2013

Charlotte, North Carolina

227th

The 227th Annual Conference (June 29 - July 3, 2013) of the Church of the Brethren was held in the Charlotte Convention Center, located at 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. It offers Halls A, B, and C featuring 280,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space that is divisible into separate rooms. Delegates convened in Hall C that provided 80,000 square feet of meeting space, which could accommodate 6,000 people, plus an optional raised seating for an additional 1,400 seats. Additionally the Central Ballroom offered 35,000 square feet with a ceiling height of 30 feet, and the Crown Ballroom is 40,000 square feet with a tiered ceiling height of 24 feet, plus a 17,800 square foot Ballroom Terrace for outdoor gatherings. It covers more than Four City Blocks which presents large trucks with a total of 20 covered loading docks with direct access to all exhibit halls. Bisecting the downtown Convention Center was the easy access Charlotte Area Transit System rail line which afforded Brethren a comfortable ride from surrounding hotels. Students of the University of North Carolina also utilize this service to the main campus which is just north of the city. Every year Brethren are presented with that same initial experience of where do we go? Yet they quickly familiarized themselves with the large Main Concourses which led to Hall C and the main gathering area for Business and Worship. Enhancing the spacious drama of the Center was Hanging Art. Complimenting the fresh exterior was a Fountain & Garden that offered Brethren a quiet respite from the fatigue of business and the scurrying tempo of rushing to meetings. Dominating the skyline above the Convention Center is the Westin Hotel, and immediately to the east is the Nascar Hall of Fame. The Night Skyline of North Carolina's largest metropolitan city is a performance of brilliant colors, enhanced only by a Welcome Sign to the Brethren. It is known as the Queen City, for it was named after Queen Charlotte Sophia and the surrounding county was named for the city of her birth, Mecklenburg, Germany. She was the grandmother of Queen Victoria and the wife of Britain's King George III, the one who fomented the American colonists toward Revolution. Americans looked upon him as a tyrant and the British regarded him as an abject failure at Colonialism. Incorporated in 1768, Charlotte became the center of the nations first Gold Rush when a 17 pound nugget was discovered in 1799. Railroads later made it a textile industry center and distribution hub. Today, it's metropolitan area ranks as the 23rd largest US city with a 2012 Census population of 2,296,569. It is a major U.S. financial center with total assets slightly behind New York City. Bank of America and Wells Fargo's east coast operations center are headquartered here.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Famous Christian evangelist Billy Graham was born just south of the city and raised on the Graham Family dairy farm. A foundation Moved The Buildings to this present site, in order to Preserve The Legacy of this great American. Entrance Is Free to all ages. Photography of the Graham House is permitted and staff graciously explain the Farm Business of that era. Kitchen Stories inspire us about every aspect of life, business, the Church, and the ministry of Jesus. Next to the farm area is a Memorial Garden where one may sit and enjoy the flowers or take a quick stroll to the grave of his wife, Ruth Bell Graham. She was born to missionary parents in China which explains the Chinese letter for Righteousness at the top of her grave plaque. His sermons were broadcast on radio and personal crusades on television. Graham became a spiritual adviser to many US Presidents. It has been estimated that more than 3.2 million people accepted Christ at his crusades. The George Gallup Poll figures repeatedly list Billy Graham as one of the most admired men in the world, appearing on the list 55 times since the 1950s, which is more than any other individual.

HISTORICAL NOTES:

Jim Beckwith began his first year of a five year term as Annual Conference Secretary, filling the position of Fred Swartz who completed two terms of service last year. As Moderator of AC2008, Beckwith quickly demonstrated strong administrative capabilities. His reading of motions, proposed amendments, and knowledge of past decisions was articulate and easy to understand.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Online Registration was situated in one of the Main Concourses which conveniently faced worship and business sessions in Hall C. Live coverage was projected on Three Large Screens with a fourth mounted on the rear of a large ceiling support column. Webcasts of the proceedings were also available online. During the opening Sunday afternoon worship service, Conference goers presented their (AC2008) “Witness to Host City” School Kits. Absent this year were the Message Boards which had been a regular fixture at every Conference in recent memory, including the later addition of a Prayer Board, and the addition of a Call Wall at AC2012. No explanation was given. Pleasingly noticeable was the Signage leading attendees to their proper destinations. Adults received a special treat this year as the Chidren's Choir sang twice. First on Monday Evening followed by a Special Story, and then again at their traditional Tuesday Evening songfest.

INSIGHT SESSIONS:

There were many opportunities for Brethren to learn about programs of the church and grow spiritually through numerous Insight Sessions and Equipping Workshops. Springs of Living Water, is a spiritual renewal project of David Young for churches that are interested in revitalization. There were a multitude of other topics such as: Grace, Forgiveness, Worship, Discipleship, Music, Scripture, Youth, Faith-sharing, Diversity, Nurturing, Justice, Evangelism, Service, Loving Others, Demographics, Sharing, Training, Economics, Gifts, Mission, Curriculum, Disaster Ministries, Investing, and Leadership.

