Wednesday, August 27, 2008
National Young Adult Conference meets in the mountains of Colorado.
About 130 people worshiped, conversed, and enjoyed the outdoors at this year’s Church of the Brethren National Young Adult Conference (NYAC) in Estes Park, Colo.
The schedule was built around worship, with morning and evening celebrations on the theme "Come to the Mountain: Guidance for the Journey" each day of the Aug. 11-15 event. Leaders for those times included a mix of young adults and denominational staff, each addressing a key word such as "honesty," "credibility," or "grace."
Several speakers looked at issues currently confronting Brethren. Videographer Dave Sollenberger of Annville, Pa., highlighted both examples of faithfulness and credibility in the church and places where the church has come up short. "It’s very easy to buy into the lies our culture has taught us," Sollenberger said.
On Thursday evening, in a drizzly outdoor service, On Earth Peace peace witness coordinator Matt Guynn looked at the conflict and differences that exist among Brethren. He suggested that the "push-pull" process can be dynamic and healthy, moving the church out of being "stuck" and stagnant. "We in the church need to engage in the push and the pull together," said Guynn, who also spoke at the closing service.
Kayla Camps, a young adult leader from Florida, challenged the group to work toward integrity. "The more of God we have in our everyday choices, the more just our society will become," she said.
Other worship leaders included general secretary Stan Noffsinger; Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren (Los Angeles) pastor Thomas Dowdy; Laura Stone, a young adult currently volunteering at Gould Farm in Massachusetts; and "Messenger" editor Walt Wiltschek.
Young adults delved further into some of the issues raised during a variety of workshops and community group times. Topics ranged from media and ministry to more controversial issues in the church, such as homosexuality and biblical interpretation. Staff from numerous Brethren agencies also shared about their work.
Less structured times included opportunities for salsa dancing, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, hiking, roller skating, and other options at the host YMCA of the Rockies. Several dozen people took part in service projects one afternoon, assisting with tasks such as staining fences and pulling invasive thistles. Late-evening open microphone sessions offered abundant music and laughter.
Bekah Houff, a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, served as coordinator for the conference with the help of the Young Adult Steering Committee. Jim Chinworth and Becky Ullom were worship coordinators, and Shawn Kirchner provided musical leadership.
--Walt Wiltschek is editor of the Church of the Brethren's "Messenger" magazine.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
About 130 people worshiped, conversed, and enjoyed the outdoors at this year’s Church of the Brethren National Young Adult Conference (NYAC) in Estes Park, Colo.
The schedule was built around worship, with morning and evening celebrations on the theme "Come to the Mountain: Guidance for the Journey" each day of the Aug. 11-15 event. Leaders for those times included a mix of young adults and denominational staff, each addressing a key word such as "honesty," "credibility," or "grace."
Several speakers looked at issues currently confronting Brethren. Videographer Dave Sollenberger of Annville, Pa., highlighted both examples of faithfulness and credibility in the church and places where the church has come up short. "It’s very easy to buy into the lies our culture has taught us," Sollenberger said.
On Thursday evening, in a drizzly outdoor service, On Earth Peace peace witness coordinator Matt Guynn looked at the conflict and differences that exist among Brethren. He suggested that the "push-pull" process can be dynamic and healthy, moving the church out of being "stuck" and stagnant. "We in the church need to engage in the push and the pull together," said Guynn, who also spoke at the closing service.
Kayla Camps, a young adult leader from Florida, challenged the group to work toward integrity. "The more of God we have in our everyday choices, the more just our society will become," she said.
Other worship leaders included general secretary Stan Noffsinger; Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren (Los Angeles) pastor Thomas Dowdy; Laura Stone, a young adult currently volunteering at Gould Farm in Massachusetts; and "Messenger" editor Walt Wiltschek.
Young adults delved further into some of the issues raised during a variety of workshops and community group times. Topics ranged from media and ministry to more controversial issues in the church, such as homosexuality and biblical interpretation. Staff from numerous Brethren agencies also shared about their work.
Less structured times included opportunities for salsa dancing, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, hiking, roller skating, and other options at the host YMCA of the Rockies. Several dozen people took part in service projects one afternoon, assisting with tasks such as staining fences and pulling invasive thistles. Late-evening open microphone sessions offered abundant music and laughter.
Bekah Houff, a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, served as coordinator for the conference with the help of the Young Adult Steering Committee. Jim Chinworth and Becky Ullom were worship coordinators, and Shawn Kirchner provided musical leadership.
--Walt Wiltschek is editor of the Church of the Brethren's "Messenger" magazine.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Annual Conference Council holds final meeting.
The Annual Conference Council met for its final meeting on Aug. 18 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. As of Sept. 1, the council will be dissolved and its functions will be transferred to the new denominational Leadership Team of the Church of the Brethren.
In addition to the council’s members, Stan Noffsinger, general secretary, participated to begin the transition to the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team, beginning Sept. 1, will include Annual Conference moderator David Shumate and moderator-elect Shawn Replogle, Annual Conference secretary Fred Swartz, and Noffsinger.
The council conducted its usual follow-up on the actions of the 2008 Annual Conference, noting where reminders needed to be sent to people or groups responsible for implementing the actions of the Conference. The council authorized a letter to members of the Implementation Committee expressing appreciation for their work in designing the new Church of the Brethren structure. It also encouraged the Conference officers to discuss how Standing Committee may receive training for handling appeals, and it directed letters to be sent to both Brethren Benefit Trust staff and Church of the Brethren staff encouraging them to give attention to the suggestions made in the Resolution on Ministers’ Medical Crisis. The council noted that the Program and Arrangements Committee already has the concerns of the Query on Annual Conference Witness to Host Cities on its agenda.
The council discussed a number of matters that it will pass on to the Leadership Team, including the coordination of envisioning for the denomination, updating the Church of the Brethren bylaws, updating the Manual of Organization and Polity, and deciding how appeals related to Program and Arrangements Committee guidelines will be handled in the future.
As its last function as the Annual Conference Council, the group conducted a performance review for Annual Conference executive director Lerry Fogle, enthusiastically affirming his work and his commitment to the church, to his family, and to Christ. Noffsinger shared with the council that the hiring of an executive to replace Fogle when he retires Dec. 5, 2009, will be handled by the Human Resources process of the Church of the Brethren. The plan includes having a new executive in place in time to receive on-the-job training at the 2009 Annual Conference.
