Report, Breaking Down Barriers – Increasing Access to Denominational Events

Introduction

As the Breaking Down Barriers Study Committee concludes this work regarding our life together in larger church gatherings, we are grateful to our sisters and brothers in the Church of the Brethren for entrusting it to us. The immensity of the task humbled us, but we were encouraged by the strength of our relationships as members of the Body of Christ, and we pray that the Holy Spirit guided us.

The charge from Annual Conference was to “examine the theological, philosophical, and practical implications” while addressing barriers to participation in denominational events and conferences. Barriers to participation are many and varied. Each barrier is significant to the people affected by it. Our committee resolved to examine these barriers thoroughly so that our gatherings might include as many brothers and sisters as possible.

Process

We tried to gather as much input as possible related both to barriers experienced and proposed solutions from Church of the Brethren members. We gathered focus groups for discussion on Zoom. We emailed an online survey to those who have attended Annual Conference. We reviewed feedback from Annual Conference attendees in 2021, 2022, and 2023. A summary of this input can be found in our two interim reports to Annual Conference.

One can find the details of our examination of the philosophical and theological implications of breaking down barriers to participation in denominational church gatherings in our 2024 interim report to Annual Conference.

Since the 2024 Annual Conference, the work of our committee has been to conduct a feasibility study, focusing on the practical implications of breaking down barriers. The denomination’s Feasibility Committee joined us to provide further information, guidance, and insight. The Feasibility Committee, chaired by David Stauffer, included two members of Standing Committee and a representative from each Church of the Brethren agency (Harriet Hamer, Marie Rhoades, Ed Woolf, Nevin Dulabaum, Jeff Carter, and Rhonda Pittman Gingrich).

The concerns and suggestions we gleaned from Church of the Brethren members and friends fell within three categories.

Issues related to our conference business practices that the study committee recommends bringing to the Review and Evaluation Committee for a formal review to address potential barriers to participation.
Named barriers to participation that have either already been addressed in some fashion or are in the process of being addressed through various efforts.
A set of concerns that the study committee desired to carry to the Feasibility Committee for advice and consideration.

Considerations for the Review and Evaluation Committee

Recommendation One

The Breaking Down Barriers Study Committee recommends that the Review and Evaluation Committee address the following concerns related to our business practices named by the Church of the Brethren constituents and the “Doing Business Differently” Committee report of 2022.

Review the processes and language implemented in our business practices. Several persons raised concerns that the language used is archaic and unnecessarily injects barriers to participation. We recommend revising the language used in these processes to reflect more contemporary language. For example, “Standing Committee” does not describe that group’s function for the average person, particularly those who might be new participants.
How might we consider a process other than Robert’s Rules of Order, which may foster a political mindset of competition and wanting to “win,” to serve as our presiding structure? In what ways does this set of meeting rules privilege those who know the process well while marginalizing those who don’t? How might we continue living into the Worshipful Work model that led to round tables and a more discussion-oriented process and allowed us to move beyond stump speeches at the microphones?
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Query process. Is there a better way to present local concerns to the national gathering?
Are there creative ways to shorten the agenda, thereby reducing fatigue and lowering participation costs?
How might we investigate methods that would facilitate electronic voting?

A List of Barriers Already Being Considered and Addressed

Many of the named barriers are already being considered and addressed through various initiatives of leadership within the Church of the Brethren.

Recommendation Two

That all conference planners continue to uphold Annual Conference statements and policies that remove barriers to participation. And that the following suggestions from the body continue to be considered in their planning:

Technological Accessibility

An online “help desk” for attendee tech support, including those with disabilities.

Mutual Care

Intentional nurture of relationships online and in-person through table talk and breakout rooms facilitated by a host.
Have interpreters at tables where multiple languages are spoken.
In choosing a conference location, consult with Intercultural Ministries about the reputation or history of that area as it relates to matters of race, justice, and equality and whether those spaces may be intimidating to or unsafe for people of color.
Create and share guidelines for online conversation similar to the Church of the Brethren Facebook page guidelines.
Moderation of online conversation by peace teams
Share and uphold denominational guidelines for treating one another with patience, respect, and love. These would include:
- From the 1979 Biblical Inspiration and Authority: “Christian love requires that we acknowledge the integrity and worth of those brothers and sisters with whom we cannot totally agree.”
- From the 1998 The New Testament as our Rule of Faith and Practice: “Understanding that the Spirit speaks through the gathered church requires humility in speech and an interest in hearing whatever truth may be revealed in the words of each member.”
- From the 2008 Resolution Urging Forbearance, “In all circumstances, we will embrace our commitment to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ as equally important to our other theological beliefs. We pledge ourselves on matters where we are not of one mind to let the Holy Spirit draw us together to be of one heart.”
- From the 2018 Vision for a Global Church of the Brethren: “As we progress toward participation in a Global Church of the Brethren, the Church of the Brethren in the United States is challenged to increase the intercultural competency of its leaders, districts, congregations, and members.”
- From the 2022 Standing With People of Color Statement: “We encourage congregations to study the teachings of Jesus and how they apply to our relationships with all people of color, to express solidarity with all people of color, offer sanctuary from all forms of violence, and identify and dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Accessibility for those with Disabilities

