Church of the Brethren

A statement outlining a set of ministry priorities for the Church of the Brethren denomination has guided the Mission and Ministry Board’s decision on the 2025 budget. These priorities, identified by executive-level staff following a series of retreats that general secretary David Steele held over the past year, were outlined by Steele working with the Executive Committee.

The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board held a special Zoom meeting Dec. 5 to act on a proposal for the 2025 budget for denominational ministries. Two items were acted on: The board approved the 2025 budget proposal brought by general secretary David Steele and treasurer Ed Woolf and recommended by the Executive Committee. The board supported a request from the board of Atlantic Southeast District for a day of prayer and fasting for immigrants.

Church of the Brethren treasurer Ed Woolf presented a year-to-date financial report to the Mission and Ministry Board’s meeting on Dec. 5, anticipating a good outcome in terms of giving to the denominational ministries.

Rachel Johnson and Anna Schweitzer will coordinate National Youth Conference (NYC) 2026. They will begin work with the 2025-2026 National Youth Cabinet in the new year to begin planning for NYC. The event will be held at the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park, Colo., from July 18-23, 2026.

Leah J. Hileman began Dec. 10 as district executive minister for the Church of the Brethren’s West Marva District, serving in a half-time position. She was ordained in 2011 in Atlantic Southeast District and is currently pastoring Robinson Church of the Brethren in Seward, Pa., in a quarter-time capacity. She lives in Seward and will travel as needed to West Marva District to carry out this role.

In this isssue: Remembering Doris Coppock, Mauri Flora, Leon Neher, and Ray Hileman; the Church of the Brethren Health Care Education Scholarship; upcoming Youth and Young Adult events; registration opens soon for FaithX trips in 2025; think of giving Messenger for Christmas; Brethren Volunteer Service orientation dates for 2025; property manager opening at Brethren Woods; Shine seeks writers; Southeastern District thank you; and more

The On Earth Peace board of directors held its fall 2024 meeting on Oct. 26, marking just over six months since the implementation of our new board meeting structure. Over the past year, we have welcomed several new members to the board, and as a result, we dedicated intentional time to getting to know each other better.

The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Initiative (GFI) has issued a recent round of grants supporting work for food security and related needs including $15,000 for purchase of farmland in Uganda, $6,470 for a well project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, $825 for a farming project of the emerging Tanzania Church of the Brethren, $5,000 in continued support for the Soybean Value Chain project of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria, and $15,000 for the Wings of Blessing and Hope Farm Poultry Project of ASIGLEH, the Church of the Brethren in Venezuela.

The ICM Café Cohort offers monthly opportunities to participate in intercultural skills that we all can learn and share with our churches to be competent culturally, together.

Recent grants made from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) have been directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries to extend aid to organizations working in response to humanitarian needs created by the war between Israel and Hamas, with the violence now extended beyond Gaza into the West Bank and Lebanon

In this issue: Remembering Michele Firebaugh, South Sudan Matching Gift Campaign ends Saturday, send a Christmas card to a BVSer, Messenger's Thanksgiving playlist, the Global Women's Project annual Advent calendar, and much more

Keynote speaker Dennis R. Edwards of North Park Theological Seminary, and preachers Etienne Nsanzimana of the Church of the Brethren in Rwanda and Jeff Carter of Bethany Theological Seminary, led the main sessions at the first-ever L.E.A.D. Conference of the Church of the Brethren on Nov. 15-17.

Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) deployed a local team of volunteers to Ventura County, Calif., providing a calm presence to children affected by the recent Mountain Fire. Volunteers living within a two-hour drive served at a Local Assistance Center (LAC) in Camarillo, Calif.

In this issue: Nominations still needed for the ballot for the 2025 Annual Conference, order the 2024 Advent Devotional from Brethren Press, Katy Gray Brown joins the Bethany Seminary board, Sing Me Home hosts its final event of 2024 this Saturday, at Manchester Church of the Brethren, the December episode of Brethren Voices, and a new resource from Creation Justice Ministries.

Upcoming events from the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership include the annual Clergy Tax Seminar with leadership from Deb Oskin, scheduled for Feb. 1, 2025, as an online webinar; and the course “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” with leadership from Christy Waltersdorff, scheduled for Jan. 15-March 11, 2025, as an online course via the Moodle virtual classroom.

The South Sudan Matching Gift Campaign that celebrates the Church of the Brethren ministry that is growing in South Sudan is in its last weeks. We are raising funding to help support a variety of projects in South Sudan that include agriculture, community development, theological training, and equipment for ministry.

On election day, Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren—which served as a polling site—also offered voters a separate “poll” inviting them to pledge actions that strengthen the community. In a world of political division, it recognized the importance of uniting around shared values and everyday service that uplifts everyone in the neighborhood.

Recent grants made from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) have been directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries

The director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, Jenn Dorsch-Messler, traveled through Virginia and North Carolina the week of Oct. 21 to visit with Church of the Brethren district and church leaders. The trip responded to the impact of Hurricane Helen in both states.

Let’s take the opportunity, in small groups of three or four people, to share, listen to, and process our feelings and observations about racial justice and racism in our lives as Brethren by coming together via Zoom on Nov. 23 from 1-5 p.m. (Eastern time). During this four-hour session, members of the Standing with People of Color Committee will help you experience the “7 Prompts” and the BELOVED model of communication first-hand.