Posted July 5 - When I came to Manchester 25 years ago, one of the things I negotiated was the opportunity to represent Manchester at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference each year. I was born into the Church of the Brethren, multiple generations back on both sides of my family, which explains in part my desire to be part of the great annual gathering of the denomination.

This year, Annual Conference is in Cincinnati. Attendees will see Manchester faculty, staff, alumni and students in key roles throughout the week. A highlight will be our alumni luncheon on Saturday where several of us will reflect on the ways in which deep and meaningful relationships develop at Manchester.

Manchester University is also Church of the Brethren, born and bred. Signs of our Brethren roots are everywhere. Although we don’t explicitly name all of them, they are evident to those who know the Brethren. Peace studies grew out of the Brethren commitment to justice and non-violence, environmental studies out of our emphasis on stewardship of the earth, and many other-focused programs and activities out of our commitment to service.

Our focus at Annual Conference – the importance of and investment in relationships at Manchester – is also an outgrowth of our Church of the Brethren roots. If you’ve ever been to a Brethren church potluck, you know that we enjoy one another’s company (and cooking!) and care deeply about community.

The world needs more Manchester graduates, in part because, knowingly or not, they’ve all encountered the best of the Church of the Brethren at Manchester.