EXHIBITS:

This year's Exhibit Hall was spacious enough to accommodate all Brethren interests with room to spare. Virlina District was the host district. Council of District Executives offered an imaginative way to view the Denominational Membership, of course, by Districts. Each Grain represented one member of that Respective District. Most of the regular exhibitors were present again this year. Brethren Affiliated Colleges offered interpretative literature plus an attractive Logo Shirt Display. Brethren Seminary presented a comfortable area to view Mission Statements, Gather Literature, Post Your Thoughts, and then Read Other Thoughts. Brethren Benefit Trust explained their Financial Products (Charlotte had its own unrelated BBT). The Bible Project gave visitors an opportunity to see How It Came into existence in Various Forms with Actual Samples. One even had the chance to have their name automatically written in Five Languages. Also seen were Food Resource Bank, Brethren Press, Brethren Volunteer Service, Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists, Global Women's Project, Brethren Heritage, New Community Project, On Earth Peace, Rule of Faith, and SERRV. There were several Park Benches available for the tired, and Sign Posts for the not so tired. Handouts and Brochures were commonly seen. It was a great opportunity to learn about All Things Brethren. Next year AC 2014 will be held in Columbus, Ohio.

OFFICERS:

2013 Conference Officers were Moderator Robert Krouse, pastor of Little Swatara COB, Bethel, Pennsylvania; Moderator-elect Nancy Heishman, Tipp City, Ohio; and Secretary Jim Beckwith, Pastor of Annville COB, Annville, Pennsylvania (first year of first term).

BUSINESS-SESSIONS:

Delegates were seated at Round Tables again this year as implemented in AC2012, an innovation of the Revitalization Task Force recommendations of Doing Church Business AC2007. Tables were Numbered from 1 to 100. Last years trial run of this arrangement was enthusiastically received by Delegates for many reasons, such as the increased opportunity to discuss issues with people holding varied opinions on the same issue. Each table was assigned a Facilitator to enhance discussion, request a scribe to document opinions, and call for a Reporter to speak for their Table at the microphones. Having designated speakers from each Table minimizes the inclination of someone to dominate speech at the Microphones for frivolous reasons. The first Business Session convened on Monday morning.

Some thoughtful individual(s) had children in mind by providing them with Activity Materials during business and worship.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

• Guidance for Responding to the Changing of Earth's Climate granted an additional year to the study committee appointed by the Peace Ministries Office to revise their materials and report to the 2014 Annual Conference.
• Guidelines for Implementation of the Congregational Ethics Paper gave a first hearing of a proposed “Congregational Ethics Revisions” from the Congregational Life Ministries. A final draft will be presented to the 2014 Annual Conference for approval.
• Church of the Brethren Ecumenical Witness received a report that a study committee has been appointed to write a “Vision of Ecumenism for the 21st Century” paper that would be presented to a later unspecified Annual Conference.
• More Equitable Representation on the Mission and Ministry Board fell just short of the required two-thirds majority vote. The original query calling for equity had been approved by delegates at AC2012 and still stands. For the past year, the Mission and Ministry Board (MMB) had been working on a plan of members and percentages to achieve greater equity. The present vote simply indicates to the MMB that their suggested proposal was not suitable. Thus, they will spend another year working on a different set of numbers. One of the major objections by the Western Brethren was that to accept the current plan would result in a lesser representation of Western members who are already overwhelmed by traveling hundreds of miles to neighboring congregations, whereas in the East, there is a proliferation of churches in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolina's. The original formation of the MMB constituted members from various Congregational Life Team Areas that resulted in 91% of Brethren members having only a 36% representation.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Biblical Authority adopted the recommendation of Standing Committee that the 1979 Annual Conference statement on Biblical Inspiration and Authority is still relevant and represents the current position of the denomination. A protracted discussion ensued as many delegates felt it necessary to express their views on the need for and retention of scriptural authority, which was not the point. The recommendation from Standing Committee was to affirm the 1979 Paper with the expectation of a simple yes or no vote. Finally, after much expressing of opinions, the vote was a strong vocal yes to accept the recommendation.
• Revision to Ministerial Leadership Polity accepted the recommendation of Standing Committee that the paper be returned to the Mission and Ministry Board (MMB) for further study. This paper has been in the works for many years by the Office of Ministry, the Ministry Advisory Council, the Mission and Ministry Board, and the Council of District Executives. The Paper introduced new concepts such as the Circles of Ministry, and the office of a Commissioned Minister in addition to Licensed and Ordained Ministers. The scope of the Paper broadly challenged mechanisms that had worked successfully. No where in the paper did it even mention the Plural or Free Ministry which involves several churches in Pennsylvania totally almost three thousand members.
  Standing Committee recommended five proposals to the Ministry Advisory Council:

• Integrate the 1998 paper on Plural Non-Salaried Ministry.
• Change Cohort Make-up from polity to guidelines.
• Find a way for persons to move from Commissioned Minister to Ordained Minister without needing to re-enter the licensing process.
• Allow for a change of call for Commissioned Ministers with district permission.
• Seek intentional conversation with leadership from ethnic congregations, specifically Hispanic and Haitian, regarding how the Ministerial Leadership Paper will affect ministers in their context.

