Several unusual attempts to open the Standing Committee agenda to new business led to lengthy discussions of a situation in Michigan District and led to action to begin to address “gaps” in the Standing Committee appeals processes.
An overview of the first day of the 2018 Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele is recommending to the Church of the Brethren a blogpost from Office of Peacebuilding and Policy associate Victoria Bateman. The post, dated Friday, June 15, reaffirms the longstanding stance of the Church of the Brethren on immigration, outlined in 1982 Annual Conference statement on “Undocumented Persons and Refugees in the United States” ( www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1982refugees.html), and the biblical basis for extending welcome to refugees and immigrants.
NEWS
1) Welcoming the stranger: A call for just immigration reform
2) Brethren are warned of email scam
The Leadership Team of the Church of the Brethren will be seeking Standing Committee affirmation to withdraw the new business item titled “Change in Delegate Representation at Annual Conference” due to an oversight in process.
Church of the Brethren Newsline May 25, 2018 Delegates to this year’s Annual Conference will address 11 new and unfinished items of business. New business includes “Change in Delegate Representation at Annual Conference,” “Vision for a Global Church of the Brethren,” “Brethren Values Investing,” “Polity for Electing Brethren Benefit Trust Board Directors,” “Polity for Electing the District
Annual Conference 2018 takes place at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 4-8. The theme is “Living Parables” (Matthew 9:35-38). Online registration is open through June 11 at www.brethren.org/ac . After that date, registration will take place onsite in Cincinnati, at an increased cost.
The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference planned for summer 2019 has been forced to change locations, according to director Chris Douglas. Unexpected delays with major renovations at the Town and Country resort in San Diego, Calif., where the Conference was to have been held, have forced this change. “Town and Country cancelled our contract,” she reported.
This group brought a diversity of gifts and perspectives as it worked to lay out a general roadmap for the development of a compelling vision for the Church of the Brethren. This first meeting was led by Keister, who guided the team through its first stages of planning and the calling of the chair. Pittman Gingrich was called to be chair, and will work in partnership with the Annual Conference moderator to lead the work of the team going forward.
The nine people who will make up the Compelling Vision Process Team have been named. The team’s first meeting will be April 17-19 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.