--Fred Swartz is the secretary of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
The Annual Conference Council met for its final meeting on Aug. 18 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. As of Sept. 1, the council will be dissolved and its functions will be transferred to the new denominational Leadership Team of the Church of the Brethren.
In addition to the council’s members, Stan Noffsinger, general secretary, participated to begin the transition to the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team, beginning Sept. 1, will include Annual Conference moderator David Shumate and moderator-elect Shawn Replogle, Annual Conference secretary Fred Swartz, and Noffsinger.
The council conducted its usual follow-up on the actions of the 2008 Annual Conference, noting where reminders needed to be sent to people or groups responsible for implementing the actions of the Conference. The council authorized a letter to members of the Implementation Committee expressing appreciation for their work in designing the new Church of the Brethren structure. It also encouraged the Conference officers to discuss how Standing Committee may receive training for handling appeals, and it directed letters to be sent to both Brethren Benefit Trust staff and Church of the Brethren staff encouraging them to give attention to the suggestions made in the Resolution on Ministers’ Medical Crisis. The council noted that the Program and Arrangements Committee already has the concerns of the Query on Annual Conference Witness to Host Cities on its agenda.
The council discussed a number of matters that it will pass on to the Leadership Team, including the coordination of envisioning for the denomination, updating the Church of the Brethren bylaws, updating the Manual of Organization and Polity, and deciding how appeals related to Program and Arrangements Committee guidelines will be handled in the future.
As its last function as the Annual Conference Council, the group conducted a performance review for Annual Conference executive director Lerry Fogle, enthusiastically affirming his work and his commitment to the church, to his family, and to Christ. Noffsinger shared with the council that the hiring of an executive to replace Fogle when he retires Dec. 5, 2009, will be handled by the Human Resources process of the Church of the Brethren. The plan includes having a new executive in place in time to receive on-the-job training at the 2009 Annual Conference.
--Fred Swartz is the secretary of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Disabilities Ministry issues statement on movie ‘Tropic Thunder.’
The Church of the Brethren Disabilities Ministry has issued a statement on the recently released movie, "Tropic Thunder." The statement is made in support of people with intellectual disabilities, said Kathy Reid, executive director of the denomination’s Caring Ministries.
"Tropic Thunder" is a DreamWorks production directed by and starring Ben Stiller, released on Aug. 13. A portion of the plot is a fictional film, "Simple Jack," about a farmer with intellectual disabilities who is played by the Stiller character.
"While some people think labeling and humiliating others is funny, we believe such behavior is abusive and should not be considered acceptable," the Disabilities Ministry statement said in part, adding that the group is "appalled" by the movie. "Under the guise of ‘parody,’ ‘Tropic Thunder’ insults and harms individuals with intellectual disabilities by repeated use of the ‘R-word.’ The movie perpetuates derogatory images and stereotypes of these individuals by mocking their physical appearance and speech, perpetuating inappropriate myths and misperceptions, and legitimizing painful discrimination, exclusion, and bullying."
The Disabilities Ministry is led by a committee including Pat Challenger, Heddie Sumner, Karen Walters, Brett Winchester, and Kathy Reid as staff representative. Go to www.brethren.org/abc/disabilities/2008DisabilitiesStatement.pdf for the full text of the statement. Go to www.brethren.org/abc/disabilities/index.html for more information about the Church of the Brethren Disabilities Ministry.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
The Church of the Brethren Disabilities Ministry has issued a statement on the recently released movie, "Tropic Thunder." The statement is made in support of people with intellectual disabilities, said Kathy Reid, executive director of the denomination’s Caring Ministries.
"Tropic Thunder" is a DreamWorks production directed by and starring Ben Stiller, released on Aug. 13. A portion of the plot is a fictional film, "Simple Jack," about a farmer with intellectual disabilities who is played by the Stiller character.
"While some people think labeling and humiliating others is funny, we believe such behavior is abusive and should not be considered acceptable," the Disabilities Ministry statement said in part, adding that the group is "appalled" by the movie. "Under the guise of ‘parody,’ ‘Tropic Thunder’ insults and harms individuals with intellectual disabilities by repeated use of the ‘R-word.’ The movie perpetuates derogatory images and stereotypes of these individuals by mocking their physical appearance and speech, perpetuating inappropriate myths and misperceptions, and legitimizing painful discrimination, exclusion, and bullying."
The Disabilities Ministry is led by a committee including Pat Challenger, Heddie Sumner, Karen Walters, Brett Winchester, and Kathy Reid as staff representative. Go to www.brethren.org/abc/disabilities/2008DisabilitiesStatement.pdf for the full text of the statement. Go to www.brethren.org/abc/disabilities/index.html for more information about the Church of the Brethren Disabilities Ministry.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Brethren bits: Corrections, personnel, jobs, Hurricane Katrina, more.
- Corrections: Brethren Press has been informed that the price announced in the Newsline Special of Aug. 26 for the book, "Schwarzenau 1708-2008," is incorrect--the correct price is still to be determined. Also, the Young Adult Conference dates announced in Newsline were incorrect. Correct dates for next year's Young Adult Conference are May 23-25, 2009.
- Beth Gunzel on July 24 completed four years as consultant to the Church of the Brethren’s Micro-Loan Community Development Program in the Dominican Republic. The ministry reaches 19 communities with 500 loans for economic development. She recently began transitioning the program to Dominican leadership. Gunzel holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
- There have been several staffing changes among Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) workers at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.: Monica Rice has completed a term as assistant to the director of BVS, and will attend Bethany Theological Seminary this fall. Sharon Flaten and Jerry O’Donnell have completed their work as assistant coordinators of the Workcamp Program, and Flaten has begun a new term of service as recruitment assistant in BVS. O’Donnell will be traveling to the Dominican Republic to serve as assistant to Brethren mission coordinators Nancy and Irvin Heishman. Emily Laprade and Meghan Horne have begun as assistant coordinators for the Workcamp Program for 2008-09. Laprade attended Bridgewater (Va.) College and is a member of Antioch Church of the Brethren. Horne attended UNC at Chapel Hill and is a member of Mill Creek Church of the Brethren.
