The 2006 annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, entitled this year “Celebrate06,” concluded at noon today with a delegates’ brunch and business meeting. For the past six days the Fellowship has met at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells, California.
The day began with separate meetings of the Women of Grace USA and the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers, which earlier this week passed some major new bylaw changes that will lead to the enlarging of categories of membership and structure for the AGBM.
Various items of business were cared for in this morning’s business meeting, under the direction of outgoing FGBC moderator, Dr. Keith Shearer, pastor of the New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.
This coming year the moderator will be Dr. Tim Boal, pastor of the Penn Valley Grace Brethren Church in Telford, Pennsylvania.
One ad hoc all-conference project during the week was to provide (and fill) children’s backpacks for use by Hispanic church planter Oscar Chavez, who is planting churches in the Lancaster, California, area. At the conclusion of conference, Chavez was presented with 304 fully-filled backpacks and 77 filled pencil bags, and two boxes of “extra school supplies” to use in his ministry.
As delegates loaded planes, busses, cars, and motorcycles for the trips home, a few post-conference meetings were beginning, including two days of board meetings by the Brethren Missionary Herald Company, which will conclude Friday afternoon.
The 2007 conference of the Fellowship will be “Equip07” held at Winona Lake, Indiana, the dates of July 29-August 3, 2007, and the focus will be on taking courses, workshops, and other “equipping” opportunities. Reports, daily newsletters, and other information about this year’s conference may be seen at www.fgbc.org or at www.celebrate06.com.
