- Brethren Benefit Trust board approves Health Savings Accounts.
- On Earth Peace checks out 'multicultural pulse' of the church.
- ABC announces Caregivers Awards.
- Stewardship survey finds 'whole life' approach in some congregations.
- Brethren Mission House in the Dominican Republic closes.
- Brethren bits: Personnel, job openings, and more.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
NEWS
Brethren Benefit Trust board approves Health Savings Accounts.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the Brethren Medical Plan will feature a new way for members to manage healthcare expenses through Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Originally approved in concept by the Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) Board in Nov. 2003, the move to offer HSA plan designs in 2006 is another step to stabilize the plan in the wake of escalating medical costs, an aging employee group, and a declining membership base.
HSAs are a pre-tax way to set aside money for medical, dental, and vision care expenses not paid by an insurance plan or flexible spending account. Unused funds in an account carry over from year to year and are not forfeited. The HSA belongs to the employee, so when employment terminates, the employee keeps the account. HSAs must be used in conjunction with high-deductible health plans. These plans must have a deductible of at least $1,000 for an individual or $2,000 for a family; deductibles may not exceed $5,000 per individual, $10,000 per family. The HSAs will be used in conjunction with the existing PPO networks in the Brethren Medical Plan. An indemnity option will be available for those without access to PPO networks.
On April 22, the board approved two HSA plan designs, an option with a $3,000 individual/$6,000 family deductible, and an option with a $4,000 individual/$8,000 family deductible. These were crafted in late March and recommended to the board by the Brethren Medical Plan's Interim Advisory Panel of representatives from the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee, the Ministers' Association, the Council of District Executives, the Annual Conference agencies, and BBT.
The board is recommending a minimum annual employer contribution of $500 for employees with individual healthcare coverage, $1,000 for employees with family coverage. The maximum contribution to HSAs allowed in 2005 is the lesser of the deductible or $2,650 per individual or $5,250 per family. Employees 55 and older will be able to contribute an additional $700 in 2006. The board also approved a $300 benefit for preventive care.
The board's approval of the HSA plan came four days after 16 BBT board members and staff representatives met with 35 denominational leaders to discuss the future of the Brethren Medical Plan. Following the board's April 16-17 meetings in Elgin, Ill., where a decision regarding HSAs was temporarily tabled, the BBT contingent met for seven hours on April 18 in Richmond, Ind., with most of the district executives, four of five executives of Annual Conference agencies, Conference moderator and moderator-elect, and representatives of the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee.
The meeting came at the invitation of the district executives in response to a decision made by the BBT board that districts with less than 75 percent of eligible congregations committed to participating in the Brethren Medical Plan by Jan. 1, 2007, will no longer be able to participate unless they subsequently meet the participation requirement. The return to the 75 percent requirement, which was in place 50 years ago when congregations and districts first joined the plan, was approved in an attempt to increase the spread of risk and bring claims in line with premiums. In 2003 and 2004 the plan suffered $1.4 million in losses; in 2005 the plan is being subsidized by BBT and Mennonite Mutual Aid.
The April 18 meeting discussed the future viability of the Brethren Medical Plan, BBT's plan to implement HSAs in 2006, the struggle congregations have in balancing their support for the plan with the pressures of stewardship and saving by purchasing their own health insurance, a proposed system to allow some pastors and church staff to have group health insurance while others will not, a concern for those who will be uninsurable without the plan, what the participation requirement will do to the future calling of pastors across the denomination, and the process by which the board adopted the 75 percent participation requirement.
As the meeting drew to a close, many voices did give general support for one plan of action--that a Brethren Medical Plan resolution be taken to the 2005 Annual Conference for discussion and to receive denominational direction regarding the future of the plan, reported BBT.
Following the April 18 meeting, the board reconvened April 22 via conference call to address the items it had tabled. It then approved the new HSA plan designs, the recommended minimum contribution by employers to employees' HSAs, and the preventive care benefit. In a related move, the board during its April 16 meeting approved dropping prescription drugs from its Medicare Supplement Plan effective Jan. 1, 2006. This decision was made because Medicare will offer a prescription drug plan, which means those who do not want to be part of a prescription drug plan should see premium savings within the Church of the Brethren Medicare Supplement Plan.
Because of the complexity of HSAs and the possibility that high deductibles could lead church staff initially to believe that their out-of-pocket costs will be greater than they have been, BBT staff have trained district-appointed Brethren Medical Plan advocates and equipped them with resources and information about HSAs. Some advocates are scheduling district meetings with BBT staff in an attempt to further clarify the benefits of moving to HSAs.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the Brethren Medical Plan will feature a new way for members to manage healthcare expenses through Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Originally approved in concept by the Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) Board in Nov. 2003, the move to offer HSA plan designs in 2006 is another step to stabilize the plan in the wake of escalating medical costs, an aging employee group, and a declining membership base.
