As we look ahead to Annual Conference on July 10-14, 2022, in Omaha, Neb., one of our top priorities is caring for the health and wellbeing of all Conferencegoers. In the highly politicized context of the ongoing pandemic, this has proven to be a challenging task. The Program and Arrangements Committee developed the following plan in consultation with epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Jacobsen and physician and former Program and Arrangements Committee member Dr. Emily Shonk Edwards.
The Program and Arrangements Committee of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference is shifting away from a long-standing practice of offering “insight sessions” at the denomination’s annual meeting, focusing instead on “equipping sessions.”
The deadline for nominations for the Annual Conference ballot has been extended until Jan. 1, 2022. The Church of the Brethren denomination and its agencies depend on leaders elected at Annual Conference from nominees proposed by the wider church. We need you!
David Sollenberger, moderator for the 2022 Annual Conference, has chosen the theme “Embracing One Another as Christ Embraces Us.” As we prepare to explore this theme through worship, the Program and Arrangements Committee is excited to announce the line-up of preachers for the Conference to be held in Omaha, Neb., on July 10-14, 2022.
The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference office is co-sponsoring an online workshop with Womaen’s Caucus titled “From Nomination to Election,” on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. (Eastern time).
he Church of the Brethren stands by our conviction that “all war is sin” and “we may not participate or benefit from war” (1970 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference statement on war, www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1970-war) but we must ask how we have been complicit in the war in Afghanistan and how we are called to turn now to repentance and right living.
In this issue: The logo for the 2022 Annual Conference is released, prayer requests from Global Mission, job opening, Calling the Called, ‘The Truth About Military Recruiting,’ Atlantic Southeast’s annual Family Peace Camp, McPherson experiences record enrollment, among other news by, for, and about Brethren.
The Annual Conference office is co-sponsoring two online workshops offered by Womaen’s Caucus on the theme “Equipping for Leadership.” All are invited to join! The first webinar titled “Leadership in the Church of the Brethren” will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out in August.
A new video that promotes nominations for Church of the Brethren leadership and helps explain the nomination and election process at Annual Conference is now available at www.brethren.org/ac/nominations. Also on this web page are a list of currently open positions and nomination forms.
In this issue: Annual Conference reporting resources for use by delegates and churches, personnel notes and job openings, new dates for the fall orientation of Brethren Volunteer Service, extended deadline to apply for a Healing Racism Mini-grant, and more.
