{"id":27381,"date":"2026-06-29T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=27381"},"modified":"2026-06-30T04:41:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T04:41:27","slug":"international-guests-attend-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/international-guests-attend-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"International guests attend Annual Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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International guests received a warm welcome from the 2026 Annual Conference. On Monday morning, June 29, during the opening business session Global Mission executive Sharon Brugger Norton introduced the guests from the stage. She noted that this might have been the first time that Annual Conference has welcomed international guests from Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Moreno, president of ASIGLEH (Church of the Brethren in Venezuela), had been planning to attend but could not because of the massive earthquakes that hit his country. The congregations of ASIGLEH were not directly affected but the church leadership has begun work to offer disaster assistance in affected areas. Brethren Disaster Ministries directed a grant of $5,000 from the Church of the Brethren\u2019s Emergency Disaster Fund to help ASIGLEH begin the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norton shared that several international guests who had wanted to attend could not be present because of inability to get visas to enter the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following international guests were welcomed by the delegate body:<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The international guests were introduced by Sharon Brugger Norton, executive director of Global Mission. Photo by Glenn Riegel<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

From Ekklesiyar Yan\u2019uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria):<\/strong>
EYN president Daniel Mbaya
EYN liaison officer Markus Gamache
Former EYN director of disaster ministries Yuguda Mdurvwa
EYN BEST group members Elisha and Ruth Shava<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From la Iglesia de los Hermanos en la Republica Dominicana (Dominican Republic):<\/strong>
Moderator of the Asamblea, Santa Elena Rosario
Education coordinator Ariel Rosario<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From South Sudan:<\/strong>
Church of the Brethren country director Athanasus Ungang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Vietnam, social workers with the Retinopathy of Prematurity Project:<\/strong>
Doan Ngoc Doan Thanh
Tran Ngoc Uyen Nhi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norton invited Conferencegoers to help welcome other international participants who may be here at Annual Conference but were not formally introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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