NEWS

• Trust adopts investment guidelines related to pornography, gambling.
  
• Brethren Pension Plan annuity rates are being assessed.
  
• Annual Conference Council sets registration goal for 2007 conference.
  
• Disaster Child Care to work in New Orleans throughout 2007.
  
• New Brethren Disaster Response project opening in Mississippi.
  
• Brethren bits: Correction, jobs, personnel, more.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Travel seminar to Brazil will visit Brethren churches.
  
• Registration begins for Christian Citizenship Seminar.

FEATURE

• First Church Antarctica?

Trust adopts investment guidelines related to pornography, gambling.

For many years Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) has taken a corporate stand against four industry sectors that promote products that are contrary to Church of the Brethren statements and resolutions: defense, alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Now BBT is taking a stand against pornography.

At its fall meetings, held Nov. 16-18 in Bridgewater, Va., the BBT Board of Trustees voted to strengthen the agency’s socially responsible investing (SRI) strategy by adopting a fifth social screen for its investments. This means BBT will refrain from investing in firms that generate 10 percent or more of their revenues from the production or distribution of pornography.

"The Church of the Brethren has two statements that relate to pornography, with the most recent being approved by the 1985 Annual Conference," said Nevin Dulabaum, BBT’s director of communications and interim SRI director. "Since that time, the pornography industry has grown dramatically through the development of the World Wide Web, satellite and cable television, and pay-per-view movies at hotels. With the widespread accessibility of pornography, the time was right for BBT to make a statement against this industry."

According to Forbes, the porn industry in 2001 is a $2.6 to $3.7 billion business in the US. The number of pornographic web pages jumped from 14 million in 1998 to 260 million in 2003. There are more than 100,000 "adult-oriented" subscription sites in the US and about 400,000 globally. The US sites are maintained by about 1,000 major firms, with perhaps another 9,000 operating as affiliates of other established online "adult" firms. Total "adult-oriented" sites (subscription and non-subscription) number 4.2 million and comprise about 12 percent of the Internet’s total. On a global basis, approximately 70 million people per week view at least one "adult" site (20 million view sites that appear to be hosted in the US or Canada).

The BBT board decided the time also was right to expand its screen on gambling. For years BBT has screened out companies that generate 10 percent or more of their income from the operation of gambling machines. With the board’s approval in November, BBT now also screens out firms that meet that 10 percent threshold benchmark by manufacturing these devices.

As the manager of $400 million in assets from more than 4,000 Brethren Pension Plan members and 200 Brethren Foundation clients, BBT has an effect on the corporate world through its investments in stocks and bonds. BBT’s SRI strategy has three components. The first is screening. BBT screens out the top 25 US defense contractors and firms that generate 10 percent or more of their revenues from defense, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, and now pornography. The second component calls for BBT to proactively challenge firms in which BBT owns stocks or bonds to improve their business practices, which usually are related to human rights or environmental issues. This action is done through a range of activities, from writing letters and engaging in dialogue with companies, to presenting resolutions to company shareholders. BBT’s third SRI component is its Community Development Investment Fund, an investment choice that helps spur economic development in low-income areas.

"I appreciate the committee looking at this issue and including these items pertaining to pornography and gambling," said Dave Gerber, BBT board member.

Board member Eric Kabler agreed, "This action gives the Church of the Brethren an opportunity to take a stand."

In other business, the BBT board began to assess a change to the Brethren Pension Plan annuity rates (see story below); ratified BBT’s proposed 2007 expense budget of $3,334,725 and a capital budget of $66,550; transferred custodial services of $400 million in assets that BBT manages to Union Bank of California, after LaSalle Bank ceased providing these services for pension plans mid-year; adopted resolutions allowing retired ministers or ministers who receive a disability benefit and who own or rent their own homes to designate 100 percent of their retirement annuity as housing allowance beginning in 2007; awarded payments totaling $123,567 for the Supplemental Income for Equitable Annuitant program (members are former lay employees of the General Board who were enrolled in an equitable retirement plan prior to their inclusion in the Brethren Pension Plan); and approved two new fund options for Brethren Foundation clients.

The board also received a report from the Church of the Brethren Credit Union, which by mid-2007 is expected to offer a number of new services possibly including online banking, checking accounts, debit cards, and home equity loans. In an effort to expedite the implementation of new services, the board voted to provide funds the credit union will use to engage an independent consultant to assist in writing internal control policies and to market its new products.

Fifteen guests representing seven congregations and Bridgewater College joined the board at a luncheon sponsored by the Brethren Foundation, held at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. Steve Mason, the new director of the foundation, gave background information about the foundation highlighting its milestone of crossing the $125 million mark of asset management.

In November, Karen Crim Dillon Orpurt Crim joined the board for her first meeting, replacing Mason who resigned in October to join the BBT staff. The board approved Janice Bratton to serve another four-year term as a board member. The board is in the process of calling a person to fill a one-year term in 2007-08. The names for both positions will be submitted to Annual Conference for affirmation. Donna Forbes Steiner was approved as chair of the Nominating Committee; Gail Habecker was re-elected chair of the Investment Committee; Bratton was re-elected as secretary.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Brethren Pension Plan annuity rates are being assessed.

An actuarial report given to Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) this fall showed that the Brethren Pension Plan’s Retirement Benefits Fund earlier this year dipped into territory it had not seen for many years, if ever--underfunded status.

For the past four years, the BBT board has wrestled with how to ensure that the Retirement Benefits Fund will be able to pay its liabilities decades from now. The board has now begun assessment of a change to Brethren Pension Plan annuity rates.

The underfunded status is believed to have been corrected with the strong growth of the investment markets in the second half of the year. But it was the result of two factors, according to BBT’s chief financial officer Darryl Deardorff: poor overall performance by the markets for the past five years, and the fact that payments given to Brethren Pension Plan annuitants are based on the actuarial assumption that the Retirement Benefits Fund can generate eight percent earnings on "Part A" monies.

In 2003, the board split funds contributed into the Brethren Pension Plan into "Part A" and "Part B" categories, because of concerns that BBT would not be able to offer an eight percent annuitization rate in perpetuity. Funds contributed prior to July 1, 2003, were placed in an "A account" and would receive an eight percent assumption rate when annuitized, although that rate could be changed by the board at any time. Funds contributed after that date have been placed in a "B account" and would receive a six percent assumption rate when annuitized, with the knowledge that the board would assess the rate annually.

In 2005, the board took a second step to undergird the Retirement Benefits Fund by creating a contingency fund to ensure the fund will meet its liabilities longterm.

Despite these two actions, the Retirement Benefits Fund dipped into underfunded status because investments simply were unable to achieve a sufficient rate of return to match the fund’s annuity rates, said Gail Habecker, chair of the Investment Committee. She reported that the problem is low market performance over the past five years, when the S&P 500 has averaged 0.5 percent of growth while most balanced funds have averaged slightly above 2.5 percent.

Habecker reported that staff have researched other Church Benefits Association members with similar pension plans, and found few offering a six percent annuity rate and none offering eight percent. Many Church Benefits Association members have moved to offering a four percent "floor rate" with a supplemental payment contingent on market performance.

