{"id":23240,"date":"2024-01-31T19:06:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T19:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=23240"},"modified":"2024-01-31T19:06:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T19:06:31","slug":"district-executives-winter-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2024\/district-executives-winter-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Council of District Executives holds annual winter meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Walt Wiltschek<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Council of District Executives (CODE) held its annual winter meetings Jan. 20-24 near Melbourne, Fla., with some members also attending the Church of the Brethren Inter-Agency Forum (IAF) meeting that followed. Twenty-two of the denomination’s 24 districts were represented, along with Office of Ministry director Nancy Sollenberger Heishman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Wehrle, program manager for the Office of Ministry’s Thriving in Ministry initiatives, shared about new directions for the Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church program, and circuit rider John Fillmore from Idaho led a continuing education session around the book Quietly Courageous<\/em> by Gil Rendle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shannon Kiser, director of US ministries for church resourcing organization Fresh Expressions, also joined the meetings for a session facilitated by the denomination’s Discipleship and Leadership Formation office. Significant conversation was given to the changing realities of the church and creative possibilities for moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other business included worship and devotional times focused on Colossians 3:12-17, receiving reports, approving appointments to committees, calling members for a new Matthew 18 Team to provide conflict resolution when needed, a review of the upcoming ministerial ethics training process, conversations with agency staff and Annual Conference leadership, a meal and worship with IAF members, and catching up on news from the various districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CODE will hold a virtual meeting in the spring and will next meet in person prior to Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Walt Wiltschek is executive minister for the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Illinois and Wisconsin District.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n