DISTRICT CLERGY GATHERING REPORT

Fifteen people came together for this year’s district clergy gathering, held May 1-2 at Bishop Lane Retreat Center near Rockford and sponsored by the district’s Ministry Leadership Development Team. Stan Dueck, director of organizational leadership for the Church of the Brethren, served as keynote speaker on the topic “Ministry in a BANI* World” (*Brittle, Anxious, Non- linear, and Incomprehensible), looking at the tectonic shifts that have taken place in the church landscape and what that means for ministry.

Stan led three sessions over the course of the 24-hour event. “Our churches are in a culture, expanding and changing,” he said, noting that the fast pace of change brings anxiety and even a sense of trauma for many. Letting go can mean a fear of “losing memory” and traditions that hold meaning. “Family”-size churches, which encompass most of the congregations in the Church of the Brethren, and almost all in this district, are most affected, he said.

He pointed to a sense of discipleship that occurs at “the intersection of worship, scripture, and world” and “can (re)frame our social imagination” as a path forward. That can require recognizing and even embracing the “BANI” realities in the midst of the church, sometimes doing the opposite of what we have assumed to be true and letting go of cognitive biases.

Rodney Caldwell and Randall Westfall led worship during the event, and participants also enjoyed good food from the retreat center, time for fellowship, and opportunities to wander the spacious and peaceful grounds.

The next district CEU opportunity will take place Friday, Nov. 7, in Bloomington, Ill., prior to district conference.