By Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, director of Annual Conference
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” ~Ephesians 5:1-2
The 2023 Annual Conference theme is “Living God’s Love.” As Tim McElwee, the 2023 Annual Conference moderator, has shared:
“We are made in the image of God and our calling is to love like God loves. We know how God loves through the life and teachings of Jesus and through the love we share with and receive from each other. We know how God loves because though we are sinners and none of us could be worthy of God’s love, nevertheless God loves us fully and unconditionally. And we know how God loves because Jesus, the descent of God into our world and into our lives, loved inclusively, without limits, and extravagantly.”
Building on the work of the 2022 Annual Conference, Moderator Tim McElwee invites us to continue to apply our denomination’s vision statement by sharing Jesus with each other, living in harmony, embracing one another as Christ embraces us, and sharing God’s gift of inclusive love. The daily themes for this year’s Annual Conference will be: Living God’s Love (Tuesday), Bearing the Fruit of God’s Love (Wednesday), Responding in Love to the Needs of Others (Thursday), Seeing and Loving Like God (Friday), and Loving the Least in the Family of God (Saturday).
Our hope for this year’s gathering is to continue reconnecting after COVID by: renewing old friendships and forming new ones; being inspired and challenged to grow in faith to become more innovative, adaptable, and fearless disciples; building bridges across the political polarization of secular society in order to be the body of Christ together; returning home better equipped to minister with our neighbors; and, overall, living into the Annual Conference mission statement “to unite, strengthen, and equip the Church of the Brethren to follow Jesus.”
Annual Conference in Cincinnati will provide several unique opportunities: Tours to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center; a revitalized exhibit hall with performances on a coffeehouse stage, a silent auction, a game night, and ice cream, in addition to informative exhibits; a Public Witness for Gun Violence Prevention; and an opportunity to support our Witness to the Host City project Found House.
We look forward to connecting with you—in-person or virtually—for Annual Conference in Cincinnati!
The opportunity to register in advance to participate in the 2023 Annual Conference in-person ends this Saturday, June 10. (In-person participants who miss this deadline can register onsite at a higher cost.) Non-delegates can register to participate virtually through June 27 after which registration for virtual participation will close. Learn more about Annual Conference or register today at www.brethren.org/ac2023.