Every season brings change, and spring in the Tennessee Valley, surrounded by the Smoky Mountains, is one of my favorite times. The rainbow colors of flowers, greens of trees, and warm, starlit evenings signal new beginnings and always give me a reason to hope. I find myself with a long list of hopeful wishes on this day.
Our organization has such a diverse group of people with varying perspectives, needs, feelings, expectations, goals, beliefs, and desires. Despite our differences, we share common ground. We recognize that the exploitative manipulation found in cultic groups and relationships is unethical and morally wrong, that those adversely affected by cultic dynamics deserve and need help, that researchers who study the phenomenon must be encouraged and supported, and that society at large must continually be educated about cults and cultic dynamics.
I hope we all can be safe, healthy, happy, supported, and free to pursue our dreams. As we work together, may we learn from each other and develop stronger bonds of cooperation.
ICSA is in what I will call a new “spring.” There has been discussion among our supporters of how we can and need to change to meet today’s and tomorrow’s world. We have listened. The Board of Directors recently completed a thorough revision of our Bylaws. You can see our new Bylaws here. We are now embarked on making the ensuing organizational changes. We are updating our policies and procedures to ensure that they are consistent and clear. As we move forward, I will be communicating these changes so that you can gain a clear understanding of how our organization works and how you might want to be involved.
Change can be bittersweet: The Board of Directors of ICSA has announced the retirement of Executive Director Michael Langone, effective July 31, 2022. Michael was present at the beginning of ICSA, and has led this organization for more than 41 years. His legacy is significant. We will soon post a detailed job description for a new executive director. And with gratitude and sadness, we announce the departure of Ashlen Hilliard, Director of Events. We are thankful for her contributions to ICSA and its mission. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
Our online conference on June 24-26, 2022 will feature workshops and presentations on a wide variety of subjects, with speakers of diverse backgrounds from many countries. To view the agenda and register, visit the conference page.
We are planning a variety of webinars for fall/spring 2022-23, about which I will share details later in the summer.
Finally, ICSA has published a new book, Wounded Faith: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse, which is available on Amazon in print ($14.99) and Kindle ($9.99) editions. If you have read the book, you might consider writing a brief review on Amazon.
I appreciate your support in every form – as a donor, volunteer, member, or friend. I look forward to more opportunities to engage as we embrace this season of change.
Best,
Debby
*|International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)|*
PO Box 2265
Bonita Springs, FL 34133 USA
*mail@icsamail.com*
www.icsahome.com
No comments:
Post a Comment