As a consequence of the rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic during 2020, with great regret the anticipated seventy-fifth General Meeting of the Society at the Pontificia Università Urbaniana in Rome was cancelled. Through its Officers, Editors and Committee members, much of the work of the Society nevertheless continued, and the Society's annual Business Meeting was instead conducted by video conference and livestreamed on 31 July 2020. A recording of this meeting has been available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aih4EMM6khw, and a detailed report of the meeting was subsequently distributed to members by email.
At this Business Meeting of the Society, members recognised that Prof. John Kloppenborg (Canada) would continue as President of the Society for one further year. Prof. Margaret Mitchell (USA) would continue serving as President-Elect, and become President instead at the 2021 General Meeting. Prof. John Barclay (UK) would, in turn, become President of the Society at the 2022 General Meeting.
In addition, Prof. Todd Still was elected to serve as Secretary from 2021 and Prof. Christina Kreinecker as Assistant Secretary. Both of these posts are for five years.
It was also announced that Profs. Daniel Gerber (France) and Korinna Zamfir (Romania) retired from the Committee and that Profs. Régis Burnet (Belgium) and François Tolmie (South Africa) were appointed to serve on the Committee for a period of three years.
The Society received with regret news of the deaths of the following: Franz Annen (Switzerland); Heinrich Baarlink (Netherlands); Norbert Baumert (Austria); Otto Böcher (Germany); Sándor Csérhati (Hungary); James Dunn (UK; President 2002); Rinaldo Fabris (Italy); Antonio García-Moreno (Spain); Paul Hammer (USA); Lars Hartman (Sweden); Anthony Harvey (UK); Larry Hurtado (UK); Rollin Kearns (Germany); Ulrich Luz (Switzerland; President 1997); John Mbiti (Switzerland); Felice Montagnini (Italy); Maria Neubrand (Paderborn); Petr Pokorný (Czech Republic; President 1994); Errol Rhodes (USA); Bernd Schaller (Germany); Lionel Swain (UK); John Turner (USA); Ugo Vanni (Italy); Antonio Vargas-Machuca (Spain); Arthur Wainwright (USA); Stephen Wilson (Canada); Christian Wolff (Germany). Members observed a minute's silence in memory of these scholars.
Twenty-seven scholars were elected to membership of the Society: Michael Daise (USA); Daniel Darko (USA); Peter Doble (UK); John Christopher Edwards (USA); Denis Fricker (France); Edmon Gallagher (USA); Angela Kim Harkins (USA); Thomas Hatina (Canada); Hisayasu Ito (Japan); Esther Kobel (Germany); Roig Lanzillotta Lautaro (Netherlands); Grant Macaskill (UK); Heidrun Mader (Germany); Maksimillijan Matjaz (Slovenia); Andrew Mbuvi (USA); Robert Myles (Australia); Thomas O'Loughlin (UK); Eyal Regev (Israel); Randolph Richards (USA); Sarah Rollens (USA); Elizabeth Shively (UK); Anna Rebecca Solevåg (Norway); David Starling (Australia); Jennifer Strawbridge (UK); Lourdes García Ureña (Spain); Meredith Warren (UK); Robyn Whitaker (Australia).
Given the continuing global uncertainty in regard to international travel, the Society gratefully accepted an invitation from the KU Leuven University in Belgium to host its General Meeting in 2021. The organisers are making preparations for three types of meeting: in person, hybrid and online only. A decision about the format will be made in the early months of 2021.
Future General Meetings
Accordingly, the Society will hold annual General Meetings in Leuven, Belgium in 2021, in Melbourne, Australia in 2022 and in Rome, Italy in 2023.
10.12.2020