Spring Lecture Series
Lecture recordings/videos now available!
If you missed one of the seven fantastic lectures this spring, don't worry. Each of the lectures were recorded and the videos are now available for viewing anytime of the year! Take time to hear the stories behind the "movers and shakers" in Community of Christ 20th century history. Learn about the challenges faced by William T. Blue, the globalization of the Community of Christ led by Charles Neff, the unique life story of Alice Smith Edwards, and so much more! Click on the blue button located below each of the individual descriptions to view the lecture recording.
Preserving the Historic Sites, One Lecture at a Time
Although the online lectures are free and open to the public, donations received from the lecture series go to support the ongoing preservation and maintenance of Community of Christ historic sites. Click "Donate" at the top of the page to learn more about how you can help support the historic sites.. Thank you for your generosity.
Although the online lectures are free and open to the public, donations received from the lecture series go to support the ongoing preservation and maintenance of Community of Christ historic sites. Click "Donate" at the top of the page to learn more about how you can help support the historic sites.. Thank you for your generosity.
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April 22 Lecture:
An Evening of Church History with Richard Howard with Richard Howard and Andrea Read-Davis The spring lecture series kicks off with one of our favorite church historians: Richard P. Howard! Join Andrea Read-Davis and Richard Howard as they explore Richard’s experience preserving the past as church historian for Community of Christ from 1966-1994. Hear the details behind his groundbreaking research, reflections on the 20th century change agents, challenges he encountered, and some of the more hysterical moments experienced as church historian. It’s an evening you don’t want to miss! |
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April 29 Lecture: Storm Clouds on the Horizon: The Competing Theological Visions of Elbert A. Smith and Roy Cheville with Tony Chvala-Smith Elbert A. Smith and Roy Cheville were towering figures in the life of the mid-20th century Reorganization. Both men served as Presiding Evangelist of the church, Cheville after Smith. Both were beloved by church members for the authenticity and credibility of their ministries. However, in the rear view mirror of historical hindsight we can now see that Smith and Cheville represented contrasting, even opposing, visions of the church, and that their interpretations of the Reorganization’s message were bound to come into serious conflict. Their theologies reveal the early signs of a gathering storm that would rattle the church to its foundations in the 1960s and beyond. |
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May 6 Lecture: Carl Mesle: Pastor in a Time of Turmoil with Sherry Mesle-Morain The Stone Church in Independence may not be an historic site just yet, but it was frequently referred to as the Mother Church in RLDS history. Carl Mesle was assigned to be pastor of this congregation during a time of internal turmoil as the church changed its focus, during a time of turmoil in the surrounding neighborhood, and at a time when the building itself needed major attention to its physical facility. Sherry Morain describes how her versatile father used his perceptive interpersonal skills to hold Community of Christ members and surrounding community to core values during a time of difficult transition. |
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May 13 Lecture: From Militarized Mission to Radical Resistance: Post-Colonial Reflections on Charles D. Neff's Legacy with Matthew Bolton From humble beginnings as a Midwestern American farm boy, Charles Neff went on to participate in the fundamental transformation of the Community of Christ, from a small provincial sect centered in the Midwestern plains, to a worldwide church spanning over 50 nations. Matthew will explore Neff’s work around the world, the founding of a number of humanitarian organizations, and Neff’s commitment to bringing relief, release and dignity to the world’s poor. |
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May 20 Lecture: "When Will the Little Woman Come Out of the House?" The Life and Legacy of Alice Smith Edwards with Paul Edwards Alice Edwards played the somewhat reluctant role as hostess to the royal family, as a professor of English Literature, and the mother of three wayward children. In each of these roles, this delightful and very human woman was both influenced and influential, leaving a significant mark. |
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May 27 Lecture: William T. Blue: A Lonely Spokesman for Black Saints with Bill Russell and Gwendolyn Hawks-Blue This lecture will explore the life and legacy of William Taft Blue, a leading African-American minister of the Reorganization during the 20th century. William “Bill” Blue was ordained a priest in 1947 and later named pastor of the Belmont Street Mission in Pensacola, Florida, a position he held for twenty-one years. While enduring church segregation and racism in the southern United States, Bill transformed his pain into an affirmative testimony of faith and perseverance. In the late 1960s, Bill and his wife Carrie relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, where he continued to work towards a world without racism and discrimination until his passing in 2007. |
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August 5 Lecture: F. M. Smith, the Atherton Community, and American Communal Experiments with David Howlett David Howlett explores the story behind the Atherton stewardship community, an early RLDS experiment in communal living begun nearly a century ago. Nineteen families joined in shared property, labor, and worship on 2,500 acres of land purchased by the church outside of Independence, Missouri. The communal experiment was heralded as a grand success at the 1930 centennial celebration yet ended less than a decade later. David will share the story behind the church-sponsored experiment and what caused its formal closure. |