- Annual Conference ballot for 2008 is announced.
- Church of the Brethren sends delegation to North Korea.
- BVS worker helps Guatemalan school raise funds.
- Brethren funds send money to N. Korea, Darfur, Katrina rebuilding.
- Brethren Volunteer Service unit completes orientation.
- Brethren bits: Remembrances, personnel, job openings, much more.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
NEWS
Annual Conference ballot for 2008 is announced.
The ballot has been announced for the 2008 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, to be held July 12-16 in Richmond, Va. The Nominating Committee of Standing Committee--a committee of the representatives of Church of the Brethren districts--developed a slate of candidates, and Standing Committee then voted to create the ballot that will be presented. Nominees are listed by position:
Annual Conference Moderator-Elect:
representing clergy:
The ballot has been announced for the 2008 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, to be held July 12-16 in Richmond, Va. The Nominating Committee of Standing Committee--a committee of the representatives of Church of the Brethren districts--developed a slate of candidates, and Standing Committee then voted to create the ballot that will be presented. Nominees are listed by position:
Annual Conference Moderator-Elect:
- Shawn Flory Replogle of McPherson, Kan.;
- Beth Sollenberger-Morphew of Goshen, Ind.
- Linda Fry of Mansfield, Ohio;
- Diane (Newcomer) Mason of Moulton, Iowa.
- Shirley Bowman Jamison of Calloway, Va.;
- Linda Sanders of Oakland, Md.
- Paul W. Roth of Broadway, Va.;
- Melissa Troyer of Middlebury, Ind.
- Bernard A. Fuska of Timberville, Va.;
- John D. Kinsel of Beavercreek, Ohio;
- Tammy Kiser of Dayton, Va.;
- Christopher J. Whitacre of McPherson, Kan.
representing clergy:
- Nathan D. Polzin of Saginaw, Mich.;
- Karen Walters of Tempe, Ariz.
- Founa Inola Augustin of Miami, Fla.;
- Raymond M. Donadio Jr. of Greenville, Ohio.
- John A. Braun of Wenatchee, Wash.;
- Jack H. Grim of East Berlin, Pa.
- Jordan Blevins of Gaithersburg, Md.;
- Vickie Whitacre Samland of Edgewater, Colo.
Church of the Brethren sends delegation to North Korea.
To help North Koreans boost agricultural production and equip their country to avert periodic famine, the Church of the Brethren entered into partnership with a cluster of farm cooperatives in 2004. In the intervening years the productivity of the farms has virtually doubled.
Through grants from its Global Food Crisis Fund, the Church of the Brethren assists small-scale farmers in poor countries around the world to strengthen food security by launching sustainable agricultural programs. The four farm cooperatives in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea have become an annual grant recipient, farms that were designated by their government for rehabilitation in order to feed and house their residents--15,000 people.
Located two hours south of Pyongyang, the capital city, the farm operations caught the attention of North Korea leader Kim Jong Il, who this past December visited one of the communities and publicly commended its use of advanced farming techniques. He promised to make a return visit to the community this fall.
Kim Jong Il's government has established state quotas that give priority to the growing of cotton, a crop that has been introduced with some success on the four farms. Other key produce on the farms are rice, corn, wheat, barley, fruit, and vegetables. The farms have led the way in introducing improved varieties of produce and demonstrating double-cropping and the interplanting of crops.
In a country where 80 percent of the terrain is mountainous, and where fuel and fertilizer are in dire supply, advances in agriculture are hard to come by. Drought and floods periodically take their toll. Last August several days of torrential rain reduced by 60 percent what showed promise of being a record yield.
In an act yet rarely extended to people from the United States, a delegation from the Church of the Brethren was invited to visit the four farm enterprises and to tour cultural landmarks in the DPRK. The first to visit was Bev Abma, director of programing for the Foods Resource Bank, in mid-December. The rest of the delegation--Timothy McElwee of the peace studies program of Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind.; Young Son Min, pastor of Grace Christian Church, Hatfield, Pa., a congregation of the Atlantic Northeast District; and Howard Royer, Elgin, Ill., manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund of the Church of the Brethren General Board--were guests for seven days in January. Two other North Americans joined the January contingent, mission administrators from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod: Carl Hanson, based in Hong Kong, and Patrick O'Neal, working from Seoul, South Korea.
Pilju Kim Joo, president of Agglobe Services International, and Kim Myong Su, vice president of Korea Unpasan General Trading Corporation, hosted the delegation. Agglobe is the instrument through which the Global Food Crisis Fund has channeled over $800,000 in relief and development grants to North Korea since 1996. Unpasan is a North Korea trading company with whom Agglobe has entered into a joint venture for managing the four farm programs.
Beyond cooperation in agriculture, Brethren delegation members were intent on reconciliation, taking whatever steps appropriate to help ease 60 years of estrangement between the US and North Korea. They found common cause in a Sunday morning worship service with the Chilgol Christian Church, one of two Protestant churches in Pyongyang. The minister preached on 2 Corinthians 5, the call for believers in Christ to be ambassadors of reconciliation. The music underscored the call. One personal salvation hymn with the refrain "Do not pass me by" spoke poignantly when cast in the context of North Korea's place in the global Christian community. A choral anthem, "Bringing in the Sheaves," sung with gusto by the church choir, was a reminder of our interaction under way. In sum, the service belied the sentiment that North Koreans are insular and indifferent to outsiders.
A vexing question for a delegation from a peace church is what message can we share with a garrison state that has long regarded the military as its foremost institution. Clearly a beginning is to listen and learn, and to cultivate relationships. Further, the Church of the Brethren has earned credibility and leverage within the DPRK that it is challenged to exercise well. One of our aspirations is to broaden the Christian witness by encouraging other church bodies and agencies--the Foods Resource Bank, sister denominations, ecumenical agencies, Korean-American groups--to seek out opportunities of becoming engaged with North Koreans.
In one realm, food security, donations of greenhouse technology, irrigation and wells, seed supplies, fertilizer, chemical inputs, and livestock will indeed help North Koreans turn around stagnant levels of agricultural production.
On a broader scale, a paramount need is for the world and for Americans in particular to gain a deeper understanding of what University of Chicago scholar Bruce Cummings calls the "otherness" of North Koreans. That is, to seek to understand the foundation of the national pride and cultural distinctions that North Koreans treasure. To grasp why they hold their late former leader, Kim Il Sung, in such reverence, bestowing upon him not only the mandate of heaven but the sense of an ever-living presence; to put in context why they have long been so distrustful of foreign intervention; to affirm their yearning for Koreans, north and south, to be united as one family.
At this juncture it appears the US and North Korea may be on the path to a new diplomacy that could put aside decades of antagonism. A lot of what North Korea is about today revolves around "three Rs"-- rehabilitation, reconciliation, and reunification. Pray that the Christian movement be attentive to and respectful of a North Korea that both resists and pursues change.
--Howard Royer is manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
To help North Koreans boost agricultural production and equip their country to avert periodic famine, the Church of the Brethren entered into partnership with a cluster of farm cooperatives in 2004. In the intervening years the productivity of the farms has virtually doubled.
Through grants from its Global Food Crisis Fund, the Church of the Brethren assists small-scale farmers in poor countries around the world to strengthen food security by launching sustainable agricultural programs. The four farm cooperatives in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea have become an annual grant recipient, farms that were designated by their government for rehabilitation in order to feed and house their residents--15,000 people.
Located two hours south of Pyongyang, the capital city, the farm operations caught the attention of North Korea leader Kim Jong Il, who this past December visited one of the communities and publicly commended its use of advanced farming techniques. He promised to make a return visit to the community this fall.
Kim Jong Il's government has established state quotas that give priority to the growing of cotton, a crop that has been introduced with some success on the four farms. Other key produce on the farms are rice, corn, wheat, barley, fruit, and vegetables. The farms have led the way in introducing improved varieties of produce and demonstrating double-cropping and the interplanting of crops.
In a country where 80 percent of the terrain is mountainous, and where fuel and fertilizer are in dire supply, advances in agriculture are hard to come by. Drought and floods periodically take their toll. Last August several days of torrential rain reduced by 60 percent what showed promise of being a record yield.
In an act yet rarely extended to people from the United States, a delegation from the Church of the Brethren was invited to visit the four farm enterprises and to tour cultural landmarks in the DPRK. The first to visit was Bev Abma, director of programing for the Foods Resource Bank, in mid-December. The rest of the delegation--Timothy McElwee of the peace studies program of Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind.; Young Son Min, pastor of Grace Christian Church, Hatfield, Pa., a congregation of the Atlantic Northeast District; and Howard Royer, Elgin, Ill., manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund of the Church of the Brethren General Board--were guests for seven days in January. Two other North Americans joined the January contingent, mission administrators from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod: Carl Hanson, based in Hong Kong, and Patrick O'Neal, working from Seoul, South Korea.
Pilju Kim Joo, president of Agglobe Services International, and Kim Myong Su, vice president of Korea Unpasan General Trading Corporation, hosted the delegation. Agglobe is the instrument through which the Global Food Crisis Fund has channeled over $800,000 in relief and development grants to North Korea since 1996. Unpasan is a North Korea trading company with whom Agglobe has entered into a joint venture for managing the four farm programs.
Beyond cooperation in agriculture, Brethren delegation members were intent on reconciliation, taking whatever steps appropriate to help ease 60 years of estrangement between the US and North Korea. They found common cause in a Sunday morning worship service with the Chilgol Christian Church, one of two Protestant churches in Pyongyang. The minister preached on 2 Corinthians 5, the call for believers in Christ to be ambassadors of reconciliation. The music underscored the call. One personal salvation hymn with the refrain "Do not pass me by" spoke poignantly when cast in the context of North Korea's place in the global Christian community. A choral anthem, "Bringing in the Sheaves," sung with gusto by the church choir, was a reminder of our interaction under way. In sum, the service belied the sentiment that North Koreans are insular and indifferent to outsiders.
A vexing question for a delegation from a peace church is what message can we share with a garrison state that has long regarded the military as its foremost institution. Clearly a beginning is to listen and learn, and to cultivate relationships. Further, the Church of the Brethren has earned credibility and leverage within the DPRK that it is challenged to exercise well. One of our aspirations is to broaden the Christian witness by encouraging other church bodies and agencies--the Foods Resource Bank, sister denominations, ecumenical agencies, Korean-American groups--to seek out opportunities of becoming engaged with North Koreans.
