Reception &
Silent Auction
6 p.m.

Auction proceeds benefit RNA Conference Scholarships.

(Reception sponsored by Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly)

Can we sing that in Español, por favor?
9-10:20 a.m.

There is an intense rivalry between the Catholic Church and evangelicals/Pentecostals for the allegiance of Hispanic immigrants. A Catholic and an evangelical who are each involved in outreach to Hispanic immigrants and a scholar who has studied religious affiliation among these immigrants to discuss the strategies, successes, failures and tensions of this work.

PANELISTS
• Father Virgilio Elizondo, professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology, University of Notre Dame
• The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president, National Hispanic Association of Evangelicals
• Arturo Chavez, president of the Mexican-American Cultural Center in San Antonio

AUDIO
• Introduction
• Father Virgilio Elizondo
• The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
• Arturo Chavez
• Q & A

They grow 'em big in Texas (and elsewhere):
Keeping up with mega-churches
10:40 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Super-sized congregations are popping up almost everywhere, with five-figure memberships and budgets that support amazing programs in the church and community alike. But how do they provide the personal pastoral care that smaller churches do? How do you govern a church the size of a small city? And why do they keep growing when so many seek intimate spiritual venues? A minister from one of San Antonio's mega-churches, a strategist for mega-church leadership and a scholar who has studies such churches discuss the issues.

PANELISTS
• Scott Thumma, professor of sociology of religion, Hartford Seminary; researcher, Hartford Institute for Religion Research
    SLIDESHOW: "Beyond Megachurch Myths" by Scott Thumma and Dave Travis
• Mark Tidwell, senior executive minister for ministries, Oak Hills Church, San Antonio
• Rev. Rickey D. Hill, chief operations officer at Friendship-West Baptist Church of Dallas

AUDIO
• Introduction
• Scott Thumma
• Mark Tidwell
• Rev. Rickey D. Hill
• Q & A

New frontiers in the culture wars:
Sharp stories, cutting-edge ethics
2-3:20 p.m.

Same-sex marriage and abortion have dominated headlines for a generation, but new and significant cultural battles are brewing. Four experts will offer guidance on developing issues in bioethics, politics, criminal justice, religion and social services.

PANELISTS
• Byron Johnson, co-director, Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion
• Dawn H. Seery, Bioethics consultant and chair of the Bioethics Committee for Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio
• Michael Emerson, founding director of the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life at Rice University in Houston

AUDIO
• Introduction
• Byron Johnson
• Dawn H. Seery
• Michael Emerson
• Q & A

Working with bloggers
3:40-5 p.m.

So much news seems to originate with blogs, but who has time to read them all? We've brought in two must-read religion bloggers to talk about what they do, how they do it and how they relate to the world of daily journalism. Ted Olsen blogs for ChristianityToday.com on a wide-ranging list of religious issues and events; Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia chronicles moves within the Catholic hierarchy, and is a lifeline for any reporter with an impending change of bishop.

PANELISTS
• Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia
• Ted Olsen, Christianity Today

AUDIO
• Introduction
• Rocco Palmo
• Ted Olsen
• Q & A