Donita J. Keister to serve as moderator-elect of Annual Conference

Church of the Brethren Newsline
June 29, 2017

Donita Keister.

In election results today, the Annual Conference chose Donita J. Keister of Mifflinburg, Pa., as moderator-elect. She will serve as moderator-elect for one year, and then in 2019 she will serve as moderator of the Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif.

Keister is an associate pastor at Buffalo Valley Church of the Brethren in Southern Pennsylvania District. During this Annual Conference she concluded a term of service on the denomination’s Mission and Ministry Board, where she also served on the executive committee. She has been a teacher, choir director, women’s ministry leader, children’s ministry leader, retreat leader, deacon, and ministry team leader. In her district, she has served on the Program and Arrangements Committee for the district conference, has been on the ethics assessment team, and has been a Training in Ministry (TRIM) coordinator. Her professional career has included owning a baking business.

Following are more election results:

Annual Conference Secretary: James M. Beckwith of Lebanon, Pa., Annville Church of the Brethren, Atlantic Northeast District.

Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee: Jan Glass King of Martinsburg, Pa., Bedford Church of the Brethren, Middle Pennsylvania District.

Mission and Ministry Board, Area 1: Colin W. Scott of Harrisburg, Pa., Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren, Southern Pennsylvania District.

Mission and Ministry Board, Area 2: Christina Singh of Freeport, Ill., Freeport Church of the Brethren, Illinois and Wisconsin District.

Bethany Theological Seminary Trustee, Colleges: Celia Cook-Huffman of Huntingdon, Pa., Stone Church of the Brethren, Middle Pennsylvania District.

Bethany Theological Seminary Trust, Clergy: Paul Brubaker of Ephrata, Pa., Middle Creek Church of the Brethren, Atlantic Northeast District.

Brethren Benefit Trust Board: Sara Huston Brenneman of Hershey, Pa., Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren, Atlantic Northeast District.

On Earth Peace Board: Cheryl Thomas of Angola, Ind., Pleasant Chapel Church of the Brethren, Northern Indiana District.

Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee: Daniel L. Rudy of Roanoke, Va., Ninth Street Church of the Brethren, Virlina District.

In separate elections, the Standing Committee chose delegates to represent the Church of the Brethren at the World Council of Churches: Liz Bidgood Enders, delegate; Glenn Bollinger, alternate.

Board-elected and consistuency-elected directors and trustees

Mission and Ministry Board: Lois Grove of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Peace Church of the Brethren, Northern Plains District; and Dava C. Hensley of Roanoke, Va., Roanoke First Church of the Brethren, Virlina District.

Bethany Seminary Board of Trustees: Christina Bucher of Elizabethtown, Pa., Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Atlantic Northeast District; and Michele Firebaugh of Winnebago, Ill., Freeport Church of the Brethren, Illinois and Wisconsin District.

On Earth Peace Board: Melisa Grandison of Northampton, Mass., McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, Western Plains District; Erin Gratz of Pomona, Calif., La Verne Church of the Brethren, Pacific Southwest District; and Cynthia L. Weber-Han of Chicago, Ill., York Center Church of the Brethren, Illinois and Wisconsin District.

Brethren Benefit Trust Board: Ron Gebhardtsbauer of State College, Pa., University Baptist and Brethren Church, Middle Pennsylvania District; and Kevin Kessler of Canton, Ill., Canton Church of the Brethren, Illinois and Wisconsin District.

For more onsite coverage of Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac/2017/coverage .

The news coverage of Annual Conference 2017 is made possible through the work of the volunteer news team: Frank Ramirez, Conference Journal editor; photographers Glenn Riegel, Regina Holmes, Keith Hollenberg, Donna Parcell, Laura Brown, Allie Dulabaum; writers Frances Townsend, Karen Garrett, Gene Hollenberg; with web staff Jan Fischer Bachman and Russ Otto, and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services. Wendy McFadden, publisher. Contact cobnews@brethren.org.

Go to www.brethren.org/Newsline to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.

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