NEWS
Brethren peacemakers return from Iraq.
Annual Conference Council prepares for 2004 Annual Conference.
Bethany Board of Trustees hears update on financial campaign, plans for centennial.
Brethren grants support food needs in Sudan, aid to Iran.
On Earth Peace realigns staff responsibilities.
ABC resources are now available through Brethren Press.
Regional conferences energize Brethren youth.
Brethren bits: General Board and ABC positions, and much more.
FEATURES
Determined action keeps Japanese volunteer in US.
Friday, April 16, 2004
Brethren peacemakers return from Iraq.
Peggy Gish and Cliff Kindy, Church of the Brethren members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), were in Baghdad the day the bombs began to fall a year ago, and on March 20, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the war. Both returned to the US in late March.
On April 13 the current CPT team left Iraq on the advice of Iraqi colleagues. "The extremely aggressive actions of the US and Coalition forces throughout Iraq and especially in Fallujah have created widespread suspicion and fear," a CPT release said. "This suspicion puts all internationals at risk." CPT is a ministry initiated by Mennonites, Brethren, and Friends, and has had a team in Iraq almost continuously since Oct. 2002.
Gish, of New Covenant Fellowship in Athens, Ohio, spent 11 months of the last year and a half in Iraq, and Kindy, who attends Eel River Community Church of the Brethren, Silver Lake, Ind., spent ten months there. In separate interviews conducted after their return, Kindy and Gish reflected on their work and the situation in Iraq "then and now."
"We were there before the war with the hope that we could stop a war," Kindy said of CPT's initial decision to place a team in Iraq. The CPT presence, along with massive anti-war demonstrations around the world, helped delay the war, he contends.
"We resist getting caught in the mindset of the occupation system," Gish said, emphasizing that CPT's spiritual resistance to the war continues. "We refuse to accept the mindset that anyone resisting the US occupation is a terrorist. We resist seeing either Iraqi or US soldiers as our enemies, or believing that violence is the only way to combat terrorism." In Iraq, Kindy espoused nonviolence to people on all sides of the conflict including an American colonel who befriended the CPT team and an Iraqi-Canadian physician with plans to finance a militia. Such conversations illustrate CPT's mission Kindy said.
Assessing the current situation, he said that the war has been "lost in every way, except maybe for corporations who have more business." "There are little visible signs of hope, but we hold on to hope," Gish said. "Iraq may go through a lot more hell, but good things are happening there too. God is raising up leadership right now, people who have vision for rebuilding a more peaceable society there." Gish gives credit to the many Iraqis who do not resort to violence even though they are angry with the occupation.
Both fear the longterm effects of the war. "We're going to bring the war home in ways we can't even think about in our nightmares," Kindy said. His concerns include loss of US credibility, effects of the war on troops, and the effects of weapons made with depleted uranium, which may include a high incidence of cancer in those exposed and deformations of babies born in Iraq and to US veterans. Gish's concerns focus on the continuing violence. She said that US actions are rapidly increasing the ranks of the opposition, who in her opinion are not terrorists or Al Qaeda "but mostly Iraqis wanting their own autonomy and feeling desperate."
When soldiers return from Iraq, few family or friends know how to deal with their war experiences, Kindy fears. There is a ministry for the church in hearing the stories of the soldiers, both for their healing and to change what is happening in Iraq, he said. "It's going to take the soldiers and us working together."
Gish and Kindy bring questions from Iraq, for themselves and the church. "Is it possible to walk, live, and work in a system of horrendous overt and structural violence without being overcome by it? How can we do it in Iraq, the US, or any other nation?" Gish asked. Kindy wondered how peacemaking in Iraq may help Brethren understand discipleship. "It's the kind of vision that could attract serious followers of Jesus," he said.
Gish is writing a book about her experiences, "Iraq: A Journey of Hope and Peace," to be published by Herald Press in early fall. Kindy is on a speaking tour to churches. For more information call CPT at 773-277-0253 or log on to www.cpt.org.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Peggy Gish and Cliff Kindy, Church of the Brethren members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), were in Baghdad the day the bombs began to fall a year ago, and on March 20, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the war. Both returned to the US in late March.
On April 13 the current CPT team left Iraq on the advice of Iraqi colleagues. "The extremely aggressive actions of the US and Coalition forces throughout Iraq and especially in Fallujah have created widespread suspicion and fear," a CPT release said. "This suspicion puts all internationals at risk." CPT is a ministry initiated by Mennonites, Brethren, and Friends, and has had a team in Iraq almost continuously since Oct. 2002.
Gish, of New Covenant Fellowship in Athens, Ohio, spent 11 months of the last year and a half in Iraq, and Kindy, who attends Eel River Community Church of the Brethren, Silver Lake, Ind., spent ten months there. In separate interviews conducted after their return, Kindy and Gish reflected on their work and the situation in Iraq "then and now."
"We were there before the war with the hope that we could stop a war," Kindy said of CPT's initial decision to place a team in Iraq. The CPT presence, along with massive anti-war demonstrations around the world, helped delay the war, he contends.
"We resist getting caught in the mindset of the occupation system," Gish said, emphasizing that CPT's spiritual resistance to the war continues. "We refuse to accept the mindset that anyone resisting the US occupation is a terrorist. We resist seeing either Iraqi or US soldiers as our enemies, or believing that violence is the only way to combat terrorism." In Iraq, Kindy espoused nonviolence to people on all sides of the conflict including an American colonel who befriended the CPT team and an Iraqi-Canadian physician with plans to finance a militia. Such conversations illustrate CPT's mission Kindy said.
