1. International Brethren Conferences on Mission
IBCM5
Strasburg 2011
IBCM6
Rome 2015

2. Why IBCM? The worldwide Open Brethren:
Congregations in 155+ countries (or more)
25,000+ congregations
2+ million adult attenders
10,000+ additional preaching points
The result of an astonishing (and still vibrant) missionary impulse, on astonishing principles

3. Why IBCM? - 2 A decentralized movement:
A strength which has led to initiative and effectiveness
A weakness that has led to fragility, fragmentation and isolation
The independence of the local church
A strength which has permitted wide variety without overt schism
A weakness which has justified unbiblical isolation and led to practical decline and death

4. International networking
Historically through expatriate missionaries
But led to orphaned national and local church groups when missionaries withdrew
A globalized, networked world:
International networking a natural expression of our times
Church of Christ by definition international: it is being less than the Church if merely national or local
Effective networking expands horizons and strengthens effectiveness

5. IBCM Origins c. 1990: IBCM6, 2015: Overall goal:
Side meetings at Lausanne Manila 1989 and Amsterdam 1990
Regent College seminar 1990
IBCM6, 2015:
680 participants from 104 countries
Overall goal:
Mutual encouragement of leaders in different countries

6. IBCM: main objectives
To enable leaders from across the world to discover and encourage one another
To strengthen networking and fellowship
To raise awareness of the spiritual challenges of current trends and cultural developments
To share practical experience, ideas and methods, and plan co-operation
NB: ‘Mission’ = ‘mission of the Church’, not just ‘cross-cultural/expatriate mission’

7. What is IBCM?
IBCM:
A stimulus, a facilitator and an umbrella for work in a corner of God’s vineyard,
not a global, bureaucratic, denominational organisation for the Open Brethren

8. Results
A wide variety of initiatives in different countries and between countries, many unknown to us
Regional Conferences:
IBCM-Hispano (2nd, June 2017, Dom. Republic)
Portuguese-speaking countries (3rd, Luanda, Aug. 2016)
Pan-African Brethren Conferences on Mission (3rd, Nairobi, Aug. 2013; 4th Addis Ababa, 9-14 Oct 2017)
S and E Asia (3rd July 2016)
Caribbean Leaders, July 2014 & 17 – 21 July 2017
Etc.
The Brethren Movement Worldwide: Key Information (4th edition, 2015)- see

9. Results - 2 Brethren Training Network
See
International Training Consultations
For leaders of leadership training activities across the world
4th consultation, Emmaus USA 29 May-2 June 2018
Brethren Archivists and Historians Network
International Brethren History conference
(7th, 3-5 July 2017, ‘The Brethren and the Church’) + electronic chatroom
stream of publications – see

10. IBCM7
Rome, Italy
24 – 28 June 2019
Theme: ‘… you shall be my witnesses …’: Engaging with the world and its needs
See for further details
Further details will be circulated shortly

11. How does this happen?
Funding (to enable attendance only (so far)) by a limited number of bodies in UK, USA, Canada & Australia
Administration and organization: a challenge for the future