The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green (1003 State Street, Bowling Green) will host a Renewal of Faith series April 23-24, 2023. A familiar face, the Reverend Dr. Clemette Haskins (M.Div. Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Ph.Phil. Claremont School of Theology) is the featured speaker.
The entire community is invited. The church enjoys seeing the community’s many interests served. “Our town loves unique experiences. We love seeing how much we share, and how well we do things together,” said Dr. Matthew Covington, the Pastor of The Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Haskins is a dynamic preacher. “It has been said that some preachers are just kind-enough, good-enough folks who are preaching merely because it is their turn. But then, there are those preachers who preach because it is their time. This is Clemette’s time; she has something to say,” commented Covington.
She is also a three-time All-American basketball player at WKU (1984, 1986 and 1987). She helped the Lady Toppers reach the NCAA Final Four in 1986 and won All-Tournament Team honors. Her retired jersey, number 21, hangs in the rafters at Diddle Area.
Dr. Haskins will call on her faith, her theological training, and her experience as an elite athlete, as she presents three programs at the Presbyterian Church under the title “We’ve Got Spirit, Yes We Do! We’ve Got Spirit, How About YOU!”
Covington comments, “Clemette is a good friend of our church. She served this church for a time while she was at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS). She has also served the Cecelia Memorial Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green. She has taught us, excited us, and opened our eyes by her preaching. We are delighted to bring her back to town for what we believe will be an exciting series.
“In Romans 10:17 the Apostle Paul writes that all our faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. Clemette brings us this word. For all the challenges believers face, we can always use a refreshment for our faith.”
Dr. Haskins was once called a “Point Guard Preacher” by the Reverend Otis Moss III, Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Point guard was the basketball position Haskins played. As a point guard, she sought to pull her team together, help them to play within that mysterious experience of “flow,” and have exceptional vision of the court, what Haskins has called a “present moment awareness.”
Dr. Haskins is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is currently serving as a Senior Fellow at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Her doctoral dissertation at Claremont School of Theology in Southern California was entitled, Queer and Queering: A Womanist Spirituality of Sports. In this dissertation, Haskins traced her own spiritual pilgrimage. She identifies that many churches have marginalized people who are understood as “different,” or “queer.” She proposes ways for Christians to combat this marginalization, by offering people wholeness, survival, empowerment and transformation.
“We know that Dr. Haskins can speak to many different people in meaningful ways,” said Covington. “She is the ideal speaker for reflecting the broad Christian tradition of welcome. We hope our whole community will show its support for that welcoming tradition by attending April 23-24, 2023.”
-submitted by The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green
