The planning team for the 2021 National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) has announced the theme for the gathering, the list of preachers, and two of the keynote speakers. The team, which held meetings this week at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., includes (from left) Paula Ziegler Ulrich, Karen Dillon, Christy Waltersdorff (coordinator), Glenn Bollinger, Pat Roberts, Jim Martinez, and (not shown here) Rex Miller, and Discipleship Ministries co-coordinators Stan Dueck and Josh Brockway as staff.
“Overflowing with Hope” is the theme, inspired by Romans 15:13 (Christian Standard Bible): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Preachers for the five daily worship services at NOAC 2021 are Christy Dowdy, a retired minister living in Rockingham, Va.; Paula Bowser, an ordained minister from Englewood, Ohio, who led the Bible studies at the 2019 NOAC; Andrew Wright, a retired minister living in New Carlisle, Ohio; Don Fitzkee, pastor of worship at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; and Eric Landram, a pastor at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
Ken Medema, a Christian musician and a popular performer at Church of the Brethren conferences, and Ted Swartz, a Mennonite comedian and lead actor at Ted & Co., are two of the keynote presenters for the conference. Additional keynote speakers are yet to be confirmed.
The Older Adult Ministries website at www.brethren.org/oam features information about this Church of the Brethren ministry including a link to detailed information about last year’s NOAC. The conference is held every two years.