Wednesday, September 14, 2005

NEWSUPCOMING EVENTSRESOURCESFEATURENewsline Hurricane Katrina UpdateNOTE TO READERS: For the most recent developments in the Church of the Brethren response to Hurricane Katrina, see the "Newsline Hurricane Katrina Update" issued today. Or go to www.brethrendisasterresponse.org, click on "Responding to Hurricane Katrina." New information will be posted on this website each business day.
Supreme Court of India decides key case.

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the claims of the Church of North India (CNI) that it is the legal successor of the First District Church of the Brethren in India. "This decision affirms the continuing legal existence of the church as well as the trusts, and vindicates the position of the Brethren in India," according to Darryl Sankey, communicator for the Church of the Brethren in India. There has been no comment from CNI.

This legal ruling in early May provides clarity that may help to resolve claims to church properties, reported Merv Keeney, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren General Board. The properties have been an ongoing source of tension between the two churches.

The First District Church of the Brethren in India, which emerged from Brethren mission efforts begun in 1895, joined in the movement toward formation of CNI in 1970. Some Brethren members and congregations began leaving CNI in 1978.

The General Board has maintained an official relationship with CNI since its formation in 1970, but re-forming the relationship with the India Brethren is relatively new. Following the split between these segments of the church in India, a review of the India relationships brought an Annual Conference study and response in 1988. More recent review of this relationship led to an action by the 2003 Annual Conference to affirm rebuilding relationship with the India Brethren alongside the relationship with CNI.

"While we might assume that a Supreme Court decision has immediate impact, the situation in India is not as automatic," Keeney said. "It appears that even a ruling by this national court will take time to impact the communities where CNI and the Brethren exist together."

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Global Food Crisis Fund gives $73,000 for microloan program in DR.

A grant of $73,000 has been given from the General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund to continue support for a microloan program in the Dominican Republic. In another grant of $10,000, the fund responds to a Church World Service appeal for food security in Niger, at a time when media reports are that the hunger crisis is worsening.

Funds for the microloan program in the DR will cover staffing, administrative and travel expenses, committee capacity development, and capital for loans. The program "goes beyond generating income for borrowers; it stabilizes and strengthens the lives of the working poor," reported fund manager Howard Royer. "Coordinated by Beth Gunzel and closely allied with Iglesia de los Hermanos (the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic), the effort engages 494 participants in 18 communities."

"While not all the small-loan enterprises are of an agrarian or food-related nature, the generation of adequate income is key to improving health and combating chronic poverty in the Dominican Republic," Royer said. "Beyond that, as former coordinators Jeff and Peggy Boshart have observed, this innovative small-loan program in a small part of the world is a powerful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ."

A strength of the program is its enlistment and training of community development committees in each locality. The committees work with individual borrowers through five cycles of loans. The fund has provided sole support of the small-loan venture since its inception. Last year the program drew on the fund for $94,000. New budget parameters call for a yearly reduction in outside support, moving from $73,000 this year to $36,000 by 2009.

The funds given to Niger will help provide shipment and distribution of food, replenishing seed stock, and teaching better agricultural practices. A matching grant was given by the General Board's Emergency Disaster Fund. CNN reported that Doctors Without Borders is finding that one in five children in Niger are suffering from malnutrition, and that more than five children per 10,000 under the age of five are dying each day.

For more on the Global Food Crisis Fund, see www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/gfcf.htm.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Youth Peace Travel Team completes tour.

The 2005 Youth Peace Travel Team has completed its summer tour of eight camps in the east and midwest, and a visit to Annual Conference. The program was first formed in 1991 as a cooperative effort of a number of General Board programs, with a new team fielded each year. Sponsors now include On Earth Peace, the Outdoor Ministries Association, and the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office, Brethren Volunteer Service, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Team members for 2005 were Nicole Fowler of First Church of the Brethren, Roanoke, Va.; Rachel McFadden of Manchester Church of the Brethren, North Manchester, Ind.; Ben Bear of Nokesville (Va.) Church of the Brethren; and Ben Ritchey Martin of Grossnickle Church of the Brethren, Myersville, Md. They began the summer with a Ministry Summer Service orientation at Bethany Theological Seminary and a team orientation at Inspiration Hills in Burbank, Ohio.