From the 2006 Commitment of Accessibility and Inclusion Resolution: “We ask organizations and event planners to examine barriers, both physical and attitudinal, that prevent people with disabilities from living fully in church community and work to rectify these situations.”

An accessibility services desk/table at in-person events
ASL interpretation services are provided online and in person.
Digital business and worship materials for blind or partially sighted delegates
A hall setup that includes sufficient space between tables to aid in a clear path to the microphones for wheelchair users.
Closed captioning for video presentations.
A scent-free seating area.
Provide a quiet sensory room/area.
Audio-assistive devices that feed directly into hearing aids
Make sure leadership space (platform) is accessible to all.

We are pleased that there is a new partnership between the Church of the Brethren and the Anabaptist Disabilities Network to provide guidance and support in addressing these concerns at future large church gatherings and conferences.

Annual Conference Travel Scholarship

A scholarship was created to subsidize travel costs for our sisters and brothers who live the furthest distances from our typical gatherings through the actions outlined in the 2012 Revitalization of Annual Conference report. This scholarship is designated for Annual Conference attendees traveling from west of the Mississippi River. Our committee believes that this policy could be improved by revising the model to determine eligibility.

Recommendation Three

That the Annual Conference revise the calculation that determines eligibility for the travel scholarship. Instead of eligibility for attendees coming from west of the Mississippi River, we recommend providing scholarships for attendees traveling from a distance of 1,200 miles or more from the Annual Conference venue. We believe this will represent a more equitable process.

Breaking Down Barriers for Conferences Other than Annual Conference

Our committee was tasked with examining the barriers to attendance for larger Church of the Brethren events and gatherings. After a conversation with conference planners, it is apparent that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the challenges that face each particular event or conference. Our perception is that the planners of conferences smaller than the Annual Conference are searching for solutions that are appropriate for their events.

National Youth Conference (NYC)

The next NYC has had a change in venue to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. This smaller venue offers the same amenities in a setting that still balances the budget with fewer participants. It is noted that NYC is more affordable for attendees because they stay in dorm rooms, eat in a cafeteria, and because congregations raise money for youth to attend. The planners of NYC have live-streamed in the past but found that our youth did not demonstrate much interest in attending virtually.

National Older Adult Conference (NOAC)

NOAC is still well-attended and viable for meeting in person. The cost is more affordable than Annual Conference but is still a barrier for some. The conference was an early adopter of live-streaming because some older people are physically unable to travel. The internet service providing the necessary bandwidth for live-streaming is affordable at the venue (Lake Junaluska Conference Center).

New and Renew Conference

New and Renew Conference is more affordable for attendees than Annual Conference, but travel and lodging costs are still a barrier for some. This conference is particularly affected by small congregations with limited funds and bi-vocational pastors who may not have time off. The ability to live-stream is imperative. The choice of future venues will depend on reliable streaming capabilities. The conference is small enough to factor technology costs into their budget.

A concern was expressed about the number of denominational events and whether a denomination of our size can sustain them all.

Suggestions for Annual Conference Brought to the Feasibility Committee

An important insight from our feasibility study is that the barriers to participation in large church gatherings, particularly at Annual Conference, cannot be resolved through a single set of decisions or a solitary report. Addressing barriers to participation is work that we will revisit repeatedly over time. We must exercise discernment based on our vision of how we desire to gather at this moment

in time and take steps to reduce barriers, knowing that our context is changing rapidly and we will need to be flexible as we step into the future together.

The Annual Conference has unique challenges as we consider barriers to participation. The Feasibility Committee of the Church of the Brethren joined us to examine the pressing questions about the manner of our meeting, the venue, and how often we meet.

The Feasibility Committee has access to important budget information, attendance records, and participation trends, which has proved helpful in addressing these concerns.

Here are the three meeting options that we presented to the committee:

Option 1

Meet in person biennially (same conference configuration, but meet every other year as a cost-saving measure for the Annual Conference office and individual and congregational budgets)

Option 1 – Discussion

While this option would result in cost savings for individuals and congregations, it would cause a budget shortfall for the Annual Conference office. The Executive Director of Annual Conference noted that the Annual Conference office has fixed expenses associated with its work, such as office overhead and staff salaries, that occur each year even if no conference is held.

