‘Intolerant’ author to speak at Bangor teen convention

BANGOR – Ryan Dobson believes in being intolerant.

The 33-year-old son of Dr. James Dobson, the Christian psychologist, author and radio personality, will be the keynote speaker at next weekend’s Maine Christian Teen Convention at the Bangor Auditorium.

The younger Dobson will expand on the themes outlined in his first book, “Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid.” He spoke at the Bangor gathering in 2002, before the book’s publication.

Ryan Dobson lives in San Clemente, Calif., where he is an avid surfer and skateboarder.

Jeff Henderson, youth pastor at Machias Valley Baptist Church, said Dobson’s message stresses hope. He said the thrust of the book is that there are some things in life that you can stake your life on because they don’t change.

“If [there is] one thing every kid wants to know, it’s that they can base their life on something and it’s not going to change,” Henderson said.

“They want to know there’s purpose and why [they are] here. Ryan’s book says that they can answer that question with an absolute. Their searches all look different, but they’re all looking for the same thing – meaning and purpose – and that can be found in Christ.”

Music will be an important part of the convention, according to Henderson, 38. He helped organize the first convention, held in 1999, and said Thursday that he expects next weekend’s event to draw more than 2,000 Christian teens from around Maine.

Bands scheduled to perform include the Atlanta-based Casting Crowns and singer-songwriters Geoff Moore and Shaun Groves.

Casting Crowns’ lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Mark Hall, won a Dove Award, the Christian music industry’s equivalent of a Grammy Award, earlier this week. He was named songwriter of the year.

Made up of youth workers from various churches in the Atlanta area, the group released its first album in September and it became the year’s fastest-selling CD on the Billboard top contemporary Christian albums chart.

Moore, 42, of Nashville, is expected to perform “Swept Away,” a song about adoption, from his most recent album “A Beautiful Sound.” He left his band The Distance for a solo career six years ago.

The father of two teenage sons, Moore and his wife have adopted two girls, now 3 and 18 months old, from China.

A native Texan, Groves, 30, wrote a six-part, first-person account about writing, recording and promoting his second album, “Twilight.” The singer-songwriter has said that he wants his music to inspire Christians to serve by reminding them that God is at work in every moment of their lives.

Maine bands scheduled to perform include Neally’s Corner, based in Bangor, and the Portland-based band Paid In Full.

The Maine Christian Teen

Convention will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, and at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 8, at the Bangor Auditorium. The cost for the weekend events is $20. For

information, call 255-8389

or visit the Web site at www.mainechristianteen.com.