Convocation 2021

We Are God’s Soil:
Spiritual Leadership in a Climate-Changed World

Occurred on Thursday, September 30 – Friday, October 1

“A cloak of loose, soft material, held to the Earth’s hard surface by gravity, is all that lies between life and lifelessness.”

—Wallace H. Fuller, PhD, soil scientist, 1975

Scientists tell us that soil is the top layer of the earth’s surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles, enriched with decayed organic matter, inhabited by living organisms, aerated with gases, having the capacity to retain water.

Soil by itself does not act — rather it forms the fertile container, the nutrient-rich vessel, the arable ground within which other things can grow.

Soil is both teeming with life and essential for the sustaining of life.

And yet, human beings have exploited earth’s resources and destroyed our common home. Rather than embracing God’s directive to steward the earth — to care for it, to preserve and protect it, to prioritize our fundamental interdependence with all living things and with the earth itself — instead, without much thought, we’ve settled into resource-depleting ways of living that keep us caught in a pernicious cycle of domination, extraction, and consumption.

Climate change is no longer the science community’s prediction for the future. We are living in a climate-changed world — a world that raises provocative questions:

How might we grieve the losses of the world we once knew and embrace an abused and broken Mother Earth?
How might we rearrange our lives, our priorities, our resources, and our relationships in a climate-changed world?
How might faith communities adopt supportive, comforting, and prophetic practices in a climate-changed world?
How might congregations welcome the stranger, the displaced, and the migrant in a climate-changed world?
What do inclusiveness, justice, and equity look like in a climate-changed world?
How will we — spiritual leaders in many different contexts — maintain determination, courage, and empathy in this climate-changed world?

Over the course of two days we gathered for online sessions, and logged off for some intentional, self-guided, offline sessions, returning to digital space for continued learning and reflection. Incorporating music, the arts, and contemplative practice, Convocation 2021 inspired and challenged us to ground our spiritual leadership in the common good and in the sacredness of our planetary home. We enjoyed a blend of online and offline experiences, which weaved together to facilitate learning, nurture respite, and deepen community.

Held annually, continuously since 1905, Convocation is a legacy program of Bangor Theological Seminary, predecessor to The BTS Center. We were delighted to carry on this tradition, 116 years in the making, drawing upon the enduring wisdom of the generations of leaders who have come before us.

During this year’s Convocation, we prayed that God will till the soil — us —and plant seeds for a future that is not our own.

Click Here to Meet Our Convocation 2021 Presenters

Convocation 2021 Theme Song: The Soil

You asked for it, and we’re so happy to deliver!

If you attended Convocation 2021, you’ll remember some really sacred moments as our Convocation music leader, Pax Ressler, shared their original song, “The Soil,” commissioned by The BTS Center especially for this year’s Convocation — “We Are God’s Soil: Spiritual Leadership in a Climate-Changed World.”

Several of you have asked for sheet music, and with special thanks to Pax, now it’s available — and not only sheet music, but a lead sheet, a lyrics sheet, and an mp3 recording — all free for download here.

You are welcome to use this song in a congregational setting. We’d be grateful for a nod to The BTS Center and musician Pax Ressler.

Several other Convocation songs written by Pax Ressler, including “Use Me”, “Before Me Is Peace”, and “I Will Wade”, are available at this link on Pax’s website — donations appreciated.

Agenda Overview

Wednesday, September 29

Bangor Theological Seminary Alumni Gathering • Learn more

Session 1 Online • Pre-Convocation Evening of Music & Poetry

Thursday, September 30

Session 2 Online • Welcome Ritual & Keynote Rev. Mariama White-Hammond

Session 3 Offline • Asynchronous Learning & Contemplative Practice

Session 4 Online • Learning with Conversationalists Part I

Session 5 Online • Arts Evening with Climate Change Theatre Action • Learn more

Friday, October 1

Session 6 Online • Dig Deeper Gatherings with Conversationalists

Session 7 Online • Circling Round: Connecting & Reflecting Together

Session 8 Offline • Asynchronous Learning & Contemplative Practice

Session 9 Online • Learning with Conversationalists Part II & Closing Blessing

Special Pre-Convocation Event for Alumni of Bangor Theological Seminary

Convocation 2021 Alumni Gathering

Occurred on Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Bangor Theological Seminary Alumni
Pre-Convocation Care & Connection Gathering

Occurred on Wednesday, September 29, 2021

During a season of isolation, this gathering was an opportunity to connect. During a season of depletion, this gathering was an opportunity to find care and renewal. During a season of loss, this gathering was an opportunity to honor the pain while also sparking spiritual imagination.

