The Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board held its Fall 2024 meeting Oct. 17-20 at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Colin Scott presided as chair, assisted by chair-elect Kathy Mack and general secretary David Steele. The meeting started with orientation for new board members and a meeting of the Executive Committee. The full board sessions–which began Friday afternoon, continued through the day Saturday, and concluded Sunday morning–included three closed sessions.
Actions were taken on a proposal for a new Global Mission Development Fund, a proposal for revision of the Health Education and Research Fund, the naming of new board leadership, and Germantown Trust appointments. Also on the agenda, among other items, were a year-to-date financial update for 2024, a board growth session focused on the Strategic Plan’s goal of “Seeking God’s Racial Justice,” an envisioning time to discuss “The Church of Tomorrow,” and reports.
A special reception and recognition was held for Nancy Miner, who is retiring as manager of the General Secretary’s Office to take up a position as co-executive minister for Western Plains District. On Sunday morning, board member Karen Shively Neff spoke on the passage from Micah 6:1-8 for the board’s worship service. As always, the board meeting was marked by prayer, scripture, devotions, and the singing of hymns.
Global Mission Development Fund
An action of the board created a new Global Mission Development Fund intended “to provide an efficient way to raise funds in support of Global Mission partners, mission points, and global Church of the Brethren denominations program priorities,” as described in background documentation.
This new fund mirrors the design of other Church of the Brethren funds, such as the Emergency Disaster Fund and the Global Food Initiative Fund. Donations will be received as designated to the fund, with the understanding that the money will be used in ways that align with the Mission and Ministry Board’s goals for the global ministries of the denomination. Donors may indicate a preference of which countries, partners, or Global Church of the Brethren Communion denominations they wish to support, and staff will work to honor those preferences. However, this fund will also support Global Mission partners and projects in other countries in order to help balance out support across the Global Church of the Brethren Communion.
Donations to this fund, as to the other such funds, are subject to the 9 percent ministry enablement contribution. These funds are directed into the Core Ministries budget and support the whole of the Church of the Brethren denominational ministries, including costs associated with carrying out the intended purpose of the gift.
Requests for grants from the fund will be received with an effort to create some equity between different countries’ programs and partners. Global Mission staff will work with each country-level partner to identify top priorities to promote.
More information about how to give to this new fund will be forthcoming.
Health Education and Research Fund
The board approved staff-proposed revisions to the Health Education and Research Endowment Fund, which dates back to the Education and Research Fund of the late 1950s. Most recently, the fund has annually given scholarships to Church of the Brethren students in nursing programs and also has supported the Fellowship of Brethren Homes.
Changes were made to align the fund with organizational practices, expand the reach of the scholarships and grants, remove outdated language regarding loans, and formalize the policy. Staff reported that in recent years the fund has grown considerably, making more money available to expand grants to more students in nursing education and those in graduate education in other health-related fields, and to the Fellowship of Brethren Homes for continuing education of their nursing staff.
A new committee will be created to serve as the Health and Research Fund Scholarship Committee. That group will be asked to propose funding parameters or the scholarships guidelines for review and approval by the board.
In other business
–Josiah Ludwick was named chair-elect as of July 2025 when the Mission and Ministry Board reorganizes during its summer meeting in conjunction with Annual Conference. Ludwick is a pastor at Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren, and has worked in Rwanda with the Church of the Brethren Global Mission.
Chair-elect Kathy Mack will begin her term as chair at the conclusion of Annual Conference 2025 when current chair, Colin Scott, completes his term on the board.
–Daniel Butler of Ivester Church of the Brethren in Northern Plains District, who is filling an unexpired term on the board, was named to a full term as an at-large member beginning next July pending affirmation by Annual Conference.
–The Executive Committee is taking up consideration of recommendations from the team working on the Strategic Plan “foreground vision” for “Seeking God’s Racial Justice” and will work with the team to bring recommendations to the board’s March 2025 meeting.
–The board scheduled a Zoom meeting on the evening of Dec. 5, at which time it will address the budget for 2025. The link for the meeting will be made available to the public.
–Ben Barlow and Thomas R. Lauer were named to terms on the Germantown Trust representing the Church of the Brethren, at the recommendation of the Brethren Historical Committee. Barlow, a member of Montezuma Church of the Brethren and an attorney in Annapolis, Md., will be serving his second term on the trust. Lauer, a member of a plural ministry team at New Fairview church in Southern Pennsylvania District, will be serving his fourth term on the trust. The Germantown Trust is a body of representatives of Brethren groups that helps care for historic property and buildings in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pa.
Find the full agenda and background documents at www.brethren.org/mmb/meeting-info.
Find a link to the photo album of the meeting at www.brethren.org/photos.
#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving
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Find more Church of the Brethren news:
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- ICM Café Cohort opportunity is announced by Intercultural Ministry
- Emergency Disaster Fund extends aid to organizations working in response to the Israel-Hamas war, in addition to other grants
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- L.E.A.D. Conference gathers in Ephrata to learn to ‘Listen, Equip, Adapt, Disciple’