Churches plan joint Jubilee celebration

Pope John Paul is encouraging Catholics to participate in ecumenical celebrations of the Jubilee and an event this Sunday will allow people of the Green Bay Diocese to do just that. People of many Christian faiths will gather from 4 to 5:30 p.m. June 11 at the Xavier High School Fine Arts Center in Appleton to celebrate the third millennium of Christ. Five religious leaders in Northeastern Wisconsin organized the free celebration, entitled "Christ for All People."

"Our ecumenical celebration of the Jubilee is a natural consequence of the close relationship that has developed among the Christians of this area over the past years," said Bp. Robert Banks.

Bp. Banks will join Bp. Russell Jacobus of the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac, Bp. John Beem of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin-ELCA, and Superintendents Hee-Soo Jung and Stephen Polster of the Nicolet and Winnebago Districts of the United Methodist Church in celebrating 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ.

"I'm excited about the opportunity for fellow Christians to gather in this millennium year to observe the feast celebrating the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus' followers, and our witness to this presence in our communities," said Bp. Jacobus.

The Rev. James Echols, president of the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, will be the featured speaker. He will preach on John 12:32 "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

Dr. Echols has served as pastor of several churches; taught American Church History at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; authored articles about American Church history, theology, and African American Lutheranism; and participated in Lutheran and ecumenical conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He serves on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Urban Team, is a member of the ELCA's delegation to the National Council of Churches of Christ USA, and serves on the Steering Committee for the USA Section of the Conference of International Black Lutherans.

Donna Echols, an accomplished liturgical dancer and wife of Dr. Echols, will perform. Other performers include the LifeTeen band from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Sugar Bush, Fox Valley Christian jazz singer Mary Catterton, pianist Matt Turner of First English Lutheran Church in Appleton, the Oneida Singers, and the Hands of Christ deaf signing choir of Green Bay under the direction of Jan Bielinski. Gisele Berninghaus will sign the entire service for the hearing impaired.

"The worship is not only to celebrate in God's name the new millennium, but to lift up the Christian's responsibility to impact for good the years to come for the sake of the Kingdom of God," said Bp. Beem.

Complimentary refreshments will be served outdoors following the celebration.