This last weekend London hosted an event billed as CyberChurch and Online Community Symposium.  Hosted by Andrew Jones, aka the Tall Skinny Kiwi, aka Chancellor of the virtual Suddenly Seminary, “an intimate and somewhat casual meeting for some really interesting and qualified people, divided up somewhat equally among thinkers, practitioners and supporters”.  Check out his blog for the wrap up.

Some of those in attendance included (wish I had more links; I lifted those you see here from TSK):

Douglas Estes (PhD) has a book on the theology of virtual churches coming out in a few months.

Dave Walker of Wibsite, CartoonChurch, Church Times Blog, and recently famous for his online controversy.

Bobby Gruenewald, of Lifechurch.tv on Second Life and Chris Byers & Terry Storch – Digerati maven & operator of a Global Operations Center in his palm.

Gareth Edwards runs the virtual cathedral and occasionally the main service for Anglicans in Second Life. His doctoral dissertation on Wesleyan micro-ecclesiology will be submitted this year.

Chris Teague and Lee Behar are both Americans and they represent faith based Foundations that occasionally resource internet evangelism.  Lee Behar, also a part of the GCIA, is Senior Program Officer for The Maclellan Foundation. They are a faith based foundation that have invested in a number of exciting online ministry initiatives.

Mark Howe – St Pixels Church and author of “Online church: First Steps towards virtual incarnation.”

Simon Jenkins, also a creator and leader at St Pixels and the Church of Fools experiment.

From i-church – Web Pastor Pam Smith, Karen Wellman from the i-church leadership and Caroline Birchmore who is the technical lead. Fantastic (<– Andrew says this) !!!

Tim Hutchings, PhD student focusing on cyberchurches and online faith communities.

Shannon Hopkins is the host. She has been involved in social enterprises with both offline and online presence.

Certainly, when I have a bit more time, I will follow up on all these innovative pioneers and post on their research.  I love having access to the larger, global sphere of cyber leadership.