In one realm, food security, donations of greenhouse technology, irrigation and wells, seed supplies, fertilizer, chemical inputs, and livestock will indeed help North Koreans turn around stagnant levels of agricultural production.
On a broader scale, a paramount need is for the world and for Americans in particular to gain a deeper understanding of what University of Chicago scholar Bruce Cummings calls the "otherness" of North Koreans. That is, to seek to understand the foundation of the national pride and cultural distinctions that North Koreans treasure. To grasp why they hold their late former leader, Kim Il Sung, in such reverence, bestowing upon him not only the mandate of heaven but the sense of an ever-living presence; to put in context why they have long been so distrustful of foreign intervention; to affirm their yearning for Koreans, north and south, to be united as one family.
At this juncture it appears the US and North Korea may be on the path to a new diplomacy that could put aside decades of antagonism. A lot of what North Korea is about today revolves around "three Rs"-- rehabilitation, reconciliation, and reunification. Pray that the Christian movement be attentive to and respectful of a North Korea that both resists and pursues change.
--Howard Royer is manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund for the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
BVS worker helps Guatemalan school raise funds.
Results are in from a three-week US educational/fundraising tour on behalf of Miguel Angel Asturias Academy in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, that included a stop on Dec. 5, 2007, at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Brethren Volunteer Service worker Ryan Richards, who serves as development and office manager at Miguel Angel Asturias Academy, accompanied and translated for the tour by Jorge Chojólan, founder of the nonprofit school.
Richards volunteers at the school on behalf of the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board. He reported that the tour and annual appeal raised sufficient funds to cover the academy's operating budget for the 2008 school year and build a new computer lab.
Chojólan spoke at events on the tour, sharing his vision for education in Guatemala. Beginning on Nov. 27, the two gave 30 presentations in 12 cities across the United States, to interested audiences in as far flung places as Washington State and Washington, D.C.
"The academy, serving some of the country's most marginalized children, offers a model for reforming Guatemala's educational system," Richards explained. "Only eight out of ten Guatemalan children enter elementary school, and all but three drop out before the end of sixth grade. Poor families can send their children to the academy thanks to scholarships and a subsidized general tuition. The school combines strong academic fundamentals with training in leadership and human rights issues."
Tom Benevento, Latin American/Caribbean specialist for the General Board, has recommended the academy as a General Board mission site. He praised Richards' placement as a good fit for the project. "Ryan's work has been to develop a reliable and growing stream of resources for the project, thus bringing the academy closer to its goal of replicating similar schools in other communities in Guatemala. He has developed the academy's fundraising infrastructure, including planning the tour, and has also built a sustainable volunteer structure," he said. Richards holds a bachelor of arts degree in international development from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., and was part of the fall 2007 orientation unit of Brethren Volunteer Service.
Benevento added, "The academy is a school that matches Church of the Brethren concerns and values of respect, education for youth from situations of poverty, and educating to create a more just and loving world."
--Janis Pyle is coordinator of mission connections for the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Results are in from a three-week US educational/fundraising tour on behalf of Miguel Angel Asturias Academy in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, that included a stop on Dec. 5, 2007, at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Brethren Volunteer Service worker Ryan Richards, who serves as development and office manager at Miguel Angel Asturias Academy, accompanied and translated for the tour by Jorge Chojólan, founder of the nonprofit school.
Richards volunteers at the school on behalf of the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board. He reported that the tour and annual appeal raised sufficient funds to cover the academy's operating budget for the 2008 school year and build a new computer lab.
Chojólan spoke at events on the tour, sharing his vision for education in Guatemala. Beginning on Nov. 27, the two gave 30 presentations in 12 cities across the United States, to interested audiences in as far flung places as Washington State and Washington, D.C.
"The academy, serving some of the country's most marginalized children, offers a model for reforming Guatemala's educational system," Richards explained. "Only eight out of ten Guatemalan children enter elementary school, and all but three drop out before the end of sixth grade. Poor families can send their children to the academy thanks to scholarships and a subsidized general tuition. The school combines strong academic fundamentals with training in leadership and human rights issues."
Tom Benevento, Latin American/Caribbean specialist for the General Board, has recommended the academy as a General Board mission site. He praised Richards' placement as a good fit for the project. "Ryan's work has been to develop a reliable and growing stream of resources for the project, thus bringing the academy closer to its goal of replicating similar schools in other communities in Guatemala. He has developed the academy's fundraising infrastructure, including planning the tour, and has also built a sustainable volunteer structure," he said. Richards holds a bachelor of arts degree in international development from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., and was part of the fall 2007 orientation unit of Brethren Volunteer Service.
Benevento added, "The academy is a school that matches Church of the Brethren concerns and values of respect, education for youth from situations of poverty, and educating to create a more just and loving world."
--Janis Pyle is coordinator of mission connections for the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Brethren funds send money to N. Korea, Darfur, Katrina rebuilding.
Grants totaling $155,000 have been given by two funds of the Church of the Brethren: the Global Food Crisis Fund, and the Emergency Disaster Fund. The grants provide support for hunger relief and disaster response in North Korea, the Darfur region of Sudan, and the Gulf coast of the US as it rebuilds following Hurricane Katrina.
An allocation of $50,000 has been made from the Global Food Crisis Fund for four farm cooperatives in North Korea. This is the fifth year of supporting Agglobe International, which oversees the work. The grant will help purchase seed, plastic sheeting, and fertilizer, and cover operating costs for all four farms in the program.
A grant of $35,000 has been made from the Global Food Crisis Fund for a Darfur emergency relief operation, in response to a multiple organization appeal to assist displaced Sudanese. The money will support the planting of trees, monitoring ground water use, expansion of sanitary facilities, and training indigenous leadership.
The Emergency Disaster Fund has made an additional allocation of $35,000 for the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries at its Hurricane Katrina Rebuilding Site 2 in Pearl River, La., and an additional allocation of $35,000 for the Hurricane Katrina Rebuilding Site 4 in Chalmette, La. The grant continue support for these two project sites and will feed, house, transport, and support Brethren volunteers, as well as provide tools and materials, leadership training, and some building supplies.
In other news, Brethren Disaster Ministries reported an increase of volunteers in 2007. "Thanks so much for all your hard work," coordinator Jane Yount wrote in an e-mail to volunteers. "Our volunteer numbers increased 22 percent in 2007, and hours served increased 35 percent!"
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Grants totaling $155,000 have been given by two funds of the Church of the Brethren: the Global Food Crisis Fund, and the Emergency Disaster Fund. The grants provide support for hunger relief and disaster response in North Korea, the Darfur region of Sudan, and the Gulf coast of the US as it rebuilds following Hurricane Katrina.
An allocation of $50,000 has been made from the Global Food Crisis Fund for four farm cooperatives in North Korea. This is the fifth year of supporting Agglobe International, which oversees the work. The grant will help purchase seed, plastic sheeting, and fertilizer, and cover operating costs for all four farms in the program.
A grant of $35,000 has been made from the Global Food Crisis Fund for a Darfur emergency relief operation, in response to a multiple organization appeal to assist displaced Sudanese. The money will support the planting of trees, monitoring ground water use, expansion of sanitary facilities, and training indigenous leadership.
The Emergency Disaster Fund has made an additional allocation of $35,000 for the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries at its Hurricane Katrina Rebuilding Site 2 in Pearl River, La., and an additional allocation of $35,000 for the Hurricane Katrina Rebuilding Site 4 in Chalmette, La. The grant continue support for these two project sites and will feed, house, transport, and support Brethren volunteers, as well as provide tools and materials, leadership training, and some building supplies.
In other news, Brethren Disaster Ministries reported an increase of volunteers in 2007. "Thanks so much for all your hard work," coordinator Jane Yount wrote in an e-mail to volunteers. "Our volunteer numbers increased 22 percent in 2007, and hours served increased 35 percent!"
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service unit completes orientation.
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 278 completed orientation Jan. 27-Feb. 15. The nine volunteers, home congregations or home towns, and placements follow:
Elizabeth Barnes of Sioux City, Iowa, is serving at Casa de Esperanza do los Ninos in Houston, Texas; Brandon Bohrer of Brook Park (Ohio) Church of the Brethren has gone to the San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker; Lauren Farrell of Rochester, N.Y., is working with Quaker Cottage in Belfast, N. Ireland; Heidrun Herrenbrueck of Bielefeld, Germany, is working at Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass.; Dennis Kottmann of Lage, Germany, is at the Tri-City Homeless Coalition in Fremont, Calif.; Jim Leyva of York Center Church of the Brethren inLombard, Ill., is working for Lancaster (Pa.) Area Habitat for Humanity; Rita Schuele of Buchen, Germany, is serving at Bridgeway Home for Pregnant Teens in Lakewood, Colo.; Julia Seese of Delphi, Ind., also is going to Bridgeway Home for Pregnant Teens; and Jutta von Dahl of Bell, Germany, is serving with the Brethren Nutrition Program in Washington, D.C.
"As always your prayer support is greatly appreciated. Please think of the unit and the people they will touch during their year of service," said Beth Merrill of the BVS office. For more information contact the office at 800-323-8039 or visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Unit 278 completed orientation Jan. 27-Feb. 15. The nine volunteers, home congregations or home towns, and placements follow:
Elizabeth Barnes of Sioux City, Iowa, is serving at Casa de Esperanza do los Ninos in Houston, Texas; Brandon Bohrer of Brook Park (Ohio) Church of the Brethren has gone to the San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker; Lauren Farrell of Rochester, N.Y., is working with Quaker Cottage in Belfast, N. Ireland; Heidrun Herrenbrueck of Bielefeld, Germany, is working at Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass.; Dennis Kottmann of Lage, Germany, is at the Tri-City Homeless Coalition in Fremont, Calif.; Jim Leyva of York Center Church of the Brethren inLombard, Ill., is working for Lancaster (Pa.) Area Habitat for Humanity; Rita Schuele of Buchen, Germany, is serving at Bridgeway Home for Pregnant Teens in Lakewood, Colo.; Julia Seese of Delphi, Ind., also is going to Bridgeway Home for Pregnant Teens; and Jutta von Dahl of Bell, Germany, is serving with the Brethren Nutrition Program in Washington, D.C."As always your prayer support is greatly appreciated. Please think of the unit and the people they will touch during their year of service," said Beth Merrill of the BVS office. For more information contact the office at 800-323-8039 or visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org.
