wfn.org | CoB Newsline- Annual Conference elections, business

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      July 3, 1997
Contact:  Paula Wilding
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline           July 3, 1997  

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Newsline for July 3. In the news today:  

1) 3,011 Brethren are registered as Annual Conference participants.
2) No jaywalking allowed! 
3) Today at Annual Conference. 
4) Lowell Flory of McPherson, Kan., is elected Annual Conference 
     moderator-elect.  
5) Delegates consider several business items and reports. 
6) Committee on Interchurch Relations presents its Ecumenical
     Awards. 
7) News of the General Board's redesign, as presented to Conference 
     delegates, will be reported in Friday's Newsline. 
8) Louisville, Ky., is selected as host city of Annual Conference 
     2002. 
9) A visit to "Dunkerland" is the theme of this year's General 
     Board Live Report. 
10) Association of Brethren Caregivers presents its report. 
11) Forty-six Brethren wake up early to raise money for charity.
12) The Church of the Brethren/Habitat for Humanity house receives 
     several setbacks. 
13) Several unscheduled events are taking place at Conference.   

1) 817 delegates and 2,194 non-delegates have registered through
Wednesday evening as Annual Conference participants.   

2) In several announcements of note, Annual Conference Executive
Director Duane Steiner admonished Conference attendees to cross
city streets at intersections and in crosswalks, not at midpoints
without the appropriate markings. Long Beach Police Department made
a personal phone call Wednesday night to Steiner in his hotel room,
stating that it will start ticketing and/or arresting jaywalkers
beginning today. In an unrelated matter, Steiner said that as many
as 2,300 Brethen are expected to gather outside the convention
center tomorrow night to join in the Brethren Family Barbecue
Picnic, which will be followed by evening worship and then
fireworks-viewing from the center's lawn.    

3) "Count Well the Cost of Simplicity" continues the Annual
Conference theme in tonight's sermon, "The simple life," delivered
by Dawn Wilhelm, pastor of Stone Church of the Brethren,
Huntingdon, Pa. Worship leaders are Janet and Skip Ober-Miller,
pastors of South Bay Community Church of the Brethren, Redondo
Beach, Calif.  

Other Annual Conference activities taking place today include:
*Bible study electives -- "The conflict in peacemaking," "Giving up
the security and the frenzy of the world; gaining peace of mind and
discipleship," "Sipping from the springs," "El costo de ser un
lider," and "Peace (discernment and grace)." 
*Children -- day trip to Cabrillo Beach Marine Aquarium. 
*Junior high -- day trip to Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park. 
*Senior high -- beach time and volleyball. 
*Young adult -- day trip to Catalina Island. 
*Luncheons -- CODE/District Board Chairpersons', Christian
Educators, Church and Persons with Disabilities, Brethren Volunteer
Service Reunion, and Youth Training Team. 
*Brethren Press book signing by Ken Morse, author of "Preaching in
a Tavern." 
*The Andrew Center book signings by Steve Clapp, author of
"Reaching the Forgotten"; Kristen Leverton, author of "50 Ways to
Outreach to Teenagers"; and Paul Mundey, author of "Unlocking the
Church Doors." 
*Dialog room -- "Speaking the truth in love," learning how to speak
and listen as brothers and sisters in Christ. 
*Insight sessions -- "Partners in Nigeria," "Brethren colleges,"
"Following Jesus in the 21st century," "Nurturing positive
pastor/deacon relationships," "Listening to the voices of
isolation," "Celebrating our hymns," "Nonviolence and active
peacemaking," "Second annual conversation with District Ministry
Commissions," "A tale of two children," "Unlocking church doors: 10
keys to positive change," "International education at the Brethren
colleges," "What the Ministry of Reconciliation can offer your
congregation" and "National Youth Conference." 
*Dinners -- Brethren Benefit Trust Board Reorganization, Hispanic
Ministries, Messenger, and Past Moderators. 
*Early evening concert -- Steve Engle, a ventriloquist and composer
from Stone Church of the Brethren, Huntingdon, Pa. 
*Teen/parent dialog in a "Hollywood talk show" format discussing
curfews, friends, chores, church, school, allowance, TV, music and
how better to communicate.   

