From where do we derive our value, our worth? From whom? Is it something all people intrinsically know as a fact of human birth, or is it something we are taught, something that must be sheltered and nurtured? When did you win the knowledge of your own worth and beauty, of the goodness of your own body and soul? Who were the people who held you when you were weak and whispered this seed of truth i...

BMC/SCN statement of response to the creation of the Covenant Brethren Church

On November 16, 2019, a group of discontented Brethren gathered in Virginia to organize a new denomination called Covenant Brethren Church. This split represents a frustration that several decades of attempts to mold the Church of the Brethren into a more fundamentalist and lgbtq exclusive denomination have not been more...

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.”

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