Attending the Global Church of the Brethren Communion gathering on Spain’s northern coast in April was one of the greatest joys thus far in my role as executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren. After many meetings on Zoom with the delegates and alternates, it was a joyous occasion to see all of our plans coming together—and for some of us, to meet in person for the first time.
Church of the Brethren Global Mission executive Sharon Brugger Norton visited the Church of the Brethren in Burundi in late March and early April. The Church of the Brethren in Burundi is the newest member of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion.
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion met on June 6 via Zoom with delegates from member denominations attending. Among top agenda items the group elected two new officers of the board of the communion: Santos Terrero of Spain as president, and Sharon Brugger Norton of the United States as treasurer.
What a joyous occasion following Easter for our Global Church of the Brethren Communion to gather online for the first meeting of 2025. All 12 countries in the communion were represented.
The Global Church of the Brethren Communion held meetings by Zoom in late November and early December last year. “Significant things happened,” reported Eric Miller, executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren.
For the first time since 2019, leaders of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion met in person, hosted by the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic (DR). Leaders representing Brazil, the DR, Haiti, Honduras, India, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Spain, and the United States met for five days, including days of meetings and visits to agricultural projects.
Global Mission co-executives Eric Miller and Ruoxia Li have announced the grants their office distributed to international partners last year, in 2021. Close to $700,000 was distributed, made possible through donations to the mission work of the Church of the Brethren denomination. Norm and Carol Spicher Waggy, who previously served as interim directors of Global Mission, contributed to the work of identifying grant recipients.
Outcomes of an international survey asking what characteristics are essential for a church to be Church of the Brethren have been released. A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion developed the survey. The committee had asked all interested Church of the Brethren members around the world to respond, and provided the survey in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.
A committee of the Global Church of the Brethren Communion has developed a survey of essential characteristics for a church to be considered Church of the Brethren. The committee is asking all interested Church of the Brethren members to respond. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, and Portuguese.