- Susan Chapman, program director at Camp Bethel from 2002-08, will be honored at a Labor Day Family Weekend at the camp in Fincastle, Va. The recognition will take place at the potluck dinner on Aug. 31, at 5:30 p.m. "During Susan's tenure at Camp Bethel, summer camps grew 51 percent!" said camp director Barry LeNoir. Gifts, notes of appreciation, and requests for camp song lyrics for Chapman may be sent to skc002@gmail.com or to 3228 Pasley Ave., SW, Roanoke, VA 24015-4422.
- Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., is seeking applicants for the position of academic dean. The seminary seeks to make an appointment by or before July 1, 2009. The academic dean assists in the management of the seminary with and on behalf of the president. The dean provides administrative oversight for Bethany’s graduate and certificate programs with direct responsibility for the graduate curriculum. The dean also works with administrative colleagues who have immediate responsibility for certificate educational programs and the developing program in distributed education. The position provides the dean opportunity to teach part time. Preferred qualifications for appointment include an earned doctoral degree, five or more years of teaching experience, and commitment to academic innovation and excellence; administrative skill: personnel relations, program oversight, including distributed education, and budget management; membership in the Church of the Brethren with commitment to the church’s beliefs, practices, and heritage; and excitement about and dedication to preparing people for Christian ministry and educating those called as witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1905, Bethany Theological Seminary is the graduate school and academy of the Church of the Brethren. The seminary seeks to prepare people for Christian ministry and to educate those called as Christian leaders and scholars. In the context of the whole Christian tradition, Bethany’s educational program bears witness to the belief and practices of the Church of the Brethren, including community, peace, justice, reconciliation, service, and simplicity. Bethany’s student body includes graduate and certificate students, residential and distance students, who have diverse theological perspectives and vocational directions. In partnership with the Earlham School of Religion, Bethany is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada and by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The seminary is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applications from persons who can enhance the diversity of the community. Review of applications will begin Oct. 31. Interested persons should submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae, and request three people to send letters of recommendation. Electronic submissions of materials are preferred at Academicdeansearch@bethanyseminary.edu or mail materials to the Office of the President, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Rd. W., Richmond, IN 47374.
- Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks to fill the position of chief financial officer (CFO). This is a fulltime salaried position based in Elgin, Ill., for a not-for-profit organization that provides pension, insurance, foundation, and credit union services for 6,000 members and clients nationwide. This second-level management position reports to the president of BBT. Brethren Benefit Trust is an agency of the Church of the Brethren. The CFO’s chief responsibility is to safeguard BBT’s assets and assets under management. The CFO provides oversight of the Finance Department, the budgeting process, the annual audit and audit functions, BBT’s investment managers, and the organization’s compliance issues. The scope of the CFO’s duties includes to work with each program unit to develop the annual budget and then monitor all expenses against the budget. The CFO serves on the senior management team and is charged with planning strategically to help ensure that each BBT ministry meets the needs of members and clients and is self-sustaining. The CFO manages all aspects of the organization’s work and relationships with BBT’s custodian, investment managers, audit firm, and related consultants, and serves as the staff liaison to the BBT Board’s Investment and Budget and Audit Review Committees. The CFO coordinates all of BBT’s tax filings and the organization’s insurance needs. The CFO ensures that BBT remain compliant with all applicable organizational and industry-related laws, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations. The CFO travels to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, BBT Board meetings, and other denominational events as needed. BBT seeks candidates with undergraduate degrees in accounting, business, or related fields, along with advanced certifications or degrees such as CPA or MBA. Candidates should have eight years of experience in finance, administration, and personnel supervision, preferably for not-for-profit organizations. Strong knowledge of investments and experience in business planning is desired. Current and active membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred; current and active membership in a faith community is required. Salary is competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A full benefits package is included. Apply by sending a letter of interest, resume, three references (one from a supervisor, one from a colleague, and one from a friend), and salary-range expectation to Donna March, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; or dmarch_bbt@brethren.org. For questions or clarification about the position, call 847-622-3371. For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust, visit www.brethrenbenefittrust.org. The application deadline is Oct. 6.
- Brethren Benefit Trust seeks a director of communications to serve in a fulltime salaried position based in Elgin, Ill. This second-level management position reports to the president of BBT. The director of communications provides oversight of communications, marketing, promotional, and operational initiatives that undergird BBT’s ministries. The scope of the director's duties includes overseeing the department that produces newsletters, fliers, mailings, advertisements, a family of websites, promotional and operational materials, videos, and other resources to meet the various needs of BBT and its individual departments. The director supervises the manager of publications, the production coordinator, and the marketing coordinator. The director is a member of BBT's senior management team and is responsible for establishing the organization’s editorial policies and guidelines. The director of communications travels to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, BBT Board meetings, and other denominational events as needed. BBT seeks candidates with undergraduate degrees in communications, English, business, or related fields. Candidates should have a minimum of five years of professional experience in editorial, marketing, promotions, administration, and/or personnel supervision. Candidates need to be articulate writers and public presenters. Knowledge of and interest in business and financial investments is helpful. Current and active membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred; current and active membership in a faith community is required. Salary is competitive with Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A full benefits package is included. Apply by sending a letter of interest, resume, three references (one from a supervisor, one from a colleague, one from a friend), and salary-range expectation to Donna March, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, or dmarch_bbt@brethren.org. For questions or clarification about the position, call 847-622-3371. For more information about Brethren Benefit Trust, visit www.brethrenbenefittrust.org. The application deadline is Oct. 6.
- Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., seeks a half time associate for its Institutional Advancement Department. Primary responsibilities include visiting with donors in selected geographical areas, representing Bethany at conferences and church gatherings, and working with the advancement team to plan and implement constituent relations and fundraising activities. Half the time of this position needs to be in travel, sometimes on weekends. Prior fundraising experience is not required, but best-suited candidates will enjoy creative and fruitful interpersonal conversation as well as be comfortable speaking in public settings. Candidates should also be prepared to learn about funding approaches and strategies, and to develop skill and astuteness in assessing donor circumstances and matching appropriate approaches with donors. Candidates must be familiar with the Church of the Brethren, be committed to leadership development for a changing church, and have instinctive sensitivity for realities of congregational life and ministry challenges in congregations. Minimum educational preparation is a baccalaureate degree, with a master of divinity degree helpful. Send resumes as soon as possible to Lowell Flory, Bethany Theological Seminary, 615 National Rd. W., Richmond, IN 47374; or florylo@bethanyseminary.edu. Review of resumes will begin by Sept. 29 and applications will continue to be received until the position is filled. Bethany is an equal opportunity employer.
