New issue of ‘Brethren Life and Thought’ sent to wide audience.

The current issue of "Brethren Life and Thought"--Vol. 54, No.1 and 2--is in the mail to a wide audience, said an announcement from the Brethren Journal Association. The journal is published jointly with Bethany Theological Seminary.

With Lilly Endowment Inc. funding, the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership partnered with the Brethren Journal Association to publish this double edition and make it available to pastors throughout the denomination. This issue features articles by eight pastors who participated in the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) program.

The SPE program is designed to bring pastors together to worship, study, participate in theological reflection, and travel as a way to grow professionally. The articles in this issue share some of their findings and reflections. The issue also includes a report by Steve Clapp on the "Church of the Brethren 2008 Pastoral Study Project," a study designed to better understand the needs, concerns, and effectiveness of pastors.

Study questions and other resources for individuals and groups to use with these articles can be found at www.bethanyseminary.edu.

In addition, this volume begins a series of 12 new "Texts in Transit" studies by Graydon Snyder and Kenneth Shaffer as a way to publish revisions to their books "Texts in Transit I" and "Texts in Transit II," originally published by Brethren Press.

The Brethren Journal Association notes that subscribers will notice the absence of color text inside the journal in the future. Eliminating color text is one decision the association has made to publish within budget limitations. Double issues also are more economical, so there will be an increase in the use of double issues with the possibility of several months between publication of the issues. At the same time, the association remains committed to finding a way to get publication of the journal onto a current schedule.

-- Karen Garrett is managing editor of "Brethren Life and Thought."

Source: 2/25/2010 Newsline