wfn.org | Newsline: Pittsburgh to host Church of the Brethren's 224th Annual Conference

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

>Church of the Brethren Newsline

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, Director of News Services

>cobnews@brethren.org or (cell) 224-735-9692

PITTSBURGH TO HOST CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN’S 224th ANNUAL CONFERENCE

July 2, 2010 (Pittsburgh, PA) -- The Church of the Brethren’s Annual Conf 
erence on July 3-7 will bring delegates from across the country to Pittsbur gh, 
Pa. This will be the 224th recorded annual meeting for the denomination .

The Annual Conference will meet at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center  on 
the theme, "Taking Jesus Seriously" from the biblical scripture John 14: 15. Go 
to http://www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cob_news for f ull coverage 
of the Conference online.

Shawn Flory Replogle, a pastor and youth coordinator at McPherson (Kan.) Ch 
urch of the Brethren, will serve as moderator of the Conference in the high est 
elected position in the Church of the Brethren denomination.

The Conference will welcome church members and families from across the Uni ted 
States and Puerto Rico, and delegates from some 1,000 congregations and  23 
church districts.

Among a number of business items the delegate body will vote on a "Resoluti on 
Against Torture," which is coming from the denomination’s Mission and  Ministry 
Board (www.brethren.org/site/DocServer/statement_against_torture_a 
pproved.pdf?docID=5321<http://www.brethren.org/site/DocServer/statement_a 
gainst_torture_approved.pdf?docID=5321>).

Also on the agenda are hearings and reports about a special two-year discus 
sion process put in place after last year’s Annual Conference began consi 
deration of two documents related to issues of sexuality: "A Statement of C 
onfession and Commitment" from the Standing Committee of district delegates  
calling the church to unity on issues of sexuality (www.cobannualconferenc 
e.org/pittsburgh/A_Statement_of_Confession_and_Commitment.pdf), and a query  on 
"Language on Same-Sex Covenantal Relationships" (www.cobannualconferenc 
e.org/pittsburgh/NB_2_Query-Language_on_Same_Sex_Covenental_Relationships.p 
df<http://www.cobannualconference.org/pittsburgh/NB_2_Query-Language_on_Sam 
e_Sex_Covenental_Relationships.pdf>).

The Conference schedule includes daily worship services, business sessions,  
Bible studies, numerous workshops and meal events, a variety of support gr 
oups, and programs for different age groups including children, youth, and  
young adults. Find more about the Conference schedule at www.cobannualconfe 
rence.org<http://www.cobannualconference.org>.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination stemming from the Br 
ethren movement that began in 1708 in Schwarzenau, Germany, when the eight  
founders were baptized in the Eder River. The denomination turned 300 years  
old in 2008. The church is committed to continuing the work of Jesus peace 
fully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. It is based in  the 
Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Peace C hurches 
along with the Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Mennonites. The  Church of 
the Brethren counts close to 125,000 members and 1,000 congregat ions across 
the US and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in  Nigeria, the 
Dominican Republic, Brazil, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>CONTACT:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>800-323-8039 ext. 260

>cell: 224-735-9692

>cobnews@brethren.org