In November, the BBT board considered a variety of options for the Brethren Pension Plan’s A and B accounts, but determined a decision could not be made before an up-to-date funding status is reviewed. That study, being conducted by Hewitt and Associates, is expected to be completed in mid-January. The BBT Investment Committee is scheduled to meet shortly thereafter to determine next steps.

The board approved allowing the Investment Committee to change the Plan A account annuity rate without further action by the full board, if the committee deems such an action to be appropriate following its analysis of the funding status report.

For more information about the Brethren Pension Plan, contact Brethren Benefit Trust at 888-832-1383 or go to www.brethren.org/bbt.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Annual Conference Council sets registration goal for 2007 conference.

The Annual Conference Council set a goal of 4,000 registrants for the 2007 Annual Conference in Cleveland, at a meeting held Nov. 28-29 in New Windsor, Md. All members of the council were present for the meeting including chair and past Annual Conference moderator Ronald Beachley, current Annual Conference moderator Belita Mitchell, moderator-elect Jim Beckwith, Shenandoah District associate executive minister Joan Daggett, former Conference moderator Jim Myer, Conference executive director Lerry Fogle, and Conference secretary Fred Swartz.

A registration of 4,000 is the number of registrations the council estimates it will take to get the Annual Conference fund back in the black and meet the 2007 budget, said Swartz in his report from the meeting. Registrations were much less than expected at the 2006 Annual Conference, Swartz reported, especially in the number of congregational delegates attending. This resulted in a slight deficit in meeting the 2006 expenses of the Conference. Anticipated costs in Cleveland next year call for an even bigger budget for 2007.

In its discussion, the council noted that Cleveland is an attractive venue for families. Several members of the council were impressed with the city’s conference facilities during a tour earlier in November. The business agenda for 2007 also will have several interesting issues for the delegates’ consideration, increasing the motivation for congregations to send representatives, Swartz reported.

The council approved a proposal from the Program and Arrangements Committee to change the rotation of Annual Conference sites. The new plan, which will need approval from the Conference, would have the Conference meeting in the East and Midwest four times in a 12-year cycle instead of the present rotation that has sites in those two regions only three times each cycle. The other years of the cycle would hold the Conference one time each in the Northwest, the Plains, the Southeast, and the Southwest. The new rotation would allow Annual Conference to be held most often in areas with the highest concentration of Church of the Brethren members.

In other business, the council began to look at other budget and marketing issues related to Annual Conference. It also approved a revised disaster recovery plan for the Conference office should a natural disaster or other emergency interrupt operations, reaffirmed policies on requirements to be met by queries (see policies at www.brethren.org/ac), reviewed the budget and plans of the 300th Anniversary Committee, and received reports including reflections from moderator Mitchell, a report that the move of the Annual Conference office to New Windsor was accomplished on budget, and a report from the Program and Arrangements Committee listing ideas from its task committee on marketing. The group postponed final work on a revision to a paper on dealing with strongly controversial issues until Annual Conference disposes of its current business item on Doing Church Business.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Disaster Child Care to work in New Orleans throughout 2007.

The Disaster Child Care (DCC) ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board has been requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide child care for a "Road Home" Program in New Orleans throughout the year 2007.

To assist people returning to the area after being evacuated from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA is opening a "Louisiana Welcome Home Center" in New Orleans on Jan. 2. This One-Stop-Shop will house agencies and organizations that can provide resources to people returning home. FEMA has requested a child care center in the One-Stop-Shop, reported DCC coordinator Helen Stonesifer. "FEMA anticipates that this assistance will be available for one year, therefore, this will be an ongoing DCC project," her report said.

"This is an excellent opportunity for all certified child care volunteers who are available to respond," Stonesifer added. "It will also allow us the privilege of scheduling persons ahead of time," she noted.

Three regions of volunteers for Disaster Child Care have been activated so far to respond in New Orleans. Volunteers will be requested to serve for two-week periods. A team of four will be deployed initially to serve for a first two-week period.

For additional information visit www.disasterchildcare.org or call the DCC Office at 800-451-4407 (option 5).

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

New Brethren Disaster Response project opening in Mississippi.

Brethren Disaster Response is opening a new Hurricane Katrina recovery project in McComb, Miss., just after the holidays. McComb is in southwestern Mississippi, just north of the Louisiana border.

Effective Jan. 1, all volunteers who were scheduled for the Pensacola, Fla., project after the new year will be assigned instead to the new Mississippi project. District disaster relief coordinators will be informing volunteers of this change, according to a report from Brethren Disaster Response, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Although Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeastern Louisiana, heavy damage can be found within a 100-mile radius of the storm’s center in Mississippi and Alabama as well as Louisiana, said a report from Jane Yount, coordinator of Brethren Disaster Response. The official death toll attributed to Katrina has climbed to 1,836, making Katrina the deadliest hurricane since 1928, her report said. Katrina is also by far the costliest hurricane in US history, with $75 billion in damages. An estimated 350,000 homes were destroyed and many thousands more damaged.

The Brethren will be working in McComb with Southwest Mississippi Recovery Network. "We are thrilled at the prospect of having your folks with us and will do everything to help them be comfortable and productive," said Judy Powell Sibley, director and chair of the network. "With your coming, I feel a huge burden lifted to help secure the storm affected families in our area."

Work to be done includes repair of roof damage that has resulted in water-damaged interiors of homes, and the related removal and replacement of walls, ceilings, floors, etc. Black mold is a problem in many homes and will require cleanup. The project may possibly be constructing new homes as well. A Brethren Disaster Response pickup truck, van, and tool trailer will be on site.

For more information about Brethren Disaster Response go to www.brethren.org/genbd/ersm/DisasterResponse.htm.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Brethren bits: Correction, jobs, personnel, more.

• Correction: "The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. 4" was co-edited by Donald F. Durnbaugh and Dale V. Ulrich, in a correction to the Newsline Extra of Dec. 13. Carl Bowman served as a contributing editor.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks a director of office operations, to fill a fulltime salaried position in Elgin, Ill. The director of office operations will direct the General Office Services Department; develop and maintain a centralized database of denominational membership; coordinate the president’s office; oversee board meetings, agendas, minutes, and provide assistance to board members; administer human resources services; and manage BBT’s offices with regard to occupancy, furnishings, and decor. Responsibilities include office equipment, supplies, and mail management; telephone system, receptionist, and hospitality; board member candidate profiles and communication; preparation of board agendas and minutes; personnel position announcements, candidate interviews, job descriptions, and other human resources duties; general clerical support in the president’s office; among others. Qualifications include a post secondary-level education, at least five years of experience in office operations leadership or human resources management, knowledge of the Church of the Brethren and denominational polity, organization, and structure. Membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred but not required. Salary is comparable with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A letter of application and a resume with three references should be sent by Jan. 15, 2007, via confidential communication to Wilfred E. Nolen, President, Brethren Benefit Trust, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks a marketing and promotions assistant to fill an interim fulltime hourly position in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include establishing and maintaining a congregational representative network and assisting with creation and implementation of other promotional and marketing initiatives; assisting with development of a denominational database; securing BBT representatives in congregations; producing a monthly communication for congregational representatives; supporting representatives so that they can better represent BBT in congregations; helping coordinate regional meetings or a meal event at Annual Conference for representatives; occasional travel such as to Annual Conference and events for the representative network; and possibly securing church directories and organizing and inputting data to build a denominational contact list. Qualifications include at least an undergraduate degree preferably in communications, English, marketing, or a related field; experience or expertise in customer service, database management, and writing; membership in the Church of the Brethren with active participation in a Brethren congregation. Salary is competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. To apply send a letter of interest, resume with salary range expectations, and contact information for three references to Susan Brandenbusch, Brethren Benefit Trust, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; or e-mail to sbrandenbusch_bbt@brethren.org.
  
