MMB Allocates $1 million to Continue Nigeria Crisis Response, Begins New Effort for Financial Support of Ongoing Ministries

A major action at the Spring meeting of the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren allocated another $1 million of donated funds to continue the Nigeria Crisis Response. The board also engaged in significant conversation about financial shortfalls for ongoing denominational ministries, and how to develop more support and foster relationship-building across the wider church.

Denomination Records Stellar Giving, but Core Ministries Giving Suffers

The Church of the Brethren is recording exceptionally generous giving to its denominational ministries this year, the Mission and Ministry Board learned at its Fall meeting. The financial reporting was given by treasurer Brian Bultman and assistant treasurer Ed Woolf. For a full report from the meeting, and a report of the 2016 budget decision, see the story below.

Strengthening Our Core: A Letter from the Mission and Ministry Board Chair

I used to be a cross country runner (emphasis on “used to be”). Cross country always has been a fairly simple sport with the object to run far and run fast, or at least faster than members of other teams. During my years of running, the training was also simple: we were supposed to log a certain number of miles each week of the summer (emphasis on “supposed to”), adding up to hundreds of miles before the season even began. The way to train for long races, it seemed, was to run even longer in practice.

Resolution Expresses Support for Christian Minority Communities, Among Other Conference Business

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).

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.