The 2024 Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference authorized and approved a “Letter of Lament and Blessing to the Puerto Rico Brethren” on July 2, 2024, during the group’s pre-Conference meeting. Below are the English and Spanish versions of this letter. The Spanish translation was mailed to the leadership of the former Church of the Brethren in Puerto Rico on July 30, 2024.
Annual Conference
A report from the 10th annual conference of l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti
I bring greetings from our brothers and sisters of Church of the Brethren in Haiti (l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti), from the general secretary, the moderator, the National Committee of the church, and from the delegates and nondelegates!
Annual Conference resources are still available
Wish you could have attended more equipping sessions during Annual Conference? Recordings of the hybrid equipping sessions are still available to registered attendees on the Eventsquid platform (links are provided to those who registered for the Conference).
Mission and Ministry Board sets budget parameter for denominational ministries in 2025
The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board set the 2025 budget parameter for the denomination’s Core Ministries during a pre-Annual Conference meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 3.
Wrap Ups, ‘The Table Song,’ final numbers, and other resources from Annual Conference 2024
Following are resources for those wanting to report back from Annual Conference or to review and learn more about the 2024 annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren, which took place in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 3-7.
Annual Conference: It’s how we do church
If I come away with one strong impression of the 2024 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren in Grand Rapids, Mich., it has to be the hubbub, laughter, and general bonhomie (thank you, Duolingo, for the ability to sprinkle gratuitous French words in my writing) of the attendees gathering at the Exhibit Hall following opening worship.
Annual Conference is foundational: Opening comments by 2024 moderator Madalyn Metzger
The following comments were offered by Madalyn Metzger, who served as moderator of the 2024 Annual Conference, when she opened the business sessions on the morning of Thursday, July 4, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Passing on the Gift
“Passing on the gift” has been one of Heifer’s mottos for decades, but that gift has changed with the needs of the world. When Dan West witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of hunger and poverty in Europe, he said, “Not a cup, but a cow.” Now, Heifer is expanding beyond the gift of livestock to ensure the development they foster is sustainable, specific, and equitable.
A conversation with Surita Sandosham, CEO of Heifer International
As the organization approaches the 80th anniversary of its founding, Heifer International’s CEO Surita Sandosham emphasizes the importance of serving the present age in ways that suit the times.
Panelists share their personal stories at Multicultural Gathering and Leaders Luncheon
“What is it like to be Black and Brethren?” Robert Jackson asked the attendees of Saturday’s Multicultural Gathering and Leaders Luncheon, before answering the question himself. “Well, I like to say I was born Black and bred Brethren.” Jackson was part of a panel who shared their experiences as multicultural members of the Church of the Brethren.
