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The 2024 Brethren in Christ study conference was held on November 15, 2024 at the Grantham (PA) Brethren in Christ Church.  There was not a virtual option this year.

The theme for this year's conference was "Pursuing Peace in a Messy World"

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ºÚÁÏÍø This Year's Conference

As Brethren in Christ, we “value all human life and promote forgiveness, understanding, reconciliation, and non-violent resolution of conflict.” Yet pursuing peace can sometimes feel overly idealistic or impractical, especially in a society that’s riven by fragmentation, division and polarization.

This conference addressed such questions as:

• How can we move beyond apathy  and resignation about the conflicts  we see in our nation and world, and  re-engage Christian peacemaking  as a realistic possibility?
• What are practical strategies we  can learn, practice, and embody  as everyday peacemakers?
• How can we apply these  practical strategies in  relation to specific issues? 

Attending this conference was an opportunity to fulfill one Lifelong BIC Learning credit, an expectation for all Brethren in Christ pastors within each renewal period.

Keynote Speaker

Osheta Moore is a writer, pastor, speaker, and podcaster in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she serves as community life pastor at Roots Moravian Church alongside her husband, T. C. Moore. Moore has consistently been a voice for peacemaking, justice, anti-racism, and community development in the urban core. She is the author of “Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World” (Herald Press, 2017) and “Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace” (Herald Press, 2021).

Plenary Sessions:

Session #1: “The Brethren in Christ Peace Position in Historical Perspective” – David L. Weaver-Zercher

Session #2: “Renewing Our Imaginations for Christian Peacemaking” – Osheta Moore

Session #3: “Practical Strategies for Christian Peacemaking” – Osheta Moore

Workshop Sessions (choose two):

Interfaith Dialogue as Peacemaking - George Pickens - Because of growing religious diversity in the US and around the world, Christian leaders are increasingly expected to provide interfaith leadership in their congregations and communities.  This workshop will introduce basic knowledge and skills for interfaith leadership through biblical foundations and contemporary examples. Christ-centered witness among those who practice other religions will be emphasized. 

Understanding Conflict Styles - Jim and Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz - Conflict is a normal part of congregational life.  How can pastors and lay leaders move from conflict avoiders to conflict managers?  Understanding conflict styles, navigating difficult conversations, and leaning in to the leadership challenges of conflict will equip participants with some practical tools and takeaways.

Dear White Peacemakers: Nonviolence and Anti-Racism - Osheta Moore - When it comes to race and racism, many of us feel paralyzed as to where to start. We know things are broken and that there is work to be done, but we don’t feel adequate in our knowledge, we fear saying or doing the wrong thing.  What if there is a more hopeful, expansive approach to this work that moves us all towards God's shalom? There is, and it's called the Beloved Community.  Join Osheta as she explores the intersection of Jesus' peacemaking ethos in the Sermon on the Mount and anti-racism. 

Orienting BIC Churches toward a Positive Peace Witness - Jennifer Lancaster - As part of Project 250, BIC U.S. seeks to increase understanding and awareness of the core values. Pursuing Peace is a BIC core value. This workshop will explore ways churches and congregants can bear witness to a peace witness in their families, local communities, and around the world. By recognizing how our cultural narratives influence our approach to peace, this workshop will situate the relationship between religion and culture in ways that lead us to a deeper practice of reconciliation and nonresistance.