A Resolution on Christian Minority Communities brought by the Mission and Ministry Board was adopted by the Annual Conference. In other business, the Conference dealt with a number of business items deferred from the 2014 annual meeting of the Church of the Brethren including changes to bylaws of the Church of the Brethren Inc. and a polity change related to Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT).
General Secretary
Today in Tampa – Tuesday, July 14, 2015
An overview of the day in Tampa at Annual Conference 2015, including a highlight celebration of the work of outgoing general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger.
Mission and Ministry Board Approves Timeline and Search Committee for General Secretary Search
During its Annual Conference meetings in Tampa the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board approved a report from its General Secretary Transition Team, which included naming a seven-member Search Committee and included a proposed timeline for the search.
Nigerian Brethren Send Letter of Condolence to Emanuel AME Church
A letter of condolence has been sent to Emanuel AME Church from leadership of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The letter, sent through the General Secretary’s Office of the Church of the Brethren in the United States, expresses caring on behalf of the entire membership of EYN, following the shooting attack in which nine members including the pastor of Emanuel AME were murdered during a Bible study.
Reception at Annual Conference Will Honor General Secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger
“You are cordially invited to be our special guest to honor and celebrate 12 years of faithful and excellent service of Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren,” states an invitation from the Mission and Ministry Board to a recognition event during Annual Conference in Tampa, Fla., on the morning of July 14.
Church of the Brethren Sends Letter of Condolence to African Methodist Episcopal Church
A letter from the Church of the Brethren, signed by general secretary Stan Noffsinger and Intercultural Ministry director Gimbiya Kettering, has been sent to members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. The letter shares condolence, in response to the shooting there Wednesday, June17, which has been characterized as a hate crime.
Church of the Brethren General Secretary Attends EYN Annual Conference
Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger traveled to Nigeria on May 3-11 to attend the Majalisa of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Noffsinger was billed as the guest speaker for EYN’s 68th annual meeting. Roxane and Carl Hill, co-directors of the Nigeria Crisis Response, accompanied the general secretary to Nigeria and were also given an opportunity to share before this large gathering.
Re: Targeted Lethal Drones Program
Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger and On Earth Peace executive director Bill Scheurer are among a number of American faith leaders to sign a letter to President Obama expressing “grave concerns” about the United States’ lethal drones policy. The letter follows on the recent drone strike killing of US citizen Warren Weinstein. The letter was put together by an interfaith working group on drones that includes staff of the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness.
General Secretary’s Luncheon in 2015 Continues a Focus on Higher Education
A General Secretary’s dinner at last year’s Annual Conference was the first in a series to engage educators in topics of importance to the church and society. The events have the overarching goal to work at the church’s relationship with the Brethren-related institutions of higher education: Bridgewater College in Virginia, Elizabethtown College and Juniata College in Pennsylvania, the University of La Verne in California, McPherson College in Kansas, Manchester University and Bethany Theological Seminary in Indiana.
NCC Annual Gathering Marks New Ecumenical Focus on Interfaith Peacemaking, Mass Incarceration
The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) held its second annual Christian Unity Gathering on May 7-9 near Washington, D.C. The gathering focused on interfaith peacemaking and mass incarceration, and related topics including Christian responses to police brutality. Some 200 people attended, including leaders from a wide spectrum of Christian traditions.