Legal documents are filed to establish Church of the Brethren, Inc.

Legal documents have been successfully filed by the Sept. 1 date to establish the Church of the Brethren, Inc., as the new denominational organization. The new organization was initially created by the 2007 Annual Conference when it adopted the recommendation of the Review and Evaluation Committee to unite the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) and the General Board into a new incorporated legal entity.

In July, the 2008 Conference adopted resolutions approving the plan and agreement of merger of ABC and the General Board into a single corporation. The new organization also incorporates the functions of the Annual Conference Council.

Sept. 1 was the official start date for the new denominational organization. The name of the organization is Church of the Brethren, Inc. In the course of day-to-day activities, however, simply the name "Church of the Brethren" will be used where previously agency names of "General Board" or "Association of Brethren Caregivers" were used.

The Caring Ministries of the Church of the Brethren is the new name for the areas of the church's work known previously as ministries of ABC. The name of the new denominational board is the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren.

A donations process has been announced by Church of the Brethren funding staff, for the rest of this year and into the future. Staff emphasize that congregations should not reduce allocations, as all ministries of ABC and the General Board are continuing and will need financial support.

Congregations and individual donors are requested to make checks payable to the "Church of the Brethren." General Board and ABC allocations should be combined into one check if possible. Notations on checks can read "Core ministries," which is the main budget support for denominational ministries that are not self-funded, and now is the main budget support for the Caring Ministries. "If a particular ministry is a donor's passion the memo line can carry that restriction and the funds will be placed and used accordingly," said the announcement.

"We will continue to be good stewards of all donated funds," said Ken Neher, director of stewardship and donor development for the Church of the Brethren, "and diligently continue the work of Jesus as your partner in mission and ministry."

Source: 9/10/2008 Newsline