NEWSLINE - July 4, 1997 Special Annual Conference Report NEWSLINE is the weekly online newsletter of the Church of the Brethren posted each Thursday by the Communications Dept. through cobnews@aol.com. Interested persons can "hear" Newsline by calling 410 635-8738 or receive a "fax" of Newsline by calling 800 323-8039, ext. 257. Newsline by "e-mail" is available by sending an online request to cobnews@aol.com. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% NEWSLINE 07-04-97 1) 3,201 Brethren are registered as Annual Conference participants. 2) More than 20,000 are expected to gather today in downtown Long Beach. 3) Today at Conference. 4) The General Board's redesign plan is approved. 5) Delegates approve the "Deacon Ministry in the Church of Brethren" paper. 6) Be good stewards of your finances, BBT advises pastors during its live report. 7) Several people join the BBT board during its yearly reorganization. 8) Chris Bowman is elected chair of the General Board. 9) Brethren already have donated more blood than do most groups visiting Long Beach. 10) This year's Conference organist "way beyond his years." 11) Biking to the beach. 1) 828 delegates and 2,373 non-voting delegates are registered at the 211th Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. 2) Brethren are being joined today in downtown Long Beach by what tonight is expected to be a crowd of more than 20,000. Long Beach is known as offering the next-to-the best fireworks in Southern California, second only to Disneyland. Thus, the 5 1/2-mile-long beach for which the city is named and the surrounding downtown area is expected to be crowded with people celebrating the July 4 holiday. People were beginning to stake out their claim for beach and grass vantage points from which to picnic and then enjoy the fireworks, which will begin at 9 p.m. astern of the Queen Mary. This grand old luxury ocean passenger liner turned luxury hotel and museum is moored just across the harbor from the Convention Center. Following tonight's worship service, Brethren will have the option of watching the fireworks display from outside the Convention Center, attend the premiere showing of a video of the John Kline 200th birthday celebration held recently in Broadway, Va., or attend an unsanctioned concert by the group, Kindling. 3) Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller counts well the cost of service in tonight's sermon, "Hammering home service." Olga Serrano, pastor of the Principe de Paz Fellowship, Santa Ana, Calif., is worship leader. Other Annual Conference activities taking place today include: *Bible study electives -- "The scandal of discipleship," "Giving up darkness and self-absorption; gaining light and satisfaction," "Choosing hogs over wholeness," and "El costo del triunfo." *Junior high -- church game show and service project. *Senior high -- BVS game show and talent show. *Luncheons -- The Andrew Center, Brethren Volunteer Service, Disaster Relief, and News Services; Congregational Deacons; Ministry Training; and Stewardship. *Dialog room -- "Crossing the great divide of belief: Christians and sexuality." *Insight session -- "God's word in Nuer -- coming soon!" *Brethren Family Barbecue Picnic -- upwards of 2,400 Conference attendees gathering on the lawn outside the Long Beach Convention Center for informal fellowship, supper and music by the Bittersweet Band. The event is sponsored by Annual Conference, Brethren Benefit Trust, Association of Brethren Caregivers and Mutual Aid Association. 4) Following two failed amendments to table the General Board's new design for a year, well over 2/3 of delegates needed to approve the board's request for polity changes held up their hands in affirmation of the proposals, thus approving the most significant changes to the Board since its inception 50 years ago. Under the new plan, the Board: *will be reduced from 25 to 20 members (15 district and 5 at-large representatives). *will adopt a system that utilizes ad hoc committees and task teams instead of its former three commission structure (General Services, Parish Ministries and World Ministries). *will have, as its top employee decision-makers, a leadership team consisting of an executive director and a team of directors. This replaces the former Administrative Council employee leadership structure, which consisted of a general secretary, a treasurer, and executives of General Services, Parish Ministries and World Ministries commissions. Prior to discussing the redesign as a business item, delegates had a period of time used solely for questions and answers. During that session some of the concerns expressed by delegates included that the redesign process had moved too quickly, that many church members were not well informed of the decisions being made, and that decisions had already been made when they should have been decided by Annual Conference delegates. Concerns were raised over terminated General Board staff and eliminated funding for ministries (some Annual Conference mandated). Although there was concern voiced over those issues, Earle Fike of Bridgewater, Va., summed up those concerns, stating that these issues centered around program, not polity, and this business item dealt with polity, not program. Numerous questions, several amendments and a few points of clarification were made as delegates spent Thursday afternoon and Friday morning working on the redesign issue as a business item. Moderator David Wine carefully guided the delegates through their decisions as they worked on whether to accept the General Board's request for polity changes. The first motion to table the item was so close that the tellers had to take a hand count, and the motion lost by only 20 votes. After several other motions failed, Wine stated that it appeared motions were not going to pass and told the delegates that they had three options: to return the item to the General Board, to return it with a recommendation for a year of study, or to accept the polity changes as proposed. The accepted design includes a few amendments made by delegates during the sessions. The proposed polity called for the five at-large General Board members to be appointed by the General Board. Delegates voted this polity change down, and Annual Conference will continue electing all General Board members while encouraging