The team led peace education for youth at camps including Brethren Heights, Camp Ithiel, Camp Mack, Woodland Altars, Camp Emmaus, Camp Blue Diamond, and Shepherd's Spring, and during Annual Conference. At the camps, the four young adults led workshops, discussions, and activities such as morning watch. They also had the opportunity to get to know campers and the surrounding natural landscape. "They learned about themselves and how they work in groups," said Susanna Farahat of On Earth Peace.

Farahat worked with the team during its debriefing at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., Aug. 12-14. "They learned a lot about community," she said. Each week, the team held a "family meeting" to discuss situations that occurred during the week. Those meetings, as well as speaking in front of larger gatherings, helped develop interpersonal communication and leadership skills. "They all got more comfortable in front of groups," Farahat said.

At Annual Conference, the team spoke at an insight session on "Teaching Peace to Youth." They also led workshops for senior high youth, supported various agencies' booths, and talked with Conference guests. The Youth Peace Travel Team spent much of its time on issues of social justice and also learning about the range of beliefs in the Church of the Brethren. "We're all Brethren, and although we all read the Bible, we're all reading it in different ways," noted Farahat. "I think that was new for them."

Young adults age 18-22 interested in being considered for next summer's Youth Peace Travel Team can obtain an application at www.brethren.org/genbd/WitnessWashOffice.html or call 800-785-3246.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Volunteers begin service, BVS announces training unit.

The Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) summer unit 265 completed training Aug. 12 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. BVS also has announced the start of its fall orientation unit, to be held Sept. 25-Oct. 14 in New Windsor.

Congregations or hometowns and places of service for unit 265 follow:

Samuel Baiduc, Wienhaunsen, Germany, to Camp Ithiel, Gotha, Fla.; Nikki D'Adamo, Mechanicsville, Va., to the Junction, Northern Ireland; Jodi Eller, a Church of the Brethren member from Merritt Island, Fla., to Kilcranny House, Northern Ireland; Dean Feasenhiser, Fruitland (Idaho) Church of the Brethren, to the Brethren Historical Library and Archive, Elgin, Ill.; Todd Flory, McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, to the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office, Washington D.C.; Stephanie Grossnickle, Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren, to the Catholic Worker House, San Antonio, Texas; Christian Harr, Michelbach, Germany, to the Catholic Worker House, San Antonio, Texas; Alexander Kruger, Speyer, Germany, to Tri-City Homeless Coalition, Fremont, Calif.; Rachel Long, Woodinville, Wash., to Women in Black, Serbia/Yugoslavia; Kyle McCord, Panther Creek Church of the Brethren, Adel, Iowa, to the Northern Ohio District of the Church of the Brethren, Ashland, Ohio; Monica Rice, Akron (Ohio) Springfield Church of the Brethren, to the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Office, Elgin, Ill.; Julia Rosenblau, Eppelboru, Germany, to Su Casa Catholic Worker House, Chicago, Ill,; Ferne Steckman, Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, to SERRV International, the Brethren Service Center, New Windsor, Md.; Emily Tyler, McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, to the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Office; Sanju Walker, Waukegan, Ill., to La Puente Home, Alamosa, Colo.; Stuart Wood, Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren, Bridgewater, Va., to Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

The fall training will gather 26 volunteers from the US and Germany, with Brethren members making up most of the group. The training will include a weekend immersion at an inner-city Baltimore homeless shelter. While there, the group will work at soup kitchens and Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers also will have a chance to work at the clothing warehouse and at SERRV facilities at the Brethren Service Center. Another day of service will be spent meeting needs of members of the local community around the center.

A BVS potluck is open to all those who are interested on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Union Bridge (Md.) Church of the Brethren. "Please feel free to come and welcome the new BVS volunteers and to share your own experiences about Brethren Volunteer Service," said Sam Bowman of the BVS office. "As always your prayer support is welcome and needed. Please pray for the unit, and the people they will touch during their year of service."

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Missouri and Arkansas District holds 'healthy and tasty' conference.

