DENOMINATIONAL NEWS/NEWSLINE

The Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren on June 17, approved a Statement of Intent regarding the future of the General Offices in Elgin, Ill., which is the denomination’s headquarters. The statement announces that “the board is exploring options for relocation of the denominational headquarters and will be pursuing the responsible sale of the current headquarters property.” The decision follows years of discussion by the board and other denominational leadership about changes affecting the Church of the Brethren in terms of congregations and membership, questions of how best to carry out the ministry of the denomination, and what responsible stewardship requires.

Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 339 began orientation on July 27. Thirteen new volunteers joined BVS staff at Inspiration Hills Camp in Ohio to prepare together in community for their year of service.

The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) has begun renting warehouse space at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Church of the Brethren has welcomed the organization as its new partner at the center, where it is using space formerly occupied by the Material Resources program that ended in 2025.

Suely Zanetti Inhauser, 75, a longtime leader of Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil) alongside her husband, Marcos Inhauser, died on July 22 after living for some years with a progressive motor neuron disease.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. (Eastern time), the 56th Annual Dunker Church Service will be held at the historic Dunker Church on the Antietam National Battlefield near Hagerstown, Md.—one of the most hallowed and iconic landscapes of the American Civil War. The service will include a welcome, call to worship, congregational hymns, scripture readings, special music, prayers, and a featured message from Denise Kettering-Lane, associate professor of Brethren Studies and director of the Master of Arts Program at Bethany Theological Seminary.

Intercultural Ministries Café: Faith & Culture Conversations—rooted in relationship, discipleship, and practical intercultural engagement—will be held once a month through Oct. 20. The registration link is available at www.brethren.org/intercultural/#cafe.

The Church of the Brethren’s webpage on conscientious objection to war is at www.brethren.org/peacebuilding/co. Links on this page direct young people who want to learn more about what conscientious objection means and its biblical and Brethren roots to a free downloadable curriculum titled “Call of Conscience.” The direct link to the curriculum is www.brethren.org/peacebuilding/co/introduction.