Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Feb. 19, 2008 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN AGENCIES APPROVE JOINT RESOLUTION URGING FORBEARANCE
(Feb. 19, 2008) Elgin, IL -- "A Resolution Urging Forbearance" has been approved by the boards of three of the five agencies of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference: the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC)--which initiated the resolution--and the General Board and On Earth Peace. The resolution is to come to the 2008 Annual Conference this July for consideration by the body of delegates representing the denomination's congregations and districts.
The ABC board and its executive director Kathy Reid shared the paper with the other agencies as "a great concern" to help the church in a world where people are driven apart by deep differences. The resolution also is intended to help the denomination recognize the time it takes for the church to work through difficult issues. The ABC board hoped to "take a strong statement to the body of Annual Conference," according to comments by Reid at the October meeting of the General Board.
After the resolution met with a mixed reaction from the General Board, the group voted to receive the document for the purpose of collaboration. A joint committee including members from the boards of the three agencies then continued work on refining the wording of the resolution. The General Board and the On Earth Peace board adopted the revised resolution in January.
The text of the short resolution begins, "We find ourselves in a world where people are driven apart by deep differences. These divisions seep into the church, pitting us against one another in action and language. Yet God has entrusted us with a ministry of reconciliation."
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 and Matthew 5:17, and giving a brief review of scriptural references to forbearance--Ephesians 4:2 and 6:9, Colossians 3:13, and 2 Corinthians 12:6--the paper also quotes from statements of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and offers an overview of Brethren tradition and history with regard to the practice of forbearance in the church.
"In the ministry of reconciliation we are called to love and care for each other before we are called to correct one another. Before we are conservative, liberal, evangelical, progressive, or any one of the many labels we put on one another, we are children of God and brothers and sisters in the church," the document states.
In closing it offers five specific resolutions:
--"That we commit ourselves to forbearance which recognizes and respects differences of opinion and differing degrees of spiritual insight. We will show deference in disputable matters (Romans 14:1) while practicing prayerful study and conversation in core beliefs";
--"That we agree to see our differences, not as discord, but as the blessing which can come when we openly discuss our disagreements, address our conflicts, and share our faith perspectives";
--"That, with our forbearers, we continue to treasure both faithfulness to truth and openness to new light";
--"In all circumstances, we will embrace our commitment to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ as equally important to our other theological beliefs (1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Ephesians 4:32)"; and
--"That we pledge ourselves on matters where we are not of one mind to let the Holy Spirit draw us together to be of one heart."
The full text of the resolution is at
www.brethren.org/genbd/GBResolutions/index.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 celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts almost 130,000 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 General Board 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
********************************************************** To receive Church of the Brethren news via an e-mail list serv, go to http://listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/newsline