Conference To Explore Past, Present And Future Of Canadian Christian Journalism
Event Date: Oct 18
WINNIPEG, Man. (CANADIAN CHRISTIAN NEWS SERVICE) – What was the state of Christian journalism at the turn of the millennium? What is it like today? What will happen to it in the future?
Those are questions that will be explored the Legacies and Learnings: A ChristianWeek Symposium, May 2-3 at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg.
During the Symposium, speakers and panelists will discuss the role played by ChristianWeek, a newspaper that existed in print from 1987-2014, in reporting about the church in Canada during that time; the state of Christian journalism today; and the landscape facing Christian journalists and communicators in the future.
Speakers are Lorna Dueck, well-known Christian broadcaster and commentator, CEO of Yes TV and host of Context with Lorna Dueck, speaking on the topic: Legacies and Learnings: Considering the Past, Present, and Future of Faith-based Media in Canada; Gerry Bowler, a former professor of history at the University of Manitoba, speaking on the topic The Curious Case of ChristianWeek: A Brief History of a Medium that Mattered; and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo, addressing the issue of the future of faith in Canada through the topic None of the Above: Having No Religion in Canada.
Members of Canadian Church Press and the Anglican Editors Association will be holding their conventions in conjunction with the Symposium.
“During its time in print, ChristianWeek made an important contribution to the church in Canada, reporting the good and the bad, always seeking to provide an honest look at how God was working in this country,” says former editor Doug Koop and one of the Symposium’s organizers.
“ChristianWeek still exists today online, and is still a window on faith in Canada. The question facing all of us is, what’s the best way for it, and for other church publications and communicators, to be that window in the future? That’s what we want to explore together.”
The Symposium starts May 2, 7 PM with an open public meeting and continues all day, May 3, at CMU, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg.
The Symposium is made possible by support from Canadian Mennonite University, ChristianWeek and individual supporters across Canada.
Cost of the Symposium is $75 by April 15 ($85 after), including lunch on May 3 and breaks. For registration information, go to https://www.cmu.ca/commsconference/
For more information, contact Doug Koop at dougkoop@gmail.com or John Longhurst at jdl562000@yahoo.com.
