By Niraj Warikoo
Six years ago, Richard Jewell and his wife moved from Lathrup Village to downtown Detroit to live in a condo near the river. Their children had grown, and they were looking for a new perspective on life, excited to hear about people moving back to the city.
“It just seemed like the thing to do,” said Jewell, 57. “We love it here.”
Jewell’s enthusiasm for the city shows in a new 23-minute film he made to help persuade Presbyterians across the nation to visit Detroit next year for the biennial gathering of the biggest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. More than 3,000 Presbyterian leaders and others are expected to come to Detroit in June for the week-long 221st General Assembly of Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
“I wanted to send a message about our spirit, about all the good works being done, about the incredible, diverse montage of people and cultures we have in Detroit,” Jewell said. Detroit gets “kicked around a lot, and rightly so — we have some issues that need to be addressed. But there’s such a sense of spirit in this city that transcends those troubles.”
The film highlights how regular people are making a difference. The theme of the General Assembly is “Abound in Hope,” the same name of the documentary, which comes from the Bible verse Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.”
It’s a theme that fits Detroit well, organizers said.
Read more at http://www.freep.com/article/20131008/NEWS01/310080021/Presbyterian-convention-coming-to-Detroit