June 17, 2011

ELGIN, IL – The three top officers of the Church of the Brethren – Annual Conference moderator Robert E. Alley, moderator-elect Tim Harvey, and secretary Fred Swartz – have published their plans for how Special Response business items will be addressed during the denomination's Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 2-6. The Special Response business items are related to issues of human sexuality

Two years ago, the Annual Conference of delegates from congregations and districts adopted a document that offers a framework for decision making for strongly controversial issues. The document titled, "A Structural Framework for Dealing with Strongly Controversial Issues," is available at http://cobannualconference.org/ac_statements/controversial_issues-final.pdf.

At the 2009 Conference, two items of business were directed to that framework: a query from the Northern Indiana District regarding "Language on Same Sex Covenantal Relationships" and a statement from Standing Committee of district delegates titled "A Statement of Confession and Commitment." Both items are related to issues of human sexuality.

During the past two years, through personal and congregational study, through Standing Committee-led hearings, through prayer, and in other ways, the denomination has sought to consider how to respond to the two business items. They are part of the unfinished business for the 2011 Annual Conference.

When Annual Conference delegates meet this year in Grand Rapids, any recommendation to these two items will be processed using the five-step procedure described in the framework document.

The officers have scheduled the first two steps in this process to take place Sunday evening, July 3. These include presentations by the district delegates on the background of the two business items, what the Standing Committee has learned from hearings held across the denomination, and what recommendations are being made to answer the query and statement. These steps are for information only.

On Monday afternoon, July 4, the Conference will turn to Step 3, which will follow a "sandwich" approach: participants will first offer affirmations of recommendations with regard to the two business items, then concerns or questions may be presented, and finally additional affirmations may be made. During this step, persons may speak for only one minute at the microphones on the floor of the business session.

On Tuesday morning, July 5, Step 4 will put the recommendation before the delegates for any amendments or other motions. Each amendment or motion will be tested with the delegates, who will be asked whether they wish to entertain that proposal. If so, the proposal will be processed by normal parliamentary procedure. If not, the proposal will not be considered further. At the end of this step, the delegate body will vote on the recommendation.

After the decision, Step 5 will be a time of closure with the process and decisions.

When the Standing Committee of district delegates meets prior to the Annual Conference, it will engage in a similar process.

"This Special Response process has been deeply undergirded with prayer by individuals and groups within our denomination," said a statement from the Annual Conference officers. "As we come to Annual Conference, we continue in prayer for discernment, for understanding, for clarity, for unity, for forbearance, and for faithfulness to Christ. All who have engaged in this process love Christ and the church, especially the Church of the Brethren. May that love fill us with hope and promise as we gather in Grand Rapids."

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across the United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service