The 2024 Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference authorized and approved a \u201cLetter of Lament and Blessing to the Puerto Rico Brethren\u201d on July 2, 2024, during the group\u2019s pre-Conference meeting. Below are the English and Spanish versions of this letter. The Spanish translation was mailed to the leadership of the former Church of the Brethren in Puerto Rico on July 30, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At our 2024 meeting, the Standing Committee of Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren spent time lamenting the brokenness of our relationship with the Puerto Rico District, and the loss we feel at your leaving our denomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Church of the Brethren has a rich history in Puerto Rico. We remember the beginnings of our relationship when alternative service workers arrived in Casta\u00f1er, built a hospital, and started a Church of the Brethren congregation. We remember when members of the congregations in Puerto Rico became the first Spanish-speaking Brethren to send delegates to Annual Conference. We remember times when we didn\u2019t all speak the same language, but knew how to speak in hugs. We remember leaders like Juan Figueroa, Jaime D\u00edaz, Jos\u00e9 Calleja Otero, and many others who enriched our life as a denomination. We value the richness and depth that Puerto Rico brought to the Church of the Brethren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We lament the loss of relationship and friendship with brothers and sisters whom we love, and feel the empty space where a part of our Body is now missing. We lament the lost opportunities to share in both the sorrows and joys of your congregations. We lament our role in the brokenness between us. And we lament the breakdown in communication and trust that led to your decision to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also respect your decision. As you move into the next stage of your life and ministry, our thoughts and prayers go with you. We will continue holding you close to our hearts as brothers and sisters in the work of Christ\u2019s Kingdom. May you experience the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit as you remain steadfast in bringing the love and light of Jesus to those around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May God bless you richly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Christ\u2019s Love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2024 Standing Committee of Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dawn Baldwin
Shawn Carothers
Carolyn Dean
Mary Eller
Aaron Gross
Myron Jackson
Becky Maurer
Jan Orndorff
John Shelly
Craig Stutzman
Rebecca Zeek
Dava C. Hensley<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Marty Barlow
Gary Copenhaver
Tim Hollenberg Duffey
Dean Feisenhiser
Harriet Hamer
Daniel Ludwick
Tim McElwee
Suzanne I. Rhoades
Tim Sizemore
Katie Shaw Thompson
David K. Shumate
Rhonda Pittman Gingrich<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Ron Beachley
Richard Davis
Debbie Eisenbise
Alta Gahm
Cathy S. Huffman
Karl Magenhofer
Daniel M. Murrell, II
Vickie Samland
Bob Stein
Misty Wintsch
Madalyn A. Metzger<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Queridos\/as Hermanos y Hermanas en Cristo,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En nuestro encuentro en 2024, el Comit\u00e9 permanente de la Conferencia anual de la Iglesia de los Hermanos, reflexion\u00f3 con dolor durante un tiempo sobre nuestra relaci\u00f3n quebrantada con el Distrito de Puerto Rico, y la p\u00e9rdida que sentimos por su retiro de nuestra denominaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
La Iglesia de los Hermanos posee una nutrida historia en Puerto Rico. Recordamos que nuestra relaci\u00f3n se inici\u00f3 cuando trabajadores de servicio alternativo llegaron a Casta\u00f1er, construyeron un hospital y comenzaron una congregac\u00ed\u00f3n de la Iglesia de los Hermanos. Recordamos cuando los\/as miembros de las congregaciones en Puerto Rico se convirtieron en los primeros Hermanos de habla hispana en enviar delegados a la Conferencia anual. Recordamos los tiempos en que no habl\u00e1bamos todos\/as la misma lengua, pero conoc\u00edamos el idioma de los abrazos. Recordamos a l\u00edderes como Juan Figueroa, Jaime D\u00edaz, Jos\u00e9 Calleja Otero, y muchos m\u00e1s que enriquecieron nuestra vida como denominaci\u00f3n. Valoramos la riqueza y profundidad que Puerto Rico acerc\u00f3 a la Iglesia de los Hermanos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lamentamos la p\u00e9rdida de la relaci\u00f3n y amistad con hermanos y hermanas que amamos, y sentimos el espacio vac\u00edo donde ahora falta una parte de nuestro Cuerpo. Lamentamos la p\u00e9rdida de oportunidades de compartir tanto las penas como las alegr\u00edas de sus congregaciones. Lamentamos nuestro rol en el quebrantamiento entre nosotros\/as. Adem\u00e1s, lamentamos que se haya roto la comunicaci\u00f3n y la confianza, situaci\u00f3n que condujo a su decisi\u00f3n de retirarse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tambi\u00e9n, respetamos su decisi\u00f3n. Al avanzar a la pr\u00f3xima etapa de su vida y ministerio, nuestros pensamientos y oraciones los y las acompa\u00f1ar\u00e1n. Continuamos sinti\u00e9ndolos\/as cerca de nuestro coraz\u00f3n como hermanos y hermanas en la obra del Reino de Cristo. Oramos para que puedan experimentar la presencia y gu\u00eda del Esp\u00edritu Santo al permanecer firmes en traer la luz y el amor de Jes\u00fas a las personas a su alrededor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Que Dios los\/as bendiga con abundancia,
En el Amor de Cristo,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
El Comit\u00e9 permanente 2024 de la Conferencia anual de la Iglesia de los Hermanos<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dawn Baldwin
Shawn Carothers
Carolyn Dean
Mary Eller
Aaron Gross
Myron Jackson
Becky Maurer
Jan Orndorff
John Shelly
Craig Stutzman
Rebecca Zeek
Dava C. Hensley<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Marty Barlow
Gary Copenhaver
Tim Hollenberg Duffey
Dean Feisenhiser
Harriet Hamer
Daniel Ludwick
Tim McElwee
Suzanne I. Rhoades
Tim Sizemore
Katie Shaw Thompson
David K. Shumate
Rhonda Pittman Gingrich<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Ron Beachley
Richard Davis
Debbie Eisenbise
Alta Gahm
Cathy S. Huffman
Karl Magenhofer
Daniel M. Murrell, II
Vickie Samland
Bob Stein
Misty Wintsch
Madalyn A. Metzger<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n
The 2024 Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference authorized and approved a \u201cLetter of Lament and Blessing to the Puerto Rico Brethren\u201d on July 2, 2024, during the group\u2019s pre-Conference meeting. Below are the English and Spanish versions of this letter. The Spanish translation was mailed to the leadership of the former Church of the Brethren in Puerto Rico on July 30, 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1703],"tags":[1258,2886,1511,3099,14,1026],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-24334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-of-the-brethren-newsline","tag-annual-conference","tag-annual-conference-2024","tag-districts","tag-letter-of-lament-and-blessing","tag-puerto-rico","tag-standing-committee"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24335,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334\/revisions\/24335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24334"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=24334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}