Assessing the current situation, he said that the war has been "lost in every way, except maybe for corporations who have more business." "There are little visible signs of hope, but we hold on to hope," Gish said. "Iraq may go through a lot more hell, but good things are happening there too. God is raising up leadership right now, people who have vision for rebuilding a more peaceable society there." Gish gives credit to the many Iraqis who do not resort to violence even though they are angry with the occupation.
Both fear the longterm effects of the war. "We're going to bring the war home in ways we can't even think about in our nightmares," Kindy said. His concerns include loss of US credibility, effects of the war on troops, and the effects of weapons made with depleted uranium, which may include a high incidence of cancer in those exposed and deformations of babies born in Iraq and to US veterans. Gish's concerns focus on the continuing violence. She said that US actions are rapidly increasing the ranks of the opposition, who in her opinion are not terrorists or Al Qaeda "but mostly Iraqis wanting their own autonomy and feeling desperate."
When soldiers return from Iraq, few family or friends know how to deal with their war experiences, Kindy fears. There is a ministry for the church in hearing the stories of the soldiers, both for their healing and to change what is happening in Iraq, he said. "It's going to take the soldiers and us working together."
Gish and Kindy bring questions from Iraq, for themselves and the church. "Is it possible to walk, live, and work in a system of horrendous overt and structural violence without being overcome by it? How can we do it in Iraq, the US, or any other nation?" Gish asked. Kindy wondered how peacemaking in Iraq may help Brethren understand discipleship. "It's the kind of vision that could attract serious followers of Jesus," he said.
Gish is writing a book about her experiences, "Iraq: A Journey of Hope and Peace," to be published by Herald Press in early fall. Kindy is on a speaking tour to churches. For more information call CPT at 773-277-0253 or log on to www.cpt.org.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Annual Conference Council prepares for 2004 Annual Conference.
The Annual Conference Council met March 16-17 in Elgin, Ill., discussing a conversation hour to take place at the 2004 Annual Conference and business items for the conference.
Lerry Fogle, executive director of Annual Conference, and Chris Bowman, conference moderator, reported on preparations for the 2004 conference. The group discussed the structure and framework for a conversation hour with the council, scheduled for 9-10 p.m. July 4. The event is part of the council's response to an assignment from the 2003 conference. "The council calls this ‘an initial conversation to facilitate discussion around the broad questions in the (Michigan) query to clarify confusion, specifically those of a theological and structural nature,’" according to a report by Fred Swartz, conference secretary. The query asked for clarification of a 2002 conference action on licensing and ordination of ministers.
A revised mandate for the next Review and Evaluation Committee will be presented to Standing Committee this year, calling for review and evaluation of total denominational structure and program. Previous mandates for Review and Evaluation Committees, which were initiated in 1968 and scheduled to occur in regular ten-year cycles, were to review only the General Board. The next cycle begins in 2005.
The council also adopted a policy for filling unexpired terms in conference-elected positions, first calling people who were nominated but not elected. The full text of the policy will be sent to Church of the Brethren agency executives for approval before it is sent to Standing Committee this year. The group also looked at next steps in assembling and publishing an updated manual of organization and polity. Swartz reported that the council anticipates that a finished manual will not be published until after the next Review and Evaluation Committee report in 2007. Setting next steps in an ongoing strategic planning process for Annual Conference, the council also plans to introduce a statement of purpose, a vision statement, and a list of core values to Standing Committee this year.
In other business, the council will pursue the possibility of having a consultation on ministry with the Council of District Executives and the General Board's Office of Ministry to evaluate policies and procedures used in the calling and credentialing of ministers; received a report from the Inter-Agency Forum and noted with appreciation a concerted tone of cooperation and coordination among Church of the Brethren agencies and executives; responded to letters appealing conference actions or policies of the Program and Arrangements Committee; and heard a report from Bowman on his recent trip to India.
It was the final regular meeting for two of the council's original members: Sandy Bosserman, the elected district executive on the council, and Harriet Finney, the 2003 conference moderator. Finney's position spanned her three years as moderator-elect, moderator, and immediate past moderator. Bosserman, district executive for Missouri/Arkansas, is resigning with a year remaining on her term, citing increased family and district responsibilities. Annual Conference delegates will name her successor. The council expressed appreciation to Bosserman and Finney for their contributions over the past three years.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
The Annual Conference Council met March 16-17 in Elgin, Ill., discussing a conversation hour to take place at the 2004 Annual Conference and business items for the conference.
Lerry Fogle, executive director of Annual Conference, and Chris Bowman, conference moderator, reported on preparations for the 2004 conference. The group discussed the structure and framework for a conversation hour with the council, scheduled for 9-10 p.m. July 4. The event is part of the council's response to an assignment from the 2003 conference. "The council calls this ‘an initial conversation to facilitate discussion around the broad questions in the (Michigan) query to clarify confusion, specifically those of a theological and structural nature,’" according to a report by Fred Swartz, conference secretary. The query asked for clarification of a 2002 conference action on licensing and ordination of ministers.
A revised mandate for the next Review and Evaluation Committee will be presented to Standing Committee this year, calling for review and evaluation of total denominational structure and program. Previous mandates for Review and Evaluation Committees, which were initiated in 1968 and scheduled to occur in regular ten-year cycles, were to review only the General Board. The next cycle begins in 2005.
