By Sharon Brugger Norton
What a joyous occasion following Easter for our Global Church of the Brethren Communion to gather online for the first meeting of 2025. All 12 countries in the communion were represented. The Church of the Brethren in the United States is a member of the communion along with the Church of the Brethren denominations in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Honduras, India, Nigeria, Rwanda, Spain, Uganda, and Venezuela.
After welcoming everyone to the meeting and a prayer led by Marcos Inhauser of Brazil, Darryl Sankey of India led the meeting. New delegates and alternates from Nigeria and the United States were introduced and welcomed through affirmation of the other delegates.
As the new Global Mission executive director, I shared a few words of greeting and spoke about my intention to help build stronger relationships among the member churches during my tenure.
The rest of the meeting was spent clarifying how delegates and alternates function in terms of voting rules and how they are appointed to represent their national churches at meetings of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion. It was affirmed that, according to the bylaws, national churches have the sole authority to appoint their delegates and alternates. The next point of discussion clarified that the delegates vote to choose the officers who serve on the executive board of the communion. No such board positions are inherited when national delegates who held these positions change; rather, new elections will be called.
A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for May 13 to continue discussions about including new Church of the Brethren denominations desiring to join the communion, and other agenda as it arises.
— Sharon Brugger Norton is executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren. Find out more about Global Mission and the Global Church of the Brethren Communion at www.brethren.org/global
#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving
———-
Find more Church of the Brethren news:
- Mission and Ministry Board considers priorities for next general secretary, approves 2027 budget
- La Junta de Misiones y Ministerios considera las prioridades para el próximo secretario general y aprueba el presupuesto de 2027.
- Konsèy Misyon ak Ministè a ap egzamine priyorite pou pwochen sekretè jeneral la, epi apwouve bidjè 2027 la.
- Catholic Medical Mission Board and Church of the Brethren to mark partnership with ribbon-cutting
- La Junta de Misiones Médicas Católicas y la Iglesia de los Hermanos celebrarán su alianza con una ceremonia de inauguración.