LARCUM 2025

LARCUM 2025 will gather 12-14 May 2025 at Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center, Charleston, WV, under the theme Nicaea at 1700. Attendees from all four traditions (Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic, and United Methodist) will explore matters related to the Council of Nicaea of 325, 1700 years being a rather impressive anniversary. As we delve into events from so long ago, we will ask: what does this mean for us today, and how does it inform our on-going ecumenical conversations?

• information for LARCUM 2025, including
• the agenda — always subject to change to meet emergent situations,
• a list of presenters,
• cost and registration information (with link to online registration), and
• information about C.E.U. certificates, and
• some general information about LARCUM, including
• our nature,
• our method,
• our attendees,
• our social media presence, and
• our archives.

Conference Resources

For those looking for some online resources related to the Canons of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed (325), click here.

Agenda

Although subject to change, the general outline is as follows:

• We convene with opening devotions at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, 12 May 2025, at St. John XXIII Pastoral Center, Charleston, WV.
• The registration/welcome desk should be open at 1:00 p.m. (one hour before opening devotions).
• Over the course of our three days together, four presenters (one from each tradition) will each give three one-hour presentations.
• Meals and socials:
• Monday: happy hour, dinner, evening social
• Tuesday: breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner, evening social
• Wednesday: breakfast, lunch
• We wrap up with lunch on Wednesday (served at 12:00 noon).
• An extended break will follow Tuesday's lunch until 2:30 p.m.
• Evening social commences each night at 8:30 p.m., marking the close of the sessions for the day.

• a graphical version of the agenda (pdf)
• a textual version of the agenda (pdf)

Presenters

Lutheran: The Rev. Dr. William "Bill" Russell

The Rev. Dr. William Russell, a specialist in the life and work of Martin Luther, works at the intersection of the academy and the church, where he interprets the Reformer’s chief insights for modern audiences. With a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and an M.Div. from Luther Seminary, Russell has served in a variety of academic and pastoral ministry settings. From 2022-24, he coordinated the Lutheran Confessions’ Project for the Lutheran World Federation. His 1989 dissertation is titled "'The Smalcald Articles' as a confessional document in the context of Martin Luther's life and theology." He is the translator of the Smalcald Articles in the Kolb/Wengert edition of the Book of Concord. He’s authored/translated 10 books and dozens of articles and reviews. His books in print include:

• What to do During an Epidemic by Martin Luther, William R. Russell, Contributing Editor and Translator (ALPB.org, 2021).
• The Ninety-Five Theses and Other Writings by Martin Luther, William R. Russell, Contributing Editor and Translator (New York: Penguin Random House, 2017), a.k.a., “The Penguin Classics Luther.”
• Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, Revised Third Edition, Timothy Lull and William Russell, Editors (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012).

A sought-after speaker, he has addressed audiences from Canada to Brazil, Malaysia to Nigeria, Norway to South Africa. He is married to The Rt. Rev. Ann Svennungsen, former bishop of the ELCA’s Minneapolis Area Synod; they have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Anglican: The Rev. Ben Wyatt

Fr. Ben Wyatt is an Episcopal priest in the diocese of Indianapolis, where he serves as Priest-in-Charge of Church of the Nativity. He holds an M.Div. and S.T.M. from Yale Divinity School, where he completed research on ancient mysticism and contemporary theology. He is the author of Christ and the Council, a forthcoming book describing the Nicene controversy and its legacy. He is the writer and host of the podcasts The Road to Nicaea and In Simeon’s Wake. Ben is also a psychotherapy resident who works with adults and teenagers on a wide variety of mental health issues. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising and creating new, experimental ice cream flavors.

Roman Catholic: The Most Rev. Mark E. Brennan & The Rev. Dr. Thomas Anatharackal Sebastian, CST

A native of Boston, Bishop Brennan is the son of the late Edward Charles Brennan and Regina Claire Lonsway. He attended public schools in Massachusetts and Maryland before entering St. Anthony High School in Washington, D.C. Bishop Brennan graduated from Brown University in 1969 with a degree in history, and then entered Christ the King Seminary in Alleghany, New York, for a year of philosophy before attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome for his theological studies.

A parish priest for nearly his entire career, Bishop Brennan was assigned to Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, MD, from 1976-81; St. Pius X Parish in Bowie, MD, from 1981-85; St. Bartholomew Parish in Bethesda, MD, from 1986-88; St. Thomas Apostle Parish in Washington, D.C., from 1998-2003; St. Martin of Tours Parish in Gaithersburg, MD from 2003-16. Bishop Brennan attended Spanish Language courses and Hispanic cultural studies in the Dominican Republic and in Colombia from 1985-86. From 1988 to 1998, Bishop Brennan was the Director of Priestly Vocations in the Archdiocese of Washington. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore on Dec. 5, 2016, and ordained on Jan. 19, 2017.