  
• The Annual Conference Office is seeking a temporary fulltime registration coordinator to work at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., from March 1 through May 31, 2007. Responsibilities include tasks related to the registration process of Annual Conference, running reports, processing payments, serving as initial contact person for registration, and other clerical functions. Required skills and knowledge include strong word processing skills, effective and pleasant communication style, experience with software applications such as Word and Excel, demonstrated quality customer service skills. Required experience and education includes two to three years in a general office setting, a variety of work situations where direct contact with customers was required, a minimum of a high school diploma. Send a cover letter and resume to the Office of Human Resources, P.O. Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776; 410-635-8780; ehall_gb@brethren.org. Application deadline is Jan. 19, 2007.
  
  
• Applicants are sought for the 2007 Youth Peace Travel Team, which is jointly sponsored by On Earth Peace, the Outdoor Ministries Association, Brethren Volunteer Service, the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, and the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board. It is "not just another summer job" according to a personal testimony from 2006 team member Margaret Bortner of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, included in an announcement from On Earth Peace: "Fifteen states, seven church camps, Annual Conference, National Youth Conference, hundreds of new friends, lots of free ice cream, an afternoon in Hollywood: this was my summer job. Youth Peace Travel Team presented opportunities that I otherwise may not have had." The four-member team spends the summer together visiting Church of the Brethren camps to promote peace. "If you care passionately for peace and justice and are interested in leaving your comfort zone next summer, please consider applying.... It will stretch you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically--and you will love it," said Bortner. Applications are due Feb. 4, 2007. For more information visit www.brethren.org/genbd/witness/YPTT.htm or contact Phil Jones at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, 202-546-3202, pjones_gb@brethren.org; or Susanna Farahat at On Earth Peace, 410-635-8706, sfarahat_oepa@brethren.org.
  
  
• A promotional DVD for the 2007 workcamps offered by the Church of the Brethren General Board is now available. The DVD includes general information about workcamps and the expansion of the workcamp program, as well as 2007 calendar information. The DVD is a useful tool for sharing the workcamp philosophy, as it features interviews with the coordinators and past workcamp participants. Registration for 2007 workcamps begins Jan. 3, 2007, online at www.brethren.org. To request a DVD, write to cobworkcamps_gb@brethren.org or call Amy Rhodes at 800-323-8039 ext. 281.
  
  
• A Faith Expedition to Vietnam will be sponsored by the Brethren Witness/Washington Office on Dec. 31, 2006-Jan. 13, 2007. Registration was filled early for the two-week trip led by Dennis Metzger, who was a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in Vietnam from 1969-74, and his wife Van. Participants will travel to Hanoi, Saigon, Long An province, and make visits to Church World Service projects among ethnic minorities and to the Mennonite Church in Gia Dinh, among other activities. The expedition also will visit the area of Di Linh, where Brethren martyr Ted Studebaker lived and worked during the war. Other upcoming Faith Expeditions include a trip to Mexico in the spring of 2007, led by Tom Benevento, and a fall 2007 trip to Guatemala.
  
  
• The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra is leasing office space at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., as of November. Orchestra staff including director Kathy Mathews and three colleagues are occupying office space formerly used by Illinois and Wisconsin District Office, which is now housed at York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill.
  
  
• Ruth Stokes has received the "Everyday Hero Award" from the state of Pennsylvania. The 81-year-old member of Ambler (Pa.) Church of the Brethren was presented the award in October for her many accomplishments in community service. Over the years she has played exhibition baseball in Yankee Stadium as part of what is believed to be the first women’s baseball league in the east, in existence from 1947-55; opened a sporting goods store with her husband Harry; became one of the first SCUBA instructors in the area; played golf for 50 years; and more recently founded the Share and Care Community at Walnut Meadows retirement community in Harleysville. She still teaches water aerobics at the Indian Valley YMCA, according to the "Souderton Independent" newspaper. Stokes wrote her memoir, "Ruthie Brethren Girl," in 1997.
  
  
• A new book about Sam Hornish Jr., an Indy Racing League driver and Church of the Brethren member from Ohio, is available from the "Bryan Times" of Williams County, Ohio. In May, Hornish won the 90th Indianapolis 500, driving with Marlboro Team Penske. The book, "A Passion for Victory," highlights his career with more than 200 full-color photos. The Hornish family participated in the project, supplying photos as well as historical data. The jacket was written by "The Voice of the Indy Racing League," Mike King. The limited edition hard-bound book, 136 pages, is available for $29.95 from the newspaper offices in Bryan, Ohio, during regular office hours. For more information about the newspaper go to www.bryantimes.com.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Travel seminar to Brazil will visit Brethren churches.

A travel seminar to Brazil has been announced by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, in cooperation with the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary. The trip will visit Igreja da Irmandade (Church of the Brethren in Brazil), from May 17-June 2, 2007. Registration and down payment are due by Jan. 31, 2007.

The seminar is open to interested church members as well as Bethany and academy students. Leaders are Jonathan Shively, director of the Brethren Academy; Marcos and Sueli Inhauser, national directors of Igreja da Irmandade; and Brethren Volunteer Service workers who are beginning assignments in Brazil. Participants will visit each church development site in Brazil and engage in learning and reflection on what it means to be Anabaptists and Pietists planting churches and ministering in a diverse and largely secularized world.

More information including a flier and reservation form is at www.bethanyseminary.edu. For additional information contact Shively at shivejo@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1824.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Registration begins for Christian Citizenship Seminar.

Online registration is beginning for the 2007 Christian Citizenship Seminar for youth on the theme, "The State of Our Health." The Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board jointly sponsor the annual seminar in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The event will take place March 24-29, 2007.

Participants will explore and be challenged by the many health concerns and conditions of the global population, including the HIV/AIDS explosion in Africa and how HIV/AIDS affects people in US communities, the overwhelming poverty of many Latin America countries, and the effects of prenatal care, poverty, and hunger on the world's population. The group will consider the advantages, challenges, and privileges of health care programs, and engage in advocacy for the hungry, disabled, uninsured, and voiceless people of the world. The week will include speakers, presentations, interactive worship, workshops, and on-site visits and direct advocacy with members of Congress.

High school youth and adult advisors are eligible to attend. Registration is limited to the first 100 youth and adults who apply; registration will be cut off by Feb. 28 or as soon as 100 registrations have been received. Cost is $350, which includes lodging for five nights, dinner on the opening evening, and transportation from New York to Washington.

