Dear JWHA Members and Friends,
We are honored to invite you to our inaugural digital event, Metamorphosis: Scattered and Gathered Saints Emerge After Crises. Saturday, September 19, 2020, 5:30 p.m. CDT.
The event will feature the following agenda:
- Live Awards Ceremony announcing the 2019 Best Articles and Best Books.
- Business Meeting with live vote on nominated Board Members and bylaws.
- Guest speakers: David Howlett, Ph.D., Smith College and Jane Hafen, Ph.D., UNLV (Emerita).
- Hymn Fest.
Registration: For the live vote during the Business Meeting, each JWHA member and spouse must register separately.
Advance registration is required; registration closes September 15. This professionally produced event is JWHA’s gift to all members. The fee is $10.00 for non-members; $5.00 fee for student non-members.
Dan Whittemore, J.D., CPA, will serve as our Emcee, first reflecting on our theme of scattered and gathered saints who have survived crises. Dan and Beth Whittemore have financed endowed scholarship programs for Native Americans in the areas of law and accounting. They are closely affiliated with the University of Denver, teaching a class on Native American rights.
David Howlett, Ph.D., will address us on “The Story of the ‘Evacuees’: A Filipino Congregation, a Cold War Insurgency, and the Development of the First RLDS NGO, 1972-1974.” Dr. Howlett is the Mellon Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion at Smith College of Northampton, Mass. He is the author of Kirtland Temple: The Biography of a Shared Mormon Sacred Space (University of Illinois Press, 2014) and co-author of Mormonism: The Basics (Routledge, 2017).
Jane Hafen, Ph.D., will discuss “Nor any manner of –ites: American Indians and Mormons.” Dr. Hafen (Taos Pueblo) is Professor Emerita of English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has edited two collections of essays: Critical Insights: Louise Erdrich, and Essays on American Indian and Mormon History (co-edited with Brenden Rensink). Her critical edition “Help Indians Help Themselves”: The Later Writings of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa), was published in January, 2020.
Q&A following presentations: During each address, attendees will be able to email questions to our presenters. Following the address, presenters will respond live to submitted questions.
Hymn Fest: At the conclusion, as in the past, we will be singing hymns from different Restoration Movement traditions. We will be joining with the digital choir in singing: “The Spirit of God,” “Redeemer of Israel,” and “Marching to Zion.”
It is our pleasure to offer this digital event, allowing us to continue the JWHA mission, sharing a lively interest in the history of the Community of Christ and the Restoration Movement. We look forward to welcoming you on September 19, 2020, 5:30 p.m., CDT. We will then discuss the metamorphosis, change in form and structure over time, of scattered and gathered Saints following encountered crises.
Warmest regards,
Jill Brim, JWHA President
