wfn.org | Newsline: Special resource committee concludes work for Church of the Brethren

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service,

>News Director Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford,

>800-323-8039 ext. 260,

>cobnews@brethren.org

>SPECIAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE CONCLUDES ITS WORK

>FOR CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

(April 12, 2010) Elgin, IL -- The Church of the Brethren's Special

Response Resource Committee has completed its work to provide

a bibliography of suggested study resources and a study guide for

congregations to explore issues of human sexuality.

The resources are posted at www.cobannualconference.org/special_response_re 
source.html.

The group was named by the church's Standing Committee of

district delegates following an action by the 2009 Annual Conference

of the Church of the Brethren to accept two items of business as

"special response" items to be dealt with using a process for strongly

controversial issues. The group was charged with developing resources

in order to aid the church in a conversation process set in motion by the

>Conference decision.

Last year's action identifying the two business items--"A Statement of

Confession and Commitment" and "Query: Language on Same-Sex

Covenantal Relationships"--as special response items has set in motion

at least two years of intentional denomination-wide conversation on the

>two documents.

Next steps in the special response process include two hearings at the

2010 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., one on July 3 and another on

July 6. After this year's Conference, districts are encouraged to schedule

special hearings or discussions, and congregations are encouraged to use

the study guide and resources recommended by the Special Response

>Resource Committee.

Also posted at www.brethren.org/ac are a number of other documents relating

to the business and schedule for the 2010 Conference.

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 celebr ated

its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the

United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nige ria,

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