Missouri and Arkansas District Conference enjoyed an attendance of 107 despite an average mid-day temperature of 104 degrees at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., July 22-24.

Saturday evening speaker Kathy Reid, executive director of the Association of Brethren Caregivers, shared her hopes for a church that gives and receives care. After delegates recognized the closure and disorganization of Rockingham Church of the Brethren in Hardin, Mo., Stephen Reid, academic dean of Bethany Theological Seminary, challenged the district to double in size in five years in his Sunday morning sermon. "Since we had closed one church, we must start two!" said district minister Sandy Bosserman in her report of the conference.

A concert by Brethren musician Joseph Helfrich "gave cause for laughter that threw some good Brethren nearly out of their seats," Bosserman said. "Paired with Annual Conference moderator Ron Beachley's call for spiritual fitness through daily reading a chapter of the New Testament and joining leadership in fasting on the first day of the month, it made for a healthy conference."

During the district minister's report, delegates were given a sample of "Cherry Mash," a rich candy made in St. Joseph, Mo., and served from the district's booth at Annual Conference. "Add the exhibits, birthday cake from the Mutual Aid Association, and refreshments organized by the Dennisons, and you have a tasty conference 2005!" Bosserman added.

Business highlights included the calling of Gabe Garrison as moderator-elect; Pat Dennison, Sharon Henne, and Irene Miller as lay members of the District Board; Thurman Andrews as a clergy member of the District Board; Barbra Davis to the Church of the Brethren General Board; Luci Landes to Standing Committee; Colleen Estep to Program and Arrangements Committee; and Opal Andrews to the Nominating Committee. The conference passed a 2006 budget of $36,903. A query to Change Method of Calling District Leadership to Slate failed by one vote.

Offerings received $9,124.72 for balancing the district budget in 2006; $5,948.00 for the India Women's Fellowship Center Mission; and $200 in an auction of shoes worn by Don Vermilyea on his Walk Across America, to go to the General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund. Over 500 baby quilts and blankets were donated for Bethany Hospital, and will be delivered by Nathan and Pam Betz.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Brethren bits: Remembrance, personnel, and more.
  • Richard Bowman, past president of Fahrney-Keedy Memorial Home Inc., a Church of the Brethren retirement center in Boonsboro, Md., died at home on Sept. 11 after a three-year battle with cancer. Bowman served as top executive for Fahrney-Keedy for 28 years, starting in 1976 as administrator of the facility. He served as president from 2000 through his retirement in 2003. Bowman saw the expansion of Fahrney-Keedy from a basic nursing home to a full-service program offering assisted living, independent living facilities, and houses in the Fahrney-Keedy Village. He was responsible for the home receiving Continuing Care Retirement Community certification, creation of the home's water treatment system--for which he held a water treatment plant superintendent's certificate for 20 years, and creation of an Alzheimer's unit in 1985, named the Bowman Center in 2003. Also in 2003, Bowman received the Fahrney-Keedy Life-Time Achievement Award. He was a member of Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren, and is survived by his wife, Carolyn. "He will be remembered for his humor and spirit," said staff of the Association of Brethren Caregivers. Memorial contributions may be sent to Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village, 8507 Mapleville Rd., Boonsboro, MD 21713. Contributions made in memory of Richard Bowman will be used for the home's Resident Benevolent Fund. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Hagerstown Church of the Brethren at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18.

  • A memorial service for Donald Durnbaugh will take place at Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa., at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25. Share written remembrances with the family by sending remembrances to Stone Church of the Brethren, 1623 Moore St., Huntingdon, PA 16652 (note on the envelope that it is a Don Durnbaugh remembrance). Memorial contributions may be made to Christian Peacemaker Teams, P.O. Box 6508, Chicago, IL 60680; or Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Ave., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001.

  • In two personnel announcements from Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., David McFadden has been promoted to executive vice president, and Michael Eastman is the new vice president for College Advancement. McFadden will lead enrollment, planning, and marketing, and will carry responsibilities for many operational issues. He is an active member of the Church of the Brethren, and served as vice president for enrollment since 1993. Eastman comes to Manchester from Ball State University, where he was director of Development. He brings a background in fundraising, strategic planning, and alumni administration. He also served as alumni director for the University of Cincinnati, George Mason University, and Anderson University. For more about Manchester, visit www.manchester.edu.