The council also adopted a policy for filling unexpired terms in conference-elected positions, first calling people who were nominated but not elected. The full text of the policy will be sent to Church of the Brethren agency executives for approval before it is sent to Standing Committee this year. The group also looked at next steps in assembling and publishing an updated manual of organization and polity. Swartz reported that the council anticipates that a finished manual will not be published until after the next Review and Evaluation Committee report in 2007. Setting next steps in an ongoing strategic planning process for Annual Conference, the council also plans to introduce a statement of purpose, a vision statement, and a list of core values to Standing Committee this year.
In other business, the council will pursue the possibility of having a consultation on ministry with the Council of District Executives and the General Board's Office of Ministry to evaluate policies and procedures used in the calling and credentialing of ministers; received a report from the Inter-Agency Forum and noted with appreciation a concerted tone of cooperation and coordination among Church of the Brethren agencies and executives; responded to letters appealing conference actions or policies of the Program and Arrangements Committee; and heard a report from Bowman on his recent trip to India.
It was the final regular meeting for two of the council's original members: Sandy Bosserman, the elected district executive on the council, and Harriet Finney, the 2003 conference moderator. Finney's position spanned her three years as moderator-elect, moderator, and immediate past moderator. Bosserman, district executive for Missouri/Arkansas, is resigning with a year remaining on her term, citing increased family and district responsibilities. Annual Conference delegates will name her successor. The council expressed appreciation to Bosserman and Finney for their contributions over the past three years.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Bethany Board of Trustees hears update on financial campaign, plans for centennial.
The Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees gathered for its semi-annual meeting March 26-28. Highlights included a report on Bethany's financial campaign, plans for the seminary's centennial in 2004/2005, plans for a pastoral excellence program, and news of a faculty member's invitation to speak at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Gifts and pledges for the financial campaign are more than $12.3 million to date, according to a release from the seminary. The congregational phase of the campaign was launched at the 2003 Annual Conference. Congregational visits will take place in 11 districts this year, with nearly 125 volunteers providing leadership for the visits. Special presentations will be made at the 2004 district conferences of the remaining districts.
In other reports, committees of the board heard about events for the centennial, with activities to begin at the 2004 Annual Conference and more information available soon on Bethany's website; and plans for the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence grant received by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership from Lilly Endowment, Inc. Linda and Glenn Timmons will coordinate the program, which will provide pastors with two tracks for continuing education: Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership and the Vital Pastor program.
The board's Academic Affairs Committee received news that Scott Holland, associate professor of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies, has been invited to address the National Press Club this summer. He will speak on the "Watu Kwa Amani: People of Peace" conference Aug. 8-14 in Nairobi, Kenya, one of a series of Historic Peace Church conferences that are part of the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence. Bethany's Baker Trust Fund is a major sponsor of the conference. Other agenda included an advisory committee for "Connections," the seminary's distributed education program, and a self-study process by the school's teaching and administrative faculty as part of an accreditation review in 2006.
In other action, the board approved a budget of $2,067,280 for 2004/2005, a three percent increase from the previous year, and chose officers for 2004/2005. Anne Reid, of Roanoke, Va., will serve as chair; Raymond M. Donadio, Jr., Greenville, Ohio, as vice-chair; Ed Poling, Hagerstown, Md., as secretary; Carol Scheppard, Mount Crawford, Va., as chair for Academic Affairs; Ron Wyrick, Harrisonburg, Va., as chair for Institutional Advancement; and Jim Dodson, Lexington, Ky., as chair for Student and Business Affairs.
The board celebrated the appointment of Nadine Pence Frantz as full professor of theological studies, honored Theresa C. Eshbach's service as executive director of Institutional Advancement, and expressed appreciation to members concluding their terms of service: John Gingrich, Claremont, Calif.; Robert Knechel, Bethany, W.Va.; Phil Norris, Lititz, Pa.; and Jonathan Wieand, Goshen, Ind. For more information contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Rd. W., Richmond, IN 47374; 800-287-8822; www.bethanyseminary.edu.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
The Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees gathered for its semi-annual meeting March 26-28. Highlights included a report on Bethany's financial campaign, plans for the seminary's centennial in 2004/2005, plans for a pastoral excellence program, and news of a faculty member's invitation to speak at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Gifts and pledges for the financial campaign are more than $12.3 million to date, according to a release from the seminary. The congregational phase of the campaign was launched at the 2003 Annual Conference. Congregational visits will take place in 11 districts this year, with nearly 125 volunteers providing leadership for the visits. Special presentations will be made at the 2004 district conferences of the remaining districts.
In other reports, committees of the board heard about events for the centennial, with activities to begin at the 2004 Annual Conference and more information available soon on Bethany's website; and plans for the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence grant received by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership from Lilly Endowment, Inc. Linda and Glenn Timmons will coordinate the program, which will provide pastors with two tracks for continuing education: Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership and the Vital Pastor program.
The board's Academic Affairs Committee received news that Scott Holland, associate professor of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies, has been invited to address the National Press Club this summer. He will speak on the "Watu Kwa Amani: People of Peace" conference Aug. 8-14 in Nairobi, Kenya, one of a series of Historic Peace Church conferences that are part of the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence. Bethany's Baker Trust Fund is a major sponsor of the conference. Other agenda included an advisory committee for "Connections," the seminary's distributed education program, and a self-study process by the school's teaching and administrative faculty as part of an accreditation review in 2006.