Source: 2/27/2008 Newsline
Brethren bits: Remembrances, personnel, job openings, much more.
- Lena M. Wirth, R.N., died at age 89 on Feb. 24 in Modesto, Calif. She was a career Church of the Brethren mission nurse and midwife in Nigeria, where she worked for 30 years from 1944-74. She served at the mission hospital in Garkida, where she also worked at the Garkida Leprosy settlement and in the nursery for well babies at the leprosarium. She also later worked in the communities of Lassa, Biu, and Marama. The emphases of her work in Nigeria included care for children and child welfare. She was born on April 2, 1919, in Empire, Calif., to her parents John and Nina Heisel Wirth. She received her education at Modesto Junior College, the Children's Hospital of Nursing, and La Verne (Calif.) College--now the University of La Verne. She was a member of Modesto Church of the Brethren and most recently lived at Casa de Modesto, a Church of the Brethren retirement community. Wirth is survived by her sister, Esther Wickert. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 8, at 2 p.m., at Modesto Church of the Brethren. Cards of remembrance may be sent to Esther Wickert, 2814 Lewis Dr., La Verne, CA 91750.
- Helen J. Goodwin, 95, died on Feb. 8. She was one of the earlier African-American women to earn the doctor of philosophy degree from Johns Hopkins University. She had been a member of First Church of the Brethren in Baltimore since 1978. Born Helen Elizabeth Jefferson in Norfolk, Va., she married Stephen C. Goodwin in 1935. He predeceased her in 1994 after 59 years of marriage. They were originally members in the Church of God in Christ and the First Church of Christ Holiness. After the birth of her four children, she earned degrees from what is now Hampton University, New York University, and Johns Hopkins University. She served as a faculty member of New York University, Morgan State University, and Coppin State University. She also excelled in architectural drafting, as a poet, and in business. She was a co-founder and officer of Amron Management Consultants, Inc., and Health Watch Information and Promotion Service, Inc. Courageous in fighting for civil rights, she worked as a poll captain in elections that involved her daughter, Maryland State Senator Delores G. Kelley, and her granddaughter, Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton. Her daughter, Barbara Cuffie, has served on the Church of the Brethren General Board. Goodwin became a devoted member of the Church of the Brethren, attending all but one Annual Conference from 1978-96, and serving as an early board member of the Association of Brethren Caregivers. Survivors include her four children, two sons-in-law, a foster daughter, seven grandchildren, and two nieces. Services were held Feb. 16 at Payne Memorial African American Episcopal Church in Baltimore.
- Linda Fry of Mansfield, Ohio, is serving as interim secretary for Northern Ohio District, as of Feb. 18. She is a member of First Church of the Brethren in Mansfield, and also serves as district peace and conciliation worker. Her new e-mail address at the Northern Ohio District Office is districtoffice@zoominternet.net. She is serving in the absence of district secretary May Patalano, who is on leave. Patalano's district e-mail address, mpnohcob@zoominternet.net, remains active.
- Pacific Southwest District seeks a district executive minister. The position is fulltime and available immediately. Pacific Southwest District is geographically, ethnically, and theologically diverse. The district has 28 congregations in California and Arizona as well as five church starts, three of which are Spanish speaking, and one fellowship. The district office is located in La Verne, Calif., 30 miles east of Los Angeles. The district staff includes a missions director, church revitalization director, Center for Brethren Studies director, administrative assistant, secretary, and a financial and property manager. Responsibilities include serving as executive of the district, strengthening a diverse, collaborative team environment; collaborating with the district board in shaping the vision for the district; articulating and promoting the vision; strengthening relationships with pastors and congregations; facilitating pastoral placement; and administering, clarifying, and validating the work of the district board. Qualifications include passion about the potential of the Church of the Brethren and openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit; pastoral and prophetic gifts; deep faith and prayer life; spiritual maturity and Christian integrity; being a student of the scriptures with a grasp of theology and Brethren history; staff and team management skills; flexibility in working with staff, volunteer, pastoral, and lay leadership; experience with the dynamics of growth and change; communication skills; ability to listen and build relationships across cultural, theological, and geographical diversity. Masters degree preferred, English/Spanish bilingual ability advantageous. Send a letter of interest and resume by e-mail to DistrictMinistries_gb@brethren.org. Applicants are requested to contact three or four people to provide a letter of reference. Upon receipt of resume, a Candidate Profile must be completed and returned before the application is considered complete. The application deadline is March 18.
- The Church of the Brethren General Board seeks a coordinator of online gift invitation, to fill a fulltime position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include to promote and secure online gifts that will support ministries of the General Board; work with multiple areas to develop and follow a comprehensive plan for e-community building and online giving; work with outside contractors for e-mail communication systems, site design, and/or online giving; work with the coordinator of stewardship formation and education on printed and electronic media messages; develop and maintain the General Board Stewardship and Donor Development website and related pages, blogs, and other web-based donor communication and gift invitation activities. Qualifications include public relations or customer service experience; computer skills; familiarity with computer-based communications; commitment to denomination and ecumenical objectives; positive, affirming collaborative style of leadership; with membership in a Church of the Brethren congregation preferred. Education and experience required include a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience. Start date is May 1 or as negotiated. A position description and application form are available on request. Contact the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; 800-323-8039 ext. 258; kkrog_gb@brethren.org.
- New volunteer opportunities have been announced by On Earth Peace, in a program titled "Peace Partners." These volunteer opportunities include leadership, hospitality and logistical support, communication support, designated giving options, volunteer coordinators, and specified expertise. To learn more, contact Lauree Hersch Meyer, Peace Partner Coordinator, at laureehm@hotmail.com. Other volunteer opportunities include a communications volunteer, a district conference assistant, a peace education volunteer, a Peace Basket coordinator, a peace witness volunteer, a counter-recruitment resource volunteer, Peace Witness Action List editor(s), a counter-recruitment call mobilizer, and a Welcome Home Project assistant. For more information visit www.brethren.org/oepa/support/VolunteerOpportunities.html.
- The World Council of Churches (WCC) has appointed a search committee for a new general secretary. It is expected that the election of a new general secretary will come at the next WCC Central Committee meeting in Sept. 2009. The search committee will seek candidates to succeed the current general secretary, Samuel Kobia, who has said he will not seek a second term in office. His current term ends on Dec. 31. "We want to express the deep gratitude of the World Council of Churches for the dedicated services he has given to the council since becoming general secretary in Jan. 2004.," said Central Committee moderator Walter Altmann. Kobia is the first African elected to the general secretary position and was the former general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Kenya. He had previously served as executive director of the WCC's "Justice, Peace, and Creation" unit. More information is at www.oikoumene.org.
- A bulletin insert from the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund features Phil and Louise Baldwin Rieman, pastors of Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis. The campaign advocates for passage of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill. The insert tells the story of how, for 39 years, the Riemans "have redirected the military-related half of their taxes to life-enhancing programs and organizations." An action alert from the Brethren Witness/Washington Office encourages congregations to use the insert on a Sunday prior to the campaign's spring lobby days in Washington, D.C., on March 29-31. Download the insert from www.brethren.org/genbd/washofc/alert/NCPTFbulletinInsert.pdf.
- Children's Disaster Services, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren, is offering two Level 1 Training Workshops in April. The trainings, which are required for volunteers in the program, are scheduled for April 4-5 at Black Rock Church of the Brethren in Glenville, Pa., and April 12-13 at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Register by two weeks prior to the workshop date. The fee is $45 for early registration (three weeks prior to the date), $55 for late registration, or $25 for retraining for those already certified with the program. For more information contact Children's Disaster Services at 800-451-4407 (#5) or CDS_gb@brethren.org.
- Upcoming events from On Earth Peace include March 6-7 "Welcome Home Project Workshops on Ministries with Returning Soldiers" in Washington, D.C., and two Counter-Recruitment Networking Calls on March 12-13. Two Welcome Home Project workshops will be part of the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, with one taking place on March 6 at 6:30 p.m., and the other on March 7 at 8:30 a.m. (more details at www.christianpeacewitness.org/workshops). Networking calls for those working against military recruitment are scheduled for March 12 at 4 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. eastern) and March 13 at 1 p.m. Pacific (4 p.m. eastern). Each call will last 90 minutes. Register for a networking call by sending an e-mail to mattguynn@earthlink.net.
- The annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering March 9 is on the theme, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have" (Hebrews 13:16a). The offering benefits the ministries of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Resources include bulletin inserts, activity maps, offering boxes, bookmarks, posters, a DVD, worship resources, sermon helps, and offering envelopes. A resource packet has been sent to Brethren congregations, and resources in English and Spanish are available at www.brethren.org/genbd/funding/opportun/onegreat.htm.
- Codorus Church of the Brethren in Loganville, Pa., is marking its 250th anniversary in 2008 with a variety of events planned over a year-long celebration.
- The Ephrata Cloister Choir will give a concert at Bermudian Church of the Brethren in East Berlin, Pa., on March 1 at 4 p.m. The event celebrates the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. In a recent talk on the church's history, the congregation learned that nearly all the families that came from Ephrata to plant the Bermudian congregation in 1758 were from one town in Germany--Gimbsheim, according to the church newsletter. The church's preaching series titled "Stumps and Saplings" is examining "key scriptures, influential Brethren, great quotes, and amazing stories from 300 years of Brethren history and 250 years of Bermudian history."
- Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., is hosting a concert by Andy and Terry Murray as the kick off for its celebration of the 300th Anniversary. The concert titled, "A River Runs Through Us," takes place this Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m., and will include participation by the children of the congregation. Andy Murray will preach for morning worship at 9:30 a.m.
