Annual Conference 2005 - Monday Business Page

BRETHREN MEDICAL PLAN GETS ATTENTION OF DELEGATES
The delegate body adopted a resolution on the Brethren Medical Plan brought by Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT). The Brethren Medical Plan is a health insurance plan for Church of the Brethren pastors and church employees, district employees, employees of Annual Conference agencies and affiliated agencies and institutions, and their families.

“There are times in the journey when we come to a crossroads. The Brethren Medical Plan has come to a crossroads,” said Standing Committee member Tim Button-Harrison introducing the committee’s recommendation that the resolution be adopted and a committee of four be elected to answer questions raised in the resolution. Committee members will be elected on Tuesday, July 5.

BBT has announced that the plan is in a “death spiral” caused by decreased membership, the erosion of a good spread of risk, increased health care costs, and increased premiums. BBT brought the resolution for three reasons, reported chair, Richard Pogue: “One, the Brethren Medical Plan is important to the church. Two, the Brethren Medical Plan’s future is in peril. And three, the plan belongs to the church, it belongs to all of us.”

The resolution gives biblical and historical background, lists the status of medical insurance in the denomination, and asks for a study committee to evaluate the plan and “assess the continuing need for and feasibility of a denominational medical insurance plan for employees of congregations, districts, and church-related agencies." The resolution also calls on every eligible congregation, district, and church-related agency to participate in the plan from 2006 through at least the conclusion of the study.

During a short discussion, delegates expressed concern for those who are uninsurable elsewhere, asked for consideration of working with other denominations on the issue, and added a question to a list that will be presented to the committee, asking for assessment of the possibility of a denominational plan for church members as well as employees.

For informational resources on the Brethren Medical Plan including a video addressing questions about the plan, a power point presentation on the history of the plan, information about Health Savings Accounts, and information about all of the Brethren Insurance Plans, call BBT at 800-746-1505. For the most recent reporting on the plan see Newsline reports from May 11, "Brethren Benefit Trust Board Approves Health Savings Accounts," and March 30, "New Resources Created in Effort to Save Brethren Medical Plan.”

A teller notes the election results.
Photo by Regina Roberts

ELECTION RESULTS
The results of the Annual Conference delegates’ vote on the ballot were announced today. Results are listed by position:

MODERATOR-ELECT: Belita D. (Brewington) Mitchell

ANNUAL CONFERENCE COUNCIL: James F. Myer

PROGRAM AND ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE: Kristi A. Kellerman

PASTORAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: David Shoup

REVIEW AND EVALUATION COMMITTEE: Michaela Camps, Rebecca Baile Crouse, Craig L. Gandy, Paul Hoffman, James Edward Martinez

ASSOCIATION OF BRETHREN CAREGIVERS: Brian S. Black, Heather L. Neff

BETHANY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TRUSTEE--MINISTRY: John David Bowman

BETHANY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TRUSTEE--LAITY: Ted Flory

BRETHREN BENEFIT TRUST: Carol Ann Jackson Greenwood

ON EARTH PEACE: Sarah Quinter Malone

COMMITTEE ON INTERCHURCH RELATIONS: Ilexene Alphonse

From left Jim Hardenbrook, moderator, and Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, reported to the General Board on their recent trip to Sudan. Toma Ragnjiya, from Nigeria, affirmed their observations.
Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

GENERAL BOARD ISSUES RESOLUTION ON SUDAN, REORGANIZES
In its reorganization meeting, the General Board passed a resolution on Sudan to the Annual Conference officers, for consideration by the 2005 Annual Conference. The short document “recognizes that God calls the Church of the Brethren to continue to minister to the people of Sudan,” and recommits the church to peace-building efforts and continuation of Brethren work in southern Sudan.

In the board’s reorganization, Glenn Mitchell was selected as chair. Others on the Executive Committee are Jeff Neuman-Lee, vice chair, along with David Sollenberger, Angie Lehman Yoder, Vickie Samland, and Jaime Diaz.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE DAY’S BUSINESS
In business sessions today, delegates held elections (see results above) and confirmed appointees to the General Board and the board of On Earth Peace. Two new business items were discussed and acted on: the resolution from Brethren Benefit Trust on the Brethren Medical Plan (see story above) and “General Board Revisions to Polity.” Reports were received from two of the five Annual Conference agencies, the General Board and On Earth Peace, and a time was given for Living Peace Church reporting.

Lerry Fogle, executive director of Annual Conference, shared announcements daily with attendees.
Photo by Regina Roberts

General Board revisions to polity were adopted with one amendment adding an additional purpose and function, to “Provide leadership in prophetic social policy development for the denomination.” The other relatively minor changes bring the document into conformity with recent polity changes and current practice.

In the General Board report, video segments joined with music to present the board’s ministries. “What a year it has been,” said general secretary Stan Noffsinger as he and chair Donna Shumate reviewed several unique opportunities for the organization and ongoing work during 2004 and early 2005. The unusual opportunities included the Christmas Eve Service on CBS, response to the tsunami, the Anabaptist Consultation on Alternative Service, and two new national conferences: National Young Adult Conference and Mission Alive ’05. The report closed with questions and answers, and an invitation to the Conference body to hold hands as a symbolic human chain, woven together in Christ.

In the On Earth Peace report, video reports and personal testimonies spoke to the recent series of conflict transformation workshops that the agency has been offering for pastors and other congregational leaders. Several of these were held with regional events across the denomination. Staff also briefly reported on their areas of work, including the new effort to create a network of Brethren working to counter military recruitment in high schools. “I’d like to invite each of you into this work, especially those of you who are high school students,” said Matt Guynn, program coordinator for Peace Witness. On Earth Peace closed its report by asking delegates and Conference-goers to fill out a survey about the Church of the Brethren’s peace witness.

Living Peace Church reports were received during a session that included an open microphone time. Other reports were received from those planning TOGETHER: Conversations on Being the Church. Recent Brethren Volunteer Service hosts at the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, Japan, presented moderator Hardenbrook with a origami crane bearing a crystal heart. The cranes are symbols of peace in Japan and around the world. The heart “represents the love and compassion of Jesus,” said Bev Ikenberry in her presentation. The volunteers–Joel and Bev Ikenberry who recently ended their term of service, and Larry and Alice Petry, the current hosts–were at Conference to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the center and to raise awareness of the 60th anniversary of the first use of a nuclear weapon. Conference-goers were invited to help fold 1,000 cranes for Brethren to present at the 40th anniversary celebration in Hiroshima in August.

Anastacia Bueno Beltre, from the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic, was introduced and brought greetings to the delegates.

Members of the 2005 Annual Conference news team, a ministry of the General Board, contributed to this report: Regina Roberts, Jesse Reid, Hannah Edwards, and Sarah Kovacs, photographers; Kathleen Campanella, Karen Garrett, Jill Kline, Frank Ramirez, Frances Townsend, Sarah Leatherman Young, and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, writers; Amy Heckert, technical support; Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford and Becky Ullom, editors.

219th Annual Conference Peoria, Illinois July 2-6, 2005