HSAs are a pre-tax way to set aside money for medical, dental, and vision care expenses not paid by an insurance plan or flexible spending account. Unused funds in an account carry over from year to year and are not forfeited. The HSA belongs to the employee, so when employment terminates, the employee keeps the account. HSAs must be used in conjunction with high-deductible health plans. These plans must have a deductible of at least $1,000 for an individual or $2,000 for a family; deductibles may not exceed $5,000 per individual, $10,000 per family. The HSAs will be used in conjunction with the existing PPO networks in the Brethren Medical Plan. An indemnity option will be available for those without access to PPO networks.
On April 22, the board approved two HSA plan designs, an option with a $3,000 individual/$6,000 family deductible, and an option with a $4,000 individual/$8,000 family deductible. These were crafted in late March and recommended to the board by the Brethren Medical Plan's Interim Advisory Panel of representatives from the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee, the Ministers' Association, the Council of District Executives, the Annual Conference agencies, and BBT.
The board is recommending a minimum annual employer contribution of $500 for employees with individual healthcare coverage, $1,000 for employees with family coverage. The maximum contribution to HSAs allowed in 2005 is the lesser of the deductible or $2,650 per individual or $5,250 per family. Employees 55 and older will be able to contribute an additional $700 in 2006. The board also approved a $300 benefit for preventive care.
The board's approval of the HSA plan came four days after 16 BBT board members and staff representatives met with 35 denominational leaders to discuss the future of the Brethren Medical Plan. Following the board's April 16-17 meetings in Elgin, Ill., where a decision regarding HSAs was temporarily tabled, the BBT contingent met for seven hours on April 18 in Richmond, Ind., with most of the district executives, four of five executives of Annual Conference agencies, Conference moderator and moderator-elect, and representatives of the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee.
The meeting came at the invitation of the district executives in response to a decision made by the BBT board that districts with less than 75 percent of eligible congregations committed to participating in the Brethren Medical Plan by Jan. 1, 2007, will no longer be able to participate unless they subsequently meet the participation requirement. The return to the 75 percent requirement, which was in place 50 years ago when congregations and districts first joined the plan, was approved in an attempt to increase the spread of risk and bring claims in line with premiums. In 2003 and 2004 the plan suffered $1.4 million in losses; in 2005 the plan is being subsidized by BBT and Mennonite Mutual Aid.
The April 18 meeting discussed the future viability of the Brethren Medical Plan, BBT's plan to implement HSAs in 2006, the struggle congregations have in balancing their support for the plan with the pressures of stewardship and saving by purchasing their own health insurance, a proposed system to allow some pastors and church staff to have group health insurance while others will not, a concern for those who will be uninsurable without the plan, what the participation requirement will do to the future calling of pastors across the denomination, and the process by which the board adopted the 75 percent participation requirement.
As the meeting drew to a close, many voices did give general support for one plan of action--that a Brethren Medical Plan resolution be taken to the 2005 Annual Conference for discussion and to receive denominational direction regarding the future of the plan, reported BBT.
Following the April 18 meeting, the board reconvened April 22 via conference call to address the items it had tabled. It then approved the new HSA plan designs, the recommended minimum contribution by employers to employees' HSAs, and the preventive care benefit. In a related move, the board during its April 16 meeting approved dropping prescription drugs from its Medicare Supplement Plan effective Jan. 1, 2006. This decision was made because Medicare will offer a prescription drug plan, which means those who do not want to be part of a prescription drug plan should see premium savings within the Church of the Brethren Medicare Supplement Plan.
Because of the complexity of HSAs and the possibility that high deductibles could lead church staff initially to believe that their out-of-pocket costs will be greater than they have been, BBT staff have trained district-appointed Brethren Medical Plan advocates and equipped them with resources and information about HSAs. Some advocates are scheduling district meetings with BBT staff in an attempt to further clarify the benefits of moving to HSAs.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
On Earth Peace checks out 'multicultural pulse' of the church.
The On Earth Peace Board of Directors and staff met April 15-16 at New Windsor, Md., on the theme "Signs of the Present; Hope for the Future." The board's Advancement, Personnel, Finance, and Executive Committees met April 14. Chair Bev Weaver led in continued use of a formal consensus process for discussion and decision-making.
Board members brought reports and reflections from 18 districts. Prior to the meeting, they had been given the assignment to contact districts to check out the "multicultural pulse" of the church at district and local levels. Staff brought the idea of working with a consultant in the ongoing work of being and becoming an anti-racist organization. Amid discernment regarding cost, an outside versus inside-the-church consultant, and who would be most helpful to an all-white staff yet more diverse board, there was growing commitment from the board to support the staff in this decision.
Board members Dena Lee and Debbie Roberts, and staff Kim Stuckey Hissong, reported on the Anabaptist Consultation on Alternative Service held in March in Elgin, Ill. The board discussed creating a contingency plan in case of the resumption of a military draft. Roberts, Lee, and board member Phil Miller will join staff in developing the plan. Hissong also reported on a conference call hosted by On Earth Peace for those interested in countering military recruitment efforts in communities and high schools. Sixteen people participated in the call.
