New resources recently posted by the Ministry Office offer support to congregations and leaders by interpreting the concept of a shared ministry team model. In some congregations lacking a settled pastor, new life and energy have emerged from reclaiming a traditional Brethren team-focused approach to providing pastoral leadership.
“The Rural Church in God’s Country” is the topic for an online book study hosted by the Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program of the Church of the Brethren’s Ministry Office. Pastor Brad Roth, in his book God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church, and Allen Stanton, author of Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations, champion rural ministry and the dedicated leaders who make it possible.
More than 70 clergywomen from 16 church districts attended a denominational retreat traditionally offered every five years by the Ministry Office of the Church of the Brethren.
On Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, Jim Bridgeman was ordained at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. We always celebrate when someone accepts the call of God to serve the church as a minister, and Jim is no exception. That is, for one important detail: Jim is 93 years of age.
Upcoming events from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include the annual Clergy Tax Seminar with leadership from Deb Oskin, scheduled for Feb. 1, 2025, as an online webinar; and the course “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” with leadership from Christy Waltersdorff, scheduled for Jan. 15-March 11, 2025, as an online course via the Moodle virtual classroom.
Registration is now open for the 2025 denominational Clergywomen’s Retreat to be held Feb. 10-13, 2025, in Winter Park, Fla. This event, which takes place every five years, offers an opportunity for all licensed and credentialed clergywomen to gather for refreshment, renewal, and inspiration.
Designed particularly for ministers new to the Church of the Brethren denomination, Bethany Theological Seminary’s certificate of achievement in ministry studies (CAMS) includes six courses that focus on Brethren history and theology, practical experience with the ordinances and preaching of the church, biblical interpretation, and peace studies.
Planning is beginning now for the “every five years” retreat open to all licensed and credentialed clergywomen in the Church of the Brethren. Past retreats have provided beautiful opportunities to connect with sisters in ministry, find rest and renewal, and return home inspired and encouraged. Make plans now to attend!
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.
The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center is offering a robust schedule of continuing education for clergy and interested laity in 2024. Ranging from “Christian ID in the Age of AI,” “Worship Models,” “Grief Literacy,” “Suicide and Your Congregation,” “Luke and Acts,” “Autism and the Church,” to “Why Leadership Matters,” everyone will find a topic of interest.
