On Earth Peace checks out 'multicultural pulse' of the church.

The On Earth Peace Board of Directors and staff met April 15-16 at New Windsor, Md., on the theme "Signs of the Present; Hope for the Future." The board's Advancement, Personnel, Finance, and Executive Committees met April 14. Chair Bev Weaver led in continued use of a formal consensus process for discussion and decision-making.

Board members brought reports and reflections from 18 districts. Prior to the meeting, they had been given the assignment to contact districts to check out the "multicultural pulse" of the church at district and local levels. Staff brought the idea of working with a consultant in the ongoing work of being and becoming an anti-racist organization. Amid discernment regarding cost, an outside versus inside-the-church consultant, and who would be most helpful to an all-white staff yet more diverse board, there was growing commitment from the board to support the staff in this decision.

Board members Dena Lee and Debbie Roberts, and staff Kim Stuckey Hissong, reported on the Anabaptist Consultation on Alternative Service held in March in Elgin, Ill. The board discussed creating a contingency plan in case of the resumption of a military draft. Roberts, Lee, and board member Phil Miller will join staff in developing the plan. Hissong also reported on a conference call hosted by On Earth Peace for those interested in countering military recruitment efforts in communities and high schools. Sixteen people participated in the call.

Treasurer Phil Miller shared a positive year-to-date financial report and an increase in both congregational and individual giving. The Finance Committee proposed a revision in the endowment policy, which was adopted by the board. The revision allows undesignated planned gifts to be placed in the endowment, used for current needs, or used for the Program Reserve Fund--a new fund that will hold moneys for specific extra-budgetary projects. The Advancement Committee shared new development ideas, many of which came out of Bob Gross' time of sabbatical. A new video created by Wilbur Mullen about Brethren Service during World War II was reviewed as a potential fundraiser.

In other business, the Personnel Committee shared plans to distribute a survey at Annual Conference during the On Earth Peace report, asking about the importance and priority of peacemaking in the life of the church. The Nominating Committee is exploring using a discernment process to determine a slate rather than a ballot for board members in the future, followed by testing consensus among On Earth Peace constituents rather than holding an election. The Executive Committee will coordinate a review of the organization's experience of having an increase in dispersed staff, and will report at the September board meeting.

Plans for upcoming events were reviewed including the Heartland Song and Story Fest July 6-12; a workshop on "Dealing with Difficult Behaviors," developed and led by Paul Roth; "Seeking Peace: The Courage to Be Nonviolent," a gathering hosted by the historic peace churches in partnership with the Plowshares Peace Studies Collaborative, Sept. 8-11; and a Regional Junior High Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in New Windsor, Md., sponsored by On Earth Peace with eight districts and the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office. On Earth Peace will co-sponsor a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation again in 2006, probably in January.

The board also welcomed new members Robbie Miller of Bridgewater, Va., and Joe Detrick, executive of Southern Pennsylvania District, who serves as liaison with the Council of District Executives. For more information about On Earth Peace, see www.brethren.org/oepa/.

Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
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