• Membership on Executive Committee of the Mission and Ministry Board adopted with a two-thirds majority vote the recommendation of Standing Committee to amend the Church of the Brethren Bylaws, that would increase the membership of the Executive Committee from four to five.
• Recognition of New Church of the Brethren in Spain accepted the recommendation of Standing Committee that Church of the Brethren in Spain be approved with enthusiasm. The Spanish Brethren originated principally from an influx of Brethren coming from the Dominican Republic and other parts of Latin American more than ten years ago. Native Spaniards became more involved. The city of Madrid has four vibrant congregations alone. Each one is self-sustaining and developing their own mission focus. Thus, formal recognition of the Spanish Brethren will not place any financial commitment or drain of resources on the Church of the Brethren in the United States.
• Resolution against Drone Warfare adopted the recommendation of Standing Committee with little debate, calling on members of the Church of the Brethren to:“Call upon the President and Congress to halt the use of drones in places both foreign and domestic.” During the Presidential election, Candidate Obama promised the most transparent Presidency in history, but instead has delivered one of the most secretive and one of the most lethal. Unmanned remotely controlled Drones along with aircraft strikes in Pakistan have killed a multitude of innocent civilians, mostly women and children. One air-strike killed an entire Wedding Party. It has been estimated the Drone kill ratio is 50 Civilians to 1 Terrorist. Additionally, President Obama has not restricted the FBI from using Drone Surveillance on US citizens. There is no governance policy or assurance that the constitutional rights of Americans are being protected.

OTHER BUSINESS:

• Standing Committee met in special session with On Earth Peace concerning their 2012 “Statement of Inclusion” that calls for full participation in ministry of everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Standing Committee asked On Earth Peace to re-examine its position in regard to the 1983 Annual Conference statement on Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective, but OEP remains unwavering in its decision to retain the original language.
• Report of Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee was accepted that recommended a cost of living adjustment of 1.4%.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Total registered attendance was 2,481, comprised of 721 Delegates, and 1,760 Non-Delegates.
• Total offerings received amounted to $41,411.31.
• David Steele, District Executive of Pennsylvania Middle District, was elected as Moderator-elect to serve as Moderator in 2015 at Tampa, Florida.
• Ruthann Knechel Johansen, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, had announced her retirement to be effective on July 1, 2013; and Jeffrey Carter of Manassas, Virginia, accepted the call to serve as the Seminary’s tenth president, effective the same date.
• Delegates were kept on schedule with the On Screen Clock during breaks.
• Music Coordinator was Carol Elmore; Choir Director was John Shafer; both were assisted during the Saturday evening worship service by the La Verne Adult Choir and the Antioch Handbell Choir.
• The Worship Center was designed by Bekah Houff, Tracy Primozich, and Amy Gall Richie.
• Church of the Brethren Association for the Arts Quilt Auction raised $6,300 for world hunger relief.
• The Blood Drive succeeded in collecting 134 units for the American Red Cross.
• Program & Arrangements Committee announced that GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, will be the location for AC 2017.

WORSHIP:

Sunday evening, Moderator Krouse led members in an evening Concert of Prayer since business was limited to Monday and Tuesday only. Moderator Krouse also handed out Wooden Crosses made by his congregation, Little Swatara COB. During the Wednesday morning worship service, the traditional Moderator Consecration installed Nancy Heishman as Moderator for 2014 and David Steele as Moderator-elect for 2015.

SERMONS:

• Saturday Evening, June 29 :
  Moderator Robert Krouse, MOVE IN OUR MIDST, pastor of Little Swatara COB, Bethel, Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Sunday Morning, June 30 :
  Philip Yancey, GRACE, famous author of more than 25 books, full-time writer for Christian Century, and Editor-at-Large for Christianity Today.
  
  
• Sunday Afternoon, June 30 :
  Mark Yaconelli, WONDER, GRIEF, AND LONGING: THE LIFE OF PRAYER, program director for the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology, retreat leader, and author of Contemplative Christianity and Wonder, Fear, and Longing: A Book of Prayers.
  
  
• Monday Evening, July 1 :
  Paul Mondey, TEACHING THAT TACKLES AND TRANSFORMS, senior pastor of Frederick COB, Frederick, Maryland, who served 13 years as program director for the Parish Ministries Commission (Church of the Brethren).
  
  
• Tuesday Evening, July 2 :
  Paul Brubaker and Pam Reist, ROAD BETWEEN EPHRATA AND ELIZABETHTOWN, Brubaker, member of the Middle Creek COB near ephrata, Pennsylvania, represented the conservative voice; and Reist, pastoral team member of the Elizabethtown COB, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, represented the progressive voice.
  
  
• Wednesday Morning, July 3 :
  Suely Inhauser, MOVING OF GOD IN OUR MIDST AND THROUGH US, pastor and co-national director of the Igreja da Irmandade in Brazil.