Treasurer Phil Miller shared a positive year-to-date financial report and an increase in both congregational and individual giving. The Finance Committee proposed a revision in the endowment policy, which was adopted by the board. The revision allows undesignated planned gifts to be placed in the endowment, used for current needs, or used for the Program Reserve Fund--a new fund that will hold moneys for specific extra-budgetary projects. The Advancement Committee shared new development ideas, many of which came out of Bob Gross' time of sabbatical. A new video created by Wilbur Mullen about Brethren Service during World War II was reviewed as a potential fundraiser.
In other business, the Personnel Committee shared plans to distribute a survey at Annual Conference during the On Earth Peace report, asking about the importance and priority of peacemaking in the life of the church. The Nominating Committee is exploring using a discernment process to determine a slate rather than a ballot for board members in the future, followed by testing consensus among On Earth Peace constituents rather than holding an election. The Executive Committee will coordinate a review of the organization's experience of having an increase in dispersed staff, and will report at the September board meeting.
Plans for upcoming events were reviewed including the Heartland Song and Story Fest July 6-12; a workshop on "Dealing with Difficult Behaviors," developed and led by Paul Roth; "Seeking Peace: The Courage to Be Nonviolent," a gathering hosted by the historic peace churches in partnership with the Plowshares Peace Studies Collaborative, Sept. 8-11; and a Regional Junior High Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in New Windsor, Md., sponsored by On Earth Peace with eight districts and the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office. On Earth Peace will co-sponsor a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation again in 2006, probably in January.
The board also welcomed new members Robbie Miller of Bridgewater, Va., and Joe Detrick, executive of Southern Pennsylvania District, who serves as liaison with the Council of District Executives. For more information about On Earth Peace, see www.brethren.org/oepa/.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
The On Earth Peace Board of Directors and staff met April 15-16 at New Windsor, Md., on the theme "Signs of the Present; Hope for the Future." The board's Advancement, Personnel, Finance, and Executive Committees met April 14. Chair Bev Weaver led in continued use of a formal consensus process for discussion and decision-making.
Board members brought reports and reflections from 18 districts. Prior to the meeting, they had been given the assignment to contact districts to check out the "multicultural pulse" of the church at district and local levels. Staff brought the idea of working with a consultant in the ongoing work of being and becoming an anti-racist organization. Amid discernment regarding cost, an outside versus inside-the-church consultant, and who would be most helpful to an all-white staff yet more diverse board, there was growing commitment from the board to support the staff in this decision.
Board members Dena Lee and Debbie Roberts, and staff Kim Stuckey Hissong, reported on the Anabaptist Consultation on Alternative Service held in March in Elgin, Ill. The board discussed creating a contingency plan in case of the resumption of a military draft. Roberts, Lee, and board member Phil Miller will join staff in developing the plan. Hissong also reported on a conference call hosted by On Earth Peace for those interested in countering military recruitment efforts in communities and high schools. Sixteen people participated in the call.
Treasurer Phil Miller shared a positive year-to-date financial report and an increase in both congregational and individual giving. The Finance Committee proposed a revision in the endowment policy, which was adopted by the board. The revision allows undesignated planned gifts to be placed in the endowment, used for current needs, or used for the Program Reserve Fund--a new fund that will hold moneys for specific extra-budgetary projects. The Advancement Committee shared new development ideas, many of which came out of Bob Gross' time of sabbatical. A new video created by Wilbur Mullen about Brethren Service during World War II was reviewed as a potential fundraiser.
In other business, the Personnel Committee shared plans to distribute a survey at Annual Conference during the On Earth Peace report, asking about the importance and priority of peacemaking in the life of the church. The Nominating Committee is exploring using a discernment process to determine a slate rather than a ballot for board members in the future, followed by testing consensus among On Earth Peace constituents rather than holding an election. The Executive Committee will coordinate a review of the organization's experience of having an increase in dispersed staff, and will report at the September board meeting.
Plans for upcoming events were reviewed including the Heartland Song and Story Fest July 6-12; a workshop on "Dealing with Difficult Behaviors," developed and led by Paul Roth; "Seeking Peace: The Courage to Be Nonviolent," a gathering hosted by the historic peace churches in partnership with the Plowshares Peace Studies Collaborative, Sept. 8-11; and a Regional Junior High Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in New Windsor, Md., sponsored by On Earth Peace with eight districts and the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office. On Earth Peace will co-sponsor a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation again in 2006, probably in January.
The board also welcomed new members Robbie Miller of Bridgewater, Va., and Joe Detrick, executive of Southern Pennsylvania District, who serves as liaison with the Council of District Executives. For more information about On Earth Peace, see www.brethren.org/oepa/.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
ABC announces Caregivers Awards.
