This year and a half that I have spent at BMC have been a wonderful learning experience for me. I have enjoyed getting to know Minneapolis, but more importantly the wonderful folks working for LGBTQ inclusion in both the Brethren and Mennonite denominations. I leave with relationships that will have a lasting impact upon me. Specifically, I have grown in my understanding of myself, queer history (...

Dear Friend,

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Within the din of politics, social media and attention grabbing, I am struck by how it is often the small, consistent acts of generosity and care that seem to offer the best hope for a better future. It makes me particularly grateful for the BMC community that has sometimes roared, but more often been a quietly courageous witness to a life affi...

At this summer’s National Campus Ministry Association conference attendees focused on a quote from Mother Theresa which reads, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” It is a compelling quote for a moment in time where our global connectivity can makes the scope of need feel paralyzing for those who want to make a better world.

My own work...

On October 20th, 2018 BMC and SCN Pastors presented to the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board. Above are slides and below you can read the presentation transcript. 

Carol Wise - BMC History and SCN 2018 Survey Statistics 

Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you this afternoon about BMC, the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Interests, and o...

Video Recorded in Cincinnati Ohio at the BMC Inclusive Worship during COB Annual Conference 2018 

Speaking: Elizabeth Ullery Swenson founding pastor of WildWood Gathering Church of the Brethren.

To read more from Elizabeth visit her blog.  

Transcript: 

I had the opportunity this spring to sit in a large circle of people while several folks shared their version of the story of my call to ministry...

As part of my role as Kaleidoscope Coordinator with BMC, on July 21st I joined 1200 youth and 600 advisors at the Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. BMC historically has not been granted entrance as an organization, but I was pleased to attend as one of the advisors for Common Spirit Grand Rapids Church of the Brethren, to which I extend the utmost gratitud...

It’s that time of year again! As the Church of the Brethren frets about its future, BMC will be there to offer a presence of persistence, graceful resistance, and hopeful imagination.

Here is a brief listing of BMC sponsored events, a full list may be found here:

Wednesday, July 4

SCN Gathering and Briefing (Room 263, 3:00–4:15 pm) – Kara Evans reports on Standing Committee meetings. In addition, the...

How much evil throughout history could have been avoided had people exercised their moral acuity with convictional courage and said to the powers that be, “No, I will not. This is wrong, and I don't care if you fire me, shoot me, pass me over for promotion, or call my mother, I will not participate in this unsavory activity.”

...

The COB Newsline article on the recent Mission and Ministry Board Meeting reported that a leader from the Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) likened BMC to a white supremacy group. As an organization, BMC has very intentionally refrained from public comments about the BRF. There are many reasons for this, but foremost is a genuine belief that such tactics only enhance division and foster an atmosph...

A Brief Overview

Some places stay in your body long after you have physically departed. Grand Rapids is one such place. As I wandered into the convention center, feelings of dread and discomfort descended as my body remembered what my brain was slow to recognize. It all returned: the nomination from the floor of a man for moderator despite two carefully vetted women on the ballot; the appearance of...