Planners refine process, goals for ecclesiology consultation.

A unique group of high-level Church of the Brethren leaders met May 12-13 at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., for a thoughtful and, at moments, passionate planning session for a denomination-wide consultation on ecclesiology, or the nature of the church. The broad intent of the work is to help bring about a renewal of the church. The consultation was initiated in 2003 with a statement from the district executives identifying fragmentation in the denomination and calling for conversation "concerning who, whose, and what we are."

The planning group, a gathering of church leaders that may not occur in any other setting, includes district executives and representatives of Annual Conference and Conference agencies, and is not consistently the same group of individuals. This was the third meeting for the group, which wrestled with practical matters such as how to ensure participation by the diversity of the denomination, how to identify an evocative theme, how to acquire funding, how to train facilitators for the discussion, and how to structure a launch event for the consultation.

The group is requesting of the Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee that the launch event be a day at the 2006 Conference in which ordinary business is set aside. Conference was identified as a forum to ensure as broad a representation of the denomination as possible. If the request for Conference time cannot be met, a separate launch event will be held. The process will continue with regional events and a culminating celebration in 2007. A key component will be a study guide, prepared for the launch event and then made available to the denomination. Districts will be invited to use the consultation theme for their 2006 conferences.

Ron and Harriet Finney agreed to be volunteer coordinators for the regional events and for a training event for those who will facilitate the discussions. The Finneys are retired from leadership in South/Central Indiana District and Harriet was moderator of the 2003 Conference.

At the meeting, discussion came to focus on a spiritually searching question, What is God's yearning for the Church of the Brethren? "It's an imperative conversation," said Jonathan Shively, director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, who also called the consultation "risky" for church leaders who in initiating it, must be ready and willing to lead based on their findings. Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden characterized the consultation as exercise for the church's "muscles of conversation," a way of practicing on more fundamental issues now in order to be prepared to take on more difficult questions in the future.

"We want everybody to be part of the conversation," said Southern Ohio district executive Mark Flory Steury, who chairs the group, during a sometimes heated discussion of how to represent the diversity of the denomination. Related worries for the group were that Brethren may not share their excitement for the conversation, that the consultation be a constructive dialogue rather than a forum for polarizing issues, and that it result in renewal and change.

Shively's question, "Who is listening?" prompted the group to discuss the possibility of naming a "listening team" with responsibility to listen to and reflect on responses that are generated. Responses already have been solicited from diverse groups such as the Brethren Revival Fellowship, Womaen's Caucus, and the Brethren and Mennonite Council for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns.

"People have been in prayer for so long in so many ways for the church. I believe this is part of the answer," said Ron Finney. "We're going to do something and put it into God's hands."

At this meeting, Mark Flory Steury, Virlina District executive minister David Shumate, and the Finneys represented the districts; Annual Conference was represented by secretary Fred Swartz; the Association of Brethren Caregivers was represented by executive director Kathy Reid; Matt Guynn, peace witness program coordinator, represented On Earth Peace; academic dean Stephen Reid and faculty Jeff Bach and Dena Pence Frantz represented Bethany Theological Seminary; Jonathan Shively attended from the Brethren Academy; and Stan Noffsinger, general secretary, and staff Wendy McFadden, Mary Jo Flory Steury, Julie Hostetter, and Del Keeney represented the General Board.

Source: 6/04/2004 Newsline
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