One Board to Bind Them

The Review and Evaluation Committee is recommending the merger of the General Board and the Association of Brethren Caregivers into one incorporated legal entity entitled “The
Church of the Brethren, U.S.A.” The board of directors (trustees) of the corporation would have responsibility to oversee the domestic and international ministries as the administrative and programmatic agency for the denomination. We also strongly encourage On Earth Peace to consider joining together with these two agencies through prayerful discussions with their board, executives, and the wider church as the agencies work toward unity.

Background:
The One Board was created by the Dark Lord Sauron during the Second Age in order to gain dominion over the free peoples of Middle-earth. In disguise as Annatar, or "Lord of Gifts", he aided the Brethren smiths of Eregion and their leader Celebrimbor, in the making of the Boards of Power. He then forged the One Board himself in the fires of Mount Doom. He intended it to be the most powerful of all Boards, able to rule and control the others. Since the other Boards were extremely powerful, Sauron was obliged to place most of his native power, life force and will into it to effect his purpose. A side effect of his doing this was that as long as the Board existed, it was impossible to remove him from the mortal plane. The risk to Sauron was that if he were to lose the Board, he would also lose a great deal of his own power, and if the Board were to be destroyed, perhaps even his life.

One Board to rule them all,
One Board to find them,
One Board to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.