4) Lowell Flory, McPherson, Kan., was elected today to serve as
1998 moderator-elect by Conference delegates. Flory is a professor
and chairman for business and economics at McPherson College. He
also manages a private law practice. Flory is a member of McPherson
(Kan.) Church of the Brethren. He will serve as moderator at Annual
Conference in Milwaukee in 1999.   

Cathy Simmons Huffman, Rocky Mount, Va., was elected Annual
Conference secretary and will serve in the position for five years. 

Several new General Board members were elected to five-year terms.
Donald Parker, West Salem, Ohio, and Christy Waltersdorff, Lombard,
Ill., were elected to at-large positions. Edward Kerschensteiner,
Boise, Idaho, was elected to represent Idaho District. Martha
Stover Barlow, Dayton, Va., was chosen to represent Shenandoah
District. Donald Booz, McPherson, Kan., was elected to represent
Western Plains District.  

Becky Rhodes Oliver, Roanoke, Va., was elected to a three-year term
on Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee.  

Three people were elected to serve on the Pastoral Compensation and
Benefits Advisory Committee for five-year terms. Scott Duffey,
Westminster, Md., will represent the ministry on the committee. Ron
Beachley, Davidsville, Pa., will represent district executives.
Laird Bowman, Boones Mill, Va., will represent the laity.  

Ken Kline Smeltzer, Modesto, Calif., was elected to a three-year
term on the Committee on Interchurch Relations.  

Gregory Geisert, Harrisonburg, Va., was elected to the Brethren
Benefit Trust's board for a four-year term.  

Two people were elected as Bethany Theological Seminary electors
for five-year terms. Carl Bowman, Verona, Va., was elected to
represent the colleges. Guy Wampler, Jr., Lancaster, Pa., was
elected to represent the ministry.   

5) The Review and Evaluation Committee presented its final report
to Annual Conference delegates, who in turn accepted the report.
The committee was elected at the 1995 Annual Conference to study
the General Board's work over the past decade. The committee --
composed of Curtis Dubble, chairman; Joan Daggett; Andy Murray;
LaVon Rupel; and Steve Reid, secretary -- concluded its report by
recommending that the General Board assist the Church of the
Brethren to be in mission; assist congregations in
self-examination; encourage cooperative ministries and a united
witness; encourage Bible study; encourage personal commitment and
nurture of the Christian life; extend ministries of Christian love,
service and justice; study, speak and act on issues that violate
Christian principles of justice; help people discover and
experience their true worth as people of God; help interpret
relevance of the identity, heritage and unity of the Brethren; and
continue to foster ecumenical partnerships, cooperative ministries
and a united witness with other Christian groups.  

While the committee and the people it interviewed affirmed the work
of the General Board (which has fulfilled all referrals and
directives handed down through Annual Conference), the committee
reported that Brethren do not always realize that certain
ministries are General Board-related.  

The initial draft of the statement that addresses the "New
Testament as Our Rule of Faith and Practice" was presented to
Standing Committee during its pre-Conference meetings. Copies of
the draft will be available to Conferencegoers during this week,
and the unfinished business item will return for approval at next
year's Conference.  

A progress report from the committee called to reformulate the
"World Mission Philosophy and Global Church Mission Structure"
statement was presented to Annual Conference delegates. The
statement addresses structural problems faced by congregations that
oversee new congregations outside the United States. The committee
is composed of Charles Beiber, chairman; Berwyn Oltman; David
Radcliff; David Shumate; and Bonnie Kline Smeltzer. The statement
will return to the 1998 Annual Conference for approval.  

