a compelling vision
Church of the Brethren Annual Conference will be held July 3-7 in Greensboro, NC. Our delegate from Mountain View Fellowship will be Ron Oleyar. Ron and Gail will be attending, along with Mona and myself. This year’s conference is unique in that most of the business has been suspended so the focus can be on developing a “compelling vision” for our denomination. I will share some information about that process from the Annual Conference website.
Delegates to Annual Conference two years ago affirmed the assertion that “to stay on the journey together, it is also crucial that the church discern the compelling vision that this body of Christ is called to pursue.” As a result, in 2018, the delegate body voted to set aside all new business in 2019 to free up time to focus on discerning a vision for the Church of the Brethren.
The discernment process, launched at the 2018 Annual Conference, continued throughout the year with conversations in districts and with various constituency groups. The Compelling Vision Process was designed to encourage balanced conversation around three basic areas of visioning:
I will also note that Compelling Vision sessions were held in Shenandoah District this past winter and spring. Several of us from Mountain View Fellowship attended a session held at Pleasant Valley Church. This topic was also addressed by Annual Conference Moderator, Donita Keister, at a recent Annual Conference delegate briefing.
Please be in prayer for our Annual Conference and for all those involved in developing a Compelling Vision that can move us forward together as a denomination.
Pastor Wayne
Delegates to Annual Conference two years ago affirmed the assertion that “to stay on the journey together, it is also crucial that the church discern the compelling vision that this body of Christ is called to pursue.” As a result, in 2018, the delegate body voted to set aside all new business in 2019 to free up time to focus on discerning a vision for the Church of the Brethren.
The discernment process, launched at the 2018 Annual Conference, continued throughout the year with conversations in districts and with various constituency groups. The Compelling Vision Process was designed to encourage balanced conversation around three basic areas of visioning:
- How congregations are serving and ministering in and through their life together, helping us understand what is important to congregations and how we might better equip and support one another as we embrace our common passions for ministry in our local settings.
- How we can better come together as many congregations, joining hands to engage in mission and ministry that is bigger than one congregation can accomplish on its own.
- How we can transform and better manage the division and conflict that have been a barrier to our full effectiveness in ministry as the Church of the Brethren.
I will also note that Compelling Vision sessions were held in Shenandoah District this past winter and spring. Several of us from Mountain View Fellowship attended a session held at Pleasant Valley Church. This topic was also addressed by Annual Conference Moderator, Donita Keister, at a recent Annual Conference delegate briefing.
Please be in prayer for our Annual Conference and for all those involved in developing a Compelling Vision that can move us forward together as a denomination.
Pastor Wayne