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The Moderator
James
M. Beckwith
Moderator Jim Beckwith and his wife Carolyn live near Lebanon, PA. Jim serves as Pastor of the Annville congregation, and Carolyn is an obstetrics nurse. They enjoy their three children and four grandchildren: Naomi and Mark Kraenbring, Hannah, Isaac, and Darah are active in the Florin congregation, Mt. Joy, PA; Amanda and Chris Zepp and Shylah are active in the Bridgewater, VA, congregation. Tim lives at home.
Jim was born into the Fruitland, ID, congregation. His great-grandfather had led a group of Brethren from Cando, ND, to western Idaho in 1899. After Jim’s father was called to the ministry, Jim grew up in the Wiley, CO, and Reedley, CA, congregations. High school years as a missionary child in Nigeria gave Jim a rich experience of the global Body of Christ and interaction with missionary children from a spectrum of Christian perspectives.
After graduating from La Verne College in southern California, Jim and Carolyn spent the first two years of their marriage in Brethren Volunteer Service in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where Jim supervised an after-school program for ghetto children.
An MDiv and DMin graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary, ordained by the Modesto, CA, congregation of the Pacific Southwest District, Jim has previously served a 12-year pastorate in Oaks, PA, with the Green Tree congregation of the Atlantic Northeast District and a 16-year pastorate near Dayton, VA, with the Montezuma congregation of the Shenandoah District. He has taught courses on Brethren heritage and worship, chaired the Germantown Ministry Board, the Committee on Interchurch Relations, the Nominating Committee of Standing Committee, and served in numerous district positions.
Jim relaxes best when playing with his grandchildren and watching his son mascot at professional baseball games. He finds the variety of God’s creation fascinating and believes that God is not finished with any of us yet.
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The moderator may be contacted at moderator@brethren.org.
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Annual Conference
