That the World May Know:
A Conference on Christian Unity

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, conference leaders hosted a conference for teaching and discernment for all Central Plains congregational leaders. About 130 participants from over thirty churches met in Des Moines to study and discuss a biblical view of Christian unity and identify common life commitments that may move us toward greater unity as a conference.

David Boshart led three teaching sessions in which he reviewed the paper, Becoming a United Church in a Culture of Division: A Biblical View of Christian Unity .  

                              The paper in English                         The paper in Spanish

Here are recordings of the three teaching sessions:

Teaching Session I: Old Testament Considerations

Teaching Session II: New Testament Considerations

Teaching Session III: Unity and the Work of the Church

Here is the Powerpoint presentation that accompanied the teaching sessions. 

That the World May Know slides

The letter of invitation and registration brochure

Unity Paper
We live in a time and a place characterized by polarization and division in many arenas.  As a church, we find it difficult to remain unified. We find ourselves asking, “Is unity something to which we ought to aspire?”and “To what lengths we should go to maintain the unity of the body?” and “What do we even mean by unity?” If we are going to have a clear sense of identity and mission for the future we need to pay attention to these questions. In response to a series of events in the life of our conference , the ministry staff and moderator have written a paper, Becoming a United Church in a Culture of Division: A Biblical View of Christian Unity. In early January 2011, the paper was sent to pastors with the request that they discuss it together at their regional pastor cluster meetings by March 12. 

Annual Meeting 2011
At our next Annual Meeting, June 16-19 in the Quad Cities, we will spend some focused time practicing our commitments for living together as a united church in a world of division. Together our delegates will discern the activities, practices, programs, and behaviors that will help our conference be faithful and united in mission.

Background
A Policy on Variance
In June of 2001, a Faith, Life and Procedures Task Group was formed to work at a proposal for dealing with congregations at variance with the conference.  A special delegate meeting was held in April 2002 to present the proposed policy.  Another delegate meeting was held in October of 2002 to vote on its adoption.  The policy entitled A Mission-Focused Approach to Congregations at Variance was adopted by 85% of the delegates.

Unity Task Group
At Annual Meeting 2009, Conference Council shared its intent to appoint a task group charged with developing a recommendation for Annual Meeting 2010. "The recommendation will propose to delegates procedures for implementing the Variance Policy and any changes to the Policy ."  This is the document outlining the reason for the Unity Task Group.

Here is the Recommendation of the Unity Task Group and the Letter from Conference Council to the delegates regarding the Unity Recommendation.

In response to requests by delegates, Moderator Diane Zaerr Brenneman prepared an explanation of what happened with the Unity Recommendation at Annual Meeting.

Delegate Response
At Annual Meeting 2010, the Unity Task Group presented its recommendation (above) and the delegates were invited to respond by discussing it at table groups and recording their feedback on green papers. In the document linked just above, Diane Zaerr Brenneman promises to share this feedback. Please find here the summary report of those delegate responses (the “green sheets”) compiled and interpreted by consultant John Gehm from RESTORE, Sioux Falls, SD.

In making this available, conference leaders ask that Central Plains members be accountable to one another in its use. Before sharing an interpretation of “what the delegates said” in congregation or in public, let’s commit ourselves to checking that interpretation with others who were present at Annual Meeting. In particular, we can challenge ourselves to check our interpretations with others who may think differently than we do. This report is the property of Central Plains Mennonite Conference, and we publicly post it in good faith with the hope that it will contribute toward unity in the church of Jesus Christ. We ask that permission be sought from the moderator (moderatorcentralplainsmc.org) for any use of this document outside Central Plains Mennonite Conference.