- Camp Bethel, a ministry of Virlina District located near Fincastle, Va., is accepting resumes and applications for the following positions, for dependable, caring workers with good interpersonal and leadership skills: assistant director (fulltime), food services director (fulltime), administrative assistant (part-time), cooks (part-time), and resident volunteers. Application forms, position descriptions, and more information about each position are available at www.campbethelvirginia.org/jobs.htm or call 540-992-2940. Send a letter of interest and updated resume to Camp Bethel director Barry LeNoir at camp.bethel@juno.com.
- Many across the nation are remembering the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, including Church of the Brethren disaster relief volunteers and staff who have worked to rebuild homes destroyed in the storm. Zach Wolgemuth, associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, also has been involved in an ecumenical program called Churches Supporting Churches, which is bringing together partners from across the country in an effort to rebuild the church communities of New Orleans. "Prior to a recent meeting, a local pastor approached me and handed me a pecan nut," Wolgemuth wrote in a reflection on the disaster relief work. "He said that he wanted me to carry the nut with me to remind me that a nut is also a seed, and at times being a little ‘nuts’ is just what God has called us to be. In this vein, Brethren Disaster Ministries thanks all volunteers, who as ‘nuts’ have been seeds of hope to numerous survivors struggling to recover from disasters. May God bless you this day with a touch of insanity so that you too may be a ‘nut,’ sowing seeds of hope, love, peace, and justice in the name of Christ the risen Lord."
- The 2008 National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) begins on Sept. 1 at Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Assembly. For the news team’s onsite reports, see www.brethren-caregivers.org.
- "Judgment and Hope" is the Gather 'Round theme for the fall. The Gather ’Round Sunday school curriculum is produced jointly by Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network. Bible stories for the Fall quarter, which starts Aug. 31, focus on the stories of Israel’s history through prophets and kings. Gather ’Round also has launched a new website feature called "Ask Anna," a Q&A column with answers to questions that have come to the curriculum staff. Users of the curriculum are invited to submit questions, and the content will be changed weekly. This week’s question, for example, is signed by "Teaching Tuneless," and asks, "I teach a small youth class. My kids don’t like to sing from the hymnal--actually they don’t like singing at all. What do I do?" Go to www.gatherround.org for the answer from Gather ’Round project director and editor Anna Speicher, and to see the complete line-up of Gather 'Round products. Order Gather ’Round curriculum from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712.
- Children's Disaster Services has three Level 1 Volunteer Workshops planned for October. The workshops are required for anyone who volunteers with the program to care for children following disasters. Workshops will take place on Oct. 3-4 at the American Red Cross, 2530 Lombard Ave., Everett, Wash.; on Oct. 3-4 in Tacoma, Wash. (location to be announced); and on Oct. 10-11 at the Holiday Inn Evansville Conference Center, 4101 Highway 41 N., Evansville, Ind. Children’s Disaster Services is a Church of the Brethren program in which volunteers provide a calm, safe, and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos that follows disaster by setting up and operating special child care centers in disaster locations. Workshops are open to anyone over 18 years of age. Cost is $45 or $55 for late registration. For more see www.childrensdisasterservices.org or contact cds_gb@brethren.org or 800-451-4407 ext. 5.
- Lewiston (Minn.) Church of the Brethren holds its 150th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 13-14. Activities include time for visiting, viewing photos and scrapbooks, historical exhibits, a cemetery walk, Saturday evening worship at 7:30 p.m. with former pastors Roger Schrock and Paul Roth, and Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m. with pastors Schrock and Roth. Meals will be served throughout the weekend, with free-will donations accepted. Proceeds beyond celebration costs will benefit a mission project of making hygiene kits for Church World Service. Submit reservations to the church by Aug. 31, send to lewistoncob@yahoo.com or call 507-523-3117.
- Oak Grove Church of the Brethren in Lowpoint, Ill., is celebrating its 125th anniversary on Oct. 12. A worship service will be held at 10:30 a.m., following by a potluck lunch, and an afternoon program at 1:30 p.m. The program will feature stories from the church’s history, greetings from former pastors and friends of the congregation, and "any other testimonies people want to give," according to church member Alberta Christ, who is publicizing the event. For more information call 309-443-5275.
- Bellefontaine (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is planning an Anniversary-Homecoming Celebration on Sept. 14, to mark the 100th anniversary of the congregation’s present church building. Events begin at 9:30 a.m. with a 300th Anniversary presentation by Mark and Mary Jo Flory-Steury, worship at 10:45 a.m. with a message by Mark Flory-Steury, executive minister for Southern Ohio District, followed by a carry-in dinner. For more information call 937-292-7191.
- Dixon (Ill.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a Spiritual Renewal Weekend on Sept. 13-14 in celebration of the congregation’s 100th anniversary and the 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren. Jim Myer, an ordained minister at White Oak Church of the Brethren and a leader in the Brethren Revival Fellowship, will lead the services. Worship will take place on Saturday at 8:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., followed by an ice cream social, and on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. followed by a question and answer time and a carry-in dinner. For more information call the church at 815-284-2711.
- Chambersburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Homecoming Service on Oct. 19. Phil Carlos, a former moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and interim pastor at First Church of the Brethren in Brooklyn, N.Y., will be the speaker. For more information contact the church at 717-264-6957.
- Olympic View Church of the Brethren is holding a 300th Anniversary/60th Anniversary Homecoming and Rally Sunday Weekend on Sept. 6-7. The congregation will celebrate the 300th Anniversary of the Church of the Brethren and the 60th anniversary of its church building.
- Northern Ohio District is holding a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) 60th Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 1 at County Line Church of the Brethren in Harrod, Ohio. The event begins with an Opening Celebration at 2 p.m. led by Leslie Lake, followed at 2:30 p.m. by a "Mingle and Share" time for former volunteers to bring pictures and stories of their time in BVS. A dinner follows at 5:30 p.m., cost is $5. The evening closes with a 7 p.m. Worship Celebration Concert. The celebration is not limited to BVS volunteers and former volunteers, and family and friends are invited. RSVP to Billi Janet Burkey by Oct. 24 at billijanet@aol.com or 330-418-1148 or send a response by mail to 7980 Hebron Ave. NE, Louisville, OH 44641.