- A Western Regional Youth Camp is planned for June 29-July 4 at Camp Peaceful Pines in Dardanelle, Calif. "Since there were no plans to hold a Western Regional Youth Conference this summer the Program Committee of Camp Peaceful Pines decided to invite the youth of the Idaho and Oregon/Washington Districts, and the youth of Southern California and Arizona to come," said an announcement from Pacific Southwest District. Leadership will be provided by Walt Wiltschek, "Messenger" editor; David Radcliff, director of the New Community Project; and Cindy LaPrade, Princeton Theological Seminary student and a coordinator of the 2006 National Youth Conference. Cost is $120, or $140 after June 1. The event is for those who have completed grades 9-13 (the first year of college). Churches sending four or more youth need to have an adult advisor attend as well, to serve as cabin counselors and chaperones. More information is at www.cob-net.org/camp/peaceful_pines.htm#youth or contact Russ Matteson, pastor of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, at russ@modcob.org or 209-523-1438. In other news, the annual Eastern Regional Youth Conference has been cancelled this year.
- A "Coaching 4 Clergy Workshop" is scheduled for May 1, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind. The workshop is sponsored by the Northern Indiana District Pastoral Support Task Team. Participants will see coaching demonstrated, and have a chance to practice it in small groups. The purpose is to train pastors, church leaders, and spiritual directors in coaching so that they can coach small groups of three-to-five people while receiving support themselves. The registration fee of $30 includes the workshop, a workbook that will be e-mailed to participants ahead of time, lunch, snacks, and a conference call 30-90 days after the event with speaker Val Hastings. The deadline to register is April 1, to ensure receiving the workbook prior to the event. Pastors are encouraged to invite other clergy, church leaders, and spiritual directors, and the event is open to other denominations. Participants receive 1 continuing education unit. To register, mail the fee of $30 per person and each participant's name, telephone number, e-mail address, address, and congregation to the Northern Indiana District Office, 162 E. Market St., Nappanee, IN 46550. For an informational flier, contact the district office at 574-773-3149 or distcob@bnin.net.
- John and Irene Dale have donated $1 million to Juniata College as part of a capital campaign to restore and expand Founders Hall, according to a Juniata press release. Irene Dale is a 1958 graduate of Juniata; John Dale is a 1954 graduate. The hall is Juniata's original campus building and currently its main administrative facility. The project with an approximately $8 million budget will create new classrooms and new office space for two departments in the humanities faculty: history and English. A distinctive bell tower and circular staircase will be restored. The renovated building designed by Street Dixon Rick Architecture of Nashville, Tenn., will be built to environmental standards to qualify as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building by the Natural Resources Defense Council. It will be the second LEED building for Juniata, after Shuster Hall at the Raystown Field Station. John Dale is a retired executive vice president of the telecommunications software consulting firm Dale, Gesek, McWilliams, and Sheridan, a computer software, services, and consulting business specializing in telecommunications and networking technology. He has been a member of Juniata's Board of Trustees since 1997.
- The Manchester College Symphonic Band toured Puerto Rico on Jan. 24-29, visiting and performing at Brethren congregations. The group was hosted by Segunda Iglesia Cristo Misionera Fellowship in Caimito and Iglesia de los Hermanos in Castaner. Concerts were held at an elementary school, outdoors on a community basketball court, and in the central plaza in Castaner. Small groups played at worship services at the Castaner, Rio Prieto, and Yahuecas churches. The band is directed by Suzanne Ginden. Assistance for the trip was provided by Duane Grady, staff member of the Congregational Life Team of the General Board.
- Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA) has added a new study-abroad location in India, at the College of Fisheries of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal, and Fisheries Sciences University in Mangalore. The agreement was announced in an article in "The Hindu." Students may apply for a variety of courses including certification of diving experience and competence, introductory-level courses in marine biology, oceanography, and geology, the paper said. Brethren Colleges Abroad is affiliated with the six Church of the Brethren-related colleges and universities, with its central office at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. It offers study-abroad opportunities in some 15 or more countries, and also offers international seminars for faculty, peace and justice programs, and international student exchanges. BCA holds its 5th annual international student conference on relations between the US and Europe titled, "European-US Relations After Bush," in Strasbourg, France, on March 7-11. BCA students studying in Europe, other American students, and European students are eligible to attend. For more go to www.bcanet.org.
- Michael Leiter, director of marketing and development at Fahrney- Keedy Home and Village in Boonsboro, Md., was appointed recently to the Board of Directors of the Western Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Fahrney-Keedy is a Church of the Brethren retirement community.
- Helen Myers of Pleasant View Church of the Brethren in Red Lion, Pa., was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Feb. 14. She received a red Volkswagen Beetle convertible, after her granddaughter wrote to the show responding to an invitation for people to send ideas for Valentine's Day surprises. Myers had driven a Beetle for years when her children were young and always wanted a new one, her granddaughter wrote. Myers is the mother of two Church of the Brethren ministers and missionaries supported by the Brethren Mission Fund, said Brethren Revival Fellowship leader Craig Alan Myers: Linc Myers is serving in Hungary, and Patrick Myers is in New Zealand.
- Martha Grace Reese, author of the Real Life Evangelism series, is to direct a new research study in effective congregational transformation. "We are looking for pastors and leaders who yearn to be part of something new, something real, something powerful for God," Reese said, inviting congregations interested in being a part of the study to contact her via www.GraceNet.info. Reese gave a workshop based on her "Unbinding the Gospel" book for the spring meeting of the Church of the Brethren General Board last year. The series includes "Unbinding the Gospel"; "Unbinding Your Church," a pastor's guide; and the all-church study "Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing." The Lilly Endowment has now awarded a grant to support a second research phase to provide coaching to 1,000 or more congregations to use the Real Life Evangelism Series, and to encourage pastors and lay leaders in 1,000 congregations to work as field researchers to help discover the dynamics of church transformation.
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. John Ballinger, Barbara Cuffie, Larry Elliott, Lerry Fogle, Duane Grady, Nancy F. Knepper, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Craig Alan Myers, Deb Peterson, Glen Sargent, Joe Vecchio, John Wall, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.
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. John Ballinger, Barbara Cuffie, Larry Elliott, Lerry Fogle, Duane Grady, Nancy F. Knepper, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Craig Alan Myers, Deb Peterson, Glen Sargent, Joe Vecchio, John Wall, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
NEWS
- Joint ‘Resolution Urging Forbearance’ is approved by three agencies.
- Church mission executives gather in Thailand for annual meeting.
- Emergency Disaster Fund issues $53,700 in grants.
- Brethren bits: Prayer request, remembrance, personnel, jobs, more.
Joint ‘Resolution Urging Forbearance’ is approved by three agencies.
"A Resolution Urging Forbearance" has been approved by the boards of the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC)--which initiated the resolution--and the General Board and On Earth Peace. ABC asked for support for the resolution from the General Board and On Earth Peace at meetings last fall.
The ABC board shared the paper as "a great concern" and hoped to "take a strong statement to the body of Annual Conference," according to comments by the agency’s executive director Kathy Reid at the October meeting of the General Board. She described the resolution as pointing to the importance of forebearance in the church, and calling for recognition of the time it takes for the church to work through difficult issues.
After the resolution met with a mixed reaction from the General Board, the group voted to receive the document for the purpose of collaboration among the three agencies. A joint committee including members from the boards of the three agencies was then formed to continue work on refinement of the wording. Russell Betz and Tim Harvey from the General Board met on a conference call with Eddie Edmonds and John Katonah of the ABC board and Bev Weaver of the On Earth Peace board.
The General Board approved a recommendation from its executive committee to adopt the revised resolution on Jan. 31, acting by an e-mail vote. The On Earth Peace board adopted the resolution by action of the executive committee, working by conference call and e-mail in January. The document will come to the 2008 Annual Conference.
The text of the short resolution begins, "We find ourselves in a world where people are driven apart by deep differences. These divisions seep into the church, pitting us against one another in action and language. Yet God has entrusted us with a ministry of reconciliation."
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 and Matthew 5:17, and giving a brief review of scriptural references to forbearance--Ephesians 4:2 and 6:9, Colossians 3:13, and 2 Corinthians 12:6–the paper also quotes from Annual Conference statements and offers an overview of Brethren tradition and history with regard to the practice of forbearance in the church.
"In the ministry of reconciliation we are called to love and care for each other before we are called to correct one another. Before we are conservative, liberal, evangelical, progressive, or any one of the many labels we put on one another, we are children of God and brothers and sisters in the church," the document continues.
In closing it offers five specific resolutions:
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
"A Resolution Urging Forbearance" has been approved by the boards of the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC)--which initiated the resolution--and the General Board and On Earth Peace. ABC asked for support for the resolution from the General Board and On Earth Peace at meetings last fall.
The ABC board shared the paper as "a great concern" and hoped to "take a strong statement to the body of Annual Conference," according to comments by the agency’s executive director Kathy Reid at the October meeting of the General Board. She described the resolution as pointing to the importance of forebearance in the church, and calling for recognition of the time it takes for the church to work through difficult issues.
After the resolution met with a mixed reaction from the General Board, the group voted to receive the document for the purpose of collaboration among the three agencies. A joint committee including members from the boards of the three agencies was then formed to continue work on refinement of the wording. Russell Betz and Tim Harvey from the General Board met on a conference call with Eddie Edmonds and John Katonah of the ABC board and Bev Weaver of the On Earth Peace board.
The General Board approved a recommendation from its executive committee to adopt the revised resolution on Jan. 31, acting by an e-mail vote. The On Earth Peace board adopted the resolution by action of the executive committee, working by conference call and e-mail in January. The document will come to the 2008 Annual Conference.
The text of the short resolution begins, "We find ourselves in a world where people are driven apart by deep differences. These divisions seep into the church, pitting us against one another in action and language. Yet God has entrusted us with a ministry of reconciliation."
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 and Matthew 5:17, and giving a brief review of scriptural references to forbearance--Ephesians 4:2 and 6:9, Colossians 3:13, and 2 Corinthians 12:6–the paper also quotes from Annual Conference statements and offers an overview of Brethren tradition and history with regard to the practice of forbearance in the church.
"In the ministry of reconciliation we are called to love and care for each other before we are called to correct one another. Before we are conservative, liberal, evangelical, progressive, or any one of the many labels we put on one another, we are children of God and brothers and sisters in the church," the document continues.
