Among Church of the Brethren congregations marking milestone anniversaries in recent weeks: Peace Community Church of the Brethren in Windsor, Colo., and Open Circle Church of the Brethren in Burnsville, Minn.
The Brethren Faith in Action Fund (BFIA) has given grants to four Church of the Brethren congregations and to one church-related camp. The fund provides grants using money generated by the sale of the upper campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
The Mutual Aid Agency, which is related to the Church of the Brethren, and its partner agency Brotherhood Mutual are offering a set of resources that are available free to congregations and their leadership. The following may be downloaded from online links: “Child Protection in a Ministry Environment–Guidelines for Ministry Workers,” “Protect Your Ministry’s Directors and Officers,” “Protect Your Roof from Early Failure,” and “Three Payroll Problems to Avoid.”
Today, July 4, the delegate body of the 2024 Annual Conference welcomed a total of seven new projects, fellowships, and congregations into the Church of the Brethren. This number included one congregation, one fellowship, and five new church projects, located in five districts.
The Brethren Faith in Action Fund (BFIA) has aided seven congregations with grants in these first weeks of the year. The fund provides grants using money generated by the sale of the upper campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
As part of their final processing of potential business items for the 2024 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference (www.brethren.org/ac2024), the Annual Conference officers (www.brethren.org/ac2024/leadership) have returned the Illinois/Wisconsin District’s query titled “Regarding Greater Congregational Latitude on Matters of Sexuality” back to the district for further revision and potential resubmission in 2025.
The Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry gathered nine ethics trainers this past week at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., in preparation for leading district events during the coming year and a half. Required ethics training for all ministers will take place across the denomination as ministers renew their credentialed status within their districts.
With deep sadness, the Church of the Brethren Leadership Team acknowledges news received of the withdrawal of all six congregations in the Puerto Rico District from the Church of the Brethren, as of Oct. 26, 2023.
Our next series of seasonal devotionals from Brethren Press are offered for Advent 2023 and Lent 2024. These paperback, pocket-sized books are suitable for individual use and for churches to give to their members: “All Things New” by Kevin Kessler (Advent 2023), “Through Thick and Thin” by Beth Sollenberger (Lent 2024)
The Brethren Faith in Action Fund (BFIA) has aided eight Church of the Brethren congregations with its latest round of grants, including a grant of $5,000 for a Gun Buy Back Program of Spirit of Peace Church in partnership with a local municipal program administered by the state police. The fund provides grants using money generated by the sale of the upper campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
