- Diane Harden-Jones, a member of the board of the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC), died Dec. 16 after a long battle with cancer. A member of First Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla., Harden-Jones had served on the ABC Board since 2002. She "became the inspiration for ABC's work on wellness," said executive director Kathy Reid. "Diane was so able to articulate her faith and her sense of wellness, even in the midst of her struggle." Her story of wellness in crisis was shared at the 2005 Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill., as part of the ABC report. "We were so pleased that Diane was able to attend Annual Conference and stand on the stage with the board last summer when we showed the entire church our wellness video," Reid said. Miami pastor Ray Hileman wrote in a message to ABC that "she has been, as one member has put it, the `heart and soul' of our church and had a lot to do with its transition from a more traditional congregation into the multi-cultural, vibrant church that I now have the privilege of pastoring." Most recently Harden-Jones worked as an emergency room nurse at a Miami hospital. She was part of a medical emergency relief team that flew to Haiti in 2004 following Hurricane Jeanne. She wrote about that experience in the Fall 2004 issue of ABC's quarterly "Caregiving." A memorial service was held at Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Miami Haitian Church of the Brethren) on Dec. 19. Harden-Jones is survived by her husband, Rex Jones, and four children, Michaela, Michael, Matthew, and Marcus.
- The Association of Brethren Caregivers is publicizing a 2006 Summer Information Technology Internship in Washington, D.C., for college students with disabilities. The internship is administered by American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in information technology are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in various agencies in the executive branch of the federal government. Round trip air travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend. Applications are now available from www.AAPD.com. Apply by Jan. 13, 2006. Send questions to AAPDmsintern@aol.com.
- A grant of $25,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund has been given to support a Church World Service appeal for continuing relief and rebuilding efforts in Iraq. The fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board. The money will help provide emergency food to refugees in Jordan, water and sanitation projects in Iraq, building and support of schools and orphanages, and increase the capacity of local Iraqi agencies to provide aid.
- Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, was among religious leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., Dec. 14 to declare the fiscal year 2006 Federal Budget a "moral disgrace," according to a release from the National Council of Churches (NCC). Among those who gathered on Capitol Hill were Bob Edgar, general secretary of the NCC; John H. Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ; and Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the United Church of Christ. The demonstration was organized by Call to Renewal, and ended with more than 110 people being arrested when they knelt in prayer in the Cannon House Office Building. The group criticized the proposed budget for cutting more than $50 billion in social programs that help the poor while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Religious leaders have been protesting the budget since it was first introduced by President Bush in January. The Association of Brethren Caregivers also issued a statement calling for defeat of the budget, and invited Brethren to join in the Dec. 14 national "altar call" to prayer and worship on the budget.
- The refugee office of the Virginia Council of Churches (VCC), which has been based at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is relocating to Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Over the last two years, the majority of refugee placements have been to the Hagerstown area. The relocation is an effort to better support these clients, according to Roy Winter, executive director of the Brethren Service Center. Akok Deng, VCC staff and center resident, indicated the office hopes to move in January 2006.
- On Earth Peace is co-sponsoring a delegation to Israel/Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams on Jan. 12-24, 2006. Among the 16 participants will be 12 Church of the Brethren members led by Bob Gross, co-executive director of On Earth Peace. Gross asked Brethren to "pray for the delegation and everyone there in Israel/Palestine who is suffering violence." Brethren in the group include Joyce Cassel of First Church of the Brethren in Chicago, Ill.; Tana Durnbaugh of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill.; Susanna Farahat of the On Earth Peace staff; Lauree Hersch Meyer of Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Richard Klinedinst of Pine Creek Church of the Brethren in North Liberty, Ind.; Daniel Rudy of Glade Valley Church of the Brethren in Walkersville, Md.; Judith Nicole Small of Eel River Community Church of the Brethren in Silver Lake, Ind.; Paul Sparks of La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren; David Waas of Manchester Church of the Brethren in North Manchester, Ind.; and R. Michael Weaver of Lampeter (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. On Earth Peace has created a web page about the delegation which will feature a blog to be posted by the delegation while in the Middle East (www.brethren.org/oepa/MiddleEastDelegation2006.html).
- A "Twelve Days of Christmas" according to the Red Cross is recommended by Jane Yount, coordinator of the Brethren Disaster Response program. Subtitled, "Preparing Families for Disaster" the take-off on a favorite Christmas carol gives valuable advice to families to prepare for or prevent disaster situations. See www.tallytown.com/redcross/tdoc.html.
- Two National Council of Churches (NCC) Christmas Specials will "sparkle" on Christmas Eve on CBS and ABC, according to a release from the NCC. On CBS the special will feature outgoing NCC president Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., Christian Methodist Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana and Mississippi. On ABC "Joy to the World" will offer a mix of music and praise produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The CBS special will be based on the theme, "No Room in the Inn," honoring the birth of Jesus by awarding gifts to 100 survivors of the 2005 hurricanes. The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has provided strong pastoral support for people affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Hoyt's district. Both specials are scheduled to run at 11:30 p.m. Dec. 24, but air times vary from station to station.
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