  • Bridgewater (Va.) College has announced the hiring of Mitchell L. Moore as associate vice president for Institutional Advancement. Most recently Moore was senior development officer for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and also has served as vice president for Development and Alumni Relations at James Madison University and vice president for College Relations at Sweet Briar College. For more information about Bridgewater see www.bridgewater.edu.

  • The University of La Verne (ULV) has selected Homa Shabahang at associate vice president for Regional Campuses. She has served as associate dean of the College of Professional Studies at University of San Francisco, associate dean of the School of Business at Chapman University, assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Cal State Fullerton, and chair of the Economics Department at Rochester Institute of Technology. For more see www.ulv.edu.

  • New Brethren Volunteer Service workers with the General Board include Dean Feasenhiser, in the Brethren Historical Library and Archives in Elgin, Ill.; Todd Flory, at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; and Monica Rice, in Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Feasenhiser, of Fruitland (Idaho) Church of the Brethren, is a 2005 graduate of McPherson College and is serving as an archival assistant processing records, responding to reference requests, preparing books for cataloguing, and filing. Flory, of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, is a graduate of Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., and brings experience as a reporter to his position as legislative associate. Rice, of Springfield Church of the Brethren in Akron, Ohio, and a 2004 graduate of Manchester College, will be coordinating the 2006 youth and young adult workcamps.

  • The Gather 'Round curriculum project still has openings for writers for two curriculum units. Persons wishing to submit an application for the Preschool unit (ages 3-4, with tips for 2s) or the Multi-age unit (grades K-6, with suggestions for older students) may request an application packet from Anna Speicher, project director and editor, gatherround@brethren.org or 800-323-8039. Accepted candidates must attend a writers' conference at Camp Alexander Mack on Jan. 8-12, 2006. Writing will begin in January. Deadline for applications is Nov. 1.

  • The Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the General Board is asking Brethren to support world leaders working on global poverty and hunger reduction at a United Nations summit in New York. The United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at reducing global poverty and hunger are being attacked by proposed amendments by the US, the office reported. The more than 750 amendments "significantly reduce the focus on global poverty and delete every single reference to the Millenium Development Goals. One of the purposes of the MDGs is to provide a blueprint to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015." While world leaders are gathering at the UN, people of faith will convene for three days of prayer, fasting, and witness Sept. 14-16 in New York's Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. Participants will ask US leaders to increase aid to combat global poverty by one percent of the federal budget--$25 billion over five years. Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, will be at the witness on Sept. 14 and invites Brethren to join him, or to stage vigils in their own communities. A flier about the event is available from 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org.

  • Help "dig through the roof" (Mark 2:3-5) this October. The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) is encouraging congregations to celebrate the month as Disabilities Awareness Month. Resources from the Disabilities Ministry available at www.brethren.org/abc/ include worship resources, Sunday school lessons, materials for children, ideas for raising congregational awareness, an accessibility checklist, information about ABC's Open Roof Award, funding suggestions, and resources for adapting church rituals for those with special needs. The network has a list serve as a way for those interested in disability ministries to communicate with one another. To sign up, visit listserver.emountain.net/mailman/listinfo/disabilitiesministry.

  • Nov. 6 is Junior High Sunday in the Church of the Brethren. The theme comes from Hebrews 10:24, "Provoke One Another to Love and Good Deeds." Graphics, a Bible study, worship resources and ideas, a skit, and more are available at www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/YouthSundayJ.htm. Materials will not be mailed to congregations but are in PDF format for printing from the website.

  • The Regional Junior High Conference scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 will be the first of its kind in the Church of the Brethren, reported Chris Douglas of the General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministries. The conference at New Windsor, Md., is co-sponsored by the General Board and eight districts in the eastern part of the US. Registration already is closed because the maximum attendance of 240 people has been reached. Those who are registered are urged to bring Gift of the Heart Health Kits for the Sunday morning offering, when Annual Conference moderator-elect Belita Mitchell is preaching. An e-mail to conference participants asked them to go to www.brethrenjrhigh.org for information on making kits.

