Dear friends, sisters and brothers,
In our final update, we are pleased to announce that the 2007 Annual Conference delegates overwhelmingly approved the Intercultural Study Committee's final report, "Separate No More."
We are thankful for every Church member's prayers during the past three years. We are grateful for the study, conversation, and on-going dialog that provided valuable insight to our findings.
Although our work as a study committee is done, this is a new beginning for the Church of the Brethren and an opportunity for growth, transformation, and healing.
"As we prepare to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Church of the Brethren, we call all our sisters and brothers to recommit themselves to radical discipleship that embraces our traditional witness of peace, simplicity, compassion, and stewardship of God's creation. We give thanks for the old wineskins (Matthew 9:17) that faithfully carried forth the living witness of Christ in our world. But in the spirit of transformation found in Romans 12:2, it is time to make new wineskins for the future of the Church of the Brethren.
"Therefore, we recommend that the denomination widen the relevancy of our witness to those 'from every nation, people, tribe and tongue' by adopting Revelation 7:9 as our denominational vision for the remainder of the 21st century. Thus, we can clearly articulate to ourselves, our friends, and the unchurched that we are - and will be - SEPARATE NO MORE."
Blessings in Christ,
Asha
Darla Kay
Gilbert
Glenn
Nadine
Neemita
Thomas
7.11.2007
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