In other action, the board approved a budget of $2,067,280 for 2004/2005, a three percent increase from the previous year, and chose officers for 2004/2005. Anne Reid, of Roanoke, Va., will serve as chair; Raymond M. Donadio, Jr., Greenville, Ohio, as vice-chair; Ed Poling, Hagerstown, Md., as secretary; Carol Scheppard, Mount Crawford, Va., as chair for Academic Affairs; Ron Wyrick, Harrisonburg, Va., as chair for Institutional Advancement; and Jim Dodson, Lexington, Ky., as chair for Student and Business Affairs.
The board celebrated the appointment of Nadine Pence Frantz as full professor of theological studies, honored Theresa C. Eshbach's service as executive director of Institutional Advancement, and expressed appreciation to members concluding their terms of service: John Gingrich, Claremont, Calif.; Robert Knechel, Bethany, W.Va.; Phil Norris, Lititz, Pa.; and Jonathan Wieand, Goshen, Ind. For more information contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Rd. W., Richmond, IN 47374; 800-287-8822; www.bethanyseminary.edu.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Brethren grants support food needs in Sudan, aid to Iran.
Three grants from the General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) totaling $32,900 will be directed at food needs in Sudan. A grant of $20,000 from the board's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) will support earthquake recovery in the city of Bam, Iran.
The grants for Sudan will be given through the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), which is based in the south of the country. Sudan has suffered from a decades-long civil war between the mostly Muslim and Arab north and the mostly Christian and African south.
Nyal, an area of Sudan that has suffered the most from the civil war, according to Ross Kane of the NSCC, will benefit from the GFCF allocation of $12,400 to fully fund a women's gardening and tailoring project to generate income and improve diets.
A GFCF grant of $8,500 for a women's bakery in Rumbek County in the lake region of Bahr El Ghazel, home to a cluster of international relief and rehabilitation programs and a population of 300,000 that includes an influx of internally displaced people, will fully support the construction of the bakery and a store where bread will be sold. Women launched the project to deal with their lack of employment, and the income generated will enable the women to meet the needs of their families and send their children to school.
To alleviate the burden on women grinding grain and to generate income for churches suffering from abject poverty caused by the war, grinding mills are being built in five towns in Yei County, southern Sudan. The project will cost $32,000, toward which GFCF is giving $12,000. The grant was sought by the NSCC on behalf of the Sudan Pentecostal Church, and will help construct mills and buy a truck and fuel for use in training and supervising workers. The income from the mills will be used for evangelism.
Responding to a Church World Service appeal, the EDF grant will fund psycho-social assistance to the needy—especially children—in Bam, as well as prefabricated housing and earthquake-resistant housing for families outside the city. A devastating earthquake Dec. 26, 2003, killed an estimated 42,000 people, injured another 30,000, left 1,800 children orphaned, and destroyed more than two-thirds of the buildings. An initial EDF grant provided $35,000 for food, medical supplies, and blankets. "The wake of this disaster has left many emotional scars and much humanitarian need," said Roy Winter, director of the board's Emergency Response program. "The reconstruction of homes and lives will take years."
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Three grants from the General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) totaling $32,900 will be directed at food needs in Sudan. A grant of $20,000 from the board's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) will support earthquake recovery in the city of Bam, Iran.
The grants for Sudan will be given through the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), which is based in the south of the country. Sudan has suffered from a decades-long civil war between the mostly Muslim and Arab north and the mostly Christian and African south.
Nyal, an area of Sudan that has suffered the most from the civil war, according to Ross Kane of the NSCC, will benefit from the GFCF allocation of $12,400 to fully fund a women's gardening and tailoring project to generate income and improve diets.
A GFCF grant of $8,500 for a women's bakery in Rumbek County in the lake region of Bahr El Ghazel, home to a cluster of international relief and rehabilitation programs and a population of 300,000 that includes an influx of internally displaced people, will fully support the construction of the bakery and a store where bread will be sold. Women launched the project to deal with their lack of employment, and the income generated will enable the women to meet the needs of their families and send their children to school.
To alleviate the burden on women grinding grain and to generate income for churches suffering from abject poverty caused by the war, grinding mills are being built in five towns in Yei County, southern Sudan. The project will cost $32,000, toward which GFCF is giving $12,000. The grant was sought by the NSCC on behalf of the Sudan Pentecostal Church, and will help construct mills and buy a truck and fuel for use in training and supervising workers. The income from the mills will be used for evangelism.
Responding to a Church World Service appeal, the EDF grant will fund psycho-social assistance to the needy—especially children—in Bam, as well as prefabricated housing and earthquake-resistant housing for families outside the city. A devastating earthquake Dec. 26, 2003, killed an estimated 42,000 people, injured another 30,000, left 1,800 children orphaned, and destroyed more than two-thirds of the buildings. An initial EDF grant provided $35,000 for food, medical supplies, and blankets. "The wake of this disaster has left many emotional scars and much humanitarian need," said Roy Winter, director of the board's Emergency Response program. "The reconstruction of homes and lives will take years."
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
On Earth Peace realigns staff responsibilities.
The recent addition of Annie Clark to the On Earth Peace staff has made it possible for the Church of the Brethren peacemaking organization to realign other staff roles to allow for more focus in program leadership, according to a release from OEP. In recent years, some OEP staff had divided their time and attention over more than one major area of responsibility. The new configuration will strengthen OEP's services to the church and has been welcomed by the staff, according to Bob Gross, co-executive director.
