wfn.org | Newsline: Church of the Brethren merges denominational agencies

["COBNews Newsline" <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- July 21, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

>CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MERGES CHURCH AGENCIES

(July 21, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren Annual
Conference unanimously adopted resolutions approving the plan and
agreement of merger of two of the denomination's agencies, during
meetings in Richmond, Va., on July 14.

The action merges the Church of the Brethren General Board and the
Association of Brethren Caregivers into a single corporation. The action
changes the name of the new organization to Church of the Brethren,
Inc.

The resolutions were presented by the Implementation Committee
elected in 2007 to create a plan for the merger, after the Annual
Conference adopted the recommendation of a Review and Evaluation
Committee to unite the agencies into a new incorporated legal entity.

In adopting the resolutions, the Conference also approved articles of
incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. The action combines
the boards of the two agencies into one new board called the Mission and
Ministry Board. It creates a new Leadership Team for the denomination,
which will include the Annual Conference Officers and the general
secretary of the Church of the Brethren. All ministries of the two boards
will continue in the new organization.

The action does not affect the organization of the Church of the Brethren
Annual Conference, which continues to be the highest and final
legislative authority of the denomination.

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 more than 125,000
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

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