- Juniata College has hired Richard Mahoney as director of the Baker Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. He succeeds Andrew Murray in the position. Mahoney has spent the last four years as visiting professor for the New York University Stern School Program at Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also has taught at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz., and has been a guest lecturer or professor at Oxford University, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade, and the Universidad del Pacifico in Quito, Ecuador. He has been a John F. Kennedy Presidential Scholar at the University of Massachusetts and a Kennedy Scholar at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and holds degrees from Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, and Arizona State University. His political career includes serving a four-year term as the Secretary of State for Arizona, and running for the US Senate seat of Arizona and for governor of Arizona. He has worked as a speechwriter or political consultant from 1978-2002, and was chief speechwriter for the presidential campaigns of Gary Hart and Paul Simon. Mahoney is an author and film director as well, having written book on politics including "Sons and Brothers: The Days of Jack and Bobby Kennedy," and more recently has directed documentary films including "Strong at the Broken Places," with stories from the Iraq war.
- The Manchester College A Cappella Choir will sing for the Sunday morning worship service at Elkhart (Ind.) Valley Church of the Brethren on Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m. The congregation is hosting the choir's annual organizational retreat. For more information call the church at 574-875-5802.
- The World Council of Churches (WCC) has marked its beginnings 60 years ago on Aug. 23, 1948, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The commemoration included a select gathering at the Nieuwe Kerk where the opening service of the WCC's founding assembly took place exactly 60 years earlier, as well as the publication of a new book of essays on the ecumenical movement.
- An Ecumenical Conference on Human Trafficking will be held on Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City, co-sponsored by the National Council of Churches (NCC) Justice for Women Working Group and the United Methodist Women's Division-United Methodist Seminar Program on National and International Affairs. This conference will serve as an opportunity for faith-based leaders to explore best practices and new approaches for working together to end human trafficking. The event will feature resource people from diverse fields including both secular and religious organizations, and will consider education, legislative, recovery, and social work approaches to address human trafficking, taking seriously the web of oppression that includes race, economics, and gender. Following the conference, the NCC will be collecting and developing ecumenical worship materials for use on Sunday, Jan. 11, Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The registration deadline for the conference is Sept. 15. An agenda with a list of resource presenters can be requested from atiemeyer@ncccusa.org.
- Church of the Brethren member Brian Sell gained 22nd place in the Olympic marathon on Aug. 24, with a time of 2:16:07. Gold medal winner Samuel Kamau Wansiru of Kenya won the race with a time of 2:06:32, a new Olympic record (see www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/resultsandschedules/rsc=ATM099100/index.html for the full results). It was Sell's first experience at the Olympics. He is a member of Woodbury (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
Booz resigns from Mid-Atlantic District, to serve in Pacific Southwest.
Donald R. Booz has resigned as district executive minister of Mid-Atlantic District, effective Nov. 21. He has been called to serve as district executive minister of Pacific Southwest District, beginning in December.
Booz has had 28 years of experience in ministry, having served as executive for Mid-Atlantic District since 2000, and filling previous positions as district executive of the former Florida and Puerto Rico District (now Atlantic Southeast), and pastorates at McPherson, Kan., and Winter Park, Fla. He is a graduate of Shippensburg State University, Bethany Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary, from which he earned a doctor of minister degree.
He will relocate to the La Verne, Calif., area in late November, and will attend the Pacific Southwest District Conference in Fresno, Calif., Nov. 7-9.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Donald R. Booz has resigned as district executive minister of Mid-Atlantic District, effective Nov. 21. He has been called to serve as district executive minister of Pacific Southwest District, beginning in December.
Booz has had 28 years of experience in ministry, having served as executive for Mid-Atlantic District since 2000, and filling previous positions as district executive of the former Florida and Puerto Rico District (now Atlantic Southeast), and pastorates at McPherson, Kan., and Winter Park, Fla. He is a graduate of Shippensburg State University, Bethany Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary, from which he earned a doctor of minister degree.
He will relocate to the La Verne, Calif., area in late November, and will attend the Pacific Southwest District Conference in Fresno, Calif., Nov. 7-9.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Armenia study tour is planned for Sept. 2009.
Heifer International and the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships are co-sponsoring a study tour to Armenia in Sept. 2009. The tour will be led by Jan Schrock, a former director of Brethren Volunteer Service and daughter of Dan West, who originally established Heifer Project as a program of the Church of the Brethren.
"It's an historic event for Brethren, harking to the remarkable engagement of Brethren with Armenians at a time of genocide almost a century ago. The response marked the entry of Brethren into overseas relief and service ministries," said Howard Royer, manager of the Church of the Brethren's Global Food Crisis Fund.
The Global Food Crisis Fund has maintained Brethren involvement with Armenia and Heifer International through a series of recent grants. The fund in 2004 gave a grant of $10,000 to Heifer for the Aigebetz "Sunrise" Project in Armenia, that helped orphaned teens who were no longer eligible for government support to become established with land, housing, training, and livestock. In 2006, a $10,000 grant to Heifer helped develop a Rural Women's Union in Armenia, networking women heads of households engaged in subsistent farming. Currently the fund supports the PASS Program in Armenia through a partnership with the Foods Resource Bank.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Heifer International and the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships are co-sponsoring a study tour to Armenia in Sept. 2009. The tour will be led by Jan Schrock, a former director of Brethren Volunteer Service and daughter of Dan West, who originally established Heifer Project as a program of the Church of the Brethren.
"It's an historic event for Brethren, harking to the remarkable engagement of Brethren with Armenians at a time of genocide almost a century ago. The response marked the entry of Brethren into overseas relief and service ministries," said Howard Royer, manager of the Church of the Brethren's Global Food Crisis Fund.
The Global Food Crisis Fund has maintained Brethren involvement with Armenia and Heifer International through a series of recent grants. The fund in 2004 gave a grant of $10,000 to Heifer for the Aigebetz "Sunrise" Project in Armenia, that helped orphaned teens who were no longer eligible for government support to become established with land, housing, training, and livestock. In 2006, a $10,000 grant to Heifer helped develop a Rural Women's Union in Armenia, networking women heads of households engaged in subsistent farming. Currently the fund supports the PASS Program in Armenia through a partnership with the Foods Resource Bank.
