The following letter from young adults was shared during the final business session at Annual Conference 2012:
We are here to love one another. We are here to speak truth to one another. We are here to not grow weary. We are here to hold hands with you.
We are young adults, but we do not speak for all young adults. A group of us met and during this conversation we found we had shared frustrations, energy and encouragement for each other. As part of the body of the Church of the Brethren we would like to convey these important ideas on our minds.
We are not of one mind in theology. But we have found that we will not let this divide us or exclude each other. The simple image of a circle was brought up; we are not a point. We all may occupy different spaces along a continuum, but are still one body in Christ. We are here to love one another.
We then ask for your help. We want representation within the body of the church. We would like to affirm the calling of young adults J. Trent Smith and Rhonda Ritenour to Mission and Ministry Board by this years’ delegate body. We appreciate these calls as an opportunity to participate and hope this will continue because we feel the Spirit moving within us and want to hold hands with you with you all.
We hope and pray for many things. We hope we do not loose our passion. We hope we do not know know complacency. For this, we pray…as we are continuing the work of Jesus. Simply. Peacefully. Together.
(Several Open Table Co-op volunteers and supporters were involved in the writing of this letter.)
