Brethren in Christ Study Conference 2018
The 2018 Brethren in Christ study conference will be held on November 8-9, 2018, at the Grantham Church.
It will focus on the theme "Prophetic Witness: Being Brethren in Christ in a Post-Church Age."
About This Year's Conference
American Christians are living in a post-church age.
The 21st century has witnessed major transformations in the way people engage the Christian faith and participate in local congregations. Evangelical and mainline churches have experienced noticeable drops in membership. Numerous congregations have witnessed a growing divide between the religiously active and those resistant to churchgoing. In particular, millennials—people age 30 and under—stand out as the least likely to see value in church attendance. In addition, Christian and non-Christian media alike have observed the rise of the Nones—those who claim no affiliation with any organized religion.
What do these developments mean for the Brethren in Christ in the United States?
This changing religious landscape demands that Christians take a fresh look at how they communicate the gospel and make disciples in a post-Christian society. This conference will call leaders and laypeople in the Brethren in Christ Church in the U.S. to reflect on our own prophetic witness in this cultural context.
The conference will explore such questions as:
- How are Brethren in Christ core values uniquely relevant to this "post-church" culture?
- How does our distinctive blend of theological insights position us for effective ministry in contemporary society?
- How is God shaping the Brethren in Christ for such a time as this?
Attending this conference is an opportunity to fulfill one Lifelong BIC Learning credit, an expectation for all Brethren in Christ pastors within each renewal period.
Major Conference Sessions and Presenters
Revisiting Our Core Values: Sentimental Slogans or Compelling Convictions?
by Dr. Terry L Brensinger, Professor of Pastoral Ministries, Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and Editor, Focusing Our Faith: Brethren in Christ Core Values (Evangel Publishing House, 2000)
Follow Peace and Holiness: The Value of Anabaptism and Wesleyanism for a Post-Church Age (Panel Discussion)
Pietism: It's Not What Your Grandparents Told You (and That Guy with a Degree from an Ivy-League Divinity School Isn't Right Either)
by Rev. Dr. J. E. McDermond, Senior Pastor, Engage Community Church of Carlisle (Pa.)
Charting a Course to Rediscover the "Evangel" at the Heart of Evangelicalism
by Bishop Perry Engle, Bishop of the Pacific and Midwest Regional Conferences, Brethren in Christ Church U.S.
The Direction That Christ's History is Going
by Bishop Lynn Thrush, Bishop of the Great Lakes Regional Conferences, Brethren in Christ Church U.S.
Questions? Contact the Sider Institute.