Inter-Agency Forum discusses decline in church membership.

The Inter-Agency Forum, a component of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, held its annual meeting Feb. 1-2 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Two major concerns occupied much of the discussion reported Conference secretary Fred Swartz, a proposal from the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) to examine the structure and vision of the Church of the Brethren, and the declining membership of the denomination.

Jim Hardenbrook, immediate past moderator of Annual Conference, presided at the meeting that included the Conference officers, a representative of the Council of District Executives, and the executives and board chairs of the five Annual Conference agencies--Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC), Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, General Board, and On Earth Peace.

ABC served as the meeting host. Fred Swartz, Conference secretary, issued the report of the meeting.

Concern about the vision and structure of the denomination originated in the ABC Board, which has made a proposal for Annual Conference to examine the structure and vision of the denomination, "toward a greater sense of unity and a more responsible stewardship of resources," Swartz reported. The forum referred the matter to the Annual Conference Review and Evaluation Committee.

"The second issue concerned the declining membership of the Church of the Brethren," Swartz said. "Jim Hardenbrook raised the concern, but it was rapidly evident that several of the agencies have had discussion within their boards about the matter." The General Board is supporting a survey of factors contributing to the membership and attendance decline, and Brethren Benefit Trust and Bethany Seminary both have had discussions relating to the relationship of the decline to the number of constituents available for their programs, Swartz said.

"Several other ideas related to the decline were noted, such as cultural and social factors, family patterns, the Brethren style of evangelism, and confusion about Brethren identity," Swartz said. "The agencies agreed to keep this matter on their agendas, to give it prayer and to continue to look for answers."

"What is the Good News," said Hardenbrook, "is that it is not our church. It is God's church."

The meeting also included an evaluation of the 2005 Annual Conference and a look ahead to the 2006 Conference. A report was received on an initiative on wellness by ABC, Brethren Benefit Trust, and the General Board, with ABC providing overall administration including hiring a fulltime director. Each agency, Annual Conference, and the Council of District Executives gave additional reports and projections for future ministries. Summaries are available, call the Annual Conference Office at 800-323-8039.

Source: 3/15/2006 Newsline
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