  • Three district conferences will be held Sept. 16-17. Northern Indiana District will meet on the theme, "Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus; Hebrews 12:1-4," at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., with moderator Dan Petry. Southern Pennsylvania District will meet on the theme "Jesus--Worthy of Praise!" at Ridge Church of the Brethren in Shippensburg, Pa., with moderator Kenneth Geisewite. West Marva District will meet at Moorefield (W.Va.) Church of the Brethren with moderator Harold Garber.

  • Two Brethren peacemakers are helping to organize "Camp Casey Across the Country," an effort to call for an end to the war in Iraq, bring the US troops home, and "make lasting lifestyle choices for peace." Cliff Kindy, who has been a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq, and Tom Benevento, Latin America/Caribbean specialist for the Global Mission Partnerships of the General Board, are contact people for the project sponsored by CPT-USA Iraq Peace Team and the Bring Them Home Now Coalition. The project invites peacemakers to establish "Camp Casey" nonviolent encampments--modeled after the encampment established by Cindy Sheehan over the summer in Crawford, Texas--at congressional district offices across the country starting Oct. 2. Those who participate are invited to fast at the encampments, and to make "oil-free" pilgrimages to their district offices by walking, bicycling, using a wheel chair, or riding on public transportation. For more information call Kindy at 260-982-2971 or Benevento at 574-534-0942 or e-mail coblatinamerica@hotmail.com.
Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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ABC encourages observance of National Children's Sabbath.

The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) is encouraging congregations to honor the National Observance of Children's Sabbath, to be held Oct. 14-16. On behalf of the Church of the Brethren, ABC is partnering with the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) to support the event.

The CDF states that most poor children live in working families. "If poor families knew about and accessed all of the benefits for which they are currently eligible, more than 20 percent of poor children would move out of poverty and extreme poverty would be reduced by 70 percent," states a release from the CDF.

National Observance of Children's Sabbath seeks justice and care for the nearly 13 million US children who live in poverty, and the 8.5 million who do not have health care insurance, according to a release from ABC. The theme for this year's observance is "Putting Our Faith into Action to Seek Justice for Children."

For worship planning and Sunday school resources, order a copy of the 2005 Children's Sabbath Resource Manual (Vol. 14). The manual is 256 pages and available from the Religious Action Division of CDF for $7. Call 202-662-3602 or order from the online catalog at www.childrensdefense.org.

The next National Observance of Children's Sabbath will be Oct. 21-22, 2006. Since resources are not made available to ABC earlier than August, the agency encourages congregations to visit the CDF website for more timely information.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Brethren Press revives Covenant Bible Study Series.

Two Brethren Press titles introduced at Annual Conference this year were the first to be published in the Covenant Bible Study Series since 1999. "Romans: Church at the Crossroads" by Virginia Wiles, a Pauline scholar; and "Side by Side," an analysis of Bible stories that sometimes complement and sometimes compete, by Frank Ramirez, signal the renewal of one of the most popular Bible study series published by Brethren Press. More Covenant titles to come include "Voices in the Book of Job" by Bob Neff, to appear this fall; and "Exodus" by Connie Burkholder and "The Exile" by Joel Kline, to be available in 2006.

The original Covenant series was connected with the People of the Covenant small group program run cooperatively by the Church of the Brethren General Board and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The program came to a close in 1997, but Brethren Press continued publishing several titles that were still in the pipeline. The several dozen titles completed by then had sold a combined number of more than 173,400 copies.

"Because of the popularity of the series and the fact that we continued to receive requests, we decided to resume publishing," said Wendy McFadden, executive director of Brethren Press. All 33 Covenant Bible Study titles, including the new ones, appear in a first-ever Adult Resources Catalog produced for Annual Conference this year. Covenant Bible Studies cost $6.95 plus shipping and handling. Each includes 10 sessions appropriate for small group study. To order, call 800-441-3712.

