Board sends Afghanistan resolution to Conference, sets reduced budget parameter for 2012.

In a partial-day meeting on July 2, the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board approved a resolution on Afghanistan that was sent for adoption to the Conference (see above story), sharply reduced the budget for 2012, heard reports, and participated in presentation of this year's Open Roof Award.

The board approved a parameter for the 2012 budget that requires reductions of $638,000 to achieve a balanced budget in the Core Ministries Fund. Approval of the detailed, line-item budget of $4.9 million will be delayed beyond the usual October timeline in order to accomplish the reductions. A need to reduce the 2012 budget had been anticipated by staff and board doing financial planning over the past year.

Among other business items, the board:

• heard reports from Ruthann Knechel Johansen, who represented the church at the International Ecumenical Peace Conference in Jamaica; and board member Andy Hamilton, who participated in a delegation to celebrate the completion of 100 homes in Haiti;
  
  
• received an update on development of the Ministerial Leadership paper;
  
  
• participated in honoring Oakton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, which received this year's Open Roof Award for its efforts in the area of disabilities.

Ben Barlow is beginning a two-year term as board chair, with Becky Ball-Miller serving as chair-elect. Other members selected for the Executive Committee were Andy Hamilton and Pam Reist.

Source: 7/7/2011 Newsline