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GUIDELINES FOR CONGREGATIONAL WITHDRAWAL
FROM THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT
It is the desire of the Southern Pennsylvania District that any congregation
experiencing conflict or uncertainty about remaining in the Church of the Brethren will
be open and receptive to dialogue and discernment about those issues. The District
further desires that those issues can be resolved in such a way that congregations
may remain in full fellowship with the District and the denomination.
In the event that an agreeable resolution is not achieved, it is the desire of the District
that the withdrawing congregation and the Church of the Brethren may separate in an
orderly manner and with grace and prayers for the well-being of one another.
Denominational polity, which cannot be changed by Districts apart from utilizing the
Annual Conference query process, emphasizes the unity of congregations, Districts,
and the denomination as a whole. It does not give a specific process or guidelines on
exactly how a congregation may conduct a vote to withdraw or what the involvement of
the District should be n that process. However, there is general guidance which can
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be gleaned from a study of the 2016 Manual of Organization and Polity that can assist
the District in developing an orderly process for congregations to withdraw. As a
foundation for the Guidelines for Congregational Withdrawal which concludes this
document, the pertinent sections of the 2016 Manual of Organization and Polity are
quoted and referenced below.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FROM DENOMINATIONAL POLITY
VI. CONGREGATIONAL DISAGREEMENT WITH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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DECISIONS Annual Conference 2004 approved the report of a study committee
assigned to examine a query asking how congregations can disagree with Annual
Conference decisions yet remain, as much as possible, in unbroken fellowship
with their sister congregations, including how district boards should respond in
these situations. The paper needs to be read in its entirety to get the full
background and impact of the report. The following is the section giving
suggestions for process and guidance to the district for its response to
disagreeing congregations.
A. SUGGESTIONS FOR PROCESS
Because congregations may disagree with Annual Conference decisions, it is
appropriate to consider a process when disagreement is evident. Since
disagreement is heavily impacted by individual and unique circumstances and
often must be considered on a case-by-case basis, the following is not intended
as polity to be applied unilaterally throughout the denomination for each
1 2016 Manual of Organization and Polity, Chapter 3, The District, IV, A-B, pg. 19-20. This
outlines the process by which congregations that disagree with an Annual Conference decision
or policy can express their disagreement and work with their District leadership to arrive at an
agreeable means of maintaining unity. It does not specifically address the departure of
congregations from the denomination.
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