3rd Annual Revival Being Held Oct. 13 and 14

9/21/2017

Clergy, lay leaders, and church members of all ages are invited to attend the 3rd Annual Connecticut Conference, United Church of Christ Revival Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:00 PM.

"We gather for revival because our spirits in these days of challenge need to be renewed," said Confernce Minister The Rev. Kent Siladi. "We gather to come together as a community to worship, to pray, to rejoice and praise and to be encouraged in our mutual ministry. We gather because we are one body in Christ."

The host church this year is Spring Glen, UCC at 1825 Whitney Avenue in Hamden.

"We are excited about hosting this Racial Justice Ministry (RJM) event that celebrates the worship traditions of our African American congregations," said The Rev. Jack Davidson, pastor of Spring Glen and member of the CTUCC Racial Justice Ministries Board.

The Revival features two preachers: The Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith writer/author, a former pastor, musician and social activist, will deliver the message on Friday night. The Rev. Dr. Keith Bolton, pastor of Liberty Christian Center International in Hartford and member of the CTUCC Board of Directors, will preach on Saturday evening. (See biographies below)

Participants will also be able to meet our new Associate for Racial Justice Ministry Mr. TJ Harper and connect with staff members of the CT Conference. Music will be provided by the Praise Team from Liberty Christian Center International as well as a variety of soloists.

A free-will offering will collected at each service to be shared between the Historically African American Congregations (HAAC) scholarship fund and the Justice Ministries of the CT Conference.

Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith is a writer/author, a former pastor, musician and social activist, and also the founder and executive director of Crazy Faith Ministries, a non-profit which is dedicated to teaching the concept of faith as a spiritual force (not religious, necessarily) in order to do social justice work and to fight against forces that seek to keep people stymied. Dr. Smith is a graduate of Occidental College and Yale Divinity School, and earned a D.Min from United Theological Seminary, studying under the late Rev. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor and the Rev. Charles Booth. Her latest book is "The Book of Jeremiah: The Life and Ministry of Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.," and she is currently working on a book about the life of Rev. C.T. Vivian, who was a major voice and participant in the Civil Rights Movement.

Rev. Dr. Keith A. Bolton was ordained by the Holy Deliverance Pentecostal Church in California, and is now the Senior Pastor of the Liberty Christian Center International in Hartford, Connecticut. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Bolton attended public schools in Midland, TX, Atlanta, GA and Pasadena, CA. He received his Master of Divinity Degree from Fuller Seminary. He also earned his Ph.D. in theology in June of 1986, becoming the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from the School of Theology at Fuller Seminary. Dr. Bolton is an accomplished songwriter and author, and his love for God’s Word and God’s people have been apparent throughout his career in ministry.