Religious Education Association Records - Addendum A

During this period of time the Religious Education Association, chartered in 1903 in Illinois, continued to publish its journal, Religious Education, and its newsletter, REACH, to hold conventions and other conferences in cities of the U.S. and Canada, granted awards to outstanding leaders, encouraged local and regional chapters, and sponsored a research project on Faith Development in the Adult Life Cycle.

By 1999 the journal became known as "An Interfaith Journal of Spirituality, Growth and Transformation." John Westerhoff of the Duke University Divinity School served as the Editor-in-Chief for ten years, 1978-1987, and was followed by Rabbi Jack Spiro of Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988 and by Hanan Alexander of the University of Judaism, Los Angeles, in 1993. At the beginning of the 21st century the position was filled by Theodore Brelsford of Candler School of Theology, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Randolph Crump Miller of Yale Divinity School continued as managing editor until the late 1990s when the position was contracted out, along with that of copy editor. The newsletter was expanded to a quarterly and was edited by the executive staff until 1997, when it too was contracted out. By 2000 the newsletter took electronic form. However, in the 100th anniversary year, 2003, a special 26-page edition was published with articles from the REA's past, In Retrospect, and its future, In Prospect. This special issue ended with a two-page listing of all the leaders of the organization since 1903.

Conventions and conferences were held in a number of places: Anaheim, California (1983); Washington, DC (1986); Toronto, Ontario (1987); Boulder, Colorado (1990); Indianapolis, Indiana (1992); Chicago, Illinois (1994); New Orleans, Louisiana (1996); Orlando, Florida (1998); Atlanta, Georgia (2000); and the 100th anniversary celebration in Chicago in 2003. These meetings were generally planned in tandem with the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education or other groups. The 1986 meeting was held in conjunction with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association. Most noteworthy during this period was a series of Tri-Lateral Conferences in the years 1991-1994, which brought together a number of Christian, Jewish and Muslim educators. Originally called “Educational Conferences on Religious Differences,” they were funded by a $50,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment. Eight conferences were held in various places in the U.S. and Canada: Houston, Texas (1991); Claremont and Los Angeles, California (1992); Stony Point, NY (1993); Oklahoma City (1993); Windsor, Ontario (1994); Villanova, Pennsylvania (1994); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1994); and a conference for women at Stony Point, NY, in 1994.

The REA continued to present its most prestigious award in memory of William Rainey Harper, who was instrumental in calling the founding convention in 1903. Previous recipients of the Harper Award were Marshall McLuhan, Elie Wiesel, Margaret Mead, Randolph C. Miller, and Fr. Johannes Hofinger. In 1983 it was presented to Paulo and Elza Freire of Brazil; in 1992 to John Hull of Great Britain; in 1994 to Martin Marty of the University of Chicago; and in 2003 to Gabriel Moran and Maria Harris. In addition, after the death of Herman Wornom, its long-time General Secretary, the Wornom Award was instituted in order to honor institutions of great service to the religious education profession. In 1992 it was given to Craig Dykstra and the Lilly endowment, and in 1994 to Will Kennedy and the Union Theological Seminary of New York City.

Metropolitan and regional chapters were not as successful. One chapter in Houston, Texas, held meetings and sponsored a regional conference. Activity was also reported in Dubuque, Iowa, Honolulu, and even Korea. When Sherry Blumberg was REA President, a clergy institute was co-sponsored in Dayton, Ohio, and a regional gathering in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The REA co-sponsored a program at Wainwright House in Rye, NY, and a conference at Spertus College in Chicago in 1988. A Study Tour to Israel, Rome, Geneva and Milan was conducted on November 16-30, 1985, under the leadership of Kenneth Stokes. Delegates were sent to the annual meetings of the National Council on Religion and Public Education, which had been organized by the REA in 1971, and to the Centennial Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1993.

The major research project in this period was on Faith Development in the Adult Life Cycle, directed by Kenneth Stokes. It began in 1979 and sponsored a national symposium, 23 regional workshops, a national conference in Canada, and in-depth research program in two “Modules,” a “Seminar-at-Sea,” and saw the publication of two books. The project had become a separate organization by 1988 with the name, Adult Faith Resources.

There were some important changes in the REA. First, there was a decline in the total membership and library subscriptions from a combined high of 5,000 in the 1960s and 1970s. Secondly, there was a change from a full-time General or Executive Secretary to a part-time one. Following the full-time service of Boardman Kathan from 1970 to 1982, Randolph C. Miller was the part-time executive from 1982 to 1985, followed by Dorothy Savage of the National Council of Churches from 1985 to 1987. The last Executive Secretary was Donald Russo, a teacher at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, from 1987 to 1991. Subsequently, the work was carried on by Executive Administrators: Barbara Ryan, to 1997; Ronald Cram, Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, 1997-1998; two graduate students at Emory University, Robin Ficklin-Alred, 1998-1999, and Kimberleigh Buchanan, 1999-2001. The last Executive Administrator was Eugenia Freiburger, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, for a brief time in 2001. Following this, leadership was provided by the REA Presidents, Ronald Cram of Columbia Theological Seminary and Anne Wimberly of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. Third, the location of the REA office was changed. Since 1973 the office had been located on the campus of Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. However, by 1997 Yale had decided that it would no longer rent space to outside organizations so that it could prepare for a major renovation. The office was moved to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, in 1997, and then the following year space was rented in the Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur and in 1999 in the Virginia-Highland Baptist Church in Atlanta. In 2001 it was moved to Richmond, Virginia, but this was short-lived. Subsequently, it was located in the homes and offices of the REA Presidents.

A fourth change was the publication of the journal as a quarterly rather than as a bimonthly, starting in 1983. After many years with the Oberlin Printing Co. in Ohio, the work was done by the William C. Brown Co. in Iowa, then by Scholars Press in Georgia and finally by Taylor and Francis in Philadelphia. Finally, the executives of the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education took over more of the leadership of the REA, especially under Charles Melchert and Randy Litchfield. The two organizations had coordinated their meetings since the early 1970s, the journal had become a joint venture by 1980, and a committee was appointed to explore the merger of the two groups by the start of the 21st century. Together, the two organizations celebrated the 100th anniversary of the REA with a three-day conference in Chicago in November on the theme, “Embracing the Past, Envisioning the Future: Religious Education in an Age of Transition.”