Bridgewater College welcomes Andrew Young to 300th Anniversary events.

Former ambassador and congressman Andrew Young will kick off observation of the 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren at Bridgewater (Va.) College, when he speaks on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall. Young will speak about the relevance of the Brethren doctrine of nonviolence.

The college--which was founded as a Brethren school in 1880 by Daniel C. Flory--will continue to observe the anniversary in April with a number of events that include conferring Young with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The conferment, which takes place April 1 in the Carter Center for Worship and Music, coincides with the college’s celebration of Founder’s Day. Young will speak briefly at the ceremony.

On April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Bowman Hall, Room 101, a panel of distinguished Brethren will discuss the significance of the Brethren heritage. "Core Brethren values seem less popular than ever, whether within the Brethren fellowship or in the larger society," said moderator and organizer Stephen Longenecker, professor of history and department chair. "What, then, does the future hold for the Brethren heritage?" The panel will consist of Mary Cline Detrick, Paul Mundey, Jeff Carter, and Bob Gross.

A public worship service commemorating the tricentennial will take place on April 6 at 3 p.m. in the Carter Center for Worship and Music. The service will feature a sermon by Kelly Burk of Richmond, Ind., and music by the College Chorale.

Additionally, on March 29, the college's Civil War Institute will host a talk about the Dunker meetinghouse on the Antietam battlefield. The speaker will be Alann Schmidt, a Park Ranger at the battlefield. The program also includes Paul Anderson of Clemson University, who will discuss Turner Ashby; and Christian Keller, professor at the US Army Command and General Staff College, who will speak on Pennsylvania German civilians during the Gettysburg Campaign. The symposium begins at 9 a.m. at McKinney Hall 100.

--Mary Kay Heatwole is media relations assistant for Bridgewater College.

Source: 3/27/2008 Newsline Extra