Y2K blamed as Presbyterian millennial event shrinks in size
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, December 21, 1999
The Dawn … An Epiphany, a year-ending event for youth and young adults in the Presbyterian Church (USA), has shriveled to a fraction of the turnout that was predicted.
Gary Luhr, associate director of communication for the PCUSA, says the event will be held as scheduled with fewer people and a reduced budget.
Original estimates were that as many as 30,000 people would attend the Dec. 28-Jan. 1 event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Luhr’s article said registration for the event was 1,650 as of two weeks before the beginning of the millennial celebration. However, the article included a headline saying 2,000 had registered and 5,000 were expected to attend. Luhr blamed fears of Y2K glitches for the low turnout.
Luhr’s article advised people to call Roger Nishioka, director of young adult ministry for the PCUSA, if they have questions about the event. But Nishioka answered his phone via a taped message on Dec. 21 and said he was on vacation until Dec. 27.
Luhr quoted Nishioka as saying, “It appears that a lot of people have chosen not to come because they fear problems that could result if computers malfunction as the world enters a new millennium on January 1. I’m sure a lot more kids wanted to come, but parents and churches decided not to risk having their young people away from home at that time.”
Plans to hold the event at two locations – the RCA Dome and Convention Center and the Indiana State Fairgrounds – have been scaled back so that everything will now take place at the Dome. As a result, Luhr said, projected costs also have been scaled back – but his report did not give current a cost estimate.
Luhr quoted Nishioka as saying, “Our original budget of $2.2 million was based on a conservative attendance of 15,000. That seemed entirely realistic, based on the fact that every three years nearly 7,000 young people attend the Presbyterian Youth Triennium. Another 2,000 had to be turned away from that event last year for lack of space. In addition, more than 8,000 people attend our annual youth conferences at Montreat, N.C.”
The success of these and other youth events has generated sufficient reserves to cover whatever “The Dawn” winds up costing, Nishioka said. With greatly reduced rental costs and elimination of the need for shuttle buses to transport people between the two venues, the final cost will be well below the original estimate, he said.
Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Kirk Franklin and the Nu Nation Chorus, popular Christian bands, will still perform.