Martin on the Gautrain
Keeping sharp is always a challenge!
One of the potential 'cutting edge' places is academic conferences. (Yes, I know they can often be more like blunt force trauma to the head. But one can sharpen an edge on a rough whetstone!)
One such is the annual SAMS congress - South African Misiology Society - held in the third week of January. It is slightly awkward, as it nearly always assembles in Pretoria which is a plane, train and taxi ride away, but we feel it is worth the effort!
Early September 2011 - Martin submits an abstract for a potential paper on next year's conference theme of Mission & Empire, suggesting it might be useful to examine whether or not we as missiologists tend to not listen to people who aren't as well educated as we are when we talk to each other about mission
End September 2011 - date for informing successful submissions passes.... OK, they don't want him to speak about that subject
10.00 05 January 2012 - Martin receives preliminary congress timetable.
10.06 05 January 2012 - Martin realises he is on the schedule to present in a seminar in slot 3
10.12 05 January 2012 - Martin yells out that the unwritten paper is due in on 13 January
10.15 05 January 2012 - Martin wonders where the money to travel and stay will come from
We draw a veil over the next 10 days ...
On Tuesday Martin went. On Wednesday Martin presented. On Thursday Martin was alternately fascinated and bored. Why do intelligent people find it so hard to learn Power Point? On Friday Martin will come home (at 10pm).
And the point was? To encourage fellow missiologists who have mission street-cred, and to challenge those who don't!
iconic UNISA campus skyline
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