Newsline: Church of the Brethren districts begin hearings on issues of sexuality

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl

Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN DISTRICTS BEGIN HEARINGS ON

>ISSUES OF SEXUALITY

(Aug. 30, 2010) Elgin, IL -- Some Church of the Brethren districts 
have

begun to hold hearings on issues of sexuality at their district 
conferences,

and others are beginning to plan for such hearings this fall and 
winter, led

by district delegates to the Standing Committee of the denomination's

>Annual Conference.

The hearings are a central part of a "Special Response" process that 
will

lead up to a decision by the 2011 Annual Conference on two items of

business: "A Statement of Confession and Commitment" which originated

in the 2008 Standing Committee 
(www.cobannualconference.org/pittsburgh/A_Statement_of_Confession_
and_Commitment.pdf<http://www.cobannualconference.org/pittsburgh/A_Statement_of_Confession_%0band_Commitment.pdf>
 ), and "Query: Language on Same Sex Covenantal

Relationships" which originated in the church's Northern Indiana 
District 
(www.cobannualconference.org/pittsburgh/NB_2_Query-Language_on_Same_Sex_Covenental_Relationships.pdf<http://www.cobannualconference.org/pittsburgh/NB_2_Query-Language_on_Same_Sex_Covenental_Relationships.pdf>).

Hearings in each of the denomination's 23 districts will provide 
feedback

to the Standing Committee as it meets prior to the next Annual 
Conference

in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 2-6, 2011, to frame a recommendation 
on

>the two business items.

In Southern Pennsylvania District, for example, the District 
Conference on

Sept. 17-18 will include two insight sessions on the Special Response

process. Also, the district plans to offer "Zone Hearings" on the two 
items

>of business.

At least one district is providing training for church leaders to 
hold Bible

studies in congregations, which also is a recommended part of the 
Special

Response process (the Bible study resource may be downloaded from 
www.cobannualconference.org/pdfs/special_response_resource.pdf<http://www.cobannualconference.org/pdfs/special_response_resource.pdf>
 ).

Shenandoah District will offer opportunities for pastors and church 
leaders

to receive training and resources for congregational Bible studies. 
The

opportunities included an evening of training for church leaders on 
Aug. 28

at Linville Creek Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va. "Minister's

Bookshelf" events in September and October will review resource

documents and books to assist with facilitating the conversations.

Illinois and Wisconsin District has announced regional listening 
sessions in

the northeast, northwest, south, and central parts of the state of 
Illinois.

District churches also are encouraged to engage in the Bible study to 
provide

>a foundation for the listening sessions.

The Middle Pennsylvania District has announced three hearing sessions,

with a memo reviewing the Special Response process and noting, "This

attempt to discern the mind of Christ through the members of the 
Church

now comes even closer to home." The district also is encouraging 
members

to prepare for hearings using the Special Response Bible study.

Northern Plains District hopes to have five hearings around the 
district some

time during October and November, with members welcome to attend

whichever hearing bests suits their schedules. "It is hoped that 
these hearings

will provide a wide range of persons for the listening and input to 
Standing

Committee," the district newsletter noted. "Most of all, these events 
will let

us as Brethren grow with respect and grace through our tensions and

>differences."

For more about the Church of the Brethren's Special Response process 
see 
www.cobannualconference.org/special_response_resource.html<http://www.cobannualconference.org/special_response_resource.html>
 .

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 
celebrated its

300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across the 
United

States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in 
Nigeria, Brazil,

>the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>800-323-8039 ext. 260

>cobnews@brethren.org