Moderator encourages the church, Conference consecrates leaders for 2006 and 2007.

Annual Conference moderator Jim Hardenbrook expressed hope, trust, and gratitude for the Church of the Brethren as he led delegates in business sessions and preached for opening worship. He also continued his call to the church to fix its eyes on Jesus.

The Conference was held in Peoria, Ill., July 2-6. Total registration came to 3,341 including 858 delegates.

Through his travels as moderator, Hardenbrook has found that "hope and trust are on the rise in our denomination." Church renewal and new church development are close to the top of most district agendas, he said, but added, "I remain concerned about the health of our congregations." The moderator opened each business session with a reading from the gospels, to continue the emphasis on gospel reading that he has encouraged.

The Annual Conference moderator and moderator-elect for 2006 were consecrated on July 6. The new moderator, Ronald D. Beachley, executive minister of Western Pennsylvania District, received the gavel in an official handing-over of the position from Hardenbrook. "It's beautiful," said Hardenbrook, gavel in hand. But the Annual Conference moderator's gavel is designed to be difficult to hold and not to fit in the hand comfortably, he added. That's the way church leaders should handle power, he said. "So hold this carefully," he told the new moderator.

In his first statement as moderator, Beachley called the denomination to prepare for next year's Conference with three disciplines: daily reading of a chapter in the New Testament aloud; fasting from food, television, the Internet, or another aspect of life the first day of each month; and praying daily for someone who does not know Christ. "We will come back next year and share our stories of how that has affected people's lives," he said.

Moderator-elect Belita D. Mitchell also was consecrated. Beachley will lead Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 1-5, 2006, and Mitchell will lead the Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, June 30-July 4, 2007.

Source: 7/07/2005 Newsline
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