The Breaking Down Barriers Study Committee was asked by the delegates of the 2022 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren to explore how we gather and how we might create greater equity in access, so that we can include as many people as possible in Annual Conference and other church gatherings.
Earlier this year, the Church of the Brethren Yearbook Office conducted a survey asking congregational leaders to weigh in on their worship habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 300 Church of the Brethren congregations participated in the survey, representing more than a third of the close to 900 total number of congregations in the denomination.
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.
COVID-19 affected the ways in which we worship. Many congregations responded by offering ways to gather online, and this shift will change how worship attendance is counted and then reported to the Church of the Brethren Yearbook Office. All Church of the Brethren congregations–whether they offer online worship or not–are encouraged to complete this 5-minute survey.
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.