Thursday, September 15

Thursday programming hosted by Duke University with scholarship support from the Social Science Research Council

Muslims in America: The Next 10 Years

Welcome reception: “The Sex Talk” sponsored by Lovell-Fairchild Communications
Sex as icebreaker? Hook up with your circle of friends as we kick off the Welcome Reception for the 2011 Religion Newswriters Association Conference. Welcome to drinks, food and insight from Andy Braner, a leading thinker on teens, sex and dating. Braner—international speaker and director of Camp Kivu in Durango CO—takes on the real world of teen sexuality in his recent book, “An Expose on Teens, Sex, and Dating: What’s Really Going on and How to Talk About It.”

Religion Newswriters Board Meeting

Screening: “Courageous” sponsored by Lovell-Fairchild Communications

Friday, September 16

Breakfast and press briefing: The State of American Fatherhood sponsored by B&H Publishing Group
Start Friday with a breakfast sponsored by B&H Publishing Group and a panel discussion on the state of American Fatherhood. As unhappy trends emerge from homes with absent or uninvolved fathers, experts tackle the problem from varied perspectives. Hear more than anecdotes about suicide rates, teenage pregnancy, behavioral disorders, drop-out and prison visits, to the stats and news from the fatherhood front.

Live or Onscreen: The Multisite Experience
The success of evangelical mega-churches has led many congregations to try to brand their product by launching satellites to better serve far-flung members. Is the multi-site church the wave of the future?

• Moderator: Bob Smietana, The Tennessean

• Greg Surratt, Seacoast Church

• Bob Gruenwald, Life Church TV

• J.D. Greear, Summit Church

Religion and the 2012 Elections
The emergence of the Tea Party, the revolts in the Muslim countries, the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage — all have religious implications. But how big a role will religion play in the 2012 presidential race? Our experts make their predictions.

• Moderator: Jeff Diamant, The Star Ledger

• John Green, Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life

• Melinda Hennenberger, Politics Daily

• Laura Olson, Clemson University

Lunch and press briefing: Religious Liberty and the EEOC sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
This program will focus on two cases originating with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which impinge on religious liberty. One will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 5, 2011. Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC involves the "ministerial exception," a First Amendment doctrine that bars most employmentrelated lawsuits against religious organizations by employees who perform religious functions. The other is a case in which the EEOC attempted to use employment discrimination laws to force Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic school in North Carolina, to provide abortion coverage in its health plan. An attorney from The Becket Fund will explore the First Amendment implications in each of these cases.

Church and State
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley’s investigation into the finances of several evangelical ministries has led to the formation of a commission to review accountability practices among churches. What does the future hold for the tax-exempt sector?

• Moderator: Daniel Burke, Religion News Service

• Ole Anthony, Trinity Foundation

• Michael E. Batts, Commission on Accountability and Policy for the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Press briefing: Youth in Crisis: What Everyone Should Know about Growing Up Gay
Mitchell Gold is as well known for his gay rights activism as for his furniture and home decor line branded with his business partner Bob Williams. Gold will talk about the reissue of his book "Crisis," in which he calls attention to religious based-bigotry and the physical and psychological toll it takes on LGBT youth.

Adoption Fever: Evangelicals and the Orphan-care Movement
Hundreds of evangelical churches have rediscovered orphan care and have made adoption a growing imperative. Orphan theology is an emerging field. What are the forces behind this change?

• Moderator: Julia Duin, The Washington Times

• Russell Moore, Southern Seminary

• Dan Cruver, Together for Adoption

• Jodi Jackson Tucker, National Orphan Sunday for the Christian Alliance for Orphans

Social Networking: Promise and Peril
The proliferation of social media poses opportunities for journalists, but also risks. Can religion reporters remain neutral online? Should they even try?

• Moderator: Amanda Greene, StarNews

• Ryan Thornburg, UNC Chapel Hill

• J.D. Kaleem, The Huffington Post

• Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Christianity Today

• Kate Shellnutt, Houston Chronicle

Dinner with Basketball Hall of Fame coach Cathy Rush of the Mighty Macs sponsored by Lovell-Fairchild Communications

Saturday, September 17

Breakfast and press briefing: Love Times Three sponsored by HarperOne
Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger—the family who inspired HBO’s Big Love—will discuss their groundbreaking new book “Love Times Three” (September 2011). The first-ever memoir of a polygamous family told from a positive perspective, Love Times Three captures their extraordinary family dynamic, and argues for the acceptance of plural marriage as an alternative lifestyle.

Press briefing: A Decade of Change in American Churches
Just what has changed in religious congregations over the past decade? Using research from the 14,000 congregation 2000 Faith Communities Today national survey and the 11,000 congregation 2010 follow-up, we’ll share the pulse and track of change in religion’s organizational backbone since the turn of the century. This first release of the overall findings will explore the pockets of growth and vitality, which congregations have embraced contemporary worship and the enhanced role of electronic communication. Presented by David Roozen, Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Atheism Revisited
The Godless movement is growing increasingly bold, and for the first time in memory, gaining traction in the broader public. Where’s it going and how can reporters better follow the movement?

• Moderator: Yonat Shimron, Religon News Service

• Bart Ehrman, UNC Chapel Hill

• Todd Stiefel, Stiefel Freethought Foundation

• Wendy Kaminer, The Atlantic

The Muslim Fear Industry
The rise of organizations and movements that see Islam as a threat to the United States has been gaining steam. Who funds them, how legitimate are they, and how can reporters cover them fairly and accurately?

• Moderator: Jaweed Kaleem, The Huffington Post

• Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press

• Zuhdi Jasser, American Islamic Forum for Democracy

• Faiz Shakir, Center for American Progress

• Bob Smietana. The Tennessean

Lunch and tour of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple sponsored by Religion News LLC
The number of Buddhist temples in North Carolina is growing steadily. A Taiwanese temple is Raleigh’s most recent addition. We sample their food and talk about Buddhism in America.

• Moderator: Nicole Neroulias, Religion News Service

• Christopher Thurston, Fo Guang Shan

• Josho Pat Phelan, Chapel Hill Zen Center

• Robbie Watkins, Kadampa Center for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism

Press briefing: Baylor Religion survey
Baylor University sociology researchers return to release fascinating findings from Wave III of the Baylor Religion Survey that probes the depth and complexity of America's religious landscape. Conducted in fall 2010 by the Gallup Organization, core themes include health and religiosity, the relationship between entrepreneurship/work and religion, religion and the American Individual, as well as recurring themes about how religion affects hot-button cultural issues, such as politics and same-sex marriage.

Press briefing: Pew Research Center survey
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life senior researcher Greg Smith and research associate Besheer Mohamed will present the main findings from a comprehensive new public opinion survey by the Pew Research Center examining the attitudes, experiences and demographics of Muslims in the U.S. They will review data on Muslim Americans' religious beliefs and practices; political and social attitudes; experiences and difficulties following 9/11; views about Islamic extremism; and attitudes toward U.S. efforts to combat terrorism. They will also address what survey findings reveal about how Muslim Americans compare with the general public and with Muslims in other countries.

RNA member meeting

Silent auction

Awards banquet sponsored by Hobby Lobby