 For more information, Stanley J. Noffsinger 2011 news and video 2010 news and video |
Office of the General Secretary
Stanley J. NoffsingerCurrent concernsImmigration reform continues to be an important conversation in our country, and the Church of the Brethren continues to be engaged in the conversation. This 2006 Pastoral Letter on Immigration represents the most recent communication from the church on immigration. More recently, a strong and urgent call for fundamental immigration reform was issued February 2013, at the conclusion of the annual meeting of Christian Churches Together (CCT). The Church of the Brethren was represented at the gathering by general secretary Stan Noffsinger, moderator Bob Krouse, moderator-elect Nancy Heishman, and Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden, who serves on the CCT steering committee. See the full text of the statement. On March 10, 2013, the Mission and Ministry Board issued a resolution against drone warfare. This resolution will be sent to the 2013 Annual Conference for consideration. For decades, the Church of the Brethren has declared a clear position against gun violence. Read the 2010 Resolution against Gun Violence and, for a historical perspective, the 1978 Report on Violence and the Use of Firearms. 
For this we pray ...Join the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, gathered around the Word, as we pray that our dedication to peace, simplicity, and community will undergird all aspects of our life and work together. You are welcome to download and print this graphic. Related newsBrethren board issues resolution against drone warfare (March 14, 2013) A Resolution Against Drone Warfare was issued by the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board on March 11. Proposed by the denomination’s Peace Witness Ministry based in Washington, D.C., the resolution will be sent on to the 2013 Annual Conference for its consideration in early July. The resolution addresses the use of drones in warfare in the context of a reaffirmation of the Church of the Brethren’s longstanding assertion that “war is sin.” Major US ecumenical organizations restructure (March 7, 2013) Two long-standing ecumenical bodies in the United States--the National Council of Churches (NCC) and Church World Service (CWS)--have undergone restructuring and re-envisioning in recent months. The NCC began a plan for re-envisioning and restructuring last fall including elimination of administrative positions on the staff and a move away from historic headquarters in New York. CWS, which formerly shared the same general assembly as the NCC, has instituted a new governing structure that is independent of denominational representation. CWS is the primary means through which Brethren Disaster Ministries extends its work internationally. Proposals to reduce gun violence: Church representative attends Senate Subcommittee hearing (February 22, 2013) Last week, I represented the Church of the Brethren by attending a hearing held by the US Senate’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights. The hearing was entitled “Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence: Protecting Our Communities While Respecting the Second Amendment.” The event was presided over by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and it provided an array of incredibly informative testimony regarding the effectiveness of certain gun laws, the human cost of gun violence, and what lessons from the past we can apply to our present problems. |