To register go to www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/CCS.htm. For more information or for a brochure contact the Youth and Young Adult Ministry office at 800-323-8039 or e-mail COBYouth_gb@brethren.org.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

First Church Antarctica?

A small group of people connected with the Church of the Brethren are at work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica: Pete and Erika Anna, who are affiliated with Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill.; former Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) worker Emily Wampler; and Sean Dell who grew up in the Church of the Brethren in McPherson, Kan.

Wampler left in late September for the station, which is the main base of the US in the Antarctic, administered by the US Antarctic Program with the National Science Foundation in charge, she said. The US adheres to the International Antarctic Treaty and all uses of the station are for peaceful scientific purposes, Wampler added. The station is on the Ross Ice Shelf hundreds of miles from the south pole. The closest country is New Zealand.

But with three others with Brethren connections among the only 1,200 or so people there for the southern summer, Wampler will still feel at home. "We’re going to start First Antarctica Church of the Brethren!" she joked.

Pete Anna is the fire prevention officer for the Antarctic Fire Department, and Erika Anna works with the department in communications. Wampler is working in the galley, or kitchen, as a dining attendant. Dell is working in construction.

Wampler decided to apply for a position at McMurdo after a BVS friend worked there last year and displayed her Antarctica pictures. "She had such a unique experience," Wampler said. "I thought I’d give it a try."

The application process was lengthy, and included a rigorous medical exam and physical, a psychological exam, and a stress test if necessary, "because they have to fly you off the ice" in the event of serious illness, Wampler said. As well as being expensive, such flights may pose great risk to station personnel.

"I’m really looking forward to exploring the history of the continent. Right around McMurdo Station everything is miraculously preserved," Wampler said, giving examples of tents and shelters used by early Antarctic explorers like Scott that are preserved by the cold temperatures and dry climate.

Around McMurdo in the middle of the southern summer, temperatures may average in the 30s and 40s with wind chill creating colder temperatures, Wampler said. But earlier and later in the year the weather is much colder. In mid-summer there is 24 hours of daylight, Wampler said: "The sun makes little circles around the sky."

Wampler will return home in February after spending five months in the Antarctic. Only a couple hundred people--including the Annas--will stay over the southern winter, when the station may be completely isolated.

She also anticipates saving some money, after a few years of fulltime volunteering. "They give you a paycheck, and there’s no place to spend it," she said. After McMurdo, Wampler hopes to go back to volunteering again next year at a therapy horse ranch in Oregon.

Source: 12/20/2006 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Jonathan Shively, Helen Stonesifer, Fred Swartz, Jay Wittmeyer, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.

Newsline Extra: Resources from Brethren Press

• Ken Morse text published in anthem.
  
• Fourth volume of Brethren Encyclopedia is available from Brethren Press.
  
• History 'source book' tells story of Brethren during the world wars.
  
• Lenten devotional for 2007 focuses on 'Growing Fruit.'
  
• Pre-publication orders for 300th anniversary devotional are being taken.
  
• Two Vacation Bible School programs on sale through Brethren Press.

Ken Morse text published in anthem.

A poem written by well-known Brethren writer and editor Kenneth I. Morse is the text for "Listen to the Sunrise," a choral anthem just published by Alliance Music Publications, Inc. Sheet music is available through Brethren Press for $1.70 each, plus shipping and handling. The voicing is SATB with children's choir a capella.

The anthem, by Canadian composer Eleanor Daley, was commissioned by the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and premiered in 2003. That concert is available on "Cathedral Classics," a CD from the Master Chorale (www.masterchorale.com/cd-cc.htm).

The text comes from the title poem of "Listen to the Sunrise," a book of poetry by Morse and published by Brethren Press in 1991, and is combined with words from St. Francis of Assisi.

The poem made its way to the Master Chorale through Robert N. Durnbaugh, publisher of Brethren Press in the 1980s and later executive director of the Elgin Choral Union. He became acquainted with Richard Zielinski, who spent a year with the choral union before becoming music and artistic director of the Master Chorale in Tampa Bay. When the Master Chorale was preparing to commission the work, Zielinski asked Durnbaugh for suggestions of texts; "Listen to the Sunrise" was one of the suggestions.

The sheet music can be ordered from Brethren Press by calling 800-441-3712 or visiting www.brethrenpress.com (find "Listen to the Sunrise" at www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/AMPI.html).

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

Fourth volume of Brethren Encyclopedia is available from Brethren Press.

The fourth volume of the "Brethren Encyclopedia," published by Brethren Encyclopedia Inc., is available from Brethren Press for $80 plus shipping and handling.

The long-awaited volume has been in the works since at least 2001. Carl Bowman, professor of sociology at Bridgewater (Va.) College, and the late Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh, served as co-editors (Durnbaugh served as editor of the first three volumes, published in 1983-84). The Brethren Encyclopedia board of directors conducted a financial campaign to support the publishing project. The 816-page book contains an extensive index for all four volumes of the encyclopedia, new articles, additions and corrections, an updated bibliography, photos, and more.

To place an order call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com (for "The Brethren Encyclopedia, Vol. 4," go to www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/0669.html).

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

History 'source book' tells story of Brethren during the world wars.

Brethren Press has published another in its series of Brethren history "source books," titled "The Brethren During the Age of World War: The Church of the Brethren Encounter with Modernization, 1914-1950 " by Stephen L. Longenecker. The hard-bound book may be ordered for $25.95 plus shipping and handling.

Longenecker, who is professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Bridgewater (Va.) College, addresses how the plain, rural, sectarian Brethren handled the challenges of the first half of the 20th century--including two world wars, the modern industrial economy, the Great Depression, the rise of popular culture, the changing role of women, increasing secularization, and growing individualism. "The Brethren During the Age of World War" uses documents, books from the period, articles, Annual Conference deliberations and decisions, interviews, letters, diaries, and the writer's own observations to show how Brethren rose to these challenges, absorbed them, or fought them.

Among the many people Longenecker credits with helping and influencing him is Durnbaugh, who wrote the first two source books, "European Origins of the Brethren" and "The Brethren in Colonial America." Roger Sappington wrote the other two books in the series, "The Brethren in the New Nation" and "The Brethren in Industrial America."

To place an order call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com (for "The Brethren During the Age of World War" go to www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/8755.html).

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

Lenten devotional for 2007 focuses on 'Growing Fruit.'

A Church of the Brethren daily devotional booklet for the season of Lent 2007 focuses on the theme, "Growing Fruit." The devotions by Rhonda Pittman Gingrich lead in a prayerful effort to tend and cultivate the seeds planted by the Holy Spirit, so that readers may grow and bear nourishing spiritual fruit.

Daily devotions are offered for Ash Wednesday through Easter, and include a scripture reading, short meditation, and prayer for each day.

The 2007 Lenten devotional booklet may be ordered from Brethren Press for $2 each, plus shipping and handling. Those who order by Dec. 15 will receive a special pre-publication price of $1.50 per copy, plus shipping and handling. Call 800-441-3712 or go to www.brethrenpress.com (find the devotional at www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/8585.html).

