Speaker series finale focuses on Christianity
Rev. Dale Degroat will focus on Christianity for Springfield event.
Perspectives from the Christian faith rounds out the 2020-21 Global Education and Peace Network monthly event tonight.
Perspective from the Christian faith rounds out the 2020-2021 Global Education and Peace Network (GEPN) monthly speaker series today.
Ordained minister Rev. Dale Degroat, a lifelong member and assistant pastor of Second Baptist Church in Springfield and senior pastor at Praying 4 You Ministries, will lead the program “Connecting through the Distance: Practicing Faith, Hope and Love in Pandemic Times, Christian Connections with Second Baptist Church.”
The event is live on Zoom, 6:30-8 p.m., and free to join.
Degroat has spoken at previous GEPN events and is pleased to represent his church and faith.
This season’s speaker series’ theme is how the various faiths are responding to issues affecting the community such as the pandemic and racism and this will be explored by Degroat, who helped Second Baptist adjust to the environment.
“We had to make a safe pivot,” he said. “Our pastor didn’t have social media, so we ended up getting Facebook Live and doing an FM radio broadcast in our parking lot. We could close our physical doors but not our spiritual doors.”
As Second Baptist Church is the oldest historically Black church in Springfield, Degroat said he was amazed the church was established when slavery was still going on in the country. He added there is some real movement with confronting racism, recognizing there is a difference between marchers and looters.
“We can fix the things we’re willing to face,” he said.
Degroat also wants to share something that has been another common bond the various presenters in this year’s speakers series share.
“We are all different versions of the same thing,” he said. “We look for common ground and should always be ready to solve problems.”
Finishing the program will be a question-and-answer session.
Anyone interested in joining the presentation can gain access to the program’s Zoom link by contacting Adrienne Stilwell at 937-324-7380 or by emailing astilwell@springfieldohio.gov. It will also stream live on the City of Springfield’s Youtube channel.
This was the 19th year for the speaker series. It had nine programs exploring different faiths and their take on current topics affecting our world. Although the speaker series is finished, the group will have one more event until it takes a hiatus for the summer.
For the past several years, the GEPN has gathered at City Hall Plaza in downtown Springfield where representatives of various faiths and community leaders speak and then march to the Gammon House to celebrate the annual Juneteenth event.
The pandemic necessitated the event be done virtually in 2020. Juneteenth will be celebrated locally on June 19; GEPN organizers will decide whether to do this live or virtually.
For updates on the event’s status, go to the GEPN website at springfieldohio.gov/ global-education.