Brother Eric Tanner, of the South Central Diocese is President of the National Brotherhood Ministry. He is excited about this leadership opportunity and is anxiously making plans to expand the Brotherhood. Bro. Tanner is a member of the Greater Damascus Church of Christ (Holiness) USA where Elder Clifton Goodloe, III is his pastor. He currently serves as Chairman of the Trustee Board. He is not new to the Brotherhood; has been a member for 25 years and was Vice President for 8 years.
Bro. Tanner has chosen as the theme for his tenure, “NO MAN LEFT BEHIND”. He believes that every man has a gift or talent whether he recognizes it or not and wants direction how it can be used. He wants the Brotherhood to encourage and support men in utilizing those gifts and to use their God-given skills for the Lord. To disseminate this information and focus, he plans to meet with all of the Diocese Presidents via zoom once monthly developing plans to be shared with their Districts and local churches. His focus is to get men saved. The scripture says, “He who saves souls is wise.”
Bro. Tanner also has a plan for young men. He has been a Boy Scout leader for 19 years with some achieving Eagle Scout status, the highest rank, which can make them eligible for scholarships from Mississippi State University. His church is a charter for the Boy Scouts. He has a love for boys and wants to establish mentoring programs with the Brotherhood men as role models.
He is asking the Diocese Presidents to research ideas how to work with the mandate to establish a program for their boys. He feels that we MUST work with our young men and keep them covered with the blood of Jesus. They want to eventually establish a program for older young men that will include components as they get ready for the job market such as:
1) Dress for Success, 2) Mock Interviews and 3) Finance class to be expanded as needed.
The Brotherhood will still have the Annual Retreat with a theme like the Congress, “Geared to the Times, but Anchored to the Rock” having a desire to remain current.
Bro Tanner is a loving husband and father of 7 children and is a computer technician for the Department of Justice. But most importantly, you can feel his excitement and desire to lead this vital ministry.