Beckner and Bollinger head the ballot for the 2025 Annual Conference

The Nominating Committee of the Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference is presenting the following ballot for the 2025 Conference taking place in Greensboro, N.C., on July 2-6.

Complete biographical information for the following nominees is online at www.brethren.org/ac2025/business/ballot and will be printed in the Conference booklet.

Moderator-elect

Dennis Beckner is pastor of Columbia City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren in Northern Indiana District. On the local level, in addition to serving as a pastor, he has been a youth advisor and a Sunday school teacher and has been a church board member and moderator. On the district level, he has been a moderator as well as a delegate to district conference and a workshop leader, and has been part of a Shalom Team. He has served on the Indiana camp board and has worked and volunteered for Camp Alexander Mack. On the denominational level, he has been an advisor and workshop leader at National Youth Conference, a senior high activities coordinator at Annual Conference, a coordinator for the regional Midwest youth conference, a speaker and workshop leader for the Roundtable regional youth conference, and a workcamp director and coordinator. He has served as mentor for three licensed ministers. His intercultural involvements have included international travel to 20 countries. His congregation includes in worship people who were born in Mexico, Nigeria, and Israel, and has hosted a Nigerian student. He holds degrees from Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., where he worked on the staff for a time, and from Bethany Theological Seminary.

Glenn E. Bollinger is pastor of Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in Port Republic, Va., in Shenandoah District. His local leadership has included service as a church moderator as well as pastor. On the district level, he has served as a moderator, as a district board member including service on the executive committee, as a board member for outdoor ministries, on the program and arrangements committee for district conference, and on a district discernment team. He has been an instructor for the Christian Growth Institute. He has directed pastoral placement on the district level and has been an officer for the pastor’s fellowship. On the denominational level he has served on the Standing Committee of district delegates to Annual Conference and on the Nominating Committee, and has been head teller for Annual Conference. He has served on the planning team for National Older Adult Conference (NOAC). His ecumenical involvements have included participating in ecumenical clergy groups. He has served on a local school parent/teacher advisory committee. His intercultural involvements have included international ministry opportunities in Haiti and Ghana, which have supplemented local multicultural experiences.

Program and Arrangements Committee of Annual Conference

Amber T. Harris of Peace Covenant Church of the Brethren in Durham, N.C., and Virlina District

Marty Keeney of Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa., and Middle Pennsylvania District

Mission and Ministry Board, Area 1

Donna Parcell of Indian Creek Church of the Brethren in Harleysville, Pa., and Atlantic Northeast District

Eric Ramirez of Ebenezer Church of the Brethren in Lancaster, Pa., and Atlantic Northeast District

Mission and Ministry Board, Area 4

Sarah Mason of Monitor Church of the Brethren in McPherson, Kan., and Western Plains District

Samuel Gahm of Messiah Church of the Brethren in Raytown, Mo., and Missouri and Arkansas District

Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee

Harry Biddle of Oakton Church of the Brethren in Vienna, Va., and Mid-Atlantic District

John R. Hipps of Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren and Shenandoah District

Review and Evaluation Committee

Five people will be elected to serve on this committee.

Ilexene Alphonse of Miami (Fla.) Haitian Church of the Brethren and Atlantic Southeast District

Lupita Ortiz Cruz of Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren in Bassett, Va., and Virlina District

Chris Douglas of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., and Illinois and Wisconsin District

Anna Lisa Gross of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Northern Indiana District

Gene Hollenberg of Union Center Church of the Brethren in Nappanee, Ind., and Northern Indiana District

Del Keeney of Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and Southern Pennsylvania District

Deb Oskin of Living Peace Church of the Brethren in Powell, Ohio, and Southern Ohio and Kentucky District

Daniel L. Rudy of Monte Vista Church of the Brethren in Callaway, Va., and Virlina District

Carol Scheppard of Lebanon Church of the Brethren in Mt. Sidney, Va., and Shenandoah District

Paul Schrock of Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis, Ind., and South/Central Indiana District

The Conference office notes that two names originally chosen for this ballot have been replaced:

Brenda Westfall, originally chosen for the final ballot for the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee, withdrew shortly after the ballot was printed for insertion in the Source mailing. Harry Biddle was selected to replace her on the ballot.

Condolences in Christ are expressed to the family, friends, and colleagues of David Young, from New Orleans, La., and Southern Plains District, who was originally selected by Standing Committee for the final ballot for the Mission and Ministry Board, Area 4. The Conference office learned of his death just after the ballot had been finalized and before the Source mailing was printed. Samuel Gahm was selected to replace him on the ballot.

For more information about the Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac.

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