The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) will honor four caregivers at its Annual Recognition Dinner on Saturday, July 2, at 5 p.m. during Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill.
Phyllis Harvey of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren will be recognized for her lifetime of caregiving. She is a retired nurse and supervisor of nurses. She founded a Senior Ministries Program at Modesto and encourages older adults in the church to stay connected and involved in the church's ministry. She also created a Health and Healing Ministry in the congregation that promotes good health, offers screenings, and sponsors a yearly Health Fair.
Carl and Doreen Myers of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., will receive a caregiving award for their lifetime of giving care to others. Carl is a retired district minister for Illinois and Wisconsin District, and Doreen is a homemaker. Both have been instrumental in developing a caring community at Highland Avenue. On the denominational level, they have served on the Denominational Deacon Cabinet and the planning committee for National Older Adult Conference.
Seventeen-year-old Micah Stapleton of Woodbury Church of the Brethren, Hopewell, Pa., will be recognized for raising funds for drilling wells in Africa. For years, Stapleton's family had been cleaning up litter along a few miles of Route 869. For his senior project, he expanded that service and began recycling aluminum soda cans. To raise enough funds by the deadline for the project, he developed a presentation asking other congregations in his community and district to donate. With the help of the Woodbury congregation and others, he sent a check of $11,666.44 to Life Outreach International.
ABC's second "Open Roof" Award will recognize Black Rock Church of the Brethren, Glenville, Pa., which has focused on accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities. The church formed a Special Needs Ministry Exploration Committee to look at the disabilities issues. Among other education efforts, the congregation installed a ramp, posted a handicapped entrance sign, made pew cuts for wheelchair use at various points in the sanctuary, and has handicapped accessible bathrooms on both floors.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) will honor four caregivers at its Annual Recognition Dinner on Saturday, July 2, at 5 p.m. during Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill.
Phyllis Harvey of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren will be recognized for her lifetime of caregiving. She is a retired nurse and supervisor of nurses. She founded a Senior Ministries Program at Modesto and encourages older adults in the church to stay connected and involved in the church's ministry. She also created a Health and Healing Ministry in the congregation that promotes good health, offers screenings, and sponsors a yearly Health Fair.
Carl and Doreen Myers of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., will receive a caregiving award for their lifetime of giving care to others. Carl is a retired district minister for Illinois and Wisconsin District, and Doreen is a homemaker. Both have been instrumental in developing a caring community at Highland Avenue. On the denominational level, they have served on the Denominational Deacon Cabinet and the planning committee for National Older Adult Conference.
Seventeen-year-old Micah Stapleton of Woodbury Church of the Brethren, Hopewell, Pa., will be recognized for raising funds for drilling wells in Africa. For years, Stapleton's family had been cleaning up litter along a few miles of Route 869. For his senior project, he expanded that service and began recycling aluminum soda cans. To raise enough funds by the deadline for the project, he developed a presentation asking other congregations in his community and district to donate. With the help of the Woodbury congregation and others, he sent a check of $11,666.44 to Life Outreach International.
ABC's second "Open Roof" Award will recognize Black Rock Church of the Brethren, Glenville, Pa., which has focused on accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities. The church formed a Special Needs Ministry Exploration Committee to look at the disabilities issues. Among other education efforts, the congregation installed a ramp, posted a handicapped entrance sign, made pew cuts for wheelchair use at various points in the sanctuary, and has handicapped accessible bathrooms on both floors.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
Stewardship survey finds 'whole life' approach in some congregations.
The results of a Congregational Stewardship Survey conducted by the General Board's Stewardship Formation Team were reported to all Church of the Brethren congregations in a spring mailing. Congregations that had responded to the survey received the results last November. The original survey, sent to all congregations, received 175 responses, a nearly 17 percent return.
"The General Board staff are convinced that stewardship is a deeply spiritual matter," the report said. "We are encouraged by response which told of 'year-long and whole life' approaches to stewardship in some of our congregations."
Eighty percent of Church of the Brethren congregations participate in the One Great Hour of Sharing offering emphasis, the survey found, while only about a third participate in the World Mission or the Christmas Advent offering emphases that support the global mission, peace, justice, and advocacy work of the General Board's Core Ministries Fund.
The survey also revealed some confusion about what Church of the Brethren denominational ministries are, the team's report said. "Congregational support of denominational ministries...was high among those who responded," the team said, but went on to explain that "Habitat for Humanity and Heifer International are not denominational ministries, and the General Board's Core Ministries Fund is a renaming of the 'Brotherhood Fund,' which undergirds ministries of the board that speak to the core of Brethren identity."
Responding congregations also are involved in a variety of local ministries, the survey found. Most frequently named ministries were response to community needs, food banks, housing programs, and ecumenical ministries.
The most frequently reported stewardship success was "an increase in giving and generosity." Building or property improvements ranked second. "Meeting or surpassing the annual budget" also ranked high as a success.