It was noted that other denominations that meet biennially have resolved this problem by having their annual meeting planning staff take on additional work responsibilities such as youth leadership or serving as a building superintendent.

It was also noted that each denominational event/conference is planned and managed by a different department. It is possible that a centralized event planning office could take on the logistical work of planning all denominational and even regional or district events while still relying on other departments to prepare the content of those conferences.

Option 2 – Meet Alternating Years

A. Alternating between in-person and fully online

B. Alternating in-person (fellowship, service, worship, equipping sessions, meal events, etc.) and fully online (business only) – both would take fewer days than our current conference configuration.

Option 2 – Discussion

With this option, an analysis of budget data revealed that the Annual Conference Office might experience a budget-neutral impact when rotating between an in-person conference one year and an entirely virtual conference the next. The Annual Conference Director noted that with our small sample size with virtual conferences, there was a small budget surplus during the 2021 digital meeting of Annual Conference. These savings are essentially equivalent to the trending budget deficit amounts that result from our in-person Annual Conference gatherings. If these trends continue, alternating between in-person and virtual gatherings could potentially help the Annual Conference Office balance its budget over the long term.

There were multiple concerns voiced with this model, including the possibility of creating two conferences that drew different constituents instead of one conference that represents us all. Agencies commented that their interaction with constituents is diminished in an online format.

Concern was expressed about the ability to build relationships between people online. If this model is implemented, care would need to be taken to address these concerns.

However, to offset those concerns, this option would draw in people unable to attend Annual Conference in person due to multiple barriers, including travel costs, lack of paid time off, and inability to travel due to disability. The breaking down of these barriers and the cost-effectiveness make this an important option to consider.

Option 3 – Hybrid

Choose a smaller venue (conference center, college, state park) for the in-person participants.
Charge more for online registration to cover the cost of streaming technology and internet provider fees.
Stream from regional hubs (hosted by congregations, retirement homes, colleges, and the seminary).
Find a way for online attendees to “speak at the microphone,” either by directly addressing the conference body through the sound system or through a representative or proxy in the room.
Find technical solutions to create breakout rooms for fellowship and “table talk” online.

Option 3 – Discussion

This is the most expensive and complex of the options. By creating a hybrid conference, you have the customary expenses related to the venue and considerable additional costs to cover the increased demands of providing virtual access to all the events and acquiring sufficient internet bandwidth to support this option. For example, the cost of internet services quoted by Duke Energy Center for the 2023 Annual Conference hosted in Cincinnati exceeded $50,000. This cost will only increase and does not represent the true cost of providing the bandwidth necessary to allow for the multiple online devices needed for the conference hall to facilitate digital voting.

Further, the cost of hotel rooms and conference space depends on having a certain number of in-person attendees. The higher our economic impact on the host city, the more significant the discounts they are willing to offer. With a hybrid model, predicting how many would attend in person would be more challenging, and these things would be more costly.

Therefore, we have determined that Option 3 is not feasible at this time.

Please note that some of the suggestions for Option 3 apply to Option 2 for gathering online in alternate years.

Recommendation Four

The Mission and Ministry Board and appropriate denominational leadership will examine the processes and structures related to planning events and conferences to determine if a biennial conference (Option 1) is feasible with a different staffing arrangement. This would increase access by decreasing the cost of attendance for individuals and congregations.

The Mission and Ministry Board and appropriate denominational leadership will also examine alternating years in-person and online (Option 2) as a viable option. This is our preferred option, as it not only balances the budget but increases access for brothers and sisters who are unable to travel for various reasons.

A progress report detailing this work should be presented at next year’s Annual Conference.

Conclusion

This concludes the work of the Breaking Down Barriers Study Committee. We bring these recommendations with humility and a heavy sense of the amount of work already expected of our leadership in a rapidly changing culture.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeanne Davies

Brandon Grady

Daniel Poole (chair)

The 2025 Standing Committee received the final oral and written reports and recommendations of the Breaking Down Barriers – Increasing Access to Denominational Events Committee.

Action of the 2025 Annual Conference

The final report of the Breaking Down Barriers – Increasing Access to Denominational Events Committee was presented by Jeanne Davies and Brandon Grady. They presented a revised Recommendation Three. The revision, one corrected factual error, and two lines omitted from the conference booklet were incorporated into this document. The Annual Conference received the final oral and written reports of the committee and adopted the four recommendations.