June 1, 2012 (Elgin, Ill.) — Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger today made an announcement concerning the BMC Kaleidoscope Coordinator as a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) project. The decision was shared in a letter addressed to Carol Wise, executive of BMC–the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests.
Tag: General Secretary
Disciples and Brethren Leaders Explore Partnerships in Mission
Leaders of the Church of the Brethren and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are meeting together to learn about each other’s traditions, find commonalities of theology and practice, and look for possibilities opportunities for collaborative work and mission in the future.
Board Adopts 2012 Budget, Discusses Financial Policies for Self-Funding Ministries
A 2012 budget for the denominational ministries was the top business item at the spring meeting of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board. Chair Ben Barlow led the March 9-12 meeting, at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Also on the agenda were an allocation from the Global Food Crisis Fund, the Ministerial Leadership paper, an appointment to the Brethren Historical Committee, and a number of items presented for conversation including financial policies related to self-funding ministries, the proposed denominational Vision Statement, an emerging effort of Congregational Life Ministries called “Vital Ministry Journey,” and the Ecumenical Call to Just Peace.
Release from the Mission and Ministry Board: Executive Session Report
A release provided by the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, reporting on an executive (closed) session held during the board’s Spring meeting.
New Phone System Is Installed at Church of the Brethren Offices
A new telephone system has been installed for the Church of the Brethren at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The new VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) system is expected to save the church thousands of dollars and is a significant upgrade of telephone service. Installation took place March 12.
Dominican Brethren Hold Annual Assembly
Iglesia de los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren) in the Dominican Republic held its 2012 Asamblea on Feb. 24-26. The annual assembly was “really positive,” said general secretary Stan Noffsinger, who attended along with Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer and mission liaison Daniel d’Oleo. Also at the assembly were workcampers from Atlantic Northeast District led by Earl K. Ziegler, a long-time supporter of the DR church.
Church Representative Attends World Interfaith Harmony Week at UN
Church of the Brethren representative to the United Nations, Doris Abdullah, recently attended the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Following is her report from the event:
Leadership Summit Is Planned for Late March
At the invitation of the General Secretary, 25 to 30 Church of the Brethren members will convene on March 28-30 for a leadership summit in northern Virginia. Participants hold both formal and informal leadership positions within the Church of the Brethren. The purpose of the summit is to prayerfully examine the dynamics of leadership needed in the church today.
Reflections on Cuba, December 2011
Becky Ball-Miller, a member of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board and CEO of Troyer Foods, Inc., an employee-owned company in Goshen, Ind., wrote the following reflection after she returned from an ecumenical delegation to Cuba.
Mission and Ministry Board Member Is Part of Ecumenical Visit to Cuba
A meeting of US church leaders with leaders of the Council of Churches of Cuba concluded in Havana on Dec. 2 with a joint declaration celebrating signs of greater unity between US and Cuban churches. Sixteen representatives of National Council of Churches (NCC) member communions including the Church of the Brethren were in Cuba from Nov. 28-Dec. 2 meeting with Cuban church and political leaders, including President Raúl Castro. Mission and Ministry Board member Becky Ball-Miller was the Brethren member on the delegation.