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Date: March 30, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com) 
 

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE
March 30, 2005
 
COUNCIL TO DEVELOP PLAN FOR MARKETING CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN ANNUAL  
CONFERENCE
 
March 30, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference  
Council, meeting March 9 in Elgin, Ill., approved the naming of a ministry
team 
 to develop a plan for marketing future Annual Conferences, reported 
secretary  Fred Swartz. The council also plans to present a final draft of a
strategic 
plan  for Annual Conference, including goals for the next five years, to the 
2005  Standing Committee, an annual meeting of delegates from the Church of 
the  Brethren districts.
 
The need for a marketing plan arises out of the council's desire to promote  
a wider knowledge of Annual Conference among the denomination's membership
and 
 to insure a growing base of support. A "marketing ministry team" will be  
appointed by the council following approval of a job description for the
team.  
It is expected that the team will include seasoned and new Annual Conference 

participants, as well as people who can relate to congregational issues.
 
In other business the council took action aimed at clarifying the role of a  
denominational "spokesperson" and unified representation for the
denomination. 
 The council agreed to draft a document asking the 2005-07 Review and 
Evaluation  Committee, which will be appointed at this year's Annual
Conference, to 
revisit  the issue in light of the multiple-agency structure that has
followed 
the  redesign of the Church of the Brethren General Board. 
 
Previously, the general secretary of the General Board was the designated  
spokesperson for all matters concerning denominational participation or  
response, Swartz said. "The Review and Evaluation Committee report of 2001
seems  to 
confirm this position at one point, but then also refers to other agency  
heads as authorized to speak `even in ecumenical circles' on matters relating
to  
programs managed by that agency," he reported. "Further, in its
recommendation 
 on `Who Speaks for the Church' the committee refers to denominational polity

 that names the Annual Conference moderator as `the official representative 
of  the church.'"  The council will ask the 2005-07 Review and Evaluation  
Committee to be more specific in its consideration of the issue.
 
The council continued to pursue answers to questions concerning ministry  
presented in the 2003 "Query of Clarification of Confusion." The General
Board's  
Ministry Office provided the council with a reference guide to existing  
statements on ministry. The council voted to seek a more comprehensive	
understanding of ministry to satisfy the deep issues raised by the query. The
 council 
hopes to secure a wider discussion of the issue with district  executives,
the 
director of the Ministry Office, and others.
 
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to  
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith  in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith  
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its
 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United	
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the  
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.
 
# # #
 
For more information contact:
 
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
 
*****************************************************************
 
The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl  Brumbaugh-Cayford,

director of news services for the Church of the Brethren  General Board. 
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