Change is hard.
In this year’s U.S. presidential election, a lot has been said about doing things differently. Not wanting to start a political discussion, I’ll leave it at that. But I think you get the picture.
We at the Brethren Missionary Herald (BMH) are undergoing change. It hasn’t been easy. It has been nearly 10 years since the board of directors determined to correct some mission drift and to move forward on a path that would build bridges of communication between the people and churches of the Grace Brethren fellowship. The result has been a popular blog (fgbcworld-blog.com) where news of our network of congregations can be found, the re-introduction of books focused on theology and Christian living (bmhbooks.com), and the founding of this publication, FGBC World, which first appeared in 2004 as a tabloid-sized newspaper.
This past year, the board has debated again the future of the Brethren Missionary Herald Co. It’s become apparent that BMH is still a vital, important part of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC). It’s also obvious that as we move further into the 21st century, the methods of communication to a varied network of churches and the people in them must continually be adjusted to meet our mission.
BMH will not go away, but it will look different. Our focus will be on providing content that engages members and attenders of Grace Brethren congregations with a variety of communications – whether print or digital. You’ll continue to find news of the Fellowship on an expanded web site, which will be the centerpiece of our efforts. But you’ll also find material there that adds to the Grace Brethren conversation – articles that encourage the Grace Brethren commitment to the Word of God in all matters of faith and practice.
We’ll explore other venues of communication – not just traditional ink-and-paper magazines and books, but e-books, apps for mobile devices, social media, and the list goes on. It’s likely that the next best tool we use has not yet been developed.
We’ve also made a commitment to the Fellowship Council, the leadership team of the FGBC, that we’ll lead in conserving the history and traditions of the Grace Brethren movement. Already we’ve met with representatives of other Grace Brethren organiza- tions to dream of an archive that would hold business records, personal effects of Grace Brethren leaders, photographs, and other important documents and memorabilia.
Later this year, we’ll send a survey to those individuals for whom we have email addresses. If you’d like to be included, please drop me a note at lcgates@bmhbooks.com. Be sure to put the word “survey” in the subject line and include your name and address in the body of your message.
It is our desire to incite a united passion to know, love, and serve Jesus among Grace Brethren people in North America. Your involvement matters — whether volunteering to serve, providing prayer support, or through your financial gifts. Will you help?
This was published in the Fall 2012 issue of FGBC World magazine.