Good News! God loves the GLBT community!

Evangelicals Concerned Western Region (ECWR) is pleased to announce their upcoming annual retreat, ConnECtion 2009, to be held July 15-19, 2009 in Palm Springs, California. The theme for this year's conference is Springs of Living Water.

What?: ECWR Annual Conference
When?: July 15-19, 2009
Where?: Holiday Inn, Palm Springs, California

ConnECtion is an annual conference that provides a safe, loving, nurturing space for GLBT Christians to fellowship with like-minded people to edify and encourage each other towards greater maturity in Christ. The conference includes general sessions with keynote speakers, topic-driven workshop sessions, and social time to interact with fellow GLBT Christians.

2009 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Reverend Stacy Latimer

Reverend Stacey Latimer is an HIV-positive military vet who speaks openly about his relationships with men. Latimer has lead the black church's growing fight against AIDS across America with over 15 years of experience serving communities in the field of HIV/ AIDS. His service in and to communities of faith has spanned nationally and across many denominational lines. As an Ordained Minister of the gospel and an Inspirational Motivational Speaker, Mr. Latimer travels extensively, heralding a message of hope in the midst of the horrific epidemic of HIV/AIDS. As a 20-year survivor of an HIV diagnosis, Mr. Latimer shares his wisdom and knowledge with the community through articles, speaking engagements, workshops, and conferences.



Dr. Ralph Blair

Dr. Ralph Blair is the founder of Evangelicals Concerned, Incorporated and a psychotherapist in private practice in New York. Since 1980 Dr. Blair has sponsored ConnECtion, annual conferences in both the east and the west which have been life changing experiences for hundreds of gay men, women, and friends who are responding with trust to God's love and who seek to live thankfully and faithfully under God's grace and peace.




Rev. Elise Elrod

Rev. Elise Elrod began her journey from presenting as male to presenting as herself in 1999. She is an ordained minister, a noted speaker, an award winning writer and published photographer. She lives in Nashville , TN with her spouse of thirty-nine years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. She served two Southern Baptist churches, holds a Masters of Divinity degree and and is currently pastor of Christ's Community Church, Chicopee, MA. She has obtained Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ. Because of discrimination, Elrod went from once making half a million a year as an engineer to 12 dollars an hour as a secretary. She speaks publically in churches, medical schools and universities concerning issues of diversity and gender. A Baptist pastor and former engineer, Elrod's topics cover the true definition of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and the issues faced by transition, "the nature of bias," and answers questions about her personal life.
About Evangelicals Concerned

Evangelicals Concerned (EC) is a nationwide ministry which encourages and affirms lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians in their faith. We organize small groups, bible studies, social activities and other events in many North American cities, and we organize national and regional conferences every year.

ECWR is a non-denominational evangelical resource responds to the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered evangelical Christians primarily through nurturing fellowship. It is a ministry providing a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered evangelical Christians to deal with issues of reconciliation, integration, and maturation of spirituality and sexuality.

We are open and affirming to all who embrace the Christian faith regardless of sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, or church membership. Through conferences, retreats, local groups, resource materials, education, leadership training, and personal support, EC serves as a role model to all evangelicals (gay or straight), to foster an integrated and healthy GLBT Christian life.