Troubling trends identified by the survey include that "most of our congregations understand stewardship primarily as a financial issue," and many do not link Christian education to stewardship. "Very few congregational stewardship decisions are made by prayerful discernment of God's call or a review of mission and ministry values," the team said, reporting that most respondents said these decisions are made by habit or routine processes in committees. Only 12 percent of respondents reported an intentional decision to "give a tithe or more of income."
The team highlighted stewardship bulletin inserts available at www.brethren.org, in response to input that many congregations do want more stewardship materials. The series will eventually include 24 brief reflections on stewardship; the first 12 are currently available. For more information contact Carol Bowman, stewardship development counselor, at 509-663-2833 or cbowman_gb@brethren.org; or Ken Neher, director of Funding and Donor Development, at 509-665-0441 or kneher_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
The results of a Congregational Stewardship Survey conducted by the General Board's Stewardship Formation Team were reported to all Church of the Brethren congregations in a spring mailing. Congregations that had responded to the survey received the results last November. The original survey, sent to all congregations, received 175 responses, a nearly 17 percent return.
"The General Board staff are convinced that stewardship is a deeply spiritual matter," the report said. "We are encouraged by response which told of 'year-long and whole life' approaches to stewardship in some of our congregations."
Eighty percent of Church of the Brethren congregations participate in the One Great Hour of Sharing offering emphasis, the survey found, while only about a third participate in the World Mission or the Christmas Advent offering emphases that support the global mission, peace, justice, and advocacy work of the General Board's Core Ministries Fund.
The survey also revealed some confusion about what Church of the Brethren denominational ministries are, the team's report said. "Congregational support of denominational ministries...was high among those who responded," the team said, but went on to explain that "Habitat for Humanity and Heifer International are not denominational ministries, and the General Board's Core Ministries Fund is a renaming of the 'Brotherhood Fund,' which undergirds ministries of the board that speak to the core of Brethren identity."
Responding congregations also are involved in a variety of local ministries, the survey found. Most frequently named ministries were response to community needs, food banks, housing programs, and ecumenical ministries.
The most frequently reported stewardship success was "an increase in giving and generosity." Building or property improvements ranked second. "Meeting or surpassing the annual budget" also ranked high as a success.
Troubling trends identified by the survey include that "most of our congregations understand stewardship primarily as a financial issue," and many do not link Christian education to stewardship. "Very few congregational stewardship decisions are made by prayerful discernment of God's call or a review of mission and ministry values," the team said, reporting that most respondents said these decisions are made by habit or routine processes in committees. Only 12 percent of respondents reported an intentional decision to "give a tithe or more of income."
The team highlighted stewardship bulletin inserts available at www.brethren.org, in response to input that many congregations do want more stewardship materials. The series will eventually include 24 brief reflections on stewardship; the first 12 are currently available. For more information contact Carol Bowman, stewardship development counselor, at 509-663-2833 or cbowman_gb@brethren.org; or Ken Neher, director of Funding and Donor Development, at 509-665-0441 or kneher_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
Brethren Mission House in the Dominican Republic closes.
The Brethren Mission House in the Dominican Republic, a joint venture of the General Board and the Brethren Revival Fellowship developed in 1999, is being discontinued. The mission house, with houseparents overseeing young volunteers traveling to communities to teach English, was an effort to respond to the request for language education by the Dominican church. The Church of the Brethren in the DR had emphasized that English fluency increases employment opportunities, reported the board's Global Mission Partnerships. The first houseparents, Barb and Earl Eby, set up the complex of two houses in Azua in 2000.
In their communication to the Dominican church, mission coordinators Irvin and Nancy Heishman quoted Ecclessiastes 3:1-8, and observed a time for beginnings and endings. A major reason for the decision now, according to Merv Keeney, executive director for Global Mission Partnerships, was the call to shift energies and resources toward other ministry needs over the next few years. Keeney also noted longterm difficulty in finding and keeping teachers, security and break-ins at the house, and continuing discussion about other models of responding to the request for English-language instruction.
Current houseparents Laura and Ron Brinton are closing the house and will return from the DR around the first week of June. English teacher Rob Raker and former teacher Jewel Reyes will continue to teach English classes for the Dominican church in a scaled-down effort for the near future.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
The Brethren Mission House in the Dominican Republic, a joint venture of the General Board and the Brethren Revival Fellowship developed in 1999, is being discontinued. The mission house, with houseparents overseeing young volunteers traveling to communities to teach English, was an effort to respond to the request for language education by the Dominican church. The Church of the Brethren in the DR had emphasized that English fluency increases employment opportunities, reported the board's Global Mission Partnerships. The first houseparents, Barb and Earl Eby, set up the complex of two houses in Azua in 2000.
In their communication to the Dominican church, mission coordinators Irvin and Nancy Heishman quoted Ecclessiastes 3:1-8, and observed a time for beginnings and endings. A major reason for the decision now, according to Merv Keeney, executive director for Global Mission Partnerships, was the call to shift energies and resources toward other ministry needs over the next few years. Keeney also noted longterm difficulty in finding and keeping teachers, security and break-ins at the house, and continuing discussion about other models of responding to the request for English-language instruction.