In closing it offers five specific resolutions:
- "That we commit ourselves to forbearance which recognizes and respects differences of opinion and differing degrees of spiritual insight. We will show deference in disputable matters (Romans 14:1) while practicing prayerful study and conversation in core beliefs";
- "That we agree to see our differences, not as discord, but as the blessing which can come when we openly discuss our disagreements, address our conflicts, and share our faith perspectives";
- "That, with our forbearers, we continue to treasure both faithfulness to truth and openness to new light";
- "In all circumstances, we will embrace our commitment to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ as equally important to our other theological beliefs (1 Corinthians 13:1-8; Ephesians 4:32)"; and
- "That we pledge ourselves on matters where we are not of one mind to let the Holy Spirit draw us together to be of one heart"
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Church mission executives gather in Thailand for annual meeting.
The leadership of church mission agencies gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 6-12 for an annual meeting. This is the first time that the group has met outside the United States. The location in Thailand was chosen to engage the humanitarian situation in the region, and to hear from the church leadership of Myanmar (Burma). The ecumenical gathering was hosted by Church World Service (CWS) executive director John McCullough.
Mervin Keeney, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren General Board, joined McCullough and mission heads from five other denominations. "As a forum for mission leaders to reflect together about the struggles and joys of implementing global cross-cultural mission programs, the gathering fosters ecumenical collaboration and problem-solving, and serves as a professional peer group," Keeney said.
The general secretary of the Myanmar Council of Churches, Saw Mar Gay Gyi, and the general secretary of Kayin (Karen) Baptist Convention, Greeta Din, joined the mission executives in Bangkok and reflected about the life of the churches in Myanmar. A planned visit to Myanmar as a part of the meeting was not possible. The group also met with CWS staff in the region and with leaders of the Christian Council of Asia. The conversations provided regional grounding and perspective, Keeney said.
In addition to the regional focus and the usual exchange of mission ideas and strategies, agenda items this year included the missiological reflection process being undertaken by the CWS board, possible wider missiological reflection leading to a 2010 conference at Edinburgh, Scotland, and a proposed western hemisphere, North-South dialogue. After hearing about the meaningful gathering of the Historic Peace Churches at Solo, Indonesia, last month, the group also proposed the idea of an ecumenical peace conference at the close of the Decade to Overcome Violence.
CWS staff provided updates about the humanitarian response to more than 150,000 people displaced by the violence in Myanmar and now living in 10 camps, which provide shelter at the Thai border. The group traveled to see the Tham Hin Camp.
The Karen people make up about two-thirds of the overall displaced population. Although some have been displaced and living in camps for decades, it was reported that because of tight family and community bonds, few want to be resettled to other countries. The resettlement feels like permanently closing the door to return to their home areas in Myanmar. In contrast to many ethnic groups in southeast Asia, the Karen people are nearly 90 percent Christian, due to the successful efforts of early American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson Sr. who began work among them in 1827.
At the community center in the Tham Hin Camp, Keeney observed that there were boxes of health kits and school kits bearing the "New Windsor, Maryland," label, reflecting the reach of the Brethren Service Center into this isolated area of need, and the effectiveness of the Church of the Brethren’s ecumenical partnerships in sending material aid.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
The leadership of church mission agencies gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 6-12 for an annual meeting. This is the first time that the group has met outside the United States. The location in Thailand was chosen to engage the humanitarian situation in the region, and to hear from the church leadership of Myanmar (Burma). The ecumenical gathering was hosted by Church World Service (CWS) executive director John McCullough.
Mervin Keeney, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren General Board, joined McCullough and mission heads from five other denominations. "As a forum for mission leaders to reflect together about the struggles and joys of implementing global cross-cultural mission programs, the gathering fosters ecumenical collaboration and problem-solving, and serves as a professional peer group," Keeney said.
The general secretary of the Myanmar Council of Churches, Saw Mar Gay Gyi, and the general secretary of Kayin (Karen) Baptist Convention, Greeta Din, joined the mission executives in Bangkok and reflected about the life of the churches in Myanmar. A planned visit to Myanmar as a part of the meeting was not possible. The group also met with CWS staff in the region and with leaders of the Christian Council of Asia. The conversations provided regional grounding and perspective, Keeney said.
In addition to the regional focus and the usual exchange of mission ideas and strategies, agenda items this year included the missiological reflection process being undertaken by the CWS board, possible wider missiological reflection leading to a 2010 conference at Edinburgh, Scotland, and a proposed western hemisphere, North-South dialogue. After hearing about the meaningful gathering of the Historic Peace Churches at Solo, Indonesia, last month, the group also proposed the idea of an ecumenical peace conference at the close of the Decade to Overcome Violence.
CWS staff provided updates about the humanitarian response to more than 150,000 people displaced by the violence in Myanmar and now living in 10 camps, which provide shelter at the Thai border. The group traveled to see the Tham Hin Camp.
The Karen people make up about two-thirds of the overall displaced population. Although some have been displaced and living in camps for decades, it was reported that because of tight family and community bonds, few want to be resettled to other countries. The resettlement feels like permanently closing the door to return to their home areas in Myanmar. In contrast to many ethnic groups in southeast Asia, the Karen people are nearly 90 percent Christian, due to the successful efforts of early American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson Sr. who began work among them in 1827.
At the community center in the Tham Hin Camp, Keeney observed that there were boxes of health kits and school kits bearing the "New Windsor, Maryland," label, reflecting the reach of the Brethren Service Center into this isolated area of need, and the effectiveness of the Church of the Brethren’s ecumenical partnerships in sending material aid.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Emergency Disaster Fund issues $53,700 in grants.
Five grants issued by the Emergency Disaster Fund send assistance to Kenya following rioting and violence, along with grants to Bangladesh, the south-central US following storms, and continuing support for Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding projects. The Emergency Disaster Fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
An additional grant of $19,700 aids Kenyans following post-election violence, responding to an expanded Church World Service (CWS) appeal for displaced people. The funds continue support for the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is providing emergency food to 15,000 displaced people, as well as additional services, household items, blankets, and psycho-social counseling.
A grant of $15,000 continues support for a Brethren Disaster Ministries project in Minnesota following flooding. The project in Rushford, Minn., is repairing and rebuilding homes of flood survivors. The grant pays for volunteer travel, food, and housing expenses, as well as tools and equipment. Previous allocations to this project total $5,000.
A grant of $10,000 to CWS follows a devastating cyclone that struck Bangladesh. The funds will help assist 25,000 people with emergency food, clothing, temporary shelter, and the creation of job opportunities.
A grant of $7,000 responds to the numerous tornados and violent storms that swept through six states in the south-central US in early February. At least 55 people were killed, claiming more lives than any single disaster in the US since Hurricane Katrina. The funds will help CWS make material shipments, deploy staff, and give financial support for longterm recovery groups.
A grant of $2,000 responds to a CWS appeal following a previous massive storm system that brought heavy rain, flooding, and tornado activity to parts of Indiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi. The money will help pay for blankets, hygiene kits, and cleanup buckets, and will support longterm recovery groups.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Five grants issued by the Emergency Disaster Fund send assistance to Kenya following rioting and violence, along with grants to Bangladesh, the south-central US following storms, and continuing support for Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding projects. The Emergency Disaster Fund is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
An additional grant of $19,700 aids Kenyans following post-election violence, responding to an expanded Church World Service (CWS) appeal for displaced people. The funds continue support for the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is providing emergency food to 15,000 displaced people, as well as additional services, household items, blankets, and psycho-social counseling.
A grant of $15,000 continues support for a Brethren Disaster Ministries project in Minnesota following flooding. The project in Rushford, Minn., is repairing and rebuilding homes of flood survivors. The grant pays for volunteer travel, food, and housing expenses, as well as tools and equipment. Previous allocations to this project total $5,000.
A grant of $10,000 to CWS follows a devastating cyclone that struck Bangladesh. The funds will help assist 25,000 people with emergency food, clothing, temporary shelter, and the creation of job opportunities.
A grant of $7,000 responds to the numerous tornados and violent storms that swept through six states in the south-central US in early February. At least 55 people were killed, claiming more lives than any single disaster in the US since Hurricane Katrina. The funds will help CWS make material shipments, deploy staff, and give financial support for longterm recovery groups.
A grant of $2,000 responds to a CWS appeal following a previous massive storm system that brought heavy rain, flooding, and tornado activity to parts of Indiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi. The money will help pay for blankets, hygiene kits, and cleanup buckets, and will support longterm recovery groups.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Brethren bits: Prayer request, remembrance, personnel, jobs, and more.
- The Church of the Brethren General Board is requesting prayer for the Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Ill., following shootings on campus yesterday, Feb. 14. A former graduate student at NIU opened fire in a class at Cole Hall on the DeKalb campus, and then shot himself. News reports today said that at least five students have died, and up to 18 others were wounded with three in critical condition. The students who were killed are from communities across northern Illinois and the Chicago area. There are Church of the Brethren students attending NIU, but no word has been received that any were hurt in the shooting. The campus is about 30 miles southwest of the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The prayer request lifted up students and their families, university faculty and staff, and first responders affected by the shootings. "As a church, we are deeply grieved at this senseless loss of life," the e-mail note said. "Please join us in prayer."
- Donald J. Dunn, dean of the University of La Verne (ULV) College of Law, died Jan. 5 at home of complications related to cancer. ULV is a Brethren related university in La Verne, Calif. "As dean, he provided keen leadership that helped carry our College of Law over the initial threshold of American Bar Association accreditation," said ULV president Stephen Morgan in a remembrance on the school’s website. In 2003, Dunn joined ULV as dean and professor of law at the College of Law. While at ULV, he guided the law school through the process of applying for national accreditation, with the American Bar Association granting provisional ABA approval in 2006. Dunn was a nationally-recognized law librarian whose 38-year career began at the University of Texas and continued at Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Mass. In 1977 began as a site evaluator for law schools seeking national accreditation, over time serving on more than 40 site evaluation teams. Dunn also co-authored "Fundamentals of Legal Research"--the eighth edition published in 2002 is used in first-year and advanced research courses in law schools and paralegal programs. ULV College of Law has set up a Dean Donald J. Dunn Memorial Scholarship Fund in his honor. Dunn is survived by his wife, Cheryl, son, Kevin, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
- On March 1, Cynthia Benthusen will begin in the position of general office services representative with the Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT). In this new position, Benthusen will be the staff member who welcomes guests to BBT, and also will route telephone calls, carry some work for the Pension and Brethren Foundation departments and the Church of the Brethren Credit Union, as well as hold other responsibilities. Benthusen is currently working for BBT as support staff for general office services.