Source: 8/27/2008 Newsline
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Nevin Dulabaum, Nancy Knepper, Jeri S. Kornegay, Barry LeNoir, LethaJoy Martin, Mary Kay Ogden, Janis Pyle, Howard Royer, Marcia Shetler, and John Wall 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. Nevin Dulabaum, Nancy Knepper, Jeri S. Kornegay, Barry LeNoir, LethaJoy Martin, Mary Kay Ogden, Janis Pyle, Howard Royer, Marcia Shetler, and John Wall contributed to this report.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Special: Reflections on the 300th Anniversary
NEWSFEATURES
NEWSFEATURES
Brethren receive apology for the persecution of the 1700s in Europe.
During the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement, held in early August in Schwarzenau, Germany, the Brethren received an apology for the persecution their faith ancestors suffered during the early 1700s in Europe. Ingo Stucke, a member of the Governing Board of the Protestant Church of Westphalia, Germany, made the apology during the formal Anniversary Program on the afternoon of Aug. 3.
"The persecutions are a black spot on the history of the Evangelical Protestant Church," Stucke said. "We regret the persecutions of that time and ask your forgiveness."
The apology to the Brethren follows on the heels of a decision in mid-July by the main governing body of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to seek forgiveness for Lutheran persecution of Anabaptists during the 16th century in Europe. The LWF decision was made at the recommendation of a committee chaired by a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany, and comes out of a Lutheran-Mennonite study commission. In 2006, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made a formal apology for Lutheran persecution against Anabaptists.
Stucke prefaced the apology with remarks noting that he has been gaining insights into the history of Anabaptist and Pietist movements. He named three conclusions about the ecumenical coexistence of his own faith tradition with that of the Brethren: that the Protestant Church of Westphalia was founded after World War II but is located in the first German territory where religious tolerance prevailed historically; that it was Lutheran and Reformed Christians who persecuted the Pietists and Anabaptists; and that where Pietism and revival movements have been active they have left their mark.
"When we look at the legacy of Pietism I regret that the potential of this movement did not develop here, but celebrate that it did thrive elsewhere," Stucke said.
Stucke characterized a celebration like the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren as an invitation to place commonalities in the foreground. The 250th anniversary of the Brethren was an important ecumenical event for German churches during the time of reconstruction after World War II, he said. This year's celebration offers another occasion to critically examine theological concepts about baptism and other marks of faith, and perhaps a call for more conversation about theology, he said.
He added a personal hope that such conversation may lead to the reality "That they all may be one." Unity is not about uniformity, Stucke said, but about a witness to the world.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
During the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement, held in early August in Schwarzenau, Germany, the Brethren received an apology for the persecution their faith ancestors suffered during the early 1700s in Europe. Ingo Stucke, a member of the Governing Board of the Protestant Church of Westphalia, Germany, made the apology during the formal Anniversary Program on the afternoon of Aug. 3.
"The persecutions are a black spot on the history of the Evangelical Protestant Church," Stucke said. "We regret the persecutions of that time and ask your forgiveness."
The apology to the Brethren follows on the heels of a decision in mid-July by the main governing body of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to seek forgiveness for Lutheran persecution of Anabaptists during the 16th century in Europe. The LWF decision was made at the recommendation of a committee chaired by a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany, and comes out of a Lutheran-Mennonite study commission. In 2006, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made a formal apology for Lutheran persecution against Anabaptists.
Stucke prefaced the apology with remarks noting that he has been gaining insights into the history of Anabaptist and Pietist movements. He named three conclusions about the ecumenical coexistence of his own faith tradition with that of the Brethren: that the Protestant Church of Westphalia was founded after World War II but is located in the first German territory where religious tolerance prevailed historically; that it was Lutheran and Reformed Christians who persecuted the Pietists and Anabaptists; and that where Pietism and revival movements have been active they have left their mark.
"When we look at the legacy of Pietism I regret that the potential of this movement did not develop here, but celebrate that it did thrive elsewhere," Stucke said.
Stucke characterized a celebration like the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren as an invitation to place commonalities in the foreground. The 250th anniversary of the Brethren was an important ecumenical event for German churches during the time of reconstruction after World War II, he said. This year's celebration offers another occasion to critically examine theological concepts about baptism and other marks of faith, and perhaps a call for more conversation about theology, he said.
He added a personal hope that such conversation may lead to the reality "That they all may be one." Unity is not about uniformity, Stucke said, but about a witness to the world.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
Brethren Service is recognized at Peace Fest in Germany.
Members of the Lutheran Pfarrkirche St. Marien and the Marburg Peace Initiative hosted a Peace Fest on Aug. 1, for Brethren attending the 300th Anniversary celebrations in Germany. The program focused on the history and progression of Church of the Brethren work in Europe from the post-war period to the present. More than 200 Brethren were joined by representatives of partner organizations for peace that the Brethren helped found after World War II.
Ken Rogers, a professor at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., introduced the evening's speakers, noting that Christians had been gathering in this location in Marburg for 900 years. The pastor of the Pfarrkirche, Ulrich Biskamp, greeted the meeting by saying, "Since the beginning, the Church of the Brethren has cared about peace. We will never forget the work of Church of the Brethren after the war, for which we are very thankful."
Ken Kreider reported on Brethren work in Europe, beginning with the work of Dan West in Spain in the 1930s. The Brethren next assisted in Europe following World War II, providing for prisoners in POW camps in England, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and distributing food in France.
Church of the Brethren leader M.R. Zigler was able to convince the US military to allow him to go into Germany after the war to assess needs there. The US military allowed the Brethren to provide for urgent physical needs of the population because according to the Geneva Convention, an occupying power is responsible for providing for the needs of the civilian population, Kreider reported.
Brethren aid following World War II also reached Poland, and Kassel in central Germany, which was 80 percent destroyed in the war. A few of the original volunteers who worked at the Brethren House in Kassel were present at the Peace Fest.
The US military after the war suggested that the church begin a student exchange program for German young people to go to the US for a year. Thus began the International Christian Youth Exchange (ICYE), which is now an independent organization. Four representatives of ICYE drove from Berlin to Marburg to be present at the Peace Fest.
Rogers noted in his presentation that after many years of relief work, "clearly more had emerged than just material aid. Sincere friendship had developed." Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA) was organized in 1962 as a way to continue making meaningful connections between the Brethren and the people of Europe. The city of Marburg was the first BCA site, and the late Donald Durnbaugh was one of its first onsite directors. The program expanded into many countries outside of Europe under the direction of Allen Deeter, and now has participants from over 100 colleges.
