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Diane Stanton leads Uganda women's conference
2002-227-2
10/7/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Thousands of women from throughout sub-Saharan Africa will gather in Kampala, Uganda in mid-October for a two-day Anglican women's conference led by Diane Stanton, the wife of Dallas Episcopal bishop James M. Stanton.
'Focusfest 2002' will include seminars, workshops, plays and songs of praise. The theme of the conference is 'Leadership in Conflict.' Stanton leads a team of women leaders from the Dallas diocese and five missionaries from the Houston-based Episcopal Medical Missionary Foundation.
'This is an evangelical festival for women from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zaire and beyond,' said Mrs. Allen Ssekkade, the wife of Namirembe bishop Allen Ssekkade. 'It's an opportunity for African women to get together to refocus their spiritual lives.'
Workshops include Forgiveness and Transformation, led by Dispute Mediation Services mediator Laura Allen: Rebuilding Broken Lives , led by UT-Southwestern Medical School professor Barbara Cambridge; Surrendering Ourselves to God, led by author and lay leader Dana Pope; Developing a Compassionate Heart, led by Dallas Episcopal urban ministries director the Rev. Diana Luck; and Developing a Missionary Heart, led by the EMMF team. Choir leader is Varita Michell. In addition to being the keynote speaker, Stanton will lead the conference's 18 delegate facilitators.
Prior to the conference, the group will visit a pygmy resettlement project in southwest Uganda that Diane Stanton began six years ago, when Batwa pygmies were forced from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest homes by the Uganda government. The group will also visit Uganda Christian University. Stanton is also executive director of the Uganda Christian University Partners.
The Leadership in Conflict theme of FOCUSFEST 2002 is taken from 2 Corinthians, which is based upon the apostle Paul's letter to the often-conflicted church in Corinth.
'Our African sisters and brothers face many difficulties,' Stanton said. 'We want them to know how much we support them and share in their suffering.'
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