Implementation Committee makes significant progress.

After two days of meetings, the Annual Conference committee charged with the task of how to implement the streamlining of two church agencies has made significant progress. The Implementation Committee was elected by the Conference as part of its adoption of recommendations from the Review and Evaluation Study Committee that assessed the program work of the denomination. A seven-member committee was chosen to address ways the recommendations could best be implemented.

The Implementation Committee began its meeting Oct. 30 in Elgin, Ill., by dividing some of the responsibilities of the committee between the three members elected by Annual Conference. John Neff from Harrisonburg, Va., was chosen to serve as convener. Gary Crim from Dayton, Ohio, will handle legal aspects of the task. David Sollenberger of Annville, Pa., will coordinate interpretation of the committee’s recommendations.

Other members of the committee are the heads of the three program agencies of the church--Kathy Reid of the Association of Brethren Caregivers, Stan Noffsinger of the General Board, and Bob Gross of On Earth Peace--and Lerry Fogle of the Annual Conference office.

Relying on the groundwork laid by informal discussions of the three agency heads and members of their boards prior to the first meeting of the Implementation Committee, the group unanimously agreed to the following recommendation to the 2008 Annual Conference:

"We recommend to the 2008 Annual Conference that the General Board and the Association of Brethren Caregivers be united in a single entity, incorporated as ‘Church of the Brethren, Inc.,’ effective Aug. 1, 2008. This corporation will assume responsibility for the functions previously assigned to the Annual Conference Council. Annual Conference will be the annual meeting of the corporation and will continue to be the highest authority in the church. On Earth Peace, Bethany Theological Seminary, and Brethren Benefit Trust will continue to be reportable and accountable to Annual Conference and will work in collaboration with the new organization, but are not affected structurally by this recommendation."

In addition to the recommendation, the committee discussed organizational structure of the new corporation, details of which will be available in the coming months. The committee is scheduled to meet again in mid-December to finalize the presentation of documents for the new corporation for the Annual Conference booklet, as well as to clarify details of the make up of the board.

More details of the recommendation may be available on the Annual Conference website by March 2008, after the boards of the agencies involved are consulted.

Source: 11/07/2007 Newsline