Annual Conference 2005 - Tuesday Business Page

OVERVIEW OF THE DAY’S BUSINESS
One new business item, “Updates to Annual Conference Polity,” and two unfinished business items, the interim reports of the Doing Church Business Study Committee and the Intercultural Study Committee, were addressed by the delegate body today. In addition, the Conference received reports from Brethren Benefit Trust and the Association of Brethren Caregivers, among others.

The proposed changes to Annual Conference polity were adopted without amendment. The relatively minor changes bring polity into conformity with current practice. Conference secretary Fred Swartz announced that the complete and up-to-date polity manual will be available at the Annual Conference website at www.brethren.org by September.

The Doing Church Business Study Committee gave an interim report and received an extension for another year. Comments from the floor affirmed the committee’s work, expressed concerns about the elections process, posed questions and made suggestions for alternate processes to Roberts Rules of Order, and emphasized the role of scripture in church decision-making. The committee invited Brethren to e-mail further suggestions to doingchurchbusiness@brethren.org. The group also collected completed questionnaires from the delegates.

The Intercultural Study Committee also received a year extension. Chair Asha Solanky reviewed the committee’s work and its plans for the coming year. The committee is collecting responses about barriers to cross-cultural ministries in the denomination, and is working on a suggested reading list, among other things. In a short question and answer session, the committee received comments on the nature of its work and questions about the meaning of the word “intercultural.”

From left board chair C. Richard Pogue and Wil Nolen, president of Brethren Benefit Trust, introduce the "Think Pink" campaign, designed to encourage saving habits.
Photo by Nevin Dulabaum

Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board, and Kathy Reid, executive director of Association of Brethren Caregivers, meet for a weigh-in as part of the "lighten up" challenge.
Photo by Mary Dulabaum

Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) presented a light-hearted video review of its ministries. Board chair C. Richard Pogue highlighted good investment performance over the last year and a $25 million increase in the amount of Brethren funds available for investment through the Brethren Foundation from the end of 2003 through 2004. Leaders introduced a new campaign, “Think Pink,” to advocate financial health and increase membership in the Church of the Brethren Credit Union. Each new account will receive a pink piggy bank from the credit union. Pogue and BBT president Wil Nolen waved pink ties in unison to launch the “Think Pink” campaign. The delegates affirmed the appointment of Gail Morgan Habecker to the BBT board.

The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) report began with a video, “God’s Spirit Among Us: Wellness in the Midst of Crisis,” telling stories of Brethren finding wellness despite serious health problems and during times of illness and death. The report continued with a change of tone, introducing the agency’s new “Lighten Up Brethren” project encouraging Brethren members and institutions to work on increasing health among the church’s members. A humorous look at Annual Conference–in the style of the onsite video clips produced at National Older Adult Conferences–featured ABC executive director Kathy Reid accosting conferencegoers in ice cream socials and other settings to ask for suggestions for a personal fitness routine. Calling on Brethren to lose weight, she challenged Stan Noffsinger of the General Board to join her at a “weigh-in” in the Exhibit Hall following the business session.

ABC announced that it has enlarged its board by one member to include the chair of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes. These appointees to the ABC board were affirmed by the delegates: Allegra Hess, John Katonah, and Dan McRoberts.

The Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee encouraged congregations to support their pastors. The delegates passed a cost of living adjustment to the 2006 pastors’ salary scale of 2.8 percent.

The Annual Conference financial report followed reports from the Standing Committee of district delegates and the Program and Arrangements Committee responsible for planning Annual Conference. Standing Committee announced that it has approved a new strategic plan to guide staff and volunteers of Annual Conference, with the vision and mission statements, values, and objectives of the plan given in the delegate packet for information. Annual Conference executive director Lerry Fogle informed the delegates that the Conference had a $12,000 surplus fund balance from 2004, and anticipates a $10,000 surplus for 2005–both of which will carry forward to help cover costs of years in which the Conference costs exceed income. He announced that the 2010 Annual Conference will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 3-7.

Ecumenical groups reported today including the Committee on Interchurch Relations (CIR), a joint Annual Conference and General Board committee, and the Brethren delegates to the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). Ecumenical guests were introduced.

A somber Memorial Tribute to church workers who died in the past year closed out the morning business session.

BRETHREN MEDICAL PLAN STUDY COMMITTEE IS ELECTED
The four members of the Brethren Medical Plan Study Committee were elected: James C. Gibbel, an insurance agent and former member of the Brethren Benefit Trust board, of Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; Brian Markle, a licensed minister, of Bermudian Church of the Brethren, East Berlin, Pa.; Willie Hisey Pierson, an insurance marketing manager, of Neighborhood (Boulder Hill) Church of the Brethren, Montgomery, Ill.; and Donna Shumate, a lawyer and retiring General Board chair, of Peak Creek Church of the Brethren in Laurel Spring, N.C.

Ken Hunn (left) brought greetings from the Brethren Church to delegates. Here he shakes hands with Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Photo by Regina Roberts

DONATIONS ENCOURAGED FOR THE 300th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Several appreciative comments from the floor followed an interim report from the 300th Anniversary Committee, which is planning the Church of the Brethren celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Brethren movement in 2008. The committee reviewed its work and highlighted plans for upcoming years.

When it was announced that the committee has no budget for its work, moderator Jim Hardenbrook introduced a letter to the denomination soliciting donations in the units of 300–300 cents, 300 dimes, 300 quarters, 300 dollars–to support the anniversary celebrations. “Matter of fact, I have a check in my pocket right here as a gift to that celebration,” Hardenbrook said. “We can take care of this and have a wonderful party.” He said that the committee is looking at a $37,000 budget for its work, but that a total of $9,500 is needed to take care of what the committee has planned so far for the celebration.

The committee also introduced guest Ken Hunn, of the Brethren Church. Hunn told the Conference that “we’re kind of like family, you know.... The thing that really unites us is the blood of Jesus Christ. It’s the blood of Jesus Christ that dates back 2,000 years, not just 300 years.” The Annual Conference in 2008 will be a joint conference with the Brethren Church. The committee clarified that it has been in conversation with the other historic Brethren bodies about cooperation related to the anniversary as well.

Members of the 2005 Annual Conference news team, a ministry of the General Board, contributed to this report: Regina Roberts, Jesse Reid, Hannah Edwards, Sarah Kovacs, Mary Dulabaum, and Nevin Dulabaum, 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