- Jillian Baker left Feb. 4 on a two-year assignment in Central America, working for the Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board as a volunteer with Brethren Volunteer Service. She will serve as community development staff for the Foundation for Self Sufficiency in El Salvador, organizing sustainable development projects in the areas of reforestation, micro-enterprise, and health. Her first task will be to help the foundation conduct a community needs and skills survey to study the potential for micro-enterprise projects. She is from Woodbridge, Va., and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Hispanic studies from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
- The New Windsor (Md.) Conference Center is welcoming back Olive Provost, who will serve as volunteer hostess in the Old Main building for the month of February.
- Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks an assistant to the director of office operations, to fill a fulltime hourly position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The starting date is April 1, or as negotiated. Responsibilities include to assist the director of office operations, type letters and other documents, coordinate special events such as employee/retiree recognitions and a fitness challenge, create and maintain a database of human resource records, establish and maintain a congregational database, maintain a central key system, maintain vacation records for staff, maintain a filing system for board documents, maintain subscriptions, assist with record retention, assist with mailings, back up the general office services representative as needed. Qualifications include confidentiality--which is critical to this position, proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite Software specifically Word and Excel, grammar and writing skills, organizational skills, ability to multitask, and a positive, committed, and collaborative working style. Education and experience required includes a bachelor’s degree or at least five years of experience of secretarial or general office duties. Submit a resume, letter of interest, and three references to Donna March, Director of Office Operations, Brethren Benefit Trust, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-746-1505 ext. 371; dmarch_bbt@brethren.org. Interviews will begin later in February.
- The Church of the Brethren’s Western Pennsylvania District seeks a fulltime district children/youth ministries coordinator. The District Core Leadership Team approved a position description for this emerging ministry need. The position will be filled as soon as interviews are conducted and a candidate is approved by the Core Leadership Team. This position, in part, will spend time in district leadership development and resourcing, but most time and effort will be expended working closely with the program director of Camp Harmony to provide a wide range of programs for children and youth. The person called to this position must be willing and able to work in collaboration with others to develop programs and provide leadership in implementing programs. A person with a passion and desire to be in ministry to youth and children should consider this position. Apply for the position by requesting a position description from Western Pennsylvania District, 115 Spring Rd., Hollsopple, PA 15935-7412; 814-479-2181; 866-279-2181; rbeachley_ds@brethren.org. Along with the position description, applicants will receive an application form and background check form to be completed before an interview is considered. The deadline for receiving applications is March 1.
- Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa., seeks a human resources director. The community is seeking an experienced human resources professional with 7-10 years generalist experience. The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree, excellent recruiting skills, employee relations and internal consulting skills, knowledge of employment laws, excellent interpersonal skills, and compensation and benefits expertise in a healthcare setting. SPHR desirable. The community offers a competitive salary and benefits package. E-mail a resume with salary requirements to Cross Keys Village, Ref: HR, at recruiteba@comcast.net. No telephone calls, please. EOE.
- Sharing Services Agency/MutualAid eXchange (MAX), a property and casualty insurance company serving Anabaptists across the US and Canada, has announced a producer/agent career opportunity. The agency seeks a candidate desiring a career opportunity using relationship building and sales skills in an insurance environment within a Christian faith community. MAX is faith-based, and provides property and casualty insurance products and Mutual Aid Ministries programs. To learn more visit www.mutualaidexchange.com. Resumes may be e-mailed to skwine@maxkc.com or faxed to 877-785-0085.
- A re-lighting project has been underway at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., beginning last week. The project consists of changing all tubes and ballasts in every light fixture in the building from T12 to the more energy efficient T8 lamps. A total of 587 fluorescent fixtures will be changed.
- Three employees received service honors recently at the annual Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village recognition dinner. Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village is a Church of the Brethren continuing care retirement community near Boonsboro, Md. Kelli Lichtenberg, assistant director of accounting, received the Grace Grimm Award as Employee of the Year. Jenna Hoffman, MDS (Minimum Data Set) coordinator in nursing and an LPN, received the Customer Service Award. Melissa Ward, who started as an LPN and was promoted to an LPN team leader position, was named Rookie of the Year.
- Human rights activist John Prendergast will lead discussions on genocide on Feb. 18 at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind. The public is invited to a 10 a.m. convocation in Cordier Auditorium and a 4 p.m. panel discussion in the College Union. Prendergast will deliver the convocation address on conditions in Darfur and Rwanda, and participate in the panel discussion along with Sudanese refugee and Manchester senior peace studies major Felix Lohitai, two Darfurian refugees, and Holocaust scholar Glenn Sharfman, vice president and dean of academic affairs. Prendergast is co-founder of ENOUGH, a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress seeking to build a permanent constituency to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Underwriting Prendergast’s visit is a grant from Plowshares, the consortium of Indiana's three historic peace colleges--Manchester, Goshen, and Earlham, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
- Fourteen Brethren were among participants in the New Community Project's inaugural Learning Tour to Nepal in early January. The delegation was hosted by Women Empowerment, a grassroots organization working in poor rural communities. The New Community Project has supported efforts by Women Empowerment to provide skills training for village women along with scholarships for girls' education. The Church of the Brethren's Global Women's Project also has lent support for the training workshops. The tour visited women's groups, a Fair Trade factory, and took in Nepali cultural attractions. On the way to Nepal, the tour group was hosted in Delhi, India, by the Center on Science and the Environment. For more go to www.newcommunityproject.org.
- The Brethren Revival Fellowship (BRF) Committee has reorganized, with an election of officers at its Oct. 2007 meeting, as announced in the "BRF Witness." J. Eric Brubaker has succeeded Kenneth Leininger as secretary; Leininger will continue to serve as events coordinator and assistant secretary-treasurer; Craig Alan Myers continues as chair; and Carl Brubaker continues as treasurer. Also serving on the committee are Mervin C. Groff, Walter K. Heisey, Jordan P. Keller, Paul E. Schildt, John A. Shelly, and David R. Wenger. The BRF also announced that its next Brethren Alive event will be July 25-27 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College on the theme, "The Future of the Church of the Brethren," preceded by the group’s annual Brethren Bible Institute on July 21-25 also at Elizabethtown. More information will be made available at www.brfwitness.org.
Brethren Benefit Trust opens search for president.
The Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), an agency of the Church of the Brethren, is seeking applicants for the position of president. BBT’s offices are located at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The primary services of BBT are the administration of the Pension Plan and the Brethren Foundation.
The president serves as the chief executive officer for BBT, including all its corporate entities (Brethren Benefit Trust, Brethren Benefit Trust, Inc., Brethren Foundation, Trustee, Pension Plan Trust). The president will oversee the administration and operations of BBT by leading, administering, managing, and inspiring the staff of BBT, modeling servant leadership. The president will guide BBT in its service to the Church of the Brethren by developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with individuals and organizations which are affiliated with or share the values of the Church of the Brethren.
The full position description can be found on the website of BBT (www.brethrenbenefittrust.org) at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/About%20pages/President.pdf. Church of the Brethren membership is preferred. The president will be expected to live in the Elgin area.
The Search Committee appointed by the BBT Board of Directors is composed of Eunice Culp, Search Committee chair; Harry Rhodes, BBT Board chair; Janice Bratton, BBT Board vice chair; Donna Forbes Steiner, BBT Board member; and Fred Bernhard, former longterm BBT Board member. Ralph McFadden has been retained as the search consultant.
The deadline for applications is April 30. Applicants are requested to send a current resume, cover letter, and three references via e-mail to Ralph McFadden, Search Committee Consultant, Hikermac@sbcglobal.net. Hard copies, if necessary, may be sent to 352 Shiloh Ct., Elgin, IL 60120.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
The Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), an agency of the Church of the Brethren, is seeking applicants for the position of president. BBT’s offices are located at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The primary services of BBT are the administration of the Pension Plan and the Brethren Foundation.
The president serves as the chief executive officer for BBT, including all its corporate entities (Brethren Benefit Trust, Brethren Benefit Trust, Inc., Brethren Foundation, Trustee, Pension Plan Trust). The president will oversee the administration and operations of BBT by leading, administering, managing, and inspiring the staff of BBT, modeling servant leadership. The president will guide BBT in its service to the Church of the Brethren by developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with individuals and organizations which are affiliated with or share the values of the Church of the Brethren.
The full position description can be found on the website of BBT (www.brethrenbenefittrust.org) at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/About%20pages/President.pdf. Church of the Brethren membership is preferred. The president will be expected to live in the Elgin area.
The Search Committee appointed by the BBT Board of Directors is composed of Eunice Culp, Search Committee chair; Harry Rhodes, BBT Board chair; Janice Bratton, BBT Board vice chair; Donna Forbes Steiner, BBT Board member; and Fred Bernhard, former longterm BBT Board member. Ralph McFadden has been retained as the search consultant.
The deadline for applications is April 30. Applicants are requested to send a current resume, cover letter, and three references via e-mail to Ralph McFadden, Search Committee Consultant, Hikermac@sbcglobal.net. Hard copies, if necessary, may be sent to 352 Shiloh Ct., Elgin, IL 60120.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Gather 'Round offers youth and junior high supplement for summer.
The Gather 'Round Sunday school curriculum is offering a new Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement this year. The supplement accompanies either the Summer 2008 "Connect" guide for parents and caregivers of children, or the teacher’s guide for multiage groups.
Gather ’Round is the Sunday school curriculum published jointly by Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network. Order curriculum materials from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712, shipping and handling charges will be added to the following prices given below.
