{"id":25600,"date":"2025-07-08T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=25600"},"modified":"2025-07-09T00:20:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T00:20:27","slug":"global-mission-dinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/global-mission-dinner\/","title":{"rendered":"New executive director speaks at Global Mission Dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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International guests at the Global Mission Dinner, with Sharon Brugger Norton, executive director of Global Mission at the podium. Speaking in the microphone is Daniel Mbaya, president of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Photo by Donna Parcell<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Frank Ramirez<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were many languages spoken around the tables at the Global Mission Dinner held during Annual Conference, as international guests from several countries joined Sharon Brugger Norton, the new executive director of Global Mission for the Church of the Brethren, under the umbrella of Rev. 21:1-5, \u201cThe leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norton recounted how many times various kinds of trees appear in the Bible. She focused on the tree in Revelation 21. \u201cGod has always chosen to partner with us. God does not choose to work alone,\u201d she said, pointing out that trees are not made of a solitary leaf but of many leaves. \u201cWe need each other. We need our global Brethren as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing photos from recent trips to Africa, she shared stores of resettlement and hope. In addition, she spoke about the stories she heard about the Dominican Republic\u2019s aquaculture, planting trees in Honduras, the Haiti Medical Project, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do we do this?\u201d she asked. \u201cBecause Jesus modeled the Gospel of Peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That tree in Revelation promises clean water, fruit in all seasons, healing, and light from the presence of God. \u201cAll our needs are met in Jesus,\u201d the Lamb of God, the one who is worthy. But it is the very weakness of Jesus that makes our salvation and our redemption possible, she said. Contrasting what we find in scripture with the Jesus of Christian Nationalism, she reminded her listeners, \u201cJesus always chose the nonviolent way. The witness in the EYN has taught us this as well. I feel like it is time for a wake-up call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to stay close with our global brothers and sisters so we together can be the leaves of healing for the nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nigerian contingent at the Global Mission Dinner cut a special cake with their hosts from the denominational staff of the US Church of the Brethren. Photo by Donna Parcell<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Also speaking were Daniel Mbaya, president of Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and Etienne Nsanzimana, founding pastor and current president of the Rwanda Church of the Brethren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love the Brethren church because of two things. What do you say? Love and peace,\u201d said Nsanzimana, who told the story about his excitement on learning about the Church of the Brethren from a missionary to Nigeria. Learning that the church taught love and peace. he continued, \u201cPeace and love is what I try to do in our Rwandan churches, and I have taught it to the people. Really, we can [teach] the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nsanzimana spoke about the difficult time \u201cwhen the genocide came to Rwanda\u201d and how he left with his family for Kenya. He clung to those verses from Revelation for the healing of the nation. At one point, he had to travel to the Congo to find an older daughter, with whom he returned to Kenya. Afterward, \u201cI went to a very good church, the Church of the Brethren. May God bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn behalf of all of us at [EYN] headquarters I give you greetings,\u201d said Mbaya. \u201cLove and peace in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Without God, the EYN would not be here today,\u201d he said, recounting the persecution from Boko Haram and how the Church of the Brethren in the United States has aided the recovery of EYN to the point where it is helping resettle people from other nations into places of safe sanctuary in Nigeria. \u201cDespite the deaths of so many women, children, and men,\u201d he said, \u201cyour prayers and support have helped the church to grow in the midst of persecution.\u201d EYN \u201cshows the love of Christ, other churches want to learn from us,\u201d he said. Despite the crushing inflation Nigerians are enduring, the 102-year-old EYN continues to grow and flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Frank Ramirez is a retired pastor and a volunteer on the Annual Conference Press Team.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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