In the new configuration, Clark will serve as program coordinator for conflict transformation; Kim Stuckey as program coordinator for peacemaker formation; and Matt Guynn as program coordinator for peace witness. Gross and Barbara Sayler will continue as co-executive directors sharing responsibilities for general program, with Sayler holding particular responsibilities for program interpretation and communications, and Gross providing conflict transformation services and development. Darlene Johnson continues as office manager.
Contact OEP staff by telephone or e-mail: Clark at 260-982-8595 or e-mail annieclark@mchsi.com; Stuckey at 410-635-8706 or e-mail kstuckey_oepa@brethren.org; Guynn at 765-962-6234 or e-mail mattguynn@earthlink.net; Sayler at 410-635-8705 or e-mail bsayler_oepa@brethren.org; Gross at 260-982-7751 or e-mail bgross@igc.org; and Johnson at 410-635-8704 or e-mail johnson_oepa@brethren.org.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
The recent addition of Annie Clark to the On Earth Peace staff has made it possible for the Church of the Brethren peacemaking organization to realign other staff roles to allow for more focus in program leadership, according to a release from OEP. In recent years, some OEP staff had divided their time and attention over more than one major area of responsibility. The new configuration will strengthen OEP's services to the church and has been welcomed by the staff, according to Bob Gross, co-executive director.
In the new configuration, Clark will serve as program coordinator for conflict transformation; Kim Stuckey as program coordinator for peacemaker formation; and Matt Guynn as program coordinator for peace witness. Gross and Barbara Sayler will continue as co-executive directors sharing responsibilities for general program, with Sayler holding particular responsibilities for program interpretation and communications, and Gross providing conflict transformation services and development. Darlene Johnson continues as office manager.
Contact OEP staff by telephone or e-mail: Clark at 260-982-8595 or e-mail annieclark@mchsi.com; Stuckey at 410-635-8706 or e-mail kstuckey_oepa@brethren.org; Guynn at 765-962-6234 or e-mail mattguynn@earthlink.net; Sayler at 410-635-8705 or e-mail bsayler_oepa@brethren.org; Gross at 260-982-7751 or e-mail bgross@igc.org; and Johnson at 410-635-8704 or e-mail johnson_oepa@brethren.org.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
ABC resources are now available through Brethren Press.
The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) and Brethren Press have arranged for most of ABC's caring ministry resources to be available through Brethren Press, the General Board's publishing house. ABC provides publications and educational and faith opportunities that encourage the church to do caring ministries as the work of Jesus Christ.
Through the new arrangement, deacon materials, anointing supplies, end-of-life study guides, Lafiya materials, and other resources can be ordered from the Brethren Press Bookstore at www.brethrenpress.com or by calling customer service at 800-441-3712. The arrangement will allow ABC's print resources to be more widely available. Customers will be able to make credit card transactions and use church identification numbers when purchasing.
"It just makes sense for us to partner with Brethren Press for these types of services. With this working arrangement, we can focus more time and energy on serving the caring ministries," said Kathy Reid, executive director for ABC. ABC will continue to develop caring ministries resources. Also, ABC's quarterly publication "Caregiving" will be available solely through the ABC office.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) and Brethren Press have arranged for most of ABC's caring ministry resources to be available through Brethren Press, the General Board's publishing house. ABC provides publications and educational and faith opportunities that encourage the church to do caring ministries as the work of Jesus Christ.
Through the new arrangement, deacon materials, anointing supplies, end-of-life study guides, Lafiya materials, and other resources can be ordered from the Brethren Press Bookstore at www.brethrenpress.com or by calling customer service at 800-441-3712. The arrangement will allow ABC's print resources to be more widely available. Customers will be able to make credit card transactions and use church identification numbers when purchasing.
"It just makes sense for us to partner with Brethren Press for these types of services. With this working arrangement, we can focus more time and energy on serving the caring ministries," said Kathy Reid, executive director for ABC. ABC will continue to develop caring ministries resources. Also, ABC's quarterly publication "Caregiving" will be available solely through the ABC office.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Regional conferences energize Brethren youth.
Three regional conferences were held for Church of the Brethren youth in late March and early April: Eastern Regional Youth Conference (ERYC) at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College March 26-28; Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College March 26-28; and Regional Youth Conference at McPherson (Kan.) College April 2-4. Another is planned for this weekend, April 17-18, at Manchester College in Indiana. The Western Regional Youth Conference, held every fourth year, will take place Aug. 4-8 at the University of San Francisco, Calif.
About 250 senior high youth and advisors gathered for an upbeat ERYC. Organizers emphasized a multimedia approach in exploring the theme "Uncluttered: Letting Go...Letting God." Music from the Brethren band "Wake-Up Call" injected additional energy. Jake Larson of the Los Angeles-based duo "Craig & Jake Live" provided keynote leadership for several sessions, working solo after Craig Gross was unable to attend due to illness. Larson challenged the youth, expressing a hope "that you leave here more excited about God."
Jeff Carter, pastor at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren, spoke at the Bridgewater Roundtable on the theme, "The Next Chapter...A Future with Hope." Joseph Helfrich provided a concert on Friday evening and led singing throughout the weekend.
