Northern Indiana holds conference at Goshen City Church.

Annual Conference moderator James Beckwith was the Friday evening worship speaker at the 148th District Conference of Northern Indiana District, held at Goshen (Ind.) City Church of the Brethren on Sept. 14-15. The district selected the denomination's 300th Anniversary theme for its conference: "Surrendered to GOD, Transformed by CHRIST, and Empowered by the SPIRIT."

Beckwith invited the conference to "plant some seeds" for God to nurture and bring to growth. As a symbolic reminder, each of the worshipers received a single wheat seed to remind them of a particular individual in whom they might plant a gospel seed. The opening worship service was preceded by a half-hour concert presented by the choir of Walnut Church of the Brethren in Argos, Ind.

Worship was followed by two insight sessions, one led by Beckwith and the district's 300th Anniversary Committee, and a second led by Nevin Dulabaum of the Brethren Benefit Trust focused on increasing a church's media exposure.

Saturday's business session led by district moderator Tim Sollenberger
Morphew began with a multimedia roll call including church pictures and a brief statement highlighting each congregation's community ministry. The delegates affirmed the appointment of David Wysong to serve as 2008 district moderator. This appointment was to fill the term of Ruthann Knechel Johansen, who resigned as moderator-elect following her call to serve as president of Bethany Theological Seminary.

Through a slate, delegates called to district leadership Tim Waits as moderator-elect, Beth Sollenberger Morphew and Gene Hollenberg to the District Board, Joe Long and Mary Helfrich to the Personnel Committee, Marie Tom to the Program and Arrangements Committee, and Margaret Pletcher as district representative to the Standing Committee of Annual Conference. Additional appointments to the boards of institutions related to the district also were approved.

Delegates received the report of the District Board, which included an announcement of the appointment of Rich Troyer of Middlebury (Ind.) Church of the Brethren as district youth coordinator; information about the district's plans to celebrate the 300th Anniversary; financial reports for 2006 and the first six months of 2007; recognition of Ruth Dilling as "Volunteer of the Year" for her work with youth; recognition of new pastors in the district; and information the district has received from Lilly Endowment to prepare a proposal and apply for a grant.

The business session approved a district budget for 2008 of $175,900, after considerable discussion. Delegates also received informational reports from district and denominational institutions and agencies, and visited their exhibits.

Source: 10/24/2007 Newsline