The office of Donor Relations is delighted to announce a new team name, the office of Mission Advancement. This new name better clarifies the intentional focus to cultivate passion to advance the mission of the Church of the Brethren. The team is working to provide ways for passionate supporters to offer each gift as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (from Philippians 4:18) to sustain and support the ministry of the larger church.
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.
Positive financial results for the Church of Brethren denominational ministries in 2017 include increased nets assets, positive investment returns, increased giving to core ministries, and increased giving to some restricted funds. Concerns include the continued use of designated funds to supplement income and a few self-funding ministries that sustained a net expense.
The Leadership Team of the Church of the Brethren has issued a letter calling for Christ-like discourse at this time in the life of the church. The Leadership Team of the denomination includes the general secretary, the Annual Conference officers, a representative of the Council of District Executives, and the director of the Annual Conference office.
A large Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) allocation for long-term hurricane recovery in Puerto Rico, a statement on gun violence, Wieand Trust grants to Chicago-area projects, and new names for some denominational ministries were on the agenda of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board. The board held spring meetings March 9-12 at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., led by chair Connie Burk Davis and chair-elect Patrick Starkey.
At the spring meeting of the Mission and Ministry Board, Congregational Life Ministries staff announced a new team name and strategy. Now titled Discipleship Ministries, the team envisions a “people of God, new and renewed, that embodies and articulates their faith.” Along with a new name, staff of Discipleship Ministries also outlined new strategic emphases and a staffing plan to carry out the work.
The Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren adopted a statement on gun violence at its spring meetings held at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill., on March 9-12. The statement was initiated by staff of Global Mission and Service, and quotes from the Bible and previous Annual Conference statements in its call to the wider church.
Through recent Annual Conference decisions* the delegate body has called the Leadership Team along with the Council of District Executives to develop a process through which the church will engage in conversations that will lead us to a “compelling vision” for our life together.
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” –Matthew 2:18
Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele and Office of Public Witness director Nathan Hosler have given endorsement to a Christmas letter to Vice President Mike Pence “to protect the humanitarian, diplomatic, and peacebuilding budget in the FY19 budget” of the federal government.