The 215th Annual Conference (June 30-July 4, 2001) of the Church of the Brethren was held in the Baltimore Convention Center, 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, located about three blocks from the Inner Harbor complex which includes the National Aquarium and the Baltimore Maritime Museum. The City of Baltimore owns the facility and built it in two phases. An opening date of 1979 at a cost of fifty-one million offered over 425,000 total exhibition and meeting room space square feet with a ceiling height of thirty feet. Just in time for the Brethren, a second building phase completed in April 1997 increased the Center's total space to 1,225,000 square feet. Nearby hotels and the Inner Harbor are accessible by elevated open air skywalks. Annual Conference has previously visited the State of Maryland thirteen (13) times: Pipe Creek, (moderator unknown) in 1778, 1783, 1787, 1799, 1804, 1814, 1830, and 1867 H.B. Davy, Moderator; Beaver Dam, 1842 (moderator unknown) and 1853 George Hoke, Moderator; Hagerstown, 1891 Daniel Vaniman, Moderator; Frederick, 1897 L.W. Teeter, Moderator; and Baltimore, 1983 Paul W. Hoffman, Moderator.

HISTORICAL NOTES:

There were historical things that happened at this conference Messenger, the Church of the Brethren flagship publication celebrates its 150th anniversary. During the Tuesday morning business session Henry Kurtz (portrayed by Lee Krahenbuhl) was invited to share his views on the need for a denominational publication during the 1850s. The real Henry Kurtz started the Gospel Visitor in 1851 in a spring house on a small farm in Ohio. It later merged with the Christian Family Companion and renamed The Primitive Christian. In 1876 it absorbed the Pilgrim. J.T. Myers and L.A. Plate started the Brethren's Messenger from Germantown, Pennsylvania and then moved it to Lanark, Illinois, with a new title, Brethren at Work. In 1883, these two papers were merged to form the Gospel Messenger. The word Gospel was dropped with the January, 1965 issue and the frequency of publication changed from weekly to monthly. All these publications were on exhibit under the title, In The Midst of You.

SPECIAL NOTES:

A Tuesday morning Fire Alarm during a business session witnessed the orderly and respectful egress of delegates from the building, which gave an impressive and memorable witness to the Brethren way of doing things. Thankfully the cause was due to an electrical short-curcuit which present no actual danger to anyone. Some delegates expressed their need for a welcome break. Friday evening is the treasured night to hear the Children's Choir.

SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER:

The theme of the Conference was “Revive Us Again” taken from Psalm 85:6. Intending to light the fire of revival, Moderator Phil Carlos Archbold gave a stirring call for the Church of the Brethren to be “Helpers instead of Hinderers.” Moderator Archbold further reminded us that God stirs people to accomplish great tasks for His glory, as when Nehemiah was moved to revive building of the Jerusalem city wall. During the opening part of Saturday's evening worship, a slow procession of worshippers carried District Banners from most of the twenty-three districts. They entered to the music of Shall We Gather at the River,” a traditional hymn written by Robert Lowry in 1864. Its poetic call to final rest with God was stiring.

OFFICERS:

2001 Conference Officers were Moderator Phil Carlos Archbold, pastor of Brooklyn First COB, Brooklyn, New York; Moderator-elect Paul Grout, pastor of Genesis COB, Putney, Vermont; and Secretary Cathy Huffman.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

• Process of Calling Denominational Leadership from AC 1999 to make the ministerial calling process more consistent in all districts, and especially the acceptance and certificating of ministers coming from other denominations. Annual Conference balloting procedures will attempted to create greater balance and fairness in the biographical information. Additonally, fifteen (15) General Board members will be elected by the districts, three (3) will be selected by the General Board with affirmation by Annual Conference, and three (3) will be elected by Annual Conference. Process will be in effect for AC 2003.
• Litigation also from AC 1999 was adopted following considerable discussion. Delegates affirmed the basic intent of the item, there were numerous questions over the clear definition of words and the nuances of language. The central issue is the biblical admonition from 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 where Apostle Paul upbraids spiritually minded people who use legal and secular processes of the world to settle spiritual conflicts. This resulted in several amendments, many of which were accepted. The final draft called for “Brethren in all careers, including legal careers, to examine what it means to be conformed to Christ in our occupations and daily living”.
• Review and Evaluation Committee Report (committee created at AC 1997 to review the continued process of General Board redesign) sought to establish a uniform panel to mitigate administrative and procedural conflicts arising from the General Board Redesign of 1997, and serve to relieve delegate overburden by interpreting polity and resolving misunderstandings between reporting agencies. Acceptance by delegates creates the Annual Conference Council, headed by current officers, the past moderator, another former moderator, and one District Executive. Earl Zeigler and Sandra Bosserman were elected to four year terms.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Ethnic Representation was adopted per Standing Committee recommendation. The Castaner COB of Puerto Rico in Atlantic Southeast District petitioned Annual Conference to essentially make good on its original 1979 Annual Conference Elections paper that sought to encourage more equal representation of men and women in denominational leadership, and the 1991 Brethren Black Americans paper that acknowledged: “the devastating effects of racial discrimination within the church and society, generally we have failed to implement those statements.” Standing Committee also praised the efforts of the General Board's Cross Cultural Ministries Team to address these issues.
• Responding to The Brethren Church, was unanimously adopted per Standing Committee recommendation of a General Board resolution asking the denomination: “to repent of the stubbornness that has caused brokenness between our denomination and The Brethren Church of Ashland, Ohio, since the Split In 1883.”
• Evangelism and Church Planting was adopted. The Virlina District, in view of its AC 2000 query being returned, asked the denomination for: “increased attention to evangelism and church planting in the Church of the Brethren,” and to heighten awareness of our need to fulfil the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This year the Virlina District's concerns were met.

OTHER BUSINESS:

• Report of Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee was accepted that recommended a cost of living adjustment of 3.6%.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Total registered attendance was 5,029.
• Harriet Finney, Co-District Executive Minister of Indiana South-Central District, elected as Moderator-Elect who will serve as Moderator at Boise in 2003.
• Program & Arrangements Committee announced that DES MOINES, Iowa, will be the location for AC 2006.

PRESENTATION:

2001 Annual Conference Report created in Power Point by Michael D. Martin of Phoenix First COB in the Pacific-Southwest District. One hundred and twenty different slides explain Annual Conference business, elections, and committee reports. Great for presenting information to your local congregation.

WORSHIP SERMONS:

• SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 30 :
• Phil Carlos Archbold, REVIVE US AGAIN, Brooklyn, New York
• SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 1 :
• Tom Zuercher, AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME, District Executive/Minister, Northern Ohio District
• MONDAY EVENING EVENING, JULY 2 :
• Harold Carter, BREAK OUT, O CHURCH IN EVANGELISTIC VICTORY, Pastor of New Shiloh Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland
• TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 3 :
• Frank Ramirez, REVIVE US AGAIN... IN SOUL WINNING EVANGELISM, Pastor of Elkhart Valley Church of the Brethren, Elkhart, Indiana
• WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 4 :
• Christy Waltersdorff, REVIVE US AGAIN... TO GO FORTH TO SERVE, Pastor of York Center COB, Lombard, Illinois