Annual Conference Delegates accepted a report from the Committee on
Interchurch Relations (CIR). In presenting their report, members of
the committee urged churches and individuals to continue to
cultivate relationships and involvement with other faith bodies and
to work at further understanding the many ways in which people
relate to God. One committee member cited 1 Peter 3:15-16: "But in
your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope
that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a
clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your
good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander" (NIV).   

6) In a related matter, CIR presented its Ecumenical Award to
Fairview Church of the Brethren, Williamsburg, Pa., and La Verne
(Calif.) Church of the Brethren in recognition of their witness in
working in partnership with other church groups and agencies. CIR
also announced seven ecumenical guests in attendance at the 1997
Annual Conference: 
*Scott Anderson, executive director of the California Council of
Churches. 
*Albert Cohen, executive director of the Southern California
Ecumenical Council. 
*Paul Eppinger, executive director of the Arizona Ecumenical
Council. 
*Joyce Ewen, executive director of the Pamona/Inland Valley Council
of Churches. 
*Ginny Wagener, executive director of the South Coast Ecumenical
Council. 
*Sara Osgood, observer to the General Board from American Baptist
Churches USA. 
*Donald Shoemaker, observer to Annual Conference from the
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.   

7) Actions on the General Board's audit report and the redesign
business item was not completed by Newsline's deadline. A full
report from the report and business item will be reported in
Friday's edition.   

8) Louisville, Ky., will be the site Annual Conference in 2002,
Duane Steiner, Annual Conference executive director, has announced.
Program and Arrangements Committee's report to delegates also
included the introduction of Bentley Peters, a consultant to the
Annual Conference officers who helps "maintain continuity during
these difficult years," Steiner said.   

Future Conferences are: Orlando, Fla., June 30-July 5, 1998; and
Milwaukee, June 29-July 4, 1999.  

Beginning with Annual Conference in the year 2000, Conference week
will move from a Tuesday - Sunday format to one that will begin on
Saturday and conclude on Wednesday. Future Conferences planned
using this new format include Kansas City, July 15-19, 2000;
Baltimore, June 30-July 4, 2001; and Louisville, Ky., June 29-July
3, 2002.   

9) This year's General Board Live Report, held Thursday morning,
revolved around a family spending a day at the Dunkerland themepark
-- a less than thinly veiled takeoff on nearby Disneyland.  

Leads Delbert Blickenstaff, Jessica Flory Steury, Joe Helfrich and
Tara Hornbacker guided the audience to various "rides" that gave
glimpses into various General Board ministries. Along the way they
also met historic Dunker figures, including the "Little Man,"
I.N.H. Beahm, who was too short for a theme-park ride until he
donned the hat of "The Tall Man," John Naas; and Faith the Cow, who
now enjoys a second career in ice cream sales.   

As in recent years the multimedia report combined live and recorded
music, drama, video and appearances by Brethren engaged in mission
around the world. Musical highlights included soloist Peg Lehman
singing "The Touch of the Master's Hand," a song based on the
well-known poem by Brethren poet Myra Brooks Welch, whose story is
told in a recently released Brethren Press book; and a moving a
cappella duet of "Amazing Grace" by Gerry Pence and Sanya Wiggs.  

"Amazing Grace" capped a segment on the story of the rebuilding of
the Butler Chapel AME church building, in Orangeburg, S.C. A victim
of arson in a wave of church burnings in the south, Butler Chapel
is being rebuilt with the assistance of Brethren Disaster Response.
Patrick Mellerson, pastor, described how the Brethren have been
part of God's work of making triumph out of tragedy, likening God
to one who sends a Hallmark card: "He cares to send the very best."

Other General Board ministries featured included Lester and Esther
Boleyn's work on the Nuer Bible translation project in Sudan, the
accompaniment work of Brethren volunteer Lisa Jantzen in Guatemala,
and Milciades Mendez' training of pastors in the Dominican
Republic.    

