgar's presentation is called "The State of the World as Seen Through the
Eyes of the Church" and will be held in the Gezon Auditorium at Calvin College
at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 26. The lecture is free and open to the public
as is a reception with Dr. Edgar following the event in the Gezon lower
lobby.

Edgar has been in his position at the National Council of Churches since
January of 2000, when the Council began to reshape its life and mission. Under
his leadership, the NCC is refocusing its energy on two major initiatives,
including a ten-year domestic Mobilization to Overcome Poverty and an
exploration of expanded ecumenical vision which is including an array of
denominations in conversations about the role of the church in the new
millennium.

Prior to his time at the NCC, Edgar was president of Claremont Theological
School, served the citizens of Pennsylvania for six terms in the U.S. House of
Representatives, and was a pastor for a number of United Methodist
congregations. His experience also includes time spent as a college chaplain,
community organizer and director of a "think tank" on national security
issues.

In Pennsylvania he was the first Democrat in more than 120 years to be elected
from the heavily Republican Seventh District of Pennsylvania. Serving in
Congress from 1975 to 1987, he led efforts to improve public transportation,
authored the community Right to Know provisions of Super Fund legislation,
co-authored the new GI bill for the all-volunteer service, fought wasteful
water projects and supported environmental goals.

Among other appointments, he served as chair of the Congressional
Clearinghouse on the Future (1982--86) and as a member of the Select Committee
on Assassinations (1976--78) that investigated the deaths of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. In 1987, true to his belief in term
limits, he voluntarily stepped down from office.

For more on Edgar see http://www.ncccusa.org/news/2000GA/edgar.html
For more on Calvin's Henry Institute see http://www.calvin.edu/henry/

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Received on Mon Apr 19 15:20:34 2004