Nearly 50 youth and advisors attended the McPherson event, spanning an area from Colorado to Missouri and from the Canadian border to Mexico. Matt Guynn of On Earth Peace and Lee Krahenbuhl of Manchester College provided keynote leadership, focusing on the theme "Simply." Guynn used meditative "centering prayers" as a focus point, while challenging youth to look at priorities, the US culture of consumerism, and the need to turn toward God. "`Simply’ is about understanding where our priorities are and letting things fall away and reorganize themselves," he said. "It's about a lifetime of turning. It's not just a single, one-time decision." Krahenbuhl led singing through the weekend, culminating with the group providing special music for McPherson Church of the Brethren's worship Sunday morning.
Messenger editor Walt Wiltschek led an all-group session on media messages, and a series of breakout sessions explored topics including thinking about ministry, youth workcamps, conscientious objection, and various aspects of simple living. Billy Jonas of Asheville, N.C., gave a unique Saturday-evening concert, using an assortment of unusual percussion instruments and heavily involving the audience in being "part of the band." The weekend was organized by McPherson staff Tracy Stoddart, Kenny Manhamo, and LaMonte Rothrock.
For information on the Manchester conference contact Wendi Hutchinson at 260-982-5232 or e-mail wahutchinson@manchester.edu. For more information on the western conference see the Pacific Southwest District Youth website www.pswdcob.org/youth or contact Dena Gilbert at 909-392-4055 or e-mail gogilbert@juno.com.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Three regional conferences were held for Church of the Brethren youth in late March and early April: Eastern Regional Youth Conference (ERYC) at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College March 26-28; Roundtable at Bridgewater (Va.) College March 26-28; and Regional Youth Conference at McPherson (Kan.) College April 2-4. Another is planned for this weekend, April 17-18, at Manchester College in Indiana. The Western Regional Youth Conference, held every fourth year, will take place Aug. 4-8 at the University of San Francisco, Calif.
About 250 senior high youth and advisors gathered for an upbeat ERYC. Organizers emphasized a multimedia approach in exploring the theme "Uncluttered: Letting Go...Letting God." Music from the Brethren band "Wake-Up Call" injected additional energy. Jake Larson of the Los Angeles-based duo "Craig & Jake Live" provided keynote leadership for several sessions, working solo after Craig Gross was unable to attend due to illness. Larson challenged the youth, expressing a hope "that you leave here more excited about God."
Jeff Carter, pastor at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren, spoke at the Bridgewater Roundtable on the theme, "The Next Chapter...A Future with Hope." Joseph Helfrich provided a concert on Friday evening and led singing throughout the weekend.
Nearly 50 youth and advisors attended the McPherson event, spanning an area from Colorado to Missouri and from the Canadian border to Mexico. Matt Guynn of On Earth Peace and Lee Krahenbuhl of Manchester College provided keynote leadership, focusing on the theme "Simply." Guynn used meditative "centering prayers" as a focus point, while challenging youth to look at priorities, the US culture of consumerism, and the need to turn toward God. "`Simply’ is about understanding where our priorities are and letting things fall away and reorganize themselves," he said. "It's about a lifetime of turning. It's not just a single, one-time decision." Krahenbuhl led singing through the weekend, culminating with the group providing special music for McPherson Church of the Brethren's worship Sunday morning.
Messenger editor Walt Wiltschek led an all-group session on media messages, and a series of breakout sessions explored topics including thinking about ministry, youth workcamps, conscientious objection, and various aspects of simple living. Billy Jonas of Asheville, N.C., gave a unique Saturday-evening concert, using an assortment of unusual percussion instruments and heavily involving the audience in being "part of the band." The weekend was organized by McPherson staff Tracy Stoddart, Kenny Manhamo, and LaMonte Rothrock.
For information on the Manchester conference contact Wendi Hutchinson at 260-982-5232 or e-mail wahutchinson@manchester.edu. For more information on the western conference see the Pacific Southwest District Youth website www.pswdcob.org/youth or contact Dena Gilbert at 909-392-4055 or e-mail gogilbert@juno.com.
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Brethren bits: General Board and ABC positions, and much more.
- Gary Huffman, of Elgin, Ill., has accepted the position of accounts payable and payroll specialist with the General Board. He is retired from United Airlines, where he worked in professional development in the training department for information services. He also has taught office automation technology at Elgin Community College, has been a substitute teacher, and served for ten years as an ordained minister in the United Presbyterian Church USA, most recently at Meadowdale Presbyterian Church in Carpentersville, Ill. He began in the position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin on March 22.
- Nancy Bailey Miner will become the next administrative assistant for the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC), effective May 10. Miner moves to ABC from more than ten years at Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), where she most recently was managing editor for the Communications and Information Services Department, and has served as production coordinator, medical claims support staff, and telephone services and claims processing assistant. She will continue to work at the Church of the Brethren General Offices, where she is accompanist for the weekly chapel service. She is a member of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin.
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks applicants to staff violence reduction projects in Colombia; Hebron, the West Bank; Iraq; Grassy Narrows, Ont., Canada; and new North American initiatives. Successful candidates will be committed to nonviolence, grounded in faith, and willing to risk working in settings of violence and oppression. Apply by May 1 for the Peacemaker Corps training July 16-Aug. 13. Participation in a short-term CPT delegation is recommended prior to training and space is still available in the following delegations: Colombia May 18-31; Iraq May 20-June 3; Israel/Palestine May 25-June 6; and Grassy Narrows May 28-June 6. For more information see www.cpt.org or contact Claire Evans, personnel and delegation coordinator, at 773-277-0253 or e-mail personnel@cpt.org. CPT is an initiative of Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers, with support and membership from a range of other denominations.