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

Pre-publication orders for 300th anniversary devotional are being taken.

Brethren Press is taking pre-publication orders for a daily devotional commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Brethren movement in 2008, to be titled "Fresh from the Word." Publication date is scheduled for July 1, 2007; the book will offer daily devotions from Jan.1 through Dec. 31, 2008.

The hardback book will feature 366 daily devotions written by members of all the Brethren bodies, including the Church of the Brethren, the Brethren Church, the Old Order German Baptist Brethren, and other Brethren groups. In addition to a short daily devotion, the book will offer a scripture reading and a prayer for each day of the year from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Devotions will not be linked to the day of the week in 2008, so the book also is suitable for repeated use in following years.

Regular price for the devotional will be $20, plus shipping and handling. Groups or congregations save 40 percent on orders of 10 or more copies before March 15, 2007, with pre-publication price of $12 per copy plus shipping and handling. Individuals who place orders before March 15 receive a pre-publication price of $15 per copy plus shipping and handling. A packet describing the prepublication special will be mailed to congregations in January.

Call Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 to place pre-publication orders of "Fresh from the Word."

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

Two Vacation Bible School programs on sale through Brethren Press.

Two Vacation Bible School programs may be ordered through Brethren Press for summer programs in 2007: "Be Bold! God Is with You" and "Great Bible Reef: Dive Deep into God's World."

"Be Bold! God Is with You" (published by Mennonite Publishing House, order starter kit from Brethren Press for $129.99 plus shipping and handling) focuses on God's call to be boldly faithful at all times, even when children are faced with fearful situations such as a family move, a natural disaster, or the need to stand up to a bully. The program tells stories from the Old and New Testaments--including the stories of Jeremiah, Ruth, Mary and Joseph, Peter, and Ananias who aided Paul after he was blinded by his encounter with the risen Christ. It also offers 10 interactive "Courage Connection" stations, challenging children ages 4 through grade 8 to put their trust in the steadfast God whose message is always the same, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you." Each day's worship time introduces a new Bible story through lively drama and singing. Bible memory, creative activities, and active learning combine to make this a bold, unforgettable VBS experience.

"Great Bible Reef: Dive Deep into God's World" (published by Augsburg Fortress, order starter kit from Brethren Press for $65.99 plus shipping and handling) enables children to experience Bible stories through an underwater adventure. The program is a combination of music, art, science, games, worship, and drama. Dive into the "Great Bible Reef" to have children "swimming with delight as they explore all of God's creation under the sea." The starter "aquatic pack" kit includes a variety of resources such as a preview DVD and song sampler, "Coral Crafts Guide," "Great Barrier Games Guide," "Reef Rhythm Guide," "Seawater Science Guide," "Deep Sea Storytelling Guide," "Reef Tunes Songbook," other fun activities, Bible books, age-group leaders guides, and director's guide.

Call 800-441-3712 to order starter kits and additional materials, or go to www.brethrenpress.com (find Vacation Bible School starter kits at www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/6177.html and www.brethrenpress.com/store/bpress/6254.html).

Source: 12/13/2006 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Wendy McFadden and Jeff Lennard contributed to this report.

NEWS

• United Church of Christ becomes cooperative user in Gather 'Round.
  
• Bethany Seminary board considers student profile, increases tuition.
  
• Committee envisions positive future for Brethren Service Center.
  
• Pastors complete Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership.
  
• Brethren lead devotions for National Council of Churches assembly.
  
• Committee celebrates Brethren archives’ 70th anniversary.
  
• AARM changes name, recognizes founding board members.
  
• Brethren bits: Job opening, Annual Conference logo, and more.

PERSONNEL

• Carol Bowman takes fulltime stewardship position with General Board.
  
• Steven Crain to serve as campus pastor at Manchester College.

FEATURE

• Haitian Brethren youth reflect on counter-recruitment conference.

NEWSLINE EXTRA

• Christmas Eve Service to air again on Hallmark Channel.

United Church of Christ becomes cooperative user in Gather 'Round.

On Nov. 3, the United Church of Christ (UCC) signed an agreement to become a cooperative user of "Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God’s Good News," the new Sunday school curriculum from Brethren Press and Mennonite Publishing Network. The UCC’s Local Church Ministries department entered into the agreement through the United Church Press.

A positive response to Gather ’Round has extended as well to seven other Christian groups. Denominations that are recommending the curriculum to their congregations include, for example, several other Mennonite groups, Friends United Meeting, the Cumberland Presbyterians, and the Moravians. Some of these groups were users of the earlier "Jubilee" curriculum, and others are coming on board after selecting Gather ’Round from among several options that were evaluated.

Individual congregations from a wide range of denominations are also finding Gather ’Round online at www.gatherround.org, where visitors have been able to learn more about the curriculum, take advantage of some of the training events offered during the introductory period, and order materials online.

"We're certainly gratified when our colleagues in other denominations think highly of our materials," said Wendy McFadden, publisher of Brethren Press. "We’ve worked hard to produce the best curriculum we can for our congregations, and it feels great to have other Christian educators and publishers evaluate Gather ’Round and say it’s the best for their congregations too."

The UCC is a US denomination in the Reformed, congregationalist, and evangelical traditions. With 1.26 million members, it is roughly ten times the size of the Church of the Brethren. "Their support strengthens the financial foundation of Gather ’Round," reported Anna Speicher, project director and editor of Gather ’Round.

The UCC does not currently produce any curriculum itself; instead the Local Church Ministries department selects a few curricula to market to UCC congregations, Speicher said. Several UCC readers reviewed sample Sunday school curricula and chose Gather ’Round as the curriculum that would best replace the Bible Quest curriculum, which will not be produced after the 2007-08 school year.

The UCC intends to market Gather ’Round modestly this year, Speicher said, with a "full rollout" for the fall of 2008. "The UCC is investing a significant amount of money in purchasing Gather ’Round resources for their education consultants, and likely for their resource centers," Speicher said.

Ken Ostermiller, minister for Curriculum Development for the UCC, invited Speicher to lead a workshop on Dec. 4 to equip 18 education consultants to lead regional training workshops on Gather ’Round. Those trained will then introduce Gather ’Round in UCC congregations. The consultants responded extremely positively during their introduction to the curriculum, Speicher said. "They were especially interested in the parent/caregiver guide and the at-home Talkabout. They also resonated with the peace and justice and discipleship orientation of the curriculum, they liked the worshipful elements of the sessions; that we are teaching children that worship is not just something they do sitting in an uncomfortable pew with their legs dangling, but is something that they can make their own."

Brethren and Mennonite congregations also have welcomed the launch of the curriculum this fall, expressing strong affirmation for new products that help connect church with home and for content that brings Christian education to the forefront of congregational life, reported Cynthia Linscheid of Mennonite Publishing Network. Two new products--the Talkabout, a quarterly take-home item designed to sit on each family's dining table, and "Connect," the parent/caregiver study guide--have received especially high praise.

Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren is one of the churches that are enthusiastic about the parent/caregiver class and has introduced the Talkabout to the entire congregation, placing extras on tables in the church building. "I'm also hearing marvelous things about the youth piece," said co-pastor Russ Matteson. Recalling a particular exercise about prayer, he noted that youth talked about it the following Sunday and said they had used the prayer exercise during the week. The church also has invited parents to participate in the preschool class, which has brought in some two-career couples who have not attended Sunday school because they do not want to be away from their children on the weekends.

Gather ’Round "is challenging kids to think in fresh ways about what it means to pray, what it means to be present with God--in ways that give them tools they can use throughout their lives," Matteson said.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Bethany Seminary board considers student profile, increases tuition.

The Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees gathered for its semi-annual meeting Oct. 27-29 at the school’s campus in Richmond, Ind. Main items of business included a report of statistics about the student body, an increase in tuition, and a new financial aid program to serve the student profile.The board’s Academic Affairs Committee reported that Bethany's full-time equivalency for the 2006-07 session one is 54.54, up from 46.81 in 2005-06. The committee noted that student statistical reports now include a comparison to the student profile benchmarks developed by the board. Other statistics about the seminary’s student body were shared by the Student and Business Affairs Committee: new students at Bethany include 10 Master of Divinity local students, 12 occasional students, and six Master of Divinity Connections students. The Connections students and six others who previously were admitted to that program comprise this year’s cohort.The board approved a recommendation from the Student and Business Affairs Committee to set tuition for the 2007-08 year at $325 per credit hour, a $29 increase. Bethany’s tuition continues to be below the average rate of comparable peer institutions. The board also authorized the administration to move forward in development of a new financial aid program that supports the student profile.

In other business, the board approved the 2005-06 audit; authorized the administration to continue exploration of a contractual relationship with Professional Staff Management, a professional employer organization based in Richmond that would manage insurance and human resource matters for the seminary; approved several updates to the seminary’s bylaws; and approved a recommendation to change the nomenclature of the Master of Arts in Theology degree (M.A.Th.) to Master of Arts (M.A.), which more closely conforms to the standards of accrediting bodies the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada, and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.At a dinner event, the board recognized with appreciation the service of Dena Pence Frantz as professor of Theology and director of the Master of Arts in Theology program. She has accepted an appointment as director of the Wabash (Ind.) Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, effective Jan. 1.

The board also welcomed new members Betty Ann Cherry of Huntingdon, Pa.; Jonathan Frye of McPherson, Kan.; Rex Miller of Milford, Ind.; and Rhonda Pittman Gingrich of Minneapolis, Minn.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Committee envisions positive future for Brethren Service Center.

The Brethren Service Center Ministry Options Exploration Committee held its second meeting Nov. 10-12 at the center in New Windsor, Md. "We want the church and the New Windsor community to know that we envision a continued and very positive future for the Brethren Service Center," said chair Dale Minnich. "Numerous specific recommendations are under study--and all of these will need to be considered by the General Board when the committee makes its final report."

The group is a committee of the General Board, assigned the task of assessing options for ministry at the Brethren Service Center. The committee worshiped together, met with General Board staff and executive directors of three partner agencies located at the center, processed more than 30 reports from earlier assignments to staff and committee members, and discussed the emerging direction of its work.

In particular, the committee met with Roy Winter, executive director of the Brethren Service Center and director of Emergency Response, and LeAnn Wine, director of financial operations for the General Board, throughout its process, and interviewed Bob Gross, co-executive director of On Earth Peace, which has its main offices at the center; Bob Chase, co-executive director of a Greater Gift/SERRV, which has warehouse facilities and a retail store at the center; and Paul Derstine, executive director of Interchurch Medical Assistance, which houses its main offices at the center.

Regarding the center’s future, the report of the meeting stated, "We believe that the Brethren Service Center should be continued, strengthened, and undergirded with new vision." Minnich outlined some reasons for this preliminary recommendation: the center’s mission--which revolves around mounting creative efforts to address human need--continues to be urgently relevant; its history as an incubator of visionary and effective ministries to meet human need, and as a focus for motivating people to develop their witness in areas of service and peacemaking, provides a "reservoir of passion" that is a valued asset to be nurtured and developed; its current ministries and ministry partners are particularly strong in lifting up the vision for meeting human need, providing volunteer opportunities, and challenging people to develop Christian discipleship.

The New Windsor Conference Center as a resource that provides hospitality to support the work of center partners and other groups has potential for a greater educational and motivational function to undergird response to human need, Minnich said. While Service Ministries and the conference center face some management challenges, the committee believes each of the four ministry areas of the General Board at the Brethren Service Center (Service Ministries, Emergency Response, lease partnerships with other agencies, and the New Windsor Conference Center) can be financially viable for the foreseeable future, he said.

The committee plans to meet again Feb. 23-25 to work on more specific recommendations. Members are David R. Miller of Dayton, Va.; Dale Minnich of Moundridge, Kan.; Fran Nyce of Westminster, Md.; Dale Roth of State College, Pa.; Jim Stokes-Buckles of New York, N.Y.; Kim Stuckey Hissong of Westminster, Md.; and Jack Tevis of Westminster, Md.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Pastors complete Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership.

Nine Church of the Brethren pastors who recently completed the Advanced Foundations of Church Leadership process were honored at a banquet in Hagerstown, Ind., on Nov. 17. To celebrate their accomplishment, spouses, friends, congregational representatives, and staff gathered from around the country.

Pastors recognized for completing the program are Eric Anspaugh, Glenn Bollinger, Michael Clark, John Holderread, Bruce Huffman, Peter Kaltenbaugh, David L. Miller, Timothy Peter, Deb Peterson, and Sheila Shumaker.

The Advanced Foundations process, which is offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, began in January 2005 and included eight four-day retreats over two years. At the retreats, the pastors engaged a wide range of leadership literature and paradigms, shared in prayer and worship, responded to assessment tools, worked with case studies, and participated in a collegial environment of learning and support. Instructors included a variety of seminary and denominational leaders.

Advanced Foundations is one of two program tracks of the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative of the Brethren Academy. The current group of pastors to complete Advanced Foundations was the second of three such "cohort groups" funded through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. A third group, currently being formed, will begin work in January.

The Brethren Academy is a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary, and can be reached at academy@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1824.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Brethren lead devotions for National Council of Churches assembly.

At the National Council of Churches (NCC) General Assembly in Orlando, Fla., from Nov. 7-9, the Church of the Brethren was represented by elected representatives Nelda Rhodes Clarke Nelda Rhoades Clark, Jennie Ramirez, and Marianne Miller Speicher, and by the general secretary of the General Board Stanley Noffsinger and director of identity Becky Ullom. The theme, "For the Healing of the Nations" was based on Rev. 22:1-2, encouraging the 35 member communions to reclaim the Christian call to be reconcilers.

This year, Brethren representatives had a unique opportunity to share Church of the Brethren theology and tradition by presenting morning devotions to the assembly. "Conference planners requested leadership from the Church of the Brethren due to our special niche in the council as a Historic Peace Church," Ullom reported.

The Brethren morning devotions included a call to worship, two hymns, the reading of scripture, and prayer; the message was a specially created video piece that highlighted the pain of the world as well as some of the ways the Church of the Brethren responds to that pain. The five Brethren present each participated in the service, as did Brethren Academy director Jonathan Shively, who filled the role of chorister. (For a free copy of the video, "How Do We Respond?" contact Becky Ullom at 800-323-8039 ext. 212.)