In another new resource from Brethren Press, Daniel M. Petry is the author of this year's daily devotional for Advent, "The Promise of His Coming." The devotional is $2 per copy, or $1.50 for orders received by Oct. 1, plus shipping and handling. Orders received by Oct. 31 will be shipped by Nov. 7. Call 800-441-3712.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Iraq: From bad to worse.

By Peggy Gish

"From bad to worse" is a common phrase Iraqis use when describing what is happening in Iraq. Working here, outside the isolated Green Zone or military bases, we get a different picture from the optimistic depictions released by the US government. I mostly hear from Iraqis that the presence of American military has lowered their quality of life, and set back their progress in building a peaceful and democratic society.

Even from those who say it is necessary for the US military to remain longer in Iraq to prevent greater factional fighting or civil war, we hear despair. They speak of the snail-pace progress in repairing infrastructure, the growing humanitarian crisis, the depressed economic system, and the lack of basic security.

Some brief examples:
  • Of the three million residents of Sadr City, a poor area of Baghdad, 72 percent have hepatitis A or E, because of polluted water. In Sadr City we saw trenches dug along the main streets for sewer system repair. According to leaders of Sadr City, this project does not include replacing the cracked and inadequate pipes along the side streets that connect to the people's homes.

  • Although more manufactured goods are available in the markets of Iraq's cities, poverty is severe, with an estimated 40 percent unemployment, and increasing malnutrition. Cheaper foreign goods flooding the market and the takeover of Iraqi businesses and oil production by US companies continue to erode the economy.

  • Families in Fallujah are slowly starting to rebuild with little help from the US or Iraqi governments. Since the Nov. 2004 attacks, US forces still wage active warfare in many other cities and villages. As of Aug. 14, US and Iraqi forces were surrounding the city of Tellafar, west of Mosul and had used heavy bombs in attacks on the city of Haqlaniyah.

  • Iraqi people live in daily fear of explosions and kidnappings by the violent resistance groups as well as violent house raids, indiscriminate roundups, abusive interrogations, and imprisonment by US and Iraqi forces.

  • They are also worried about corruption in the new Iraqi government and the brutal violence of the newer Iraqi special police commandos, trained by the US and operating under the Ministry of Interior. Some call this "state terrorism." Iraqis tell us about family members being abducted from their homes, tortured, and sometimes found dead by a roadside. Prisoners' families report paying thousands of dollars to prevent the prisoners from being tortured or forced to give confessions on TV of crimes they did not commit.
Meanwhile, most Iraqis are trying to go on with life as normally as possible, caring for their families. Countless Iraqis try to keep hope alive by working with organizations that foster unity, human rights, and local democratic activity. They worry, however, that all the sacrifices and hardships they have endured will not lead them to a freer and safer life.

--Peggy Gish, a Church of the Brethren member working with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq, wrote this article on Aug. 14. CPT places teams of trained peacemakers in regions of lethal conflict. An initiative of the Historic Peace Churches (Mennonite, Church of the Brethren, and Quaker), CPT enjoys support and membership from a wide range of Christian denominations. See www.cpt.org.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Disaster Child Care volunteers start work, Brethren begin clean-up project.

The Brethren response to Hurricane Katrina increased in intensity as Disaster Child Care volunteers began working at shelters for survivors, a Brethren Disaster Response clean-up project started in Alabama, and Roy Winter, director of Emergency Response for the Church of the Brethren General Board, made a tour and assessment of needs in shelters across southern Louisiana (see story below). Shipments of relief materials continued from the Service Ministries warehouses at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

Teams of Disaster Child Care volunteers are caring for children and families in seven shelters or recovery centers across the country, at the request of the American Red Cross and FEMA. In Kingwood, W.Va., a team is serving at the West Virginia Army National Guard Reserve training facility at Camp Dawson, where some 500 displaced people were expected. In Denver, Colo., child care was set up in a dorm on the campus of Lowery Air Force Base where approximately 1,000 evacuees were received. In Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, Fla., child care is being given at two FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers for survivors migrating from the Gulf States to Florida. In Los Angeles and San Bernardino, Calif., the child care was requested by the Red Cross after learning that some 168 displaced people were expected. A child care team was on its way to another shelter in Marietta, Ga., as of yesterday.