"The Things that Make for Peace" is the Gather ’Round theme for Summer 2008 (June 1 through Aug. 24). "Peace is fundamental to our understanding of the biblical message," commented Gather ’Round director and editor Anna Speicher. "Often we think of peace as a particularly New Testament theme, but this summer we will explore perspectives on peace and peacemaking from the Old as well as the New Testament. Children and adults alike will enjoy the creative ways our writers present both familiar and unfamiliar stories."
Congregations that purchase the summer "Connect" or the summer Multiage teacher's guide will be able to purchase the Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement either as a download or on a CD (download for $29.95, CD for $32.95; buy one per class). The supplement includes suggestions for reading and presenting Bible stories, "Connect to the Story" activities, "Responding" options, and a reproducible page for each session. Purchase of the supplement includes the right to make copies of the "okay to photocopy" pages for each youth in a class. For opening and closing activities and reflecting questions, teachers are to use the suggestions in one of the books the supplement accompanies.
Other summer resources offered by Gather 'Round:
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
The Gather 'Round Sunday school curriculum is offering a new Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement this year. The supplement accompanies either the Summer 2008 "Connect" guide for parents and caregivers of children, or the teacher’s guide for multiage groups.
Gather ’Round is the Sunday school curriculum published jointly by Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network. Order curriculum materials from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712, shipping and handling charges will be added to the following prices given below.
"The Things that Make for Peace" is the Gather ’Round theme for Summer 2008 (June 1 through Aug. 24). "Peace is fundamental to our understanding of the biblical message," commented Gather ’Round director and editor Anna Speicher. "Often we think of peace as a particularly New Testament theme, but this summer we will explore perspectives on peace and peacemaking from the Old as well as the New Testament. Children and adults alike will enjoy the creative ways our writers present both familiar and unfamiliar stories."
Congregations that purchase the summer "Connect" or the summer Multiage teacher's guide will be able to purchase the Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement either as a download or on a CD (download for $29.95, CD for $32.95; buy one per class). The supplement includes suggestions for reading and presenting Bible stories, "Connect to the Story" activities, "Responding" options, and a reproducible page for each session. Purchase of the supplement includes the right to make copies of the "okay to photocopy" pages for each youth in a class. For opening and closing activities and reflecting questions, teachers are to use the suggestions in one of the books the supplement accompanies.
Other summer resources offered by Gather 'Round:
- The preschool curriculum for ages three and four, with tips for twos, includes the "My Bible Storybook" student book ($6.95 each, order one per student), a teacher’s guide ($7.95), and a classroom pack ($19.95).
- The multiage curriculum for grades K-6, with tips for older children, includes the "Together" student book ($6.95, order one per student), a teacher’s guide ($7.95), and a classroom pack ($19.95);
- The parent/caregiver curriculum for adults, group or individual use, includes the "Connect" book ($8.95 each, order one for the teacher and one per student), and a classroom pack ($19.95).
- The quarterly Talkabout is a take-home aid for families to talk about faith using weekly Bible themes from Sunday school. This summer’s Talkabout will be printed on multi-colored origami paper with instructions for folding peace cranes or peace doves ($5.95, order one per family).
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Brethren Press carries two Vacation Bible School resources.
Brethren Press is carrying two Vacation Bible School (VBS) kits for use by Brethren congregations this summer:
"Listen Up! Messages from God" (Faith and Life Press) is available from Brethren Press for $129.99 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. "Listen Up! Messages from God" is a flexible Bible curriculum for ages 4 through grade 8. Fun, broadly-graded activity centers offer kids hands-on learning, as well as an easy way to plug in adult volunteers. Materials are planned for five days, and are adaptable to camp, retreat, or midweek programs. "Listen Up!" introduces kids to biblical prophets whose messages remind everyone that there is one true God who loves them: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Amos, and Daniel. As they meet a new prophet each day through worship, drama, and interactive "Listen Up Links," children and junior youth will discover that God’s messages still hold true today.
"Rainforest Adventure" (Augsburg Fortress), is available from Brethren Press for $69.99 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. Easy to use, the kit offers everything needed to create a VBS experience. Guides and resources are easy to use. The God-centered curriculum also makes for an adventure into God's word, and a faith-filled week with a stewardship theme that teaches children to take care of God's wondrous creation and each other too.
--Jeff Lennard is director of marketing and sales for Brethren Press.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Brethren Press is carrying two Vacation Bible School (VBS) kits for use by Brethren congregations this summer:
"Listen Up! Messages from God" (Faith and Life Press) is available from Brethren Press for $129.99 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. "Listen Up! Messages from God" is a flexible Bible curriculum for ages 4 through grade 8. Fun, broadly-graded activity centers offer kids hands-on learning, as well as an easy way to plug in adult volunteers. Materials are planned for five days, and are adaptable to camp, retreat, or midweek programs. "Listen Up!" introduces kids to biblical prophets whose messages remind everyone that there is one true God who loves them: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Amos, and Daniel. As they meet a new prophet each day through worship, drama, and interactive "Listen Up Links," children and junior youth will discover that God’s messages still hold true today.
"Rainforest Adventure" (Augsburg Fortress), is available from Brethren Press for $69.99 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712. Easy to use, the kit offers everything needed to create a VBS experience. Guides and resources are easy to use. The God-centered curriculum also makes for an adventure into God's word, and a faith-filled week with a stewardship theme that teaches children to take care of God's wondrous creation and each other too.
--Jeff Lennard is director of marketing and sales for Brethren Press.
Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline
Annual Conference registration and housing to open March 7.
The Annual Conference Office has announced that reservations for housing (hotel rooms) and registration for the 2008 Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on July 12-16 will be available beginning March 7 through June 20.
Those planning to attend the Conference are encouraged to obtain housing before registering for the Conference. Conferencegoers are encouraged to use the online housing link at www.brethren.org/ac or to submit housing requests on the forms available in the Information Packet on CD being distributed to congregations through the March Source packet. The Annual Conference Office is asking church members to use the Conference hotel block both to save money and to hold down the cost of meeting space and Conference facilities.
Advance registration of nondelegates also will begin on March 7. Registrations can be made online or through forms in the Information Packet. Conferencegoers will be able to register themselves and family members, sign up for age group programs, purchase tickets for meal events, order Conference booklets and choir music, pre-order cash buffet meal plans, and sign up for service projects. Those registering in advance will realize a savings of more than 33 percent over onsite registration this year. The deadline for advanced registrations will be May 30.
Starting on March 7, to obtain housing for the Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac, then click on HOUSING RESERVATION in the Richmond section of the Annual Conference homepage. To register for the Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac and click on REGISTRATION in the Richmond section. The Annual Conference Information Packet also will be available online in early March at www.brethren.org/ac, click on the INFO PACKET tab in the Richmond section. Paper copies of the Information Packet can be obtained by contacting the Annual Conference Office at 800-688-5186 or annualconference@brethren.org.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
The Annual Conference Office has announced that reservations for housing (hotel rooms) and registration for the 2008 Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., on July 12-16 will be available beginning March 7 through June 20.
Those planning to attend the Conference are encouraged to obtain housing before registering for the Conference. Conferencegoers are encouraged to use the online housing link at www.brethren.org/ac or to submit housing requests on the forms available in the Information Packet on CD being distributed to congregations through the March Source packet. The Annual Conference Office is asking church members to use the Conference hotel block both to save money and to hold down the cost of meeting space and Conference facilities.
Advance registration of nondelegates also will begin on March 7. Registrations can be made online or through forms in the Information Packet. Conferencegoers will be able to register themselves and family members, sign up for age group programs, purchase tickets for meal events, order Conference booklets and choir music, pre-order cash buffet meal plans, and sign up for service projects. Those registering in advance will realize a savings of more than 33 percent over onsite registration this year. The deadline for advanced registrations will be May 30.
Starting on March 7, to obtain housing for the Annual Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac, then click on HOUSING RESERVATION in the Richmond section of the Annual Conference homepage. To register for the Conference go to www.brethren.org/ac and click on REGISTRATION in the Richmond section. The Annual Conference Information Packet also will be available online in early March at www.brethren.org/ac, click on the INFO PACKET tab in the Richmond section. Paper copies of the Information Packet can be obtained by contacting the Annual Conference Office at 800-688-5186 or annualconference@brethren.org.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
Bethany Theological Seminary holds inaugural forum.
Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., will host an Inaugural Forum titled, "Hearing Scriptures of Peace," on March 30-31. The forum celebrates the recent call of Ruthann Knechel Johansen as president of the seminary, and celebrates the role of the seminary as a resource for the church and the world.
The forum will include worship services, lectures, panel discussions, and small group sessions. Three plenary speakers and six Church of the Brethren panelists will represent various theological perspectives. The plenary speakers will be Scott Appleby, historian of religion from the University of Notre Dame; Rachel Gartner, rabbi and campus minister at Earlham College in Richmond; and Rashied Omar, scholar of religions and a Muslim imam from South Africa.
Church of the Brethren panelists will include Scott Holland, associate professor of Theology and Culture and director of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies at Bethany; Craig Alan Myers, chair of the Brethren Revival Fellowship and pastor of Blue River Church of the Brethren in Columbia City, Ind.; Amy Gall Ritchie, director of student development at Bethany; Roger Schrock, pastor of Cabool (Mo.) Church of the Brethren and former mission staff for the denomination; Daniel Ulrich, associate professor of New Testament Studies at Bethany; and Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, associate professor of Preaching and Worship at Bethany.
The forum will open on Sunday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. with a plenary session featuring Appleby, who will speak about Christian scriptures of peace. Johansen will share reflections on "Hearing Scriptures of Peace" at the Sunday evening worship service, which will include a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s "Quartet for the End of Time." On Monday morning, Gartner will present Jewish scriptures of peace. Omar will interpret Muslim scriptures of peace at the Monday afternoon plenary. The forum will conclude with worship on Monday afternoon.
The registration fee is $50, $65 after March 1. College and seminary students may register for a discounted rate of $25, $40 after March 1. Ministers will receive .7 continuing education units. Register at www.bethanyseminary.edu/forum. For more information contact coordinator Mary Eller at 800-287-8822 ext. 1825 or inauguralforum@bethanyseminary.edu.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., will host an Inaugural Forum titled, "Hearing Scriptures of Peace," on March 30-31. The forum celebrates the recent call of Ruthann Knechel Johansen as president of the seminary, and celebrates the role of the seminary as a resource for the church and the world.
