GodBlogCon is open for feedback

I skipped dinner tonight to hang out and dialogue a bit with some of the organizers of this GodBlogCon deal (the likes of John Mark Reynolds, Joe Carter, Andy Jackson). The genuineness and generosity of the organizers to put such an event together was refreshing, and may be difficult to convey over the blogosphere. They’re operating on a deficit for a budget, and still have the heart and zeal and desire to make the event the most it can be, to provide a space and place for all kinds of Christian bloggers, those who adhere to Nicene Creed, to dialogue about faith and blogging. So we’re all wishing and pining for more diversity.

Everyone attending pays their own way, even the speakers. So here I am, a breakout session facilitator (designated as a speaker on my badge), paid my own way, as did others. So the organizers and planners on short note put out the welcome mat, and those who could respond, could respond.

One of the sad realities of our human nature, is that for many people, perception is reality. So there is a wide range of critique and perception about this event. For certain media elite, all religion is politics, so any kind of an organized event is tagged with a political motive, erroneously. The tenor of the majority of the dialogue has indeed been to wrestling with questions revolving around the place of Christian faith and blogosphere.

There was an open dialogue about whether this event should become more of an interfaith blogging event, a la Beliefnet. The group felt the niche and value of this event is to stay within historical Christianity, and rightly so. An interfaith kinda thing would be too different a deal, and there’s a place for that, and maybe Beliefnet could and should pull that off.

The question on the table is: who else should have been a part of this event? And assuming there is no budget, who’d be able to find or save their own money to come? Here’s some people I’d like to have seen, with that broad Christian umbrella in mind, and a voice or name that could be a “draw”:

A. K. M. Adam – AKMA’s Random Thoughts
Jay “Methocast” Voorhees
Michael “InternetMonk” Spencer
Rudy “UrbanOnramps” Carrasco
Dean “Blogs4God” Peters
Catholic Insider
Gordon “RealLivePreacher” Atkinson
JordonCooper
Darren “ProBlogger” Rowse
Mark “plaxoed” Jen
Renee “ianua” Altson
Michael “From Where I Sit” Hyatt (he could most afford this! )
Tim “e-Church” Bednar
Anna “Sexless in the City” Broadway
Anthony Bradley
BloggingChurch
Marriages Restored
x3blog
Alex McManus
Postmodern Negro
Andrew “e-vangelism” Careaga
Mike Boyink

Off the top of the head; the evening plenary session is starting up. Should be able to think of some others when I have more time, and can surf around. Man, I love live blogging!!

[update: hot find that the hard-working human aggregator hasn't linked to: Behind the Scenes at GodBlogCon]