ADL Annual Conferences

Purpose:

The Conference Goals are:

1.   to help the Liaison grow in his/her openness to the Spirit and to understand how to foster the Charismatic Renewal;

2.   to provide an opportunity for theological reflection and practical application for a Liaison as generated by the Annual theological Symposium;

3.   to be a means of exchange of pastoral experiences and resources and to provide an atmosphere for mutual support and discernment.

St. Louis, Mo.  April, 2008. "Calling Forth God's People"

Cleveland, Ohio  April 23-27, 2007. "40 Years of Renewal. Where  Do We Go From Here?"

Benet Lake, Wisconsin, May; 2006, Benedictine Abbey: “The Cost of Discipleship.”

Sacramento, California, April, 2005: “What the Saints Can Teach Us About Charismatic Renewal.”

Jamaica Estates, New York, April, 2005; Bishop Malloy Retreat Center: "Biblical Theology.”

“Prayer and Ecclesial Maturity: Worship in the Spirit.”

Buffalo, New York;  “The Renewal at Thirty-Five, Bridging Memory and Vision.

Orlando, Florida, “Intergenerational Healing.”

San Francisco, California: "Spirit of Jubilee" was the theme.

Boston, Massachussetts: "The Father" was the theme for this last conference before the dawn of a new millennium.

San Antonio, Texas: "The Holy Spirit" conference was held in. Part 2 of the 3-year plan in the Holy Father’s letter, “Tertio Millenio Adveniente.”

Los Angeles, California: This conference focused on Jesus’ part of the 3-year plan in the Holy Father’s letter, “Tertio Millenio Adveniente.”

The theme was "Discipleship" for our annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

This conference was our first International effort as we met in Toronto, Canada. The theme was "Spirituality and Formation of the Laity."

This conference was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Retreat Center in Spokane, Washington. It centered on the "Charismatic Renewal and Renewing the Parish."

The conference in Boston, Massachusetts, focused on "Discernment."

Meeting in Akron, Ohio, the liaisons reflected on ramifications of "Pastoring the renewal into the heart of the church."

The meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, was an opportunity to look at the Charismatic Renewal for a perspective of almost twenty-five years. After reviewing the past, liaisons shared practical suggestions for better pasturing of the Renewal on the local level.

In Menlo Park, California, the topic was "Models of Christian Community." With the assistance of an outside facilitator, the liaisons also formulated a Constitution and By-Laws for the Association.

Queens, New York, was the site for discerning the role that psychology and spirituality play in Charismatic Renewal.

The liaisons accepted the invitation to meet on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The topic dealt with "Fundamentalism and Charismatic Renewal."

The topic of the conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was "Ecumenism and Charismatic Renewal. Prayer" and interaction with the speakers led to a deeper and broader understanding of the renewal.

St. Louis was the host site for a reflection of the "Sacraments of Initiation and Charismatic Renewal."

Williamsburg, Virginia, hosted the tenth national conference, where the liaisons reflected upon Mary and the Charismatic Renewal. Mary was seen as a symbol of the feminine, of relationships and of the integration of the masculine and feminine within each person.

Prophecy, healing and discernment were the charisms studied at the meeting held at Mission San Luis Rey near San Diego.

The conference in San Antonio was devoted to considerations of the gift of contemplative prayer and to spiritual direction as the main means of pasturing this work of the Spirit.

At the seventh national conference, held at Techny, Illinois, the liaisons focused on the R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) as a means of evangelizing, and on problems and programs relating to the formation of leaders.

Malvern Retreat House, Philadelphia, was the site of the sixth national meeting. The main theme was the integration of the Charismatic Renewal into the local church.

The fifth national meeting of the liaisons was held at Menlo Park, California. They used a process designed to provide maximum opportunity to discuss the papers on deliverance prayer. The work from the Lord seemed to be one of caution with the whole question of deliverance; that the guidelines should be preceded by careful teaching; but to move ahead with courage, trust and openness.

The liaisons met in Houston and focused on the need for sound teachings in Scripture, listened to a report from the committee who had evaluated a variety of scriptural programs, and heard plans for the theological symposium on deliverance prayer. A new comfort with each other and a stronger sense of identity seemed to emerge.

At the Kansas City Conference, the Lord’s word to liaisons seemed to be a call for unity. There is a great need for: 1) a bridge between the Church and the movement; 2) healing of relationships; 3) bringing leaders together on a diocesan basis. There was still emphasis on the need to understand and clarify the new, evolving ministry of the liaison in the Church.

The meeting in New Orleans considered the role of the liaisons and discussed various questions relating to the Charismatic Renewal. The role of the local bishop in exercising leadership and guidance for the Renewal was stressed. The first Steering Committee was elected.

Liaisons met for the first time as a national group with the Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Charismatic Renewal at the end of the Steubenville Priests’ conference. They concerned themselves with examining possible relationships with the Bishops’ Committee and exploring the group’s future direction.