In January, the Annual Conference office sent a letter to the pastor, moderator, or church representative of the Church of the Brethren congregations, giving detailed information about the 2023 Conference.
Representatives from 19 of the Church of the Brethren’s 24 districts gathered for the Council of District Executives (CODE) annual winter meeting in Florida on Jan. 7-11. The district executives were joined by Annual Conference officers and agency representatives for portions of the meeting.
The Breaking Down Barriers Study Committee was asked by the delegates of the 2022 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren to explore how we gather and how we might create greater equity in access, so that we can include as many people as possible in Annual Conference and other church gatherings.
The Church of the Brethren’s Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee held a retreat on Nov. 14 and 15.
Who is already called to the work of racial justice, or is already active in any way? The committee is hoping to start with an accurate picture of what is already happening. It wants to connect with initiatives or individuals at any level in the Church of the Brethren (community, congregation, district, denomination) who are working on racial justice issues in any way (education, activism, healing, spiritual renewal, etc.), whether they are doing their work inside or outside of the church. The committee also is interested in getting to know people who have a passion for this topic but may not yet be publicly active.
The deadline for nominations for the Annual Conference ballot has been extended to Jan. 4, 2023. The Church of the Brethren and its agencies depend on leaders elected at Conference from nominees proposed by the wider church.
A newly-formed Standing with People of Color Committee met via Zoom on Sept. 13 and 21 to begin work delegated by the 2022 Annual Conference.
The Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee for next year’s annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren has announced dates, location, registration fees, hotel sites, and more information for the 2023 Conference.
Beginning on Sept. 26 and concluding on Oct. 22, members of the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee will offer an introductory workshop on five different occasions to introduce the new pastoral compensation tools recently approved by the Annual Conference. The workshop is open to all and will be particularly helpful to church board chairs, pastors, and treasurers.
Please do your part to nominate people for next year’s Annual Conference ballot. You can help shape the future of the Church of the Brethren! As you pray about this, who comes to mind–whom is the Lord prompting you to nominate for leadership in this Body of Christ?
