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Date: Sept. 1, 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
September 1, 2005

Church of the Brethren Southern Plains District holds 39th District
Conference

Sept. 1, 2005 (Elgin, IL) --  The 39th District Conference of the  Church of
the Brethrenâs Southern Plains District was held July 28-30 at Big
 Creek
Church of the Brethren in Cushing, Okla. Moderator Dean Stump presided. A  total
of 20 delegates were seated, an increase from 16 last year.

Pre-conference highlights were a pastor's training event led by Jonathan
Shively, director of the Brethren Academy, focusing on "Overcoming the
Dark Side
of Leadership" by Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima. Ronald Beachley, moderator
of  the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, brought a compelling message
at  the conference opening worship Thursday evening. Shively brought three
very  challenging messages during conference as the main speaker.

District Board reports and actions included recognition of the	Redevelopment
Grant of $1,500 awarded to Family Faith Fellowship in Enid, Okla.;  a
decision to officially close the Enid Community Church of the Brethren;  availability
of the Growing Faithful Disciples resources to the churches;  viewing the
Outreach Packet video and distribution to the churches; and a  decision to
participate in the Together Conversations on Being the Church  process.
The board
also learned that ordination reviews are near  completion.

The Nurture Witness Commission voted to send a team from Falfurias to the
Cross Cultural meeting. The commission also is working on a scrapbook of
pictures to "put faces	to the wonderful volunteers" involved in all the
Nurture/Witness activities.

In other business the conference body received with appreciation a joint
video report from the Annual Conference agencies, followed by brief
reports from
the two agencies assigned to report to the district this year. Bethany
Theological Seminary with Shively highlighted the "Pilgrimage of Faith, A Future
with Hope" l00th anniversary celebration; On Earth Peace with Bob Gross
highlighted the work of the Ministry of Reconciliation. The annual auction
benefitting Spring Lake Camp and Retreat Center brought $4,467.

The District Conference for 2006 will be at Roanoke (La.) Church of the
Brethren. The conference elected Jack Graves as moderator and Jim Kelly as
moderator-elect for 2006. Jackie Balmer is the Standing Committee
delegate.  George
Brooks was elected to serve as board chair in a reorganization meeting.

"There is a special quality to our conference that is perhaps not found
elsewhere," reported A. Joan Lowry, district executive minister. "Our special
thanks to the Big Creek church for the hospitality and wonderful food, all the
good humor, and deep love of the Lord that is always present."

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
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org)

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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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