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.
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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).
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.
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.
Mission and Ministry Board Meets in Pennsylvania, Discusses Mission and Church Vitality Among Other Business
The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board met at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren over the weekend of March 13-16. Meetings were led by board chair Becky Ball-Miller, who is completing her term of service on the board by mid-2015.
‘Resolution on Christian Minority Communities’ Adopted by Board, Recommended to Annual Conference
The denomination’s Mission and Ministry Board has approved a “Resolution on Christian Minority Communities” and recommended it to the 2015 Annual Conference for adoption.
Church of the Brethren Dividend from Brethren Mutual and Brotherhood Mutual Is Largest Ever
The Church of the Brethren denomination has received an insurance dividend of $182,263 from Brethren Mutual Aid and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, through the company’s Partnership Group Program. Brethren Mutual Aid is the sponsoring agency for the program, which rewards the annual claims experience of the congregations, camps, and districts that make up the group along with the denominational organization.
Church of the Brethren General Secretary to Conclude Service as Contract Ends July 1, 2016
At the Oct. 2014 meeting of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, discussions began around the General Secretary’s approaching contract end date of July 1, 2016. After a several-months-long process of discovery, discussion, and deliberation, general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger and the Mission and Ministry Board members mutually decided at a meeting held March 13-16 at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, that Noffsinger’s service will not extend beyond the end of his current contract.
Mission and Ministry Board Approves up to $1.5 Million for Expanded Crisis Response in Nigeria, Authorizes Marketing of Brethren Service Center Property
At its fall meeting the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board took a number of significant actions, including approval of up to $1.5 million in funding for a greatly expanded response to the crisis in Nigeria; authorizing marketing of the Brethren Service Center property in New Windsor, Md.; and approval of a budget for denominational ministries in 2015. Chair Becky Ball-Miller led the meeting on Oct. 17-20 at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.