Districts continue Special Response hearings.

In an update on the district hearings that are part of the denomination’s Special Response process on issues of sexuality, several districts have announced upcoming dates:

Virlina District has announced its first five hearings for Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va.; Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. at Topeco Church of the Brethren in Floyd, Va.; Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Cloverdale (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at West Richmond Church of the Brethren in Henrico, Va.; and Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Bassett (Va.) Church of the Brethren.

Northern Indiana District will hold hearings on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Creekside Church of the Brethren in Elkhart, Ind.; Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at Agape Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. at Bremen (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. at Osceola (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; and Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. at Bethany Church of the Brethren in New Paris, Ind.

South Central Indiana District holds hearings on Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Peru (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Buck Creek Church of the Brethren in Mooreland, Ind.; Oct. 30 at 9:30 a.m. at Grandview Church of the Brethren in Pendleton, Ind. (tentative); and Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind.

Northern Plains District holds hearings on Oct. 24 at Ottumwa (Iowa) Church of the Brethren; Nov. 6 at Panther Creek Church of the Brethren in Adel, Iowa; Nov. 7 at Worthington Church of the Brethren in Reading, Minn.; and Nov. 20 at South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren (all scheduled for 2 p.m.).

Shenandoah District holds hearings on Nov. 2 at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Woodstock, Va.; Nov. 16 at Staunton (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Nov. 30 at Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren in Harrisonburg, Va.; and Dec. 2 at Mathias (W.Va.) Church of the Brethren (all scheduled for 7 p.m.). The date and location of a fifth hearing in the eastern section of the district will be announced.

Pacific Southwest District holds hearings on Jan. 16, 2011, at Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren; Jan. 22 at Pomona (Calif.) Fellowship Church of the Brethren; Jan. 30 at Papago Buttes Church of the Brethren in Scottsdale, Ariz. (all scheduled for 3 p.m.).

Shenandoah District also has thanked the 136 people from a variety of congregations who already attended a "Conversations on Homosexuality Training Session" at Linville Creek Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va. District representatives to the Standing Committee were on hand to facilitate a demonstration of one of the Bible study sessions and answer questions about the study resources and Special Response process, according to a report in the district newsletter.

For more about the Special Response process see www.cobannualconference.org/special_response_resource.html.

Source: 9/23/2010 Newsline