A fast-paced video segment on the "Carousel of Caring" ride
profiled 10 congregations, which in various ways are seeking to
continue the work of Jesus.  Among those featured were:  
*the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Lebanon, Pa., whose
members give away free items in "random acts of kindness" to
communicate that God's love is free.  
*the Antelope Valley congregation, Billings, Okla., which takes its
worship services on the road to busy grain harvesters traveling
through the area. 
*First Church, Springfield, Ill., whose adults and children
regularly provide meals at a local shelter. 
*and the Open Circle congregation in Minneapolis, Minn., which uses
mass mailings to invite newcomers to contemporary worship services.

A slide show and video clip, set to the Brethren classic, "Move in
our Midst," commemorated the 50th anniversary of the General Board. 

10) The Association of Brethren Caregivers presented its report to
Annual Conference in a litany-style reading, highlighting each of
its programs and inviting responses of affirmation and support from
conference attenders. Video clips from the most recent National
Older Adult Conference were then shown. Before delegates adopted
ABC's report, one conference attender asked how ABC will relate to
the denomination now that ABC will become independent from the
board at the end of this year. The response from ABC was that it,
too, has concerns about the undefined reporting structure between
the Board and ABC -- including its financial accountability with
designated denominational funding -- but that ABC is committed to
continuing as an agency of the denomination in some form.    

11) Outdoor Ministries Association sponsored its 12th Annual
Conference Run/Walk bright and early this morning. The 5k race,
which led 46 exercise enthusiasts along the Long Beach waterfront,
raised more than $600 in contributions that will be shared by OMA
and Heifer Project International. First-place runners for men and
women were Jerry Crouse, Rocky Mount, Va., and Frances Bourne,
Walkersville, Md. Second-place runners were Andy Lahman, Glendale,
Ariz., and Alissa Miller, Spring Grove, Pa. Runners receiving
third-place honors were Aaron Lahman, Glendale, Ariz., and Marjorie
McCarthy, Alexandria, Va. First- through third-place winners in the
walker category for men were Dave Fouts, Lutherville, Md.; Art
Hunn, Palo, Ill.; and Ruben Montoya, Johnstown, Pa. First- through
third-place walkers for women were Jean Hendricks, Eudora, Kan.;
Sara Bowman, Dayton, Ohio; and Bev Anspaugh, Arcanum, Ohio.   

12) The houses being blitz-built this week by Church of the
Brethren and Habitat for Humanity volunteers received a setback
this week. Literally. As unknowingly laid out by a local Habitat
representative, the house located at the front of the Seventh
Street lot crossed into the city's right-of-way by 30 inches, when
measured by a city inspector. Thus, the building had to be
modified, with 2 1/2 feet cut off from the front of the house.

Other setbacks have included delays in pouring the foundations and
obtaining materials. The foundations for both houses were poured
Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning respectively, and many items,
such as plumbing parts, were not on hand as expected with Brethren
workers showed up to begin working on the project, according to Jan
Thompson, project coordinator. Thus, Thompson says Brethren are now
working together with a group of local Habitat volunteers, and
hopes to have both houses framed and one installed with electric
and plumbing hardware prior to the end of Annual Conference.  

Other coordinators of the project include Bob Pittman of
Blacksburg, Va., construction supervisor; Terry Becker of Mesa,
Ariz., electrician; Galen Miller of Wanatchee, Wash., plumber; and
crew chiefs Jim Swartz of Glendale, Ariz.; Leroy Lapp of La Verne,
Calif.; Virgil Welch of La Verne, Calif., and Bob Dittmer of
Fresno, Calif.   

13) Several unscheduled events taking place during the 1997 Annual
Conference include daily worship held during the lunch break on the
convention center lawn sponsored by Womaen's Caucus,
Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns, Christian
Peacemaker Teams and Supportive Congregations Network. The group
Kindling, spawned at the 1996 Annual Conference in Cincinnati, will
perform an off-site concert Friday night centering on themes of
peace, justice and inclusiveness.    

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