We welcomed all for this opportunity to meet members of The BTS Center team, and we were grateful to partner with Alumni Co-Conveners Rev. Annette (’08), Rev. Tara Olsen Allen (’10), and Rev. Doug Clark (’74).

Meet your Alumni Co-Conveners

Rev. Annette Mott (’08)

Rev. Annette Mott worked as the Resource Center Director, and later as the Director of Local Church Resources, for the Maine Conference UCC for 26 years as a lay worker. She graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary in 2008, was ordained in the United Church of Christ, and served as an Intentional Interim Minister at six different Maine UCC churches. She retired in August of this year.
Rev. Tara Olsen Allen (’10)

Rev. Tara Olsen Allen serves as Pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Brentwood NH and has worked with the UCC at the local, association, and national levels. She recently served a church in Beverly, MA as Pastor for Congregational Life. Tara is a “born and bred UCCer” who grew up in a small town in MA. Tara received her Master of Divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary while at the same time pursuing a certificate in Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. In her spare time, Tara enjoys listening to live music, especially from her husband Daemian, who plays a variety of instruments.
Rev. Doug Clark (’74)

Rev. Doug Clark, a 1974 graduate of BTS, was ordained in 1975 and served UCC congregations in Maine, Massachusetts, and Southern California as a settled pastor. He transitioned to intentional interim ministry in 2001 and served congregations in the Washington, DC metro area and in Connecticut until his retirement in 2017. He is married to the Rev. Dr. Mary Moschella, who is the Roger Squire Professor of Pastoral Care at Yale Divinity School. Doug is passionate about the role of spirituality in addressing the climate emergency. He is the co-host of a podcast on creation care and climate justice with Jenna Van Donselaar, a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School and an activist with Young Evangelicals for Climate Action.

Convocation 2021 for CEUs (continuing education units)

CEU Track for Convocation 2021

If you would like to participate in Convocation 2021 for continuing education units (CEUs) please review the requirements and complete the enrollment form linked below (in addition to registering for Convocation 2021, which you can do here).

Requirements for the CEU Track

1. Attend and participate in all Convocation 2021 offerings including:

Wednesday, September 29
7:00-8:00pm ET • Pre-Convocation Arts Evening with Song Leader Pax Ressler

Thursday, September 30
12:30-2:30pm ET • Welcome Ritual & Keynote Rev. Mariama White-Hammond

2:30-4:00pm ET • Offline Learning & Contemplation Options

4:00-5:30pm ET • Learning with Conversationalists Part I

7:00-8:30pm ET • Arts Evening with Climate Change Theatre Action

Friday, October 1
11:00am-12:00pm ET • Dig Deeper Gatherings with Conversationalists

12:45-2:00pm ET • Connecting & Reflecting Together

2:00-3:30pm ET • Offline Learning & Contemplation Options

3:30-5:30pm ET • Learning with Conversationalists Part II & Closing Blessing

2. Complete the CEU Track reflection and integration assignment.

On the last day of Convocation (October 1st) CEU Track participants will receive a link to an online worksheet with prompts for reflection. Reflecting and responding will take approximately one hour. The assignment is due by Friday, October 8, 2021.

Optional: Participate in online CEU Track debrief

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 • 12:00-1:00pm ET
Join The BTS Center staff — Program Director, Nicole Diroff, and Director of Partnerships & Formation, Aram Mitchell — for lunchtime conversation about integrating themes from Convocation 2021 into your ministry.

1.5 CEUs Awarded

After reviewing the reflection assignment responses, The BTS Center will email CEU Track participants a certificate acknowledging their completion of 15 contact hours, which equals 1.5 CEUs.

Please fill out the brief Google Form linked below to enroll in the CEU Track:

Enroll in CEU Track

Note: Enrolling in the CEU Track is not required to attend Convocation 2021, but in order to participate in the CEU Track you must also register for Convocation 2021. If you have not already registered for Convocation 2021, you can register here.

BTS Box for Convocation 2021

We mailed a BTS Box filled with useful materials and delightful surprises meant to enhance the Convocation experience to our participants!