The forum will include worship services, lectures, panel discussions, and small group sessions. Three plenary speakers and six Church of the Brethren panelists will represent various theological perspectives. The plenary speakers will be Scott Appleby, historian of religion from the University of Notre Dame; Rachel Gartner, rabbi and campus minister at Earlham College in Richmond; and Rashied Omar, scholar of religions and a Muslim imam from South Africa.
Church of the Brethren panelists will include Scott Holland, associate professor of Theology and Culture and director of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies at Bethany; Craig Alan Myers, chair of the Brethren Revival Fellowship and pastor of Blue River Church of the Brethren in Columbia City, Ind.; Amy Gall Ritchie, director of student development at Bethany; Roger Schrock, pastor of Cabool (Mo.) Church of the Brethren and former mission staff for the denomination; Daniel Ulrich, associate professor of New Testament Studies at Bethany; and Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, associate professor of Preaching and Worship at Bethany.
The forum will open on Sunday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. with a plenary session featuring Appleby, who will speak about Christian scriptures of peace. Johansen will share reflections on "Hearing Scriptures of Peace" at the Sunday evening worship service, which will include a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s "Quartet for the End of Time." On Monday morning, Gartner will present Jewish scriptures of peace. Omar will interpret Muslim scriptures of peace at the Monday afternoon plenary. The forum will conclude with worship on Monday afternoon.
The registration fee is $50, $65 after March 1. College and seminary students may register for a discounted rate of $25, $40 after March 1. Ministers will receive .7 continuing education units. Register at www.bethanyseminary.edu/forum. For more information contact coordinator Mary Eller at 800-287-8822 ext. 1825 or inauguralforum@bethanyseminary.edu.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
Anabaptist peace forum will address theme ‘Bridging Divides.’
The Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Anabaptist Peace Center in Washington, D.C., are jointly sponsoring an Anabaptist peace forum on the theme, "Bridging Divides: Uniting the Church for Peacemaking." The event will take place April 11-12 at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.
The forum is for pastors, theologians, service workers, academics, and laypeople to explore how the church can unite for mission despite political divides, and also how the church can work to heal divisions in communities. The event will include plenary and seminar sessions, and each day will begin with Bible study and worship.
Myron Augsburger, president and professor emeritus of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., is the keynote speaker. Other plenary and seminar speakers will include Chris Bowman, pastor of Oakton Church of the Brethren in Vienna, Va., and a former moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference; Celia Cook-Huffman, assistant professor of peace studies and associate director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa.; Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; Michelle Armster of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) US; and Steve Brown, of Calvary Community.
Adam Tice of Hyattsville Mennonite Church, will be worship leader. A pre-conference seminar on "How We Talk When We Disagree," will be led by Grant Rissler, MCC peace and justice coordinator. Participants also are invited to join in an annual "Hymn Sing for Peace" at 5 p.m. on April 12.
The registration fee is $80, $40 for students, and those who register by Feb. 15 will receive a $10 discount. Register online at www.apcwdc.mennonite.net/Bridging_Divides or contact Keith Swartzendruber at 202-548-0010 or keith@apcwdc.mennonite.net. For more information contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
The Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Anabaptist Peace Center in Washington, D.C., are jointly sponsoring an Anabaptist peace forum on the theme, "Bridging Divides: Uniting the Church for Peacemaking." The event will take place April 11-12 at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.
The forum is for pastors, theologians, service workers, academics, and laypeople to explore how the church can unite for mission despite political divides, and also how the church can work to heal divisions in communities. The event will include plenary and seminar sessions, and each day will begin with Bible study and worship.
Myron Augsburger, president and professor emeritus of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., is the keynote speaker. Other plenary and seminar speakers will include Chris Bowman, pastor of Oakton Church of the Brethren in Vienna, Va., and a former moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference; Celia Cook-Huffman, assistant professor of peace studies and associate director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa.; Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; Michelle Armster of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) US; and Steve Brown, of Calvary Community.
Adam Tice of Hyattsville Mennonite Church, will be worship leader. A pre-conference seminar on "How We Talk When We Disagree," will be led by Grant Rissler, MCC peace and justice coordinator. Participants also are invited to join in an annual "Hymn Sing for Peace" at 5 p.m. on April 12.
The registration fee is $80, $40 for students, and those who register by Feb. 15 will receive a $10 discount. Register online at www.apcwdc.mennonite.net/Bridging_Divides or contact Keith Swartzendruber at 202-548-0010 or keith@apcwdc.mennonite.net. For more information contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 2/15/2008 Newslines Extra
More upcoming events: Mission Alive, intercultural course, CCS.
- Bishop Mano Rumalshah of the Church of Pakistan, who will be the keynote speaker for "Mission Alive 2008" in April, has written to Global Mission Partnerships executive director Merv Keeney about concerns for his country. As he left Pakistan recently, he wrote, "We are still going through the turmoil of restlessness especially as the lead up to the general elections. Please continue to pray for us." Keeney invited Brethren to hold the country in prayer. "We are honored to have the Bishop on our conference program, and we invite members both to hold him in prayer, and also to come to the conference to hear him tell about the internal challenges facing the church in Pakistan, as well as the effect of the war in neighboring Afghanistan on the Christian population there." The deadline for online registration for Mission Alive 2008 is March 24. After that date, registration will be available by phone or onsite, and the cost will be $89 rather than $79. To register go to the Mission Alive page of www.brethren.org, using the keyword box to access the page, or call 800-323-8039 ext. 230.
- The Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership is offering a course on "Intercultural Competence: Key Skills in a Multicultural World" with Darla Kay Bowman Deardorff as instructor. She is executive director of the Association of Intercultural Education Administrators, a cross cultural trainer, and an instructor at Duke University. She also was a member of the Annual Conference Intercultural Study Committee. The course will be held April 27-29 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., following the annual Cross-Cultural Consultation and Celebration. The course begins on Sunday at 3 p.m. and ends on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Tuition is $200. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to attend all or part of the consultation. Information about the Cross-Cultural Consultation and Celebration is at www.brethren.org/genbd/clm/clt/CrossCultural.html. Training in Ministry (TRIM) students will receive one Academy Level/CEQ unit of Ministry Skills Credit for completion of the course; pastors and other ordained ministers will receive two continuing education units and will be required to do the pre-course reading in addition to participating in the course. For more information, including a brochure which lists the texts, contact Debbie Mullins, Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, at 765-983-1824 or mullide@bethanyseminary.edu.
- Dates and location for the 2009 Church of the Brethren Clergywomen's Retreat have been announced. The Clergywomen’s Retreat will be held Jan. 12-15, 2009, at the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. The retreat is sponsored by the Ministry Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board. The event will feature daily sessions with a speaker, nightly worship, a celebration of the 50 years of women in ministry in the denomination, and generous blocks of unscheduled "sabbath time" for participants. For more information contact Dana Cassell, Brethren Volunteer Service worker in the Office of Ministry, at dcassell_gb@brethren.org.
- Feb. 28 is the last day for senior high youth (grades 9-12) and advisors to register for the Christian Citizenship Seminar to be held March 29-April 3 in New York City and Washington, D.C. Register online at www.brethren.org/genbd/yya/ccs_reg.htm and note that the $350 registration fee is due by Feb. 28 for all participants. For more information visit the Youth and Young Adult Ministries webpage at www.brethren.org/genbd/yya.
- The Brethren Witness/Washington Office is encouraging participation in the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq on Friday, March 7. Events will take place in Washington, D.C., and around the country. Washington City Church of the Brethren will host one of several ecumenical worship services planned for 12 noon on March 7, with preacher J. Daryl Byler, regional representative for Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran for Mennonite Central Committee. Marches from around the city will then make their way to the Capitol for an Interfaith Witness on the Mall at 2:30 p.m. A public nonviolent action will follow. The Brethren Witness/Washington office is planning a Brethren gathering following worship at Washington City Church. Nonviolence trainings and workshops will take place before the event on Thursday, March 6. For those able to stay in Washington for the whole weekend, Ecumenical Advocacy Days will begin the evening of March 7, and March 10 has been designated as a lobby day. For more about Ecumenical Advocacy Days, go to www.advocacydays.org. For more about the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq go to www.christianpeacewitness.org. To take part in Brethren events, contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office at 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org.
- A "Progressive Brethren Summit" has been announced for Nov. 7-9 in Indianapolis, on the theme, "Faithful and Just: Progressive Brethren Speak." The event is sponsored jointly by Voices for an Open Spirit (VOS); the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests (BMC); Womaen’s Caucus; Christian Community; and a number of congregations and individuals; and will be hosted by Northview Church of the Brethren. It is planned as "a first general gathering of those who see themselves as ‘progressive’ and currently, or formerly, participate in the Church of the Brethren," according to an announcement. It begins Friday evening with worship and speakers addressing the difficulties facing progressive Christians in "A Challenged Church"; Saturday includes a plenary session on being "A Jesus Church," break-out groups with presenters on a variety of topics, afternoon workshops, evening worship and speakers focusing on "A Welcoming Church," and a concert by Mutual Kumquat and others; Sunday will present several models of progressive Bible studies, with worship and celebration of "A Courageous Church." Cost is estimated at around $80, plus housing. Details and registration will be available around March 1 at www.voicesforanopenspirit.org and www.bmclgbt.org. For more information contact Ken Kline Smeltzer at bksmeltz@comcast.net or Carol Wise at cwise@bmclgbt.org.
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. Frank Buhrman, Dana Cassell, Lerry Fogle, Bekah Houff, Merv Keeney, Jon Kobel, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin Krog, Marilyn Lerch, Donna March, Ralph McFadden, Janis Pyle, David Radcliff, Glen Sargent, Marcia Shetler, Ken Kline Smeltzer, Anna Speicher, and Sharon K Wine contributed to this report.
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. Frank Buhrman, Dana Cassell, Lerry Fogle, Bekah Houff, Merv Keeney, Jon Kobel, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin Krog, Marilyn Lerch, Donna March, Ralph McFadden, Janis Pyle, David Radcliff, Glen Sargent, Marcia Shetler, Ken Kline Smeltzer, Anna Speicher, and Sharon K Wine contributed to this report.
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