The Intercultural Study Committee requested and received an extension to give its final report with action recommendations at the 2007 Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. We appreciate the support and understanding of this issue's complexity and seriousness by the delegate body, the congregations and districts they represent, and the church officers and staff.
Since our report must be filed by February 1, 2007, here is our plan to complete the final two of our five assigned tasks:
- Continue research on how other denominations and churches are addressing the topic.
- Continue evaluation of past recommendations to Annual Conference.
- Continue interviews and focus groups to elicit specific action steps.
- Collect and analyze results from current surveys being conducted within the denomination.
- Collect and analyze feedback and discussion through this web log.
We ask Church of the Brethren members and friends to continue to:
- Pray for the Intercultural Study Committee and its work.
- Provide feedback about possible action recommendations.
- Recommend additional reading and/or study guide materials.
- Hold continued dialogue within the congregations and denomination about how God is guiding us to the Revelation 7:9 vision.
- Engage in deliberate study of the history, culture, faith, etc., of ethnically and culturally diverse sisters and brothers by inviting them as guest speakers to lead study groups.
- Include cultural minorities within our congregations, districts and at the denominational level in program planning for all events.
- Initiate pulpit exchanges, exchange music and worship programs, visit one another's worship services.
- Invite the Anti-Racism Team to train church members and leadership. (Contact Congregational Life Ministries for more information.)
- Engage in deliberate dialogue with different cultural groups and include them in planning and hosting intercultural events.
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