Madalyn Metzger leads Church of the Brethren's 2024 Annual Conference

Madalyn Metzger, Chief Marketing Officer at Everence, is leading the Church of the Brethren’s 2024 Annual Conference this week as the denomination’s moderator.

Madalyn was consecrated as moderator of the Church of the Brethren during the denomination’s 2023 Annual Conference last July. She is the first person of Asian American descent in this role.

During the 2022 Annual Conference, members of the denomination elected Madalyn as moderator. The role requires a three-year commitment, with the first year dedicated to learning, the second to serving as moderator, and the third year to guiding the next moderator as immediate past moderator.

At the end of the conference, Madalyn will hand over the gavel to Dava Hensley, who will serve as moderator for the 2025 Annual Conference. This marks a historic moment in the denomination’s history, as it is the first time two female moderators will lead the denomination consecutively.

Madalyn has served the Church of the Brethren extensively throughout her adult life. She has volunteered in denominational leadership on the Intercultural Ministries advisory committee, has chaired the board of On Earth Peace, and has been an insight session presenter and delegate at Annual Conference.

She currently attends Goshen City Church of the Brethren, where she has supported the church in leadership roles as social media minister and media spokesperson and served terms as chair of the board, chair of the outreach committee, co-leader of the constitution and bylaws committee and on the goals development committee.

Additional leadership positions have included trustee for Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., work as adjunct faculty for Eastern Mennonite University and for a Collaborative MBA Program, and participation on the worship planning committee and as a worship leader for the Mennonite Church USA convention. She has provided executive leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy development, implementation, training, and dialogues for a number of church-related institutions.

Madalyn will preach at the opening worship service on Wednesday, July 3. In addition, Leonard Dow, Vice President of Community and Church Development at Everence, will preach on Saturday, July 6. Both worship services begin at 6:45 p.m. (EST) and can be streamed at brethren.org/ac2024/webcasts.