Pfeiffer will host "The Power of Christian Education: A Dialogue with the Bishop" from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 on the university's Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Rd. The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants the unique opportunity to hear from Dr. Larry Goodpaster, bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Sponsored by the Master of Arts in Christian Education program at Pfeiffer and the Christian Educators Fellowship of the Western N.C. Conference, the cost per person to attend the workshop is $30, which includes lunch. Registration must be completed by Monday, Nov. 16 and .5 CEUs are available to full-time participants.

During the Western N.C. Annual Conference this past June, Goodpaster challenged clergy and laity with several lofty goals to accomplish by 2012. They are: 300,000 members in the Western N.C. conference, 30,000 more people in worship, 3,000 mission teams sent in the name of Christ into the World, revitalize 300 churches and start 30 new faith communities by 2012.

Goodpaster will address the details of the conferences goals and hold a workshop on developing strategies for how the ministry of Christian education can help to advance the UMC conference toward the realization of its goals. The workshop will also help strategize and offer intentional ways to help achieve these goals through Christian education. Participants will also have the opportunity to submit questions to Goodpaster for his consideration to address.

Prior to his appointment as bishop, Goodpaster served as pastor and district superintendent in the Mississippi conference.  His pastoral experience includes a five-church rural charge, a new congregation, and several larger membership churches. He is the author of numerous denominational publications, including his latest book "There's Power in the Connection" in 2008 by Abingdon Press. Goodpaster earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Ala and Huntingdon College; Montgomery, Ala.

For more information or to register, please contact Kathleen Kilbourne, director of the Master of Arts in Christian Education program at Pfeiffer, at (704)-945-7315 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is a comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple   campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. Visit Pfeiffer online at www.pfeiffer.edu.

Media contact: Natasha A. Suber, (704) 463-3040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it