The Ventures in Christian Discipleship program at McPherson (Kan.) College has announces its next courses for this fall. In October, “Immigrant Solidarity in Jesus’ Name” will be presented by leaders in the Church of the Brethren’s Deportation Defense Response team. In November, “Making Sense of God’s Violent Behavior in the Old Testament” will be presented by Eric Seibert, pastor at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
The delegate body received the final report of the Standing with People of Color Coordinating Committee, following a study/action process begun by the 2022 Annual Conference.
All three of the Annual Conference agencies–Eder Financial, Bethany Theological Seminary, and On Earth Peace–have been going through a process of negotiating covenants with Standing Committee. The process culminates with the formal renewing of agency status with the denomination.
The Church of the Brethren Gun Violence Prevention Action Team would love to see you at Annual Conference this year! Wear orange and join us.
This year’s Song and Sory Fest, titled “Blue Ridge: Singin’ the Blues, Searchin’ the Stars!” takes place July 6-12 at Camp Brethren Woods in Keezletown, Va. This annual family camp featuring Church of the Brethren musicians and storytellers and friends is co-sponsored by On Earth Peace.
On Earth Peace is congratulating Darlene Johnson on her retirement after nearly 25 years with the agency. She has served as co-executive director and administration director. The agency also is welcoming Andrew Duffy as interim transition director.
This year has brought significant transitions. After 25 years of dedicated service, our beloved director of administration, Darlene Johnson, has retired. We are deeply grateful for her long-standing commitment and the stability she provided, and we wish her a happy retirement filled with family, friends, and plenty of gardening!
The business items to be addressed by the delegate body at the 2025 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference have been announced. There are three items of unfinished business and six items of new business on the agenda, including recommendations for renewal of the agency status of Bethany Theological Seminary, Eder Financial, and On Earth Peace, and two new queries–along with numerous reports and the annual ballot.
The On Earth Peace board of directors held its fall 2024 meeting on Oct. 26, marking just over six months since the implementation of our new board meeting structure. Over the past year, we have welcomed several new members to the board, and as a result, we dedicated intentional time to getting to know each other better.
The Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference met via Zoom on the evening of Sept. 30 to consider and act on covenants with the three agencies of Annual Conference—Bethany Theological Seminary, Eder Financial, and On Earth Peace. Also acted on was a recommendation to Annual Conference to renew their agency status.