- "The Final Journey of John Kline: A Drama with Music" by Lee Krahenbuhl will be presented by the New Millennium Players of Everett Church of the Brethren in four churches in Southern Ohio District: 7 p.m. April 23 at the New Carlisle church; 1:30 p.m. April 24 at the Greenville church; 7 p.m. April 24 at the Brookville church; and 10:45 a.m. April 25 at the Prince of Peace church in Kettering. The play follows John Kline during the final four years of his life, as he crossed the Mason-Dixon line to serve people in the North and South, and was written in 1997 for the bicentennial of his birth.
- The Western Pennsylvania District Youth Choir is touring April 23-25 and will sing in the following churches: Montgomery 7 p.m. April 23, Locust Grove 7 p.m. April 24, Sipesville 7 p.m. April 25, and tentatively at Scalp Level April 25. The group will sing at the Brethren Home 1:30 p.m. April 24.
- "Redefining Normal—Small and Rural Church Conference" will be held April 23-24 in Markle, Ind., sponsored by the denomination's Small Membership/Rural Church Leadership Team and the districts of Northern Indiana and South/Central Indiana. Cost is $50. For more information contact the Northern Indiana District office at 574-773-3149.
- A Net Results seminar sponsored by Middle Pennsylvania District will be held April 24 at Hollidaysburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on "Stewardship Adventures: Increasing the Harvest 15-30 Percent." The resource leader is Eugene Grimm, stewardship specialist for three Ohio synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Cost is $25 or $100 per church, and preregistration is required. Contact Deanna Ness at 814-643-0601.
- Pacific Southwest District held a series of prayer vigils in March and early April, in cooperation with Mennonite churches, entitled "Hands Lifted in Prayer." The vigils addressed God's future in the district as well as in Pacific Southwest Mennonite Council, and the world, according to the district newsletter. Vigils took place at Community Brethren Church in Fresno, Calif., March 12; First Mennonite Church in Phoenix, Ariz., April 2; and the Center for Anabaptist Leadership in Pasadena, Calif., April 10.
- Thirty pastors and deacons gathered April 3 for a Western Plains District training event at the Topeka (Kan.) Church of the Brethren. Scott Douglas, staff for the Association of Brethren Caregivers, led participants through a process that explored how a caregiver's spiritual life affects the way he or she serves as a caregiver in the congregation. The event also focused on how deacons can spiritually enliven their congregations. "We had very good participation and a lot of interest in the topic of spiritual development for deacons," Douglas said.
- Bridgewater (Va.) College celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Daniel Christian Flory, on April 6, with a convocation. Awards for excellence in teaching went to foreign languages chair Susan L. Piepke and psychology professor Donald R. Witters. Seniors Melissa Short and Jonathan Puvak received leadership awards. Retired professor C. Ray Smith received an honorary doctorate.
- Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind., has broken ground for a new recital hall. The $1.2 million project on the north end of Otho Winger Hall is expected to take just five months. To get construction underway, the community was invited to "dig in" at a March 30 groundbreaking accompanied by the A Cappella Choir, just returned from a peace tour of Italy.
- A Spring Fellowship Day April 24 will be held for friends of Timbercrest Senior Living Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement center in North Manchester, Ind. The event will feature a food market, a concert by the Mossburg Strings, hymn singing, a business session, volunteer recognitions, and installation of officers. Events begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue through the afternoon.
- Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has issued a call for recipes for a new "More-with-Less"-style cookbook. The advisory group for the project includes Church of the Brethren ordained minister Sue Wagner Fields. Recipes can be submitted at www.morewithless.org or request a recipe submission form by calling MCC at 888-563-4676.
Priority will be given to recipes that use primarily ingredients that are ripe in one season. Recipes will be tested by volunteers who will give feedback, following the model of the MCC's World Community Cookbook series. Personal reflections on eating with the seasons also are invited. Target date for publication is April 2005. "This is something Brethren will be proud to be a part of, and it's a way of putting our faith and values into action in our daily lives," said Fields.
- "Life-Giving Breath of God," this year's Earth Day Sunday resource from the National Council of Churches' Eco-Justice Working Group, celebrates God's gift of air. According to a release from the NCC, Christian congregations across the nation are embracing Earth Day, an event once observed only in the secular arena. This year Earth Day Sunday falls on April 25. For a copy of the resource visit www.nccecojustice.org or call Cassandra Carmichael, director of Eco-Justice Programs, at 202-544-2350 ext. 27 or e-mail cassandra@toad.net.
Determined action keeps Japanese volunteer in US.
On Super Bowl Sunday morning Dan McFadden, director of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS), got a call from immigration at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Shoko Murakami, the BVS volunteer featured on the cover of the January/February issue of the Church of the Brethren magazine "Messenger," was being refused re-entry following a two-week visit home to Japan. She would be deported by the next available flight.
Immigration claimed that Murakami's $70 monthly stipend was income not allowed by her visa, although it was the type of visa that other BVS volunteers use every year. McFadden called Brethren House in Washington, D.C., where Murakami lived with ten other volunteers, to let them know she would not be arriving. Amy Adkins, Sarah Farahat, and others would not take no for an answer, and began making phone calls. They called Phil Jones, Brethren Witness/Washington Office director, who called Stan Noffsinger, Church of the Brethren general secretary, who called Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.