At least some of the evacuees being served by the Disaster Child Care volunteers across the country were people transferred from the Astrodome in Houston. And some of the child care volunteers were flown to response sites by Angel Flights, a nonprofit organization of pilots and private aircraft available in cases of need. All of the volunteers have undergone training to help meet the needs of children following disasters.

The Disaster Child Care staff led by coordinator Helen Stonesifer is working to fulfill more requests for child care services in shelters in North Fork, Va.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; and Brook Haven, Miss. The DCC Critical Care team--volunteers specially trained for response to aviation disasters--will begin work at Family Assistance Centers in Louisiana serving evacuees who have lost loved ones, as soon as the centers are set up, reported Winter.

"We've never had child care active in this many states before," Winter said. "It's certainly an unusual situation." He emphasized that the child care will be a longterm response, lasting well beyond the several weeks that volunteers usually have worked at previous disaster sites. Disaster Child Care is already seeking to train more volunteers for the lengthy response time expected, and may be working in partnership with Canadian Child Care to response to the unprecedented level of need following Hurricane Katrina. (See the story below for information on how to get the necessary training to volunteer.)

A Brethren Disaster Response clean-up project was started Sept. 13 in Citronelle, Ala. Cedar Creek Church of the Brethren is helping to host the project, in which groups of up to 15 volunteers at a time will clean areas of hurricane damage and do minor repairs on homes to prevent further damage, such as covering roofs with tarps. The church also is assisting with feeding and care for some 250 displaced citizens sheltering at the Citronelle United Methodist Church.

Winter warned volunteers that "the work is very different from our rebuilding projects because we don't have a local recovery group giving us referrals. Instead, volunteers will move out into communities to identify those who need our assistance," he said. "We also have to be careful not to do repairs that will change insurance settlements or FEMA evaluations."

The Southeastern District is coordinating volunteers for the first two weeks of the project and providing a tool trailer for all groups to use, and Winter called for more Brethren to consider volunteering for what will be a longterm project. (See the story below for information on how to volunteer.) "This is a good partnership between the district and the Emergency Response program working together," he said. "We rejoice when we can partner with local churches or districts. As evacuees are being supported by groups in many states, we are open to additional ways the Emergency Response volunteers or the Emergency Disaster Fund can support church response efforts."

In news of other Brethren responses to the hurricane, the 29th annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction of Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania Districts features an ambitious project to assemble and pack 20,000 Gift of the Heart Health Kits and School Kits onsite. The auction will be held at the Lebanon (Pa.) Expo and Fairgrounds on Sept. 23-24. Value of the kits will be in excess of $100,000. Winter plans to be present for another ambitious project as volunteers build a modular home for Brethren Disaster Response, also onsite. The auction raises money for the two districts' TURF Fund (The United Relief Fund) and the Emergency Disaster Fund of the General Board. All proceeds from the Theme Basket Auction and the Quilt Auction will be earmarked for hurricane relief. Also featured will be auctions of heifers and livestock, a Farmer's Market, the sale of arts and crafts, and lots of food.

For more information about the Church of the Brethren response to Hurricane Katrina, see www.brethrendisasterresponse.org, click on "Responding to Hurricane Katrina." For more information about Disaster Child Care go to www.disasterchildcare.org. For more information about the Brethren Disaster Auction call Duane Ness, chair, at 717-840-8400 or go to www.brethrenauction.org.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Emergency Response director visits Louisiana, assesses needs.

Roy Winter, director of Emergency Response for the Church of the Brethren General Board, traveled to southern Louisiana Sept. 8-11, visiting a sample of some 290 shelters from east to west across the state and helping the Red Cross assess needs for mental health care and counseling and the need for Disaster Child Care.

The assessment was made with a team from the Harvard School of Public Health. The team made a "field assessment" of the mental health status of survivors, Winter said, and tried to sample as many emergency centers as they could. They traveled from as far east as the town of Slidell, to as far west as Jennings in Louisiana. The team's findings have been reported to the Red Cross and may be published as well, in order to help other groups doing follow-up work, Winter said.