the Board to continue the use of volunteers and special consultants when needed. Delegates also changed polity to include a specially scheduled Review and Evaluation Committee that will be elected at Annual Conference in 2000 to study the new design and its implementation. The committee will present its findings to the 2001 Annual Conference. The next review of the General Board through the normal Review and Evaluation process will take place in 2007, as denominational polity mandates the committee be formed every 10 years. One amendment, which changed wording within five lines of the proposed document, clarified the role of General Board in its accountability to Annual Conference. "This amendment will make a clear, strong statement about the relationship between the General Board and Annual Conference," said Carol Kussart, an Annual Conference Standing Committee member from Cerro Gordo, Ill., who proposed the amendment. "Although people may understand it now, it may be confusing in the future." An amendment to include congregations and districts in mission and church planting was also added to the final polity proposal. This amendment was approved. 5) After somewhat lengthy debate, delegates accepted the "Deacon Ministry in the Church of Brethren" paper with several minor amendments. The paper, the result of a petition to review and update the 1983 denominational statement on the Office of Deacon, received significant discussion regarding the issue of calling divorced people to serve as church deacons. Some felt strongly that it was inappropriate for "people who have failed in a marriage" to be effectively drawn into ministering as is required with the role of deacon. Others felt equally strong that God "accepts people who have made mistakes" to continue to serve in new ways. At one point, the Moderator Wine reminded the delegate body that an extensive evaluation of the position of the denomination on the issue of divorce and positions of leadership can be found in the 1977 paper Marriage and Divorce. 6) This afternoon Conference delegates accepted the live and printed reports of Brethren Benefit Trust, in which BBT board members conveyed their understanding that pastors today are called to be good stewards of their own finances as well as those of their churches. To that end, BBT said that it is hard at work convincing young pastors about the importance of starting their pension contributions early. As part of the report, stories were shared about the successful yields some groups have realized as a result of church and agency investments in the asset management services of the Brethren Foundation. For example, investment returns have helped COBYS Family Services of Leola, Pa., to support a residential home for teenage mothers; allowed Camp Blue Diamond, Petersburg, Pa., to provide more than 50 camp scholarships; and provided On Earth Peace Assembly the opportunity to send Brethren Volunteer Service peace teams to summer camping programs. 7) Fred Bernhard, pastor of Oakland Church of the Brethren, Gettysburg, Ohio, and Don Apple, chief financial officer for St. Joseph Health System, Anderson, Ind., were re-elected to serve four-year terms on the Brethren Benefit Trust board. (Bernhard had been elected in 1992 but resigned in 1994 when elected Annual Conference moderator.) During its annual reorganization meeting Thursday night, the BBT board also elected John Flora, an attorney from Bridgewater, Va., to his sixth one-year term as chair. Ann Quay, a certified public accountant from Covina, Calif., was elected to a fourth one-year term as vice-chair. Richard Pogue, from Washington, D.C., was elected to fill the unexpired term of Jim Replogle as district and General Board representative. Wil Nolen, BBT president, and Kathryn Lee, BBT treasurer, were elected as board secretary and treasurer, respectively. 8) The annual reorganization of the General Board also began Thursday evening, with Chris Bowman of Martinsburg, Pa., elected chair for the upcoming year. Lori Sollenberger Knepp, from Everett, Pa., was elected vice-chair. In a special closed session later tonight the Board is expected to name other members of its executive committee. 9) Although Brethren had donated only 126 pints of blood by Thursday evening, staff onsite for the American Red Cross said that Brethren already had donated more than most groups holding conventions. The blood drive will continue through Saturday, with the goal of having 500 pints donated. 10) Conference organist Jason Leister is "way beyond his years" in ability, according to Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren music minister Susan Lain. Leister, 20, a student at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., has inspired Conferencegoers throughout the week. Leister comes to Conference fresh off a victory in a nationwide organ competition sponsored by First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Wayne, Ind. He was one of six chosen from a field of about 30 entrants to perform in person. "I just went to have fun," says Jason. Winning was a lot of fun, he added. And, as the top performer, he was asked to perform a full recital a short time later. Jason began piano lessons in first grade with Sue Lain and has studied organ since he was 12. As he recalls, "My mom got me through the years when I didn't want to practice." Those years soon passed. At 15 he was the salaried organist for the 600-plus member Lancaster Church of the Brethren, where he is a member. He now anticipates a career as a concert organist and teacher. 11) Not everyone from the East took the easy way to Long Beach. Instead of flying the friendly skies, Glen and Lois Hassinger made the 3,262-mile trek on a 1989 Honda Aspencade 1500 cc. motorcycle. Hassinger, who has pastored the Myerstown (Pa.) congregation for the past 31 years, grew interested in cross country touring about five years ago. "It's just something we enjoy doing," he says. He and Lois sent a suitcase on ahead with friends and packed light for their eight days on the road. They made a similar trip to Conference in Portland in 1991. Newsline is archived with an index at http://www.tgx.com/cob/news.htm and at www.wfn.org. This message can be heard by calling 410 635-8738. To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 257, or write CoBNews@AOL.Com.