ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025

The 2025 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference will take place Wednesday, July 2, to Sunday, July 6, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Registration and hotel reservations are open at www.brethren.org/ac2025. The Annual Conference office has announced the following registration fee schedule:

For advance registration (March 5-June 10): Delegates $350; Non-delegate adult, full conference, $175; Non-delegate adult, daily rate, $60; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $50; Post-high school to age 21, daily rate, $20; Current high school student or younger, free; Active BVSer, free.

For on-site registration (opens July 1): Delegates $425; Non-delegate adult, full conference, $210; Non-delegate adult, daily rate, $75; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $50; Post- high school to age 21, daily rate, $20; Current high school student or younger, free; Active BVSer, free. Note there is an additional fee for age-group activities.

Registration for virtual participation (non-delegate only): Adult (until June 10), full conference, $195 or daily rate, $75. Group/institutional registration, $500; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $75. Worship services are available free of charge.

Pastors Dennis Beckner (Columbia City, Ind.) and Glenn Bollinger (Port Republic, Va.) headline this year’s Annual Conference ballot as candidates for moderator-elect. Find the full ballot at www.brethren.org/ac2025/business/ballot. Worship preachers this year will be moderator Dava Hensley; a “cowbell service” featuring preachers Becky Baile Crouse, Josiah Ludwick, and Tony Price; Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren pastor Lupita Ortiz; Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary professor Gennifer Brooks; and South Waterloo Church of the Brethren pastor Dave Kerkove.

Business items will include three items of unfinished business and four items of new business, including the query “Concerns About Current Practices Related to Matters of Sexuality” brought by this district.

To date, the following congregations have registered delegates: Canton, Dixon, Freeport, Peoria First, Polo, and York Center. Please consider sending a delegate from your congregation. Congregations of up to 200 members receive one delegate, with one additional delegate for every additional 200 members or portion thereof. Delegate and non-delegate registration can be found at www.brethren.org/ac2025 (click “Registration”). A guide to registering online is available if needed.

Lodging: the Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons is connected to the Koury Convention Center, making it extremely convenient for guests. The Annual Conference room rate is $120 plus tax (12.75%) totaling $135.30 per night. Parking is complimentary. The Sheraton Hotel provides complimentary shuttle transportation to and from Piedmont Triad International Airport from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. In room Wi-Fi is complimentary for all hotel guests. The link for hotel registration will come up immediately after registering for the conference.

New this year will be a conference welcome meal, beginning 5 p.m. July 2 at the hotel’s Joseph’s Restaurant. The dinner buffet will be $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for 12 and under. No reservations are required, and attendees will pay onsite.

The Annual Conference Witness to the Host City this year is benefiting BackPack Beginnings, a nonprofit dedicated to making a difference for local, low-income children and families by providing for their tangible basic needs. Their mission is to connect children and their families to resources needed to thrive. For a list of items to be collected at Annual Conference see www.brethren.org/ac2025/activities/witness-to-the-host-city. Monetary contributions can be made by check during the Friday night worship offering or on the Annual Conference website offering page. To learn more about BackPack Beginnings visit https://backpackbeginnings.org.

Ushers needed: From usher coordinator David Ansley: “During worship we need volunteer ushers to help receive offerings and record attendance. While an important role in our worship services, ushering requires very little time and does not take away from participating in the rest of the worship service. You will be able to sign up when registering for Annual Conference and at the usher table when you arrive and check in for the conference, however I would like to have our first service covered on Wednesday night, before the conference begins. Once you have registered for conference, please follow the links to sign up to volunteer as an usher. You can also reach out to me directly at davidansley704@gmail.com and let me know if you are willing to serve on Wednesday evening, or for any of the other worship services. Please use ‘AC usher’ in the subject line. Feel free to contact me via text or call at 540-314-8146.”

Silent auction: The Program and Arrangements Committee is once again holding a silent auction at Annual Conference this summer. Congregations and individuals can help by contributing an item for the auction in one of three categories: 1. Arts and Craft Items (quality and unique hand-made items like woodworking, pottery, fabric art, paintings or drawings, stained glass, etc.); 2. Gift Baskets (could be assembled around a theme, organizational “swag”, books, regional products, food, and so on. Be creative.; 3. Experiences (tickets to events, use of vacation homes, trips, classes, a living room concert, etc.). Items being donated must be registered in advance. NO UNREGISTERED ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED ONSITE THIS YEAR. To register a donation, go to to https://cobrethren.wufoo.com/forms/ac-2025-silent-auction-donation-form to submit contact information and a description of the item you wish to contribute. ONLINE SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 1. Actual items must be onsite at Annual Conference no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2. Arrangements can be made to ship them to the Annual Conference office in advance if you are not planning to attend Annual Conference. Volunteers to assist with the auction are also needed. To volunteer, sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945AFA722A4FCCF8-annual. And, of course, bid at Annual Conference! Bidding opens at noon July 2 and closes at 2 p.m. July 5.