Current houseparents Laura and Ron Brinton are closing the house and will return from the DR around the first week of June. English teacher Rob Raker and former teacher Jewel Reyes will continue to teach English classes for the Dominican church in a scaled-down effort for the near future.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
top
Brethren bits: Personnel, job openings, and more.
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- Allen T. Hansell Sr. of Mountville, Pa., has been named director of church relations at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. He will serve as the primary liaison between the college and the Church of the Brethren, including alumni, congregations, districts, and Annual Conference agencies. Hansell has served in a number of positions for the denomination including director of Ministry for the General Board, from which he retired in 2001; chair of the Small Church Task Team; and a member of Standing Committee of Annual Conference. He also has served Atlantic Northeast District as district executive and moderator, and has served pastorates at Mountville; Lancaster, Pa.; and Wilmington, Del., where he is currently interim pastor. He holds degrees from Bridgewater (Va.) College and Bethany Theological Seminary.
- Teachers of English and Spanish are needed for the 2005-06 school year at Hillcrest School in Nigeria. Founded by the Church of the Brethren in 1942, this K-12 fully-accredited Christian school now serves a multinational student body. Teaching certification is required. Contact Mary Munson at the General Board's Global Mission Partnerships office, 800-323-8039 or e-mail mission_gb@brethren.org.
- The search for an intern at the Brethren Historical Library and Archives (BHLA) has been extended until June 15. The internship in Elgin, Ill., is for 11 months beginning Aug. 1. The program is designed for young people to develop interest in vocations related to archives, libraries, and Brethren history. The intern is provided with work assignments at BHLA, opportunities to develop professional contacts, housing, monthly stipend of $822, and health and life insurance. A graduate student is preferred or an undergraduate with at least two years of college. Other requirements include willingness to work with detail, accurate word processing, and ability to lift 30-pound boxes. Submit resume, letter of application, college transcript (can be an unofficial copy), and three reference letters to the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1696. For more information contact Kenneth Shaffer at kshaffer_gb@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 294.
- The Annual Conference Anniversary Committee invites the submission of music, drama, and worship resources representing the 2008 Tricentennial theme, "Surrendered to God, Transformed in Christ, Empowered by the Spirit." Music submissions, due June 30, may include hymns, folk songs, praise songs, anthems, and children's songs. Dramatic writings, due Dec. 31, may be full-length dramas, skits, monologues, and vignettes for adults, children, and/or youth. Worship resources, due Dec. 31, may include calls to worship, prayers, litanies, responsive readings, offertory statements, children's stories, benedictions, worship centers (description and/or drawing), Powerpoint presentations, and interpretive movements. All submissions become the property of the Anniversary Committee for use in tricentennial activities. The name, address, and phone number of the writer or composer should not appear on submissions but should be included on a separate page. Send submissions to the Annual Conference Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
- On Earth Peace invites those thinking about not registering for the draft to a Support and Networking Meeting at Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill., on Sunday, July 3, at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held in Room 202 of the Peoria Civic Center. "Come to meet others who share your concerns and beliefs, find support from the church and from each other, and learn more about the options and consequences," invites On Earth Peace. The meeting is open to all who are interested, including families of youth who are considering nonregistration. For more information contact On Earth Peace co-executive director Bob Gross at bgross@igc.org or 260-982-7751.
- On Earth Peace also is working with the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Annual Conference officers to create a time of reporting Living Peace Church stories in an Annual Conference business session on Monday, July 4. The 2003 Conference resolution, "Call for a Living Peace Church," stated that "there will be an opportunity at each Annual Conference...for congregations to report on efforts to seek and develop a living peace tradition, in order to strengthen and encourage one another." This year organizers are asking, What has your congregation been doing to "Fix Your Eyes on Jesus" in answering this call? If you have a story to share during this time please contact Phil Jones at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office (pjones_gb@brethren.org or 202-546-3202) or Barb Sayler at On Earth Peace (bsayler_oepa@brethren.org or 502-222-5886) by June 1. In addition to time during Conference business, a Living Peace Church insight session will feature stories about "Becoming a Testimony of Peace in Our Local Communities," at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5.
- Daleville (Va.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a Global Women's Project family benefit concert featuring Brethren folk singer Peg Lehman on May 14 at 7 p.m. Contributions will provide grants for community-based, women-led projects, and go toward the Church of the Brethren-related Global Women's Project. A reception follows the concert.
- Workshops on conscientious objection are being held on Saturday, May 21: 9 a.m.-12 noon at New Covenant Church of the Brethren in Columbus, Ohio, with presenter Phil Jones of the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office; and 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., with presenter Bob Gross, co-executive director of On Earth Peace. For more information about the New Covenant workshop--whose sponsors include Ohio peace groups, Southern Ohio District of the Church of the Brethren, and West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church--call 614-763-0564 or see www.prayers4u.info. For more information about the York First event call 630-627-7411.
