NBA Board of Trustees Meets in Dallas-Fort Worth, Alongside Christian Church Foundation

Members of the Board of Trustees for the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) met together November 8-10 in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, for their Fall 2018 in-person meeting.On Thursday evening, board members joined with NBA staff for dinner and a presentation of the President’s Report by Mark Anderson, NBA President and CEO. In his report titled “Clouds of Witnesses,” Mark Anderson drew the attention of NBA trustees and staff to “those who have gone before us, who continue to surround us with love, wisdom and support…[and] all those, throughout the years, and across the life of the church, who have stretched our understanding of God’s grace and love and called us to a greater good,” including our Peer Learning and Wellness Groups, Incubate and Connect Partner ministries, XPLOR Residents, conference and church-wide gathering attendees/participants, and general ministry colleagues, among others.

During the first plenary session on Friday morning, Rev. Dr. Jacque Foster led a devotion on Lamentations 2:10-14, 18-19, encouraging the group to consider the idea that the book of Lamentations provides a structure for lament, thereby encouraging the practice of lamenting and grieving rather than merely pushing these aside for celebration. She invited us into a time of lament for the needs in our communities, and a time of thanksgiving for the health and social service ministries meeting those needs across the life of the church.

Committee meetings were held Friday morning, followed by the plenary session convening Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Primary business items including approval of the 2019 operating budget and a generative conversation on NBA’s development efforts. “We remain committed to strengthening connections with Disciples individuals and congregations, as we work together to support health and social service ministries across our communities and the wider church,” says Bob Cooper, NBA Trustee and Chair of the Development and Marketing Committee.

NBA board members, staff, and guests enjoyed networking time and a joint dinner with board members, staff, and guests of the Christian Church Foundation on Friday evening, as the Foundation began its meeting in the same location. During this joint dinner, Rev. Rebecca Hale, Rev. Ayanna Johnson Watkins, and Rev. Bonnie Osei-Frimpong gave a presentation on NBA’s leadership development efforts, including work with XPLOR Residents and Incubate Initiative partners.

Leadership development continues to be a core tenet of NBA’s mission and ministry work in a variety of ways. For those of you attending the 2019 General Assembly in Des Moines, we invite you to join us for more of this conversation at dinner on Monday, July 22, co-hosted by the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries (CPOHM), Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM), and the National Benevolent Association (NBA): “Young Adult Leadership Development: Intersections and Intersectionality.” Learn more about this event and our other engagements at General Assembly at https://ga.disciples.org.

The NBA Board of Trustees will meet again via conference call on February 21, 2019, and again in person in St. Louis June 6-8, 2019. We are ever grateful for the wisdom and service of these faithful leaders!

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About the National Benevolent Association: As the health and social services general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the National Benevolent Association partners with congregations, regions, general ministries, and a variety of Disciples-related health and social service providers to create communities of compassion and care. Founded in 1887 by six women responding to the needs of the day and on their doorsteps, for more than 130 years the NBA has continued to serve “the least of these.” For more information, visit nbacares.org