Jones called David Price, congressman from North Carolina; Edgar contacted Rush Holt, congressman from New Jersey; and phone calls were made to the immigration office. Farahat also found numbers for the Japanese embassy and the Department of Homeland Security in Texas. Farahat got through to Murakami, and learned she was being held in a small cell without pencils or paper, and was not allowed to make calls.
That night, Murakami's case was re-examined and she was given a temporary two-week stay, during which Annual Conference moderator-elect Jim Hardenbrook and his congressman from Idaho, Butch Otter, got involved as well. By 2 a.m., an exhausted Murakami arrived at Reagan Airport to be greeted by Jones and BVS friends.
As Murakami went to her next meeting with immigration, McFadden hoped she would be allowed to stay five months to finish her BVS term. At the meeting Murakami learned that the immigration officer had visited the BVS website, and was impressed. While he didn't mention the phone calls, he acknowledged that immigration had acted in error. Instead of giving her the five months, he gave her a full year.
Expressing thanks to all who intervened on Murakami's behalf, McFadden said, "I was humbled by the strength of our volunteers and by the quick action of church leaders and political representatives. I was humbled by their support of Shoko, of BVS, of the work of the church."
It took Murakami about a month to settle back in to the US, she said. "Now I see this experience as positive," she said. "It could have happened to anybody. I was a fortunate one even if I were deported. I had a place to return to in my home country. Some people don't."
Murakami learned about BVS through the World Friendship Center (WFC) in Hiroshima, to which BVS has provided volunteer hosts for decades. She first traveled to the US in 1997 with hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. "I joined BVS to be part of my predecessors' dream of peace," said Murakami, who is working at the Center for Economic Justice. "I am so grateful that I can complete my volunteer service. I realize that it is the time we need to keep building the bridges of international understanding and friendship, so we don't repeat the mistake again that we learned from history."
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
On Super Bowl Sunday morning Dan McFadden, director of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS), got a call from immigration at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Shoko Murakami, the BVS volunteer featured on the cover of the January/February issue of the Church of the Brethren magazine "Messenger," was being refused re-entry following a two-week visit home to Japan. She would be deported by the next available flight.
Immigration claimed that Murakami's $70 monthly stipend was income not allowed by her visa, although it was the type of visa that other BVS volunteers use every year. McFadden called Brethren House in Washington, D.C., where Murakami lived with ten other volunteers, to let them know she would not be arriving. Amy Adkins, Sarah Farahat, and others would not take no for an answer, and began making phone calls. They called Phil Jones, Brethren Witness/Washington Office director, who called Stan Noffsinger, Church of the Brethren general secretary, who called Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.
Jones called David Price, congressman from North Carolina; Edgar contacted Rush Holt, congressman from New Jersey; and phone calls were made to the immigration office. Farahat also found numbers for the Japanese embassy and the Department of Homeland Security in Texas. Farahat got through to Murakami, and learned she was being held in a small cell without pencils or paper, and was not allowed to make calls.
That night, Murakami's case was re-examined and she was given a temporary two-week stay, during which Annual Conference moderator-elect Jim Hardenbrook and his congressman from Idaho, Butch Otter, got involved as well. By 2 a.m., an exhausted Murakami arrived at Reagan Airport to be greeted by Jones and BVS friends.
As Murakami went to her next meeting with immigration, McFadden hoped she would be allowed to stay five months to finish her BVS term. At the meeting Murakami learned that the immigration officer had visited the BVS website, and was impressed. While he didn't mention the phone calls, he acknowledged that immigration had acted in error. Instead of giving her the five months, he gave her a full year.
Expressing thanks to all who intervened on Murakami's behalf, McFadden said, "I was humbled by the strength of our volunteers and by the quick action of church leaders and political representatives. I was humbled by their support of Shoko, of BVS, of the work of the church."
It took Murakami about a month to settle back in to the US, she said. "Now I see this experience as positive," she said. "It could have happened to anybody. I was a fortunate one even if I were deported. I had a place to return to in my home country. Some people don't."
Murakami learned about BVS through the World Friendship Center (WFC) in Hiroshima, to which BVS has provided volunteer hosts for decades. She first traveled to the US in 1997 with hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. "I joined BVS to be part of my predecessors' dream of peace," said Murakami, who is working at the Center for Economic Justice. "I am so grateful that I can complete my volunteer service. I realize that it is the time we need to keep building the bridges of international understanding and friendship, so we don't repeat the mistake again that we learned from history."
Source: Newsline 4/16/2004 top
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month, with other editions as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source. Walt Wiltschek, Mary Dulabaum, Jeri S. Kornegay, Marcia Shelter, and Fred Swartz contributed to this report.
Newsline is a free service sent only to those requesting a subscription. To receive it by e-mail, or to unsubscribe, write cobnews@aol.com or call 800-323-8039, ext. 260. Newsline is available at www.brethren.org and is archived with an index at www.wfn.org. Also see Photo Journal at www.brethren.org/pjournal/index.htm for photo coverage of events.
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third, and fifth Friday of each month, with other editions as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source. Walt Wiltschek, Mary Dulabaum, Jeri S. Kornegay, Marcia Shelter, and Fred Swartz contributed to this report.
Newsline is a free service sent only to those requesting a subscription. To receive it by e-mail, or to unsubscribe, write cobnews@aol.com or call 800-323-8039, ext. 260. Newsline is available at www.brethren.org and is archived with an index at www.wfn.org. Also see Photo Journal at www.brethren.org/pjournal/index.htm for photo coverage of events.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)