- Former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder will deliver the 2005 commencement address at Bridgewater (Va.) College at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15. Wilder was the first African-American to be elected a state governor. Some 285 seniors are expected to receive degrees. The General Board's director of Ministry, Mary Jo Flory Steury, will deliver the message at the 10 a.m. baccalaureate service.
- A Muslim-Christian delegation from the Middle East brought focus to regional and global relationships between the two faiths during a recent visit to several US cities. Led by Riad Jarjour, former general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, the church, academic, and political leaders from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine reminded audiences that Muslims and Christians had been peacefully living together in the Middle East for more than a thousand years. The delegation was hosted by Church World Service. Merv Keeney, CWS board member and executive director of the General Board's Global Mission Partnerships, joined the delegation for its reflection time with the Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University. For more see www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2005/05/288.html.
- An International Fair Trade Festival will be held at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 14, sponsored by A Greater Gift (SERRV). The festival will feature a Fair Trade Shop, entertainment from many parts of the world, food and craft vendors, and children's activities. Entertainers include African drummer Moziah Saleem, the Celtic music of Wherligig, Port Righ harp and bagpipe performers, the Rock Candy Cloggers, the Westminster Drum Circle, and artisans from Nepal. New Windsor will be proclaimed a "Divine City" by mayor Sam Pierce--Divine Chocolate will be one of many fair trade products sold.
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Peacemaker calls for 'true Christian witness' in Iraq.
"People in Iraq are beginning to understand the Christian message as the bombs that fall from the sky or the abuse of detainees in Abu Ghraib," said Cliff Kindy, a Church of the Brethren member recently returned from working with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq. Kindy returned to the US at the end of March. He has been with CPT in Iraq for five months of each of the past three winters, first arriving in Baghdad in October 2002.
In an example of the kind of daily violence that Iraqis are living through, Kindy and the CPT team "often hear about cars run over by tanks for whatever reason," he said. In a visit to Fallujah, they saw a car flattened by a tank--a father and son were killed in the car. "How much good do we have to do to overcome that?" Kindy asked.
He warned that the true witness of Jesus Christ is being overwhelmed by the violence of the US military. Iraqis recognize the US as a "Christian nation," and are beginning to identify the military activities of the US as a reflection of the nature of Christianity, Kindy said. "The most important thing we can do is to make clear what Christianity is, and what it isn't," he said.
Kindy also told of points of hope that he and other CPT volunteers in Iraq have witnessed in the past six months. The CPT team has helped train a Muslim Peacemaker Team, worked with Iraqi Human Rights Watch, and served as election observers--although Kindy said that if the election had been held in the US it would not have been regarded as free and fair.
The Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT) grew out of the Iraqi Human Rights Watch, which has begun documenting mass graves from the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein, Kindy said. The group asked CPT for nonviolence training after members began to initiate nonviolent actions such as attempting an intervention between the US military and the Sad'r militia in the besieged city of Najaf, and creating a combined Sunni and Shi'ite response to the needs of refugees from Fallujah, Kindy said.
A CPT visit to Fallujah--a town the size of Fort Wayne destroyed after a months-long assault by the US military against insurgents--revealed the continuing hopelessness of Iraq, however. "It looked like what Hiroshima would look like," Kindy said. A non-governmental report has said that 40 percent of homes in Fallujah have been totally destroyed, another 40 percent are unlivable, and another 20 percent are damaged, Kindy added. Residents told CPT that they have received no aid and no compensation for their homes from the US military. Although the CPT team saw shops re-opened and people out on the streets, the team also witnessed the fact that residents had no running water, electricity, or telephone service.
The CPT team visited the hospital in Fallujah, which has been rebuilt following destruction by US bombing. It was one of the first targets in the assault, Kindy said. He shared a current Iraqi theory that hospitals, clinics, and doctors are targeted or shut down by the US military because they are the source of reporting of Iraqi civilian casualties. A CPT press release on April 26 said physicians also are targets of the Iraqi insurgency.
While the team was in the hospital, a father brought in his infant daughter, reportedly made sick by depleted uranium left over from US explosives. People in Fallujah talked to the CPT team about illegal weaponry that they suspect was used there, including napalm and other chemical weapons. Kindy also said that CPT received reports in Fallujah of mass burials by the US military, and reports that the official casualty count does not match the numbers of disappeared. "What does all this mean?" Kindy asked. "We don't have a very good handle on that."
Kindy asked Brethren to "keep an eye on" the actions of the US and Iraqi militaries, which may use the tactics that destroyed Fallujah in other places. "We begin to hear about things happening in Baquba, Beiji, Mosul," Kindy said, also mentioning Ramadi and Samarra.