In business sessions, the General Assembly affirmed a pastoral message calling for "an immediate phased withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Iraq.... As men and women of faith, we believe that freedom, along with genuine security, is based in God, and is served by the recognition of humanity’s interdependence, and by working with partners to bring about community, development, and reconciliation for all, and that such freedom and security is not served by this war in Iraq," said the message.

Of the nearly 250 delegates voting, two abstentions and one "no" vote were heard--cast by representatives of the Brethren and Friends (Quakers) who felt some of the language and ideas in the pastoral message were not in accordance with a peace stance, Ullom said. The pastoral message will be sent to the Bush administration and members of Congress, and also is addressed to people of faith and all people of goodwill.

Delegates also adopted a new policy on human biotechnologies entitled, "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" (www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/BioTechPolicy.pdf). The policy proclaimed the sanctity of all human life as God’s creation and condemned human reproductive cloning. It also acknowledged that differences exist among the 35 different member communions regarding stem cell research.

Delegates unanimously passed two resolutions based on the biotechnologies policy. One called for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning. A second called for more oversight of government and private sector laboratories developing bio-warfare weapons.

In other business, a statement on the election acknowledged the NCC’s "strong support for raising the minimum wage" and expressed a "real sense of joy and thanksgiving" at the six states voting to help raise workers out of poverty "acknowledging that such public policy is good for business as well as workers"; and a resolution to protect God's creation was passed. "Global warming threatens the very fabric of God’s creation and will hit those who are least able to adapt--both human and nonhuman--the hardest," it said in part. It called on "all Christians, people of faith and people of good will the world over to...individually and in community, quickly reduce...their green house gas emissions."

Additionally, the daily schedule included Bible study, worship, and presentations by a number of renowned theologians, clergy, and lay people. For more information about the assembly, including resources, policy documents, and pictures, visit www.ncccusa.org.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Committee celebrates Brethren archives’ 70th anniversary.

Opening with a special recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives (BHLA), the Brethren Historical Committee met at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., on Nov 3-4. The archives is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board and began in 1936, when the books and files of J.H. Moore were donated to the General Mission Board.

Responsibilities of the committee include encouraging Brethren historical research and publication, promoting the preservation of Brethren historical records, and advising BHLA.

The agenda for the meeting included microfilming of Brethren periodicals and full minutes of Annual Meeting, transfer of 16-mm film files to video in DVD format, addition of new space and equipment for BHLA, revision of a pamphlet for local church historians, plans for an insight session at the 2007 Annual Conference, and a review of the 2007 BHLA budget.

Wendy McFadden, executive director of Brethren Press, presented a report on the activities of Brethren Press. Special attention was given to the publication of "The Brethren During the Age of World War" by Stephen L. Longenecker. Publication of the book had been recommended by the committee.

Committee members elected Jane Davis to serve as chair beginning in July 2007. Current members are William Kostlevy (chair), Jane Davis, Marlin Heckman, and Kenneth Kreider. Kenneth Shaffer is director of the BHLA.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

AARM changes name, recognizes founding board members.

At the annual meeting of the Association of Anabaptist Risk Management (AARM) on Oct. 30 at Landis Homes Retirement Community in Lititz, Pa., founding board members Edgar Stoesz and Henry Rosenberger concluded their service with AARM.

Stoesz and Rosenberger helped establish the organization in 1993, which has specialized in providing insurance programs and services to nonprofit Anabaptist organizations. The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) is a member.

"We had hoped to make it to the Promised Land," said Stoesz, referring to hopes that the agency would one day become its own insurance company. "But, like Moses, we will just have to peer in from the other side and let you, the new board members carry us home."

Because of AARM’s relationship to the Peace Church Risk Retention Group, the board decided to change the name of the organization to AARM--Insurance Services for Peace Church Organizations. In 2003 AARM became third-party administrator of a national risk retention group, the Peace Church Risk Retention Group. The group is a member-owned group of Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, and Friends retirement facilities providing liability insurance for its members. The change was made because the organization now not only serves the Anabaptist communities but also Friends, or Quaker, communities as well.

New members elected to the board are Edith Yoder, executive director of Bridge of Hope National, Exton, Pa.; Vernon King, CEO of the Brethren Home Community, New Oxford, Pa.; Brenda Reish, CFO of Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Ind.; Keith Stuckey, president of Anabaptist Providers Group, Lititz, Pa., elected chair; Neil Holzman, CEO of Friends Services for the Aging, Blue Bell, Pa., elected vice-chair; Kathy Reid, executive director of ABC, elected secretary; and Larry Miller, CEO of Mennonite Financial, Lancaster, Pa., continuing as treasurer.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Brethren bits: Job opening, Annual Conference logo, and more.

• Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks a three-quarter time Palestine Project Support Coordinator to support teams working in Hebron and At-Tuwani. Preferred location is the CPT Toronto office or Chicago office, but other sites will be considered. Compensation is a subsistence stipend based on need. Appointment is for an initial period of three years. Needed qualities, experience, and skills include grounding in the Christian faith, commitment to a Christian understanding of peacemaking, experience as a peacemaker or willingness to participate in nonviolent direct action and work in settings of lethal conflict, experience in Israel/Palestine, English fluency with some Arabic and Hebrew proficiency desired, administrative and communication skills, experience in and commitment to dismantling racism and other oppressions, abilities as a team member, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, among other qualifications. Persons of color are encouraged to apply. Expressions of interest will be accepted until Dec. 20. Contact Doug Pritchard at guest.242987@MennoLink.org or 416-423-5525. For more go to www.cpt.org.
  
  
• A logo on the theme, "Proclaim the Power of God," has been chosen for the 2007 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, next July. It was created by Becky Goldstein of Boise, Idaho. An interpretation statement in English and Spanish will be available soon.
  
  
• In a reminder from finance staff of the Church of the Brethren General Board, year-end donations to denominational agencies (Association of Brethren Caregivers, Bethany Theological Seminary, the Church of the Brethren General Board, and On Earth Peace) must be dated and postmarked by Dec. 30 in order to be counted as a 2006 charitable gift for tax purposes.
  
  
• Church of the Brethren congregations that have a health and well-being program, or are planning such a program, are requested to send the story of the program to the denomination’s Wellness Ministry. "Have you taken the ‘Lighten Up Brethren!’ initiative to heart? Are you planning on a healthy lifestyle focus in your congregation for 2007? Has a Lafiya or parish nurse program been part of your ministry for years? Inquiring minds want to know!" said an invitation for stories from Mary Lou Garrison, director of the Wellness Ministry on behalf of the Association of Brethren Caregivers, Brethren Benefit Trust, and the General Board. Write, call, or send an e-mail to Mary Lou Garrison, Director of Wellness Ministry, Association of Brethren Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039; mgarrison_abc@brethren.org.
  