The Red Cross has "a huge task," and has been doing good work, trying to meet an incredible amount of needs, Winter said. He cited the agency's ability to serve millions of meals each day to survivors, for example. As of Sept. 9, the Red Cross reported that over 40,000 staff have worked on the response to Hurricane Katrina, in the Gulf Coast area and southern Florida. The Red Cross has in addition recruited some 9,000 volunteers to help with the effort. A total of 676 Red Cross shelters or evacuation centers have been set up, housing a shelter population of 161,245. And 5,955,846 meals have been served, not counting another 5,902,433 snacks.

But the task is so large "that things can't happen as fast as survivors would like, and that's frustrating," Winter added. "Evacuees are longing for more information about how to get back on their feet. They just want to be able to get their lives back together."

Some evacuees already have their children in school and have gotten new jobs while they live in shelters, he said. Those families may well have to move again, however, once shelters close or other housing opportunities open up. Other evacuees have nothing left but their dignity, he said.

He reported that the shelters supported by churches as well as the Red Cross are doing better at meeting needs than those with support just from the Red Cross. For example, he visited one shelter housed in a church building, where the congregation had given up Sunday school rooms--and the option of holding Sunday school--in order to serve survivors. At that church, some 70 percent of those sheltering in the building are attending worship there as well, he said. There are churches that have set up shelters without the help of the Red Cross, Winter added, and the Red Cross is beginning to assist them as it can, but that assistance may be slow.

The team Winter was with saw a range of destruction from the hurricane, from some damage in Slidell, to the flooding of the levees in New Orleans, to Baton Rouge, where just a few tree limbs were downed and only a little clean up was needed. They visited a range of types of shelters and emergency centers, including a shelter for convicts evacuated from prisons in New Orleans.

Winter also went to Roanoke (La.) Church of the Brethren and visited with pastor James Balmer. The congregation is actively helping shelters in its area.

Source: 9/14/2005 Newsline
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Disaster staff issue call for volunteers.

A variety of opportunities to contribute to the Brethren hurricane relief efforts are available, as staff of the church's disaster response programs have begun to call for volunteers:
  • Disaster Child Care is seeking more trained volunteers, and is offering to train new volunteers at three Level 1 Training Workshops in the next three months: Sept. 16-17 in Roanoke, Va.; Oct. 7-8 in Reno, Nev.; and Nov. 11-12 in Brook Park, Ohio. Cost is $45 or $55 when mailed less than three weeks before the training, and includes meals and one overnight. For more information see www.disasterchildcare.org. Additional emergency training events will be scheduled in the coming weeks. Special shortened workshops will be conducted to help meet the current need. More information will be forthcoming in Newsline and on the website.

  • Emergency Response/Service Ministries seeks volunteers to help answer telephones in the office and to process relief materials in the warehouses at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Call 800-451-4407.

  • Brethren Disaster Response seeks volunteers to help with the Hurricane Katrina clean-up project in Alabama. Also sought are volunteers to continue rebuilding projects in Belmont County, Ohio, following severe flooding earlier this year, and in Pensacola, Fla., repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in July 2005. Call 800-451-4407.

  • Brethren congregations may soon have the option of registering to host and sponsor families who have lost homes in the hurricane, through the well-established Church World Service (CWS) Immigration and Refugee program and CWS regional offices across the US. Preliminary estimates are that the program will serve 165 families or 500 people over an initial period of five months. Winter anticipates having application information available in the next few days.
For more information about the Brethren hurricane relief efforts or to give on-line to support this work, go to www.brethrendisasterresponse.org. Checks payable to the General Board's Emergency Disaster Fund support the work of Disaster Child Care, Brethren Disaster Response, Emergency Response/Service Ministries, and Church World Service; mail to 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

Source: 9/14/2005 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 if Newsline is cited as the source. Sandy Bosserman, Sam Bowman, Chris Douglas, Mary Dulabaum, Todd Flory, Merv Keeney, Jeri S. Kornegay, Wendy McFadden, Howard Royer, Ken Shaffer, Anna Speicher, Helen Stonesifer, Roy Winter, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.