He asked Brethren to be aware of dangers facing the CPT team in Iraq, which varies from three to eight members at any one time. CPT volunteers are among the last nongovernmental foreigners to remain at work in Iraq. Most have left for fear of insurgent kidnappings, suicide bombings, and other threats. Recently one of the CPT team, a British citizen, was warned by his government that he was a high-profile kidnapping target. This has caused the rest of the team some hard heart-searching to decide what is the right thing to do, Kindy said.
"There is no place in Iraq that can guarantee security," he said. "And we're being fed a line that it's just getting better."
For more information about Christian Peacemaker Teams, see www.cpt.org.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
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"People in Iraq are beginning to understand the Christian message as the bombs that fall from the sky or the abuse of detainees in Abu Ghraib," said Cliff Kindy, a Church of the Brethren member recently returned from working with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq. Kindy returned to the US at the end of March. He has been with CPT in Iraq for five months of each of the past three winters, first arriving in Baghdad in October 2002.
In an example of the kind of daily violence that Iraqis are living through, Kindy and the CPT team "often hear about cars run over by tanks for whatever reason," he said. In a visit to Fallujah, they saw a car flattened by a tank--a father and son were killed in the car. "How much good do we have to do to overcome that?" Kindy asked.
He warned that the true witness of Jesus Christ is being overwhelmed by the violence of the US military. Iraqis recognize the US as a "Christian nation," and are beginning to identify the military activities of the US as a reflection of the nature of Christianity, Kindy said. "The most important thing we can do is to make clear what Christianity is, and what it isn't," he said.
Kindy also told of points of hope that he and other CPT volunteers in Iraq have witnessed in the past six months. The CPT team has helped train a Muslim Peacemaker Team, worked with Iraqi Human Rights Watch, and served as election observers--although Kindy said that if the election had been held in the US it would not have been regarded as free and fair.
The Muslim Peacemaker Team (MPT) grew out of the Iraqi Human Rights Watch, which has begun documenting mass graves from the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein, Kindy said. The group asked CPT for nonviolence training after members began to initiate nonviolent actions such as attempting an intervention between the US military and the Sad'r militia in the besieged city of Najaf, and creating a combined Sunni and Shi'ite response to the needs of refugees from Fallujah, Kindy said.
A CPT visit to Fallujah--a town the size of Fort Wayne destroyed after a months-long assault by the US military against insurgents--revealed the continuing hopelessness of Iraq, however. "It looked like what Hiroshima would look like," Kindy said. A non-governmental report has said that 40 percent of homes in Fallujah have been totally destroyed, another 40 percent are unlivable, and another 20 percent are damaged, Kindy added. Residents told CPT that they have received no aid and no compensation for their homes from the US military. Although the CPT team saw shops re-opened and people out on the streets, the team also witnessed the fact that residents had no running water, electricity, or telephone service.
The CPT team visited the hospital in Fallujah, which has been rebuilt following destruction by US bombing. It was one of the first targets in the assault, Kindy said. He shared a current Iraqi theory that hospitals, clinics, and doctors are targeted or shut down by the US military because they are the source of reporting of Iraqi civilian casualties. A CPT press release on April 26 said physicians also are targets of the Iraqi insurgency.
While the team was in the hospital, a father brought in his infant daughter, reportedly made sick by depleted uranium left over from US explosives. People in Fallujah talked to the CPT team about illegal weaponry that they suspect was used there, including napalm and other chemical weapons. Kindy also said that CPT received reports in Fallujah of mass burials by the US military, and reports that the official casualty count does not match the numbers of disappeared. "What does all this mean?" Kindy asked. "We don't have a very good handle on that."
Kindy asked Brethren to "keep an eye on" the actions of the US and Iraqi militaries, which may use the tactics that destroyed Fallujah in other places. "We begin to hear about things happening in Baquba, Beiji, Mosul," Kindy said, also mentioning Ramadi and Samarra.
He asked Brethren to be aware of dangers facing the CPT team in Iraq, which varies from three to eight members at any one time. CPT volunteers are among the last nongovernmental foreigners to remain at work in Iraq. Most have left for fear of insurgent kidnappings, suicide bombings, and other threats. Recently one of the CPT team, a British citizen, was warned by his government that he was a high-profile kidnapping target. This has caused the rest of the team some hard heart-searching to decide what is the right thing to do, Kindy said.
"There is no place in Iraq that can guarantee security," he said. "And we're being fed a line that it's just getting better."
For more information about Christian Peacemaker Teams, see www.cpt.org.
Source: 5/11/2005 Newsline
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Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on every other Wednesday with other editions as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source. Carol Bowman, Nevin Dulabaum, Lerry Fogle, Merv Keeney, Missy Marlin, Ken Neher, and Helen Stonesifer contributed to this report.
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on every other Wednesday with other editions as needed. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source. Carol Bowman, Nevin Dulabaum, Lerry Fogle, Merv Keeney, Missy Marlin, Ken Neher, and Helen Stonesifer contributed to this report.
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