Newsline: Resolution on Afghanistan, budget parameters highlight Church of the Brethren board meetin

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Church of the Brethren Newsline - July 3, 2011

Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services, Church of the  
Brethren, 224-735-9692, cobnews@brethren.org<mailto:cobnews@brethren.org

RESOLUTION ON AFGHANISTAN, BUDGET PARAMETER HIGHLIGHTS CHURCH OF THE BRETHR EN 
BOARD MEETING

Meeting on July 2 prior to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in  
Grand Rapids, Mich., the denomination’s Mission and Ministry Board approv ed a 
resolution on Afghanistan, sharply reduced its budget for 2012, heard  several 
reports, and participated in presentation of this year's Open Roof  Award.

The resolution on Afghanistan was forwarded for consideration by the Annual  
Conference. The last time the Church of the Brethren spoke on Afghanistan  was 
when the board issued a resolution after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist  attacks.

The resolution calls on the President and members of Congress to began an i 
mmediate withdrawal of all combat troops, and instead to invest resources i nto 
the development of the Afghan people and infrastructure.

Six other recommendations urge the Church of the Brethren to become more en 
gaged in areas such as humanitarian aid, alternatives to violence, ministry  to 
those affected by the war, interfaith and intercultural dialogue, and s tudy, 
prayer, and action related to just peacemaking.

The board approved a parameter for the denomination’s 2012 budget that re 
quires reductions of $638,000 to achieve a balanced budget in the Core Mini 
stries Fund. Approval of the detailed, line-item budget of $4.9 million wil l 
be delayed beyond the usual October timeline in order to accomplish the r 
eductions. A need to reduce the 2012 budget had been anticipated by staff a nd 
board doing financial planning over the past year.

>Among other business items, the board:

-- heard reports from Ruthann Knechel Johansen, president of Bethany Theolo 
gical Seminary, who represented the Church of the Brethren at the Internati 
onal Ecumenical Peace Conference in Kingston, Jamaica; and board member And y 
Hamilton, who participated in a delegation to celebrate the completion of  100 
homes in Haiti;

-- received an update on development of the Ministerial Leadership paper;

-- participated in honoring Oakton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, which rece 
ived this year's Open Roof Award for its efforts in the area of disabilitie s. 
Each year, the Church of the Brethren Caring Ministries awards a congreg ation 
that makes strides in welcoming people with disabilities.

Ben Barlow is beginning a two-year term as board chair, with Becky Ball-Mil ler 
serving as chair-elect. Other members selected for the Executive Commit tee 
were Andy Hamilton and Pam Reist.

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