Dale Ott, former coordinator of Brethren Volunteer Service (Europe), reported that "wherever there was division in Europe, BVS projects tried to be there." BVS sites have been places of dialogue for people to come together and understand one another, he said. During his work for BVS, Ott placed volunteers in N. Ireland, Berlin, Poland, Cypress, and Jerusalem, and visited churches in the Eastern bloc.
After churches and grassroots groups in East Germany started the movement which led to the Berlin Wall coming down, BVS expanded its project sites into the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, and Belgrade, under the leadership of Kristin Flory, Brethren Service (Europe) coordinator for the past 20 years. Expansion occurred despite declining resources for the program. Flory quoted one volunteer as saying, "We live in a hurting world and churches need to respond to that in love."
Ott recognized Wilfried Warneck, who established Church and Peace, building on the efforts of M.R. Zigler and Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder. The organization established a Historic Peace Church network in Europe, together with the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. French Mennonite theologian and Church and Peace general secretary Marie-Noelle von der Recke remarked that the Church of the Brethren was key in the foundation of Church and Peace. Members of Church and Peace also were instrumental in leading the Decade to Overcome Violence of the World Council of Churches.
"Jesus' nonviolence belongs to the core of the Gospel and the church is called to give witness to this nonviolence in society" by showing God's love and compassion, von der Recke said. "Love of enemies is the way of the cross, confronting the myth of redemptive violence. Conscientious objection and peace service; justice and solidarity with the oppressed, victims of war, and injustice; and advocacy for justice in issues of economics and the environment give expression to our belief that Jesus is Lord. Peace and justice must be practiced on a daily basis.... True security is found in God."
Angela Koenig, director of Eirene International Christian Service for Peace, congratulated the Church of the Brethren on its 300th Anniversary. Eirene, the conscientious objector service in Europe founded by the Historic Peace Churches, cooperates with BVS in sending volunteers to the US, throughout Europe, South America, Morocco, Niger, and South Africa. Eirene celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer. "We wish and pray that the Brethren continue to stay strong and keep working in the spirit of your founders," Koenig said.
Wolfgang Krauss, who worked with the German Mennonite Peace Committee for 25 years, brought Mennonite congratulations on the 300th Anniversary. "The Anabaptist movement started almost 200 years before... so let me, as an older brother, congratulate my younger brothers and sisters!" he said.
The German Mennonite Peace Committee was founded in 1956 to recover an Anabaptist peace witness that had been lost, Krauss explained. "German Mennonites had lost their nonconformist peace position. Those who had gone to North America helped us a lot after World War II, with material relief and even more in helping us start a new discourse in peace theology."
European and North American Mennonite volunteers also are part of the Military Counseling Network that works with US military personnel who are considering conscientious objection. There are some 70,000 American GIs stationed in Europe.
Members of the Marburg Peace Initiative, who are also members of the St. Marien Parish, presented a summary of their activities for peace in the last 20 years. Marie-Luise Keller spoke for the group.
The crowd also was treated to organ music by the organist of the University Church in Marburg, the parish provided refreshments, and information tables were available to the guests.
After an evening of celebrating mutual mission efforts between the Church of the Brethren and its partner organizations in Europe, Rogers summed it all up by saying, "Thank you to our European brothers and sisters for giving the Church of the Brethren so much!"
--Myrna Frantz is a former Brethren Volunteer Service worker at Church and Peace.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
Members of the Lutheran Pfarrkirche St. Marien and the Marburg Peace Initiative hosted a Peace Fest on Aug. 1, for Brethren attending the 300th Anniversary celebrations in Germany. The program focused on the history and progression of Church of the Brethren work in Europe from the post-war period to the present. More than 200 Brethren were joined by representatives of partner organizations for peace that the Brethren helped found after World War II.
Ken Rogers, a professor at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., introduced the evening's speakers, noting that Christians had been gathering in this location in Marburg for 900 years. The pastor of the Pfarrkirche, Ulrich Biskamp, greeted the meeting by saying, "Since the beginning, the Church of the Brethren has cared about peace. We will never forget the work of Church of the Brethren after the war, for which we are very thankful."
Ken Kreider reported on Brethren work in Europe, beginning with the work of Dan West in Spain in the 1930s. The Brethren next assisted in Europe following World War II, providing for prisoners in POW camps in England, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and distributing food in France.
Church of the Brethren leader M.R. Zigler was able to convince the US military to allow him to go into Germany after the war to assess needs there. The US military allowed the Brethren to provide for urgent physical needs of the population because according to the Geneva Convention, an occupying power is responsible for providing for the needs of the civilian population, Kreider reported.
Brethren aid following World War II also reached Poland, and Kassel in central Germany, which was 80 percent destroyed in the war. A few of the original volunteers who worked at the Brethren House in Kassel were present at the Peace Fest.
The US military after the war suggested that the church begin a student exchange program for German young people to go to the US for a year. Thus began the International Christian Youth Exchange (ICYE), which is now an independent organization. Four representatives of ICYE drove from Berlin to Marburg to be present at the Peace Fest.
Rogers noted in his presentation that after many years of relief work, "clearly more had emerged than just material aid. Sincere friendship had developed." Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA) was organized in 1962 as a way to continue making meaningful connections between the Brethren and the people of Europe. The city of Marburg was the first BCA site, and the late Donald Durnbaugh was one of its first onsite directors. The program expanded into many countries outside of Europe under the direction of Allen Deeter, and now has participants from over 100 colleges.
Dale Ott, former coordinator of Brethren Volunteer Service (Europe), reported that "wherever there was division in Europe, BVS projects tried to be there." BVS sites have been places of dialogue for people to come together and understand one another, he said. During his work for BVS, Ott placed volunteers in N. Ireland, Berlin, Poland, Cypress, and Jerusalem, and visited churches in the Eastern bloc.
After churches and grassroots groups in East Germany started the movement which led to the Berlin Wall coming down, BVS expanded its project sites into the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, and Belgrade, under the leadership of Kristin Flory, Brethren Service (Europe) coordinator for the past 20 years. Expansion occurred despite declining resources for the program. Flory quoted one volunteer as saying, "We live in a hurting world and churches need to respond to that in love."
