{"id":21163,"date":"2023-02-17T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=21163"},"modified":"2023-02-17T21:05:59","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T21:05:59","slug":"preachers-for-2023-annual-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2023\/preachers-for-2023-annual-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Preachers are announced for the 2023 Annual Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Rhonda Pittman Gingrich<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee is announcing the preachers for worship at the Church of the Brethren\u2019s annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 4-8, 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moderator Tim McElwee has chosen the theme \u201cLiving God\u2019s Love,\u201d grounded in Ephesians 5:1-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the moderator\u2019s theme statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the fifth chapter of the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes: \u2018Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love\u2019 (NRSV). The Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, shared a similar observation when he wrote: \u2018To say I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love.\u2019 Love is the reason for our existence. We are called to live in lov<\/em>e.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Please pray\u2026 <\/strong>For the preachers who will be bringing messages in worship at this year\u2019s Annual Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis invitation is grounded in the words of Jesus who taught us by saying, \u2018By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another\u2019 (John 13:35, NRSV). Jesus\u2019s command to love one another is an ethical imperative. And through the word of God, we also receive God\u2019s indicative proclamation: You are a beloved child of God. When we combine this grace-filled affirmation with the moral obligation inherent in Jesus\u2019s love command, our calling can be summarized with this declaration: As beloved children of God, we are to love as God loves. God affirms and comforts us through the indicative statement and confronts and challenges us through the imperative.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we prepare to explore this theme through worship, the Program and Arrangements Committee is excited to announce the line-up of preachers for Cincinnati:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Tuesday evening, July 4: <\/em>Annual Conference moderator Tim McElwee<\/strong> will preach on the theme \u201cLiving God\u2019s Love,\u201d drawing on John 13:34-35, Ephesians 5:1-2, and 1 John 4:7-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Wednesday evening, July 5: <\/em>Sheila Wise Rowe,<\/strong> a Christian counselor, spiritual director, educator, writer, and keynote speaker for this year\u2019s pre-Conference Brethren Ministers\u2019 Association event, will preach on the theme \u201cBearing the Fruit of God\u2019s Love,\u201d drawing on Mark 12:28-34 and John 15:1-17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Thursday evening, July 6: <\/em>Deanna Brown,<\/strong> founder and facilitator of Cultural Connections and a member of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., will preach on the theme \u201cResponding in Love to the Needs of Others,\u201d drawing on Luke 10:25-37 and 1 John 3:16-24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Friday evening, July 7: <\/em>Jody Romero, <\/strong>pastor of Restoration Los Angeles (Calif.) Church of the Brethren and lead chaplain for the Los Angeles Christian Health Center, will preach on the theme \u201cSeeing and Loving Like God,\u201d drawing on Luke 7:36-50 and 1 Corinthians 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Saturday morning, July 8: <\/em>Audri Svay,<\/strong> an English professor, pre-school teacher, and pastor of Eel River Community Church of the Brethren in Silver Lake, Ind., will preach on the theme \u201cLoving the Least in the Family of God,\u201d drawing on Matthew 25:31-46 and John 21:15-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worship services are being planned by Don Mitchell, Laura Stone, and David R. Miller. Beth Jarrett, the third year Program and Arrangements Committee member, is chairing the worship team. Kyle Remnant will serve as music coordinator, Becca Miller as pianist, Marty Keeney as choir director, and Pam Hoppe as children\u2019s choir director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the 2023 Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org\/ac<\/a>. Online registration will open at this site at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) on March 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Rhonda Pittman Gingrich is director of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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