[Oe List ...] Intro/ need for New Course for Progressive Christians

[Bud Tillinghast]

I've just joined the list, so let me introduce myself. I'm Bud Tillinghast. I first met Ecumenical Institute in its absence. That is, I showed up in Austin TX in April of 1961 to discover that most of the Faith and Life Community weren't there. They had gone to Chicago.

After the initial course in Sacramento CA I was among a group from California that attended Summer '66. In 1969 I helped do the groundwork for the first RS I in Britain, held in Rochdale, Lancashire. In the early '70s I was back in California and, pastor of Laurel United Methodist Church, Oakland. We were part of the East Bay Galaxy of the Local Church Experiment.

I dipped into the OE archives and ran across George Holcombe's report of the death of Carlos Zervagon. I remember Carlos. During the MLK march in Summer '66 he carried our three year old daughter on his shoulders. She remember it to this day. A caring man was Carlos.

I'm joining the list missionally. I'm interested in helping to create a course for progressive Christians that is transformative. In the U S and England and beyond conservatives have such a course or courses: Cursillo and Alpha. I've been spending half the year in the U S and half in England. I'm near Oxford where I've been in relation to two settings where they are using the Living the Questions videos. It's good material, but very much of a head trip. And they don't know how to run a conversation!

Over the years I have not discovered anything with the transformative power of R S I. I see it as the keystone of such a course for which I see the need. I'm not sure where R S I has gone since my involvement in the '70s. I've a link to give more historical setting and rationale if you are interested:   
http://need-for-progressive-christian-course.wikispaces.com/

I would be interested in you comments and input.

Bud Tillinghast
"I am a stranger here, within a foreign land..."

In England now
In Pittsburgh PA in two weeks.
In California in December

Skype: budtill