Dear Friends:

Warm greetings to each of you.  I am currently in Nairobi, Kenya, and want to share some of my excitement with you.  Bishop Hamukang’andu of Zambia and I came here to meet with the leaders of a group of churches who want to join the BIC Church.  There are approximately 50 churches spread throughout Kenya and a few new church plants in Uganda.  We met together near the city of Nakuru, an area hard-hit by tribal violence three years ago.  In fact, one of the churches where we met is located in a town that was virtually burned to the ground.  The people there set up a new structure in which they continue to worship.

From the moment that Bishop Samuel picked us up in Nairobi, we felt as though we were among brothers and sisters in Christ.  During our days together, we received the royal treatment.  At one point, I felt like Paul might have felt when he met with some of the young churches in Asia Minor.  We worshiped together—festively!!—during five services and then held a day of discussions concerning such things as core values and church structure.  Particularly exciting to me were our conversations concerning certain points of theology.  The people overwhelmingly embrace our position on peace and reconciliation, even after suffering considerable loss.  They also wanted to talk more about the role and gifts of the Holy Spirit.  As we met, I thought of the early church council in Acts 15—it was more fun than I could possibly put into words!

When it was all said and done, the leaders of the churches—and they are a very impressive group of people—gave us a standing ovation and unanimously reaffirmed their desire to join the BIC Church.  I was in tears as I listened to them sing and express their profound longing to unite with us.  If that in fact happens, we will perhaps be more blessed than they will.  They are a committed and joyful group of people who have a passion for sharing Jesus with the world!

Please pray for the IBICA executive committee and me as we prepare for our next meeting in September.  Among other items, we will discuss this matter and the recommendation that Bishop Hamukang’andu and I now need to prepare.  Ask God to give us wisdom as we continue to work together on a global level.  As I’ve said to you many times before, both the needs and opportunities before us are great.

Grace and Peace.
Terry

Enlarged Photo Click HERE

In response to a call from the Brethren in Christ outside of North America, a group of church leaders met in 2005 to discuss the formation of an umbrella organization that would foster deepening levels of cooperation within the global Brethren in Christ community. At the heart of the matter was a desire to help the wider church shift from a relationship in which the North American church “served” the church around the world to a reciprocal one in which all parts of the body minister to each other. Out of this initial meeting came the formation of the International Brethren in Christ Association.

The International Brethren in Christ Association is an organization that encompasses independent national churches around the world. It is administered by an executive committee of representative leaders of these BIC churches. The executive committee currently includes the Moderator and General Secretary of the Brethren in Christ in North America as well as Bishops or other church leaders from such countries as India, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Cuba. This executive committee meets annually in order to exchange ideas and promote IBICA’s mission.

The Executive Committee of IBICA