Proclaim Christ as Redeemer
“For in hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24).
“You are responsible for the next three days to listen, pray, and study over the work of the church…. Your table will become part of your extended family…. Look to your table as a place to share concerns and witness…to develop new insights.”
— Annual Conference moderator Donita Keister giving instruction to the delegates.
“The Bible is unmistakable: all of creation will be redeemed…. There is no better time to claim or reclaim our passion for this. Actually I can think of a better time, but it has already passed. Now scientists tell us there are only a dozen years until irreversible damage is done…. It is no wonder then that Romans 8 describes the groaning of creation.”
— Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press and communications for the Church of the Brethren, speaking for this morning’s worship service at the start of the business session.
“Greetings from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria [EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria] this morning in Jesus’ name…. 18,250 members are still displaced…but God is still performing his miracles day to day…. Muslim converts are still coming daily…accepting Christ as Lord and savior.”
— Joel S. Billi, EYN president, bringing greetings to the Conference from the Brethren in Nigeria.
“How do you feel about the people outside the scope of your church? …We call them lost, unbelievers all sorts of names…. When folks gather around your church in your community, are those ‘your’ people or are they ‘those’ people?”
— Jonathan Prater preaching for the evening worship service.
Welcoming new congregations
Five new congregations and one new project were welcomed into the Church of the Brethren during the morning’s business session. The new project welcomed this morning is Ebenezer in Atlantic Northeast District. The five new congregations are:
— Faith in Action Church of the Brethren in Northern Ohio District,
— Floyd Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Vida in Virlina District,
— Hanging Rock Church of the Brethren West Marva District,
— Living Stream Church of the Brethren, an online congregation based in Pacific Northwest District, and
— Veritas Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District.
Welcoming international guests
The Conference this morning welcomed two official representatives from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria): president Joel S. Billi and staff liaison Markus Gamache. A dozen or more Nigerian Brethren are attending the 2019 Conference includin a group from BEST, the Brethren Evangelism Support Trust of EYN.
By the numbers:
781 views of the webcast of opening worship have been counted as of Thursday morning. The peak number of live views of the Wednesday evening service was 185. In more webcast numbers, 446 views of the webcast of the Blackwood Brothers concert have been counted as of Thursday morning, with 117 at the peak of live views during the concert Wednesday evening.
35 years of service by Joyce Person as teller coordinator and lead teller for Annual Conference was recognized during this morning’s business session.
$10,243.41 was received in this evening’s offering for the Church of the Brethren core ministries.
For more onsite coverage of Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac/2019/coverage . #cobac19
Coverage of Annual Conference 2019 is made possible through the work of news team volunteers and communications staff: Frank Ramirez, Conference Journal editor; photographers Glenn Riegel, Keith Hollenberg, Donna Parcell, and Laura Brown; writers Frances Townsend and Tyler Roebuck; Press Room office manager Alane Riegel; Jan Fischer Bachman and Russ Otto, website; Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Services; Wendy McFadden, publisher. Contact cobnews@brethren.org.