The following terms reflect the culture of the Church of the Brethren, a denomination grounded on the principles of Anabaptism and founded through the Pietist efforts of Alexander Mack, in the summer of 1708 near the small German village of Schwarzenau. This resource is not an exhaustive compilation of all denominational terminology, which might also be garnered from other Brethren works, such as the Brethren Encyclopedia, Brethren Bibliography, European Origins, Brethren in America, Ephrata Cloister, 19th Century Acculturation, Brethren Timeline, Brethren Groups, and Brethren Genealogy. You are encouraged to share your comments, suggestions, or corrections with the Web Administrator.
- Delegate
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A person who is elected or appointed to represent the interests of another, usually authorized with power to vote for policy changes. Each congregation and district may send delegates to Annual Conference, which is the final authority in the Church of the Brethren. The number of elected delegates from each congregations is allocated according of the size of it's membership, and delegates elected from each District to the Standing Committee are calculated according to the size of the membership of that the district. This combination of voting delegates to Annual Conference from congregations and districts is referred to as the Delegate Body. Non-delegate visitors are permitted to express their opinions during business sessions, but are not allowed to vote. See Annual Conference for a breakdown of delegate allocation, representation, and attendance.
See also Standing Committee.
- District
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Congregations are geographically incorporated into one of Twenty-three Districts in the Church of the Brethren. When the Brethren first came to America, their congregations regularly asked for support from each other and exchanged advice through a visiting Elder, who also presided over local council meetings, officiated elections, and determined the validity of question intended for Annual Meeting (Conference). This circuitous process remained sound until the denomination began growing and expanding across the nation, placing undue burden on the annual gathering. Subscribing to the concept that leaders best understand local matters, Conference delegates granted approval in 1856, for the establishment of Districts that would be able to minister to the specific congregations of their geographical region.
Districts also hold a conference each year, mostly in the fall, to officially hear congregational concerns, approve financial budgets, listen to reports, elect officers, and refer policy questions on to the next Annual Conference of the denomination. Each District has a Board that is often composed of Commissions such as Ministry, Nurture, Witness, Stewards, and Church Development; and a staff which is often a selection of a: District Executive, Associate District Executive, Administrative Assistant, and Receptionist.
www.cob-net.org/church/