  
• High school freshman Caitlyn Leiter-Mason is a planner for Dec. 10 "Darfur Awareness Day (D.A.D.)" at Glade Valley Church of the Brethren. From 2-4:30 p.m. the church will be open for people to receive information about the situation in Darfur, Sudan, and to buy fair trade gifts from the area surrounding Sudan marketed through a Greater Gift/SERRV. At 5 p.m., dinner will be followed by a presentation by Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board. The church will collect donations for the work of Church World Service in Darfur. For more information contact dad@gladevalleybrethren.org.
  
  
• The McPherson (Kan.) College Choir and College Singers present a Christmas Vespers Concert on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m. at McPherson Church of the Brethren. The theme is "Christmas, Past and Present," and the concert will include a candlelight procession, Christmas music, and several carols. The choir is directed by Steven Gustafson.
  
  
• "Building on Faith: Making Poverty Housing History," a documentary tackling the issue of affordable housing, will be offered to television stations affiliated with NBC-TV beginning Dec. 10. The hour-long program presented by the National Council of Churches (NCC) in partnership with Mennonite Media and the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission, looks at how providing a safe and secure home is a basic necessity for building a just and functional society. Those who appear in the documentary include the CEO of Habitat for Humanity International Jonathan Reckford, former vice-presidential candidates John Edwards and Jack Kemp, and Jim Wallis of Sojourners/Call to Renewal. Viewers are encouraged to contact their local NBC affiliate to request that the special be aired.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Carol Bowman takes fulltime stewardship position with General Board.

Carol Bowman has accepted the fulltime position of coordinator of stewardship formation and education within the Funding Team of the Church of the Brethren General Board, beginning Jan. 1, 2007.

Bowman began working with the General Board in 1998 as a half-time member of the Congregational Life Team in Area 5. Later that year, she assumed an additional half-time position as a financial resource counselor. More recently, she has been directing additional time to the work of stewardship formation in congregations.

In her newly combined role, Bowman plans to continue and expand work to assist congregations, districts, and individuals with formation of faithful understandings and practices of whole-life stewardship.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Steven Crain to serve as campus pastor at Manchester College.

Steven Crain will serve as campus pastor at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., beginning July 1, 2007. Associate campus chaplain Sonia Smith will serve as interim campus pastor Jan. 1 through July 1.

Crain will join the Manchester staff after completing his work as philosophy faculty member at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. He also has taught at the University of Notre Dame, Valparaiso University, University of St. Francis, Washington University, and Canterbury High School in Fort Wayne. He holds degrees from Stanford University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the University of Notre Dame, and has trained for ministry in the Episcopal Church.

He is a member of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he serves on the worship team, and has served as a Northern Indiana District Conference delegate. He is currently seeking ordination in Northern Indiana District.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Haitian Brethren youth reflect on counter-recruitment conference.

By Matt Guynn

Three veterans, with experience ranging from the Vietnam era through 2004 in Iraq, had just finished sharing their experiences as part of a panel at the conference, "Counter-Recruitment: Countering Military Recruitment with Gospel Nonviolence," Nov. 3-5 in San Antonio, Texas.

Michelet Hyppolite, past president of the youth group at First Haitian Church of the Brethren in Brooklyn, N.Y., stood up in the full sanctuary of San Antonio Mennonite Church and asked his youth to stand up out of the crowd: "Sadie! David! Miolson! Josue! Stephen! Janesse!..." A group of eight or ten youth stood.

He pointed to them and asked the veterans, "What advice can you give these young people who came with me? Military recruiters are all over them. What do you want to make sure they know?"

The veterans responded that it was important that the youth learn from the experience of their elders and those who had gone before them, that they did not need to learn for themselves that war is a tragedy and leaves lifelong scars. They shared that as Christians it is important to be shaped by the gospel, not by the culture of violence. And they shared that there are real alternatives for education and job training; even if you have to look for them, it merits the effort.

Reflecting later, group member Sadie Hyppolite said, "I experienced God through the words of Conrad and the other veterans when they spoke of how they came to realize that war is not the answer. My faith was impacted in that I realized that you can truly do all things through Christ."

Hyppolite and the youth who stood with him were part of a 16-member delegation from Brooklyn brought by On Earth Peace. In June, pastor Verel Montauban of First Haitian wrote to me, sharing that military recruitment was strong in the high schools, colleges, and local communities in New York. He wanted to find out how to get his youth group and community members active in response. In September, I visited Haitian First to meet with members of the youth group. There was so much interest in the issue of military recruitment that On Earth Peace offered to underwrite the cost of travel to the Texas conference so a major delegation from Brooklyn could attend.

What comes next? Next comes the Haitian congregation’s own discernment about how to proceed in the Brooklyn context. On Earth Peace will work with the youth group and other congregational leaders to find and promote positive nonmilitary options for the future.

Here are some more reflections from the Haitian First delegates:

"The people who came to share their stories, I believe were sent by God. They served as living experiences and models to us as a young generation to know that our choices do have consequences," said Leunz Cadely.

"My commitment: That war is not an option. I intend to start a group and march into schools and help other teens make the right decision about joining the military," said Sandra Beauvior.

"I experienced God in learning that my body is a temple and not to be used in war. I found a commitment to peace, to speak to youth in schools and on the streets, spreading the word," said David Hyppolite.

--Matt Guynn is coordinator of peace witness for On Earth Peace.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Newsline Extra: Christmas Eve Service to air again on Hallmark Channel

A Church of the Brethren Christmas Eve service is scheduled to air again nationally on the Hallmark Channel, at 7 a.m. (eastern and pacific time) on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2006. "Enter the Light of Life" originally aired on CBS on Dec. 24, 2004.

The service was filmed at Nicarry Chapel at Bethany Theological Seminary featuring preacher Christopher Bowman, pastor of Oakton Church of the Brethren in Vienna, Va. Music was coordinated by Shawn Kirchner, minister of music at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, with soloists Kim Simmons and Ryan Harrison, the Juniata College Concert Choir from Huntingdon, Pa., a children's ensemble from Church of the Brethren congregations in Indiana, and instrumentalists and readers from across the denomination.

"Enter the Light of Life" focuses on the Luke 2 account of the birth of Jesus, and includes scripture, hymns, a sermon, and a variety of classic Christmas music and contemporary pieces. The music includes traditional instruments, but also banjo, saxophone, and steel drum. Woven into the service are themes of peace, justice, simplicity, and welcome.

The broadcast is presented on the Hallmark Channel by Faith and Values Media, a membership association of faith communicators including the Church of the Brethren.

Contact Brethren Press at 800-441-3712 to order a DVD/video of the service or a music CD. The video includes a "behind-the-scenes" documentary by Brethren videographer David Sollenberger and may be ordered for $14.95 (DVD) or $19.95 (VHS) plus shipping and handling, in English or dubbed in Spanish. The music CD may be ordered for $14.95 plus shipping and handling, and includes 11 tracks such as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" with a handbells solo, and Kirchner's arrangements of "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" and "Away in a Manger."

For more about the Christmas Eve service go to www.brethren.org/genbd/Christmas.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Mary Dulabaum, Jody Gunn, Phil Jones, Linda Kjeldgaard, Nancy Knepper, Jon Kobel, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin Krog, Wendy McFadden, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.