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SEATTLE 1998:We had an extremelystimulating session at the

American Historical Association meeting in Seattle. Rodney Stark, the

eminent sociologist of religionfrom the University of Washington, and

John Sommerville (Universityof Florida) presented papers on the

secularization thesis, and C. Thomas McIntire(U. of Toronto) and Russell

Bishop (Gordon College) responded. Dana Fentonfrom New York ably

moderated the session. We also had our customary fellowship timewith

coffee and doughnuts, which gave people a chance to becomebetter

acquainted.

We are nowlooking for suggestions for next year's session at the

AHA in Washington, DC. If you have some idea for a panel ora timely

topic we could deal with, please drop a note to me about this.

1998 FALL MEETING: Be sure to mark the fall meeting at David

Lipscomb Universityon your calendar. The dates are September 24-26,

1998; I hope to see you there. Our last meeting---atCalvin College in 1996-

--marked the largest attendance we have ever had ata fall gathering, and I

fully expect this one to equal it. Local arrangementschair David Lawrence

tells us that we are going to have a reallygreat time. Included in the

program will be a tour of Civil War battle sites in the area led by their

professor of Civil War history,Dr. Timothy Johnson. Program Chair

Chuck Weber reports that thereare still some openings for papers. If you

would like to present one, contact him immediately.

FUTURE FALL MEETINGS:Our next fall meeting, in theyear 2000,

will beat Point Loma College in San Diego, California, and you will be

hearing more about thisas time goes on. We are now ready to receive

invitations for the 2002 and 2004meetings. Contact me for the guidelines

we have developed to assist in planning the meeting.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CFH:

Although there were not enoughboard (bored? Ed. Note) members

present in Seattle to make up aquorum for a formal meeting and there

were no pressing matters of business that needed tobe considered anyway,

many of those presentmet over lunch and dinner to discuss the future

direction of the CFH. With the new millennium upon us,a changing of

the leadership is taking place, andwe are thinking seriously about the