The CEA Story -- Continued
1992 - Revised 1996, by Dr. Holbert Rideout

MARKERS OF PROGRESS
1.  Camp meetings.  In the early years, the conferences were men's meetings in camp settings.  They were very definitely home-grown programs using our own talents and operating on a strict budget. A 1964 advertisement promised a three-day clinic, including lodging and meals, for $20.  These 'camp meetings' were usually conducted in Texas, Arkansas, or Tennessee, in order to be conveniently located for the largest number of men who might be interested in attending.

2.  Sponsorship.  Bill Patterson was a prime mover in beginning both the Christian Bible Teacher magazine and the Christian Education Conference.  He was owner of the Patterson Bible School Supplies in Dallas when he and Joe Hacker, Jr. made the arrangements for that first meeting of the C.E.C. in 1960.  After the 1961 meeting, Bill moved to California.  There was no conference in 1962.  Neil S. Bryan began sponsoring the conference in 1963 through his Christian Teacher Bookstore, and continued that sponsorship through the eighteenth conference which was held in Dallas in October of 1978.  Sweet Publishing Company sponsored the conference beginning with the Dallas meeting in 1979, and continued through the Atlanta meeting in 1990.  Beginning with the 1991 conference in New Orleans, the conference is both sponsored and supported by the Christian Education Association which means that we are now doing it on our own.

3.  The Christian Education Association.  Now that the C.E.C. is totally dependent on the Christian Education Association, it is time for the History of the Association to be written.  However, that is a story of it's own.  It will have to wait until another time.

OUTSIDE SPEAKERS
The conferences were altogether brotherhood productions until 1972 when Larry Richards was invited as a main speaker.  Since that time we have had outside speakers each year, usually speakers who had current material or topics that we believed would be beneficial.  Other than that we have used our own people to carry the major part of each program. 

UPGRADING
Some changes came about so imperceptibly that it is difficult to put a date on a particular change.  We must have become tired of the rustic camp settings, and of being separated from our wives, for we soon were meeting in hotels in small towns.  Then we moved to large cities exclusively, in order to be more convenient to airports.  In the meantime, programs included items of interest for women and more ladies began attending.  Eventually the consensus among the leaders was that we would make a special point of inviting spouses and schedule classes especially for them.  In addition, we would attempt to schedule the conferences in special places (cities) of interest so that participants could enjoy a half day for sight-seeing, shopping, etc…  This effort was directed toward building and keeping a good attendance at the conferences.  These changes occurred gradually during the 1980's.
To those of us who are Christian educators, this is really "our story" at whatever point we stepped on board.  1992 sees us with two special accomplishments - the Christian Education Conference for our personal, continuing education, and the Christian Education Association which is intended to be a very special support system for each of us.  There is nothing else in our brotherhood comparable to it.  We are blessed with a very special history.  Treat it well.  Pass it on to the next generation in even better shape. -- Holbert Rideout


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