Annual Conference moderator Paul Mundey has announced that he will host a Moderator’s Forum this spring at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. The date is April 18, from 1-9 p.m. The focus is “Historical Themes Impacting Today’s Church.”
The forum will feature leading Brethren historians who will address a variety of historical themes affectting present-day congregations, districts, and national structures. Particular attention will be given to Brethren history and themes relevant to the current reality of Brethren communions, with special emphasis on the Church of the Brethren. Themes to be addressed include accountability, compelling vision, division, forbearance, and nationalism.
Historians who will be participating include Jeff Bach, director of the Young Center and associate professor of the Department of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College; William Kostlevy, director of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives; Stephen Longenecker, Edwin L. Turner Distinguished Professor of History at Bridgewater (Va.) College; Carol Scheppard, professor of Philosophy and Religion at Bridgewater College; and Dale Stoffer, emeritus professor of Historical Theology at Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary. The forum will conclude with an evening worship service and a message from Dennis Webb, pastor of Naperville (Ill.) Church of the Brethren.
The forum is open to both clergy and laity. Registration cost, which includes dinner, is $30. This event also will be available via live stream for a registration fee of $15. Those attending the entire event may earn 0.6 continuing education units for an additional cost of $10. The evening worship, beginning with hymn singing at 7 p.m., is open to the public without cost or registration and will be held in the Gibble Auditorium at Elizabethtown College.
To register or for a brochure go to tinyurl.com/modforum2020 . The registration deadline is April 9. Please register early since the space for the main sessions (other than worship) is limited to 150 participants.