On July 23, 2019, Bishop Brennan was appointed ninth bishop of Wheeling-Charleston by Pope Francis and was installed on August 22, 2019. During his episcopacy, Bishop Brennan has taken a number of steps to increase accountability and transparency in the Church in West Virginia. He has expanded the Diocese’s Safe Environment Program to include strengthened background checks and fingerprinting. Additionally, Bishop Brennan has committed to ongoing financial transparency through the yearly public distribution of the audited financial statements of the Diocese. Most importantly, Bishop Brennan has remained steadfast in continuing the Diocese’s commitment to the service of those in need through the work of Catholic Charities West Virginia.

Click here to learn more about Bishop Brennan on the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston website.

Fr. Sebastian, CST, is co-presenting with Bishop Brennan. He holds Doctorate in Theology (Christology) from the Catholic University of Leuven, in Belgium.
He entered religious life in the Little Flower Congregation (CST), Kerala, India in 1979, making perpetual profession in 1988. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1991. He has served as Rector, Novice-Master and Vicar-Provincial of the St. Thomas Province of the Little Flower Congregation in India. He currently serves as the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, Romney, and Assumption Roman Catholic Church, Keyser, WV.

United Methodist: The Rev. Dr. Sarah Heaner Lancaster

C.E.U.s

Certificates of continuing education will be handed out during the Next Steps session. LARCUM provides 13 C.E.U.

Registration

Payment

When you register, you have the choice between paying online and paying by check or cash.

Paying Online

We use PayPal for online payments. You do not need to have or create a PayPal account.

The online registration form does not include a payment interface. You will receive an invoice by email. This may take a few days. Keep your eyes peeled for an email with a subject line that includes "West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA www.paypal.com" and a sender email of "service@paypal.com." If you do not see this, check your spam folder. If there is still not one after a few days, contact our registrar at bishop@wv-wmd.org or call 304-363-4030.

PayPal accepts several major credit cards. Follow the instructions in the invoice. You should receive an email with confirmation of your payment immediately after you have completed it.

Paying by Check/Cash

You do not need to pay online (though it is easier for us). Payment may be made by check (or cash). You will still get an emailed invoice as described above. You may use this for your records (especially if you must submit for payment or reimbursement by your congregation or agency). We do ask that you contact us if wanting to make payment by check so that we can provide you further details. Contact information is on the emailed invoice. Payments must be made in advance unless other arrangements are made with our registrar.

Follow This Event on Facebook

You can follow the latest developments on Facebook through our Nicaea at 1700 event. You are also encouraged to spread the word about this event through social media. Share the event! Invite to the event!

What Is LARCUM WV?

LARCUM WV is a four-partner conference held annually (except when there is a pandemic) in WV. The partners are

• Lutheran — West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Anglican — The Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, The Episcopal Church
• Roman Catholic — The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Roman Catholic Church
• United Methodist — The West Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church

LARCUM WV began as ARC (Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue) more than forty years ago. After several years, the Lutherans were invited to join, and the dialogue was renamed LARC. LARC WV. meeting for three decades, was the longest running LARC in the USA. Roughly ten years ago, the United Methodist were invited to join, and we changed our name to LARCUM.

LARCUM planning is a joint activity of the four traditions. The topic for each LARCUM Conference is selected by the participants of the preceding LARCUM Conference.

Method

Most of the time—well, almost always—each tradition brings its own presenter, and each presenter is then given two-three hours in formal session. Outside of formal sessions, there are meals, social hours, and free time, providing plenty of opportunity for informal conversation among participants. One can also use free time for private prayer, refreshment, study, etc.). There is also worship, with each tradition taking its turn leading services, allowing participants to enjoy what each tradition has to offer.

Who Can Attend LARCUM?

One does not need to be a member of the participating judicatories to attend. If you are interested in the topic or want to enjoy conversation with folk from different traditions, you are most welcome. LARCUM is open to laity and clergy. LARCUM is also open to folks from beyond the borders of WV.

LARCUM and Social Media

Yes, we do have a social media presence. Check out "WV LARCUM" Facebook page—follow and/or like us while you are there. Lutherans can even join Team Wittenberg, a subgoup attached to the page—if you are jealous, convince your tradition's planner to set up a tradition-specific group. We also create Facebook events for specific conferences, e.g., "LARCUM 2025: Nicaea at 1700." Since we have a social media presence, don't be shy about sharing.

LARCUM Archives

Check our our LARCUM Archives to learn about past LARCUM topics and presenters.

Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about LARCUM, call West Virginia-Western Maryland HQ at 304-363-4030 or email Bishop@WV-WMD.org.