Ott recognized Wilfried Warneck, who established Church and Peace, building on the efforts of M.R. Zigler and Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder. The organization established a Historic Peace Church network in Europe, together with the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. French Mennonite theologian and Church and Peace general secretary Marie-Noelle von der Recke remarked that the Church of the Brethren was key in the foundation of Church and Peace. Members of Church and Peace also were instrumental in leading the Decade to Overcome Violence of the World Council of Churches.
"Jesus' nonviolence belongs to the core of the Gospel and the church is called to give witness to this nonviolence in society" by showing God's love and compassion, von der Recke said. "Love of enemies is the way of the cross, confronting the myth of redemptive violence. Conscientious objection and peace service; justice and solidarity with the oppressed, victims of war, and injustice; and advocacy for justice in issues of economics and the environment give expression to our belief that Jesus is Lord. Peace and justice must be practiced on a daily basis.... True security is found in God."
Angela Koenig, director of Eirene International Christian Service for Peace, congratulated the Church of the Brethren on its 300th Anniversary. Eirene, the conscientious objector service in Europe founded by the Historic Peace Churches, cooperates with BVS in sending volunteers to the US, throughout Europe, South America, Morocco, Niger, and South Africa. Eirene celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer. "We wish and pray that the Brethren continue to stay strong and keep working in the spirit of your founders," Koenig said.
Wolfgang Krauss, who worked with the German Mennonite Peace Committee for 25 years, brought Mennonite congratulations on the 300th Anniversary. "The Anabaptist movement started almost 200 years before... so let me, as an older brother, congratulate my younger brothers and sisters!" he said.
The German Mennonite Peace Committee was founded in 1956 to recover an Anabaptist peace witness that had been lost, Krauss explained. "German Mennonites had lost their nonconformist peace position. Those who had gone to North America helped us a lot after World War II, with material relief and even more in helping us start a new discourse in peace theology."
European and North American Mennonite volunteers also are part of the Military Counseling Network that works with US military personnel who are considering conscientious objection. There are some 70,000 American GIs stationed in Europe.
Members of the Marburg Peace Initiative, who are also members of the St. Marien Parish, presented a summary of their activities for peace in the last 20 years. Marie-Luise Keller spoke for the group.
The crowd also was treated to organ music by the organist of the University Church in Marburg, the parish provided refreshments, and information tables were available to the guests.
After an evening of celebrating mutual mission efforts between the Church of the Brethren and its partner organizations in Europe, Rogers summed it all up by saying, "Thank you to our European brothers and sisters for giving the Church of the Brethren so much!"
--Myrna Frantz is a former Brethren Volunteer Service worker at Church and Peace.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
Lost flight is not forgotten.
In August 1958, Ken Kreider didn't care whether he ever returned to Lancaster County, Pa. The 24-year-old Elizabethtown College student knew he had so much less to return to at the college and, especially, at his home.
The trauma of that dreadful summer--when his mother and 12 other Lancaster County residents died in what was characterized at the time as the largest mass tragedy in county history--dominated his thoughts. He wasn't sure what to do.
Kreider had led a group of fellow members of the Church of the Brethren to Germany to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Brethren movement. They toured Europe for 35 days, concluding with the 250th anniversary celebration in Schwarzenau, Germany. Then they returned to the United States, by way of the Netherlands, on three flights.
The second of those flights, carrying Brethren pilgrims and other passengers, exploded and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. All 91 passengers and eight crew members perished. Among them was Kreider's mother, 49-year-old Catherine Kreider.
With that crash, life for the young tour guide changed forever.
Flash forward to this summer--50 years later. Life, in some ways, repeats itself. On July 28, Kreider, 74, a retired professor of history at Elizabethtown College, left for Germany again, leading a tour group that would help commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Brethren.
Kreider, of course, hoped this trip would be happier than the first. But he could not forget the past. "I put them on the plane in Amsterdam and the plane went down just off the coast of Ireland," Kreider recalled of the early morning of Aug. 14, 1958. "I stayed on an additional week or I would have been on that plane."
Kreider spent much of that week mourning his mother and wondering how he could board another plane to fly home. "The thought went through my mind, it would be easier not to go home than to go home," he said. "In other words, I didn't care whether my plane went down or not."
But Kreider boarded his plane a week later. Informed of the young man's personal distress, the pilot called him to the cockpit. He told him there would be no repeat of the tragedy. His mother's plane--KLM Flight 607E--had exploded "instantaneously," the pilot said. The people on board had died before they hit the water. The strong implication was that the "accident" was no accident.
"The people involved in the airline (Dutch KLM) said it was an explosion," Kreider said. "I believe it was the first of the bombings of airplanes. It was terrorism, though I can't prove it."
In addition to his mother, Kreider lost his great-aunt, Florence Herr, 71, a retired teacher making her first trip abroad.
Many of the other Lancaster County passengers were related or had planned to become related. John Hollinger and Audrey Kilhefner, recent graduates of Brethren-affiliated Elizabethtown College and prospective teachers, were engaged to be married. The flight was Hollinger's engagement gift to Kilhefner. Surviving members of the tour group later said the engaged couple was "always hand-in-hand."
Eby Espenshade, 44, director of admissions at Elizabethtown College, also died in the crash. Another tour member recalled that Espenshade had been homesick and said he would never tour Europe again without his family.
Elsie Armstrong, of Holtwood, and her cousin, Ruth Ann Armstrong, of Drumore, went down with the plane. So did sisters Joy and Rose Groff, also of Drumore. All four were in their mid-20s. Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Hummer died along with Hummer's sister, Maria--all lived in Ephrata. Mary Stoner, 40, of Lititz, also lost her life in the crash.
The mourning for these people went on for a long time. Postcards arriving from the dead to the living provoked added grief.
Tinges of sadness remained 50 years later as Kreider, his wife, Carroll, and others prepared to leave Philadelphia for Germany. It was impossible to forget what happened in 1958, but the primary focus of their trip was on something that occurred in 1708. In that year, Alexander Mack began rebaptizing adult believers in the Eder River. Such activity, called Anabaptism, was illegal. That was the beginning of the Brethren movement.
This summer, Kreider led a group of 49 travelers, including 13 from Lancaster County, on a two-week tour that visited Schwarzenau and the Alps. He would be the only traveler who also made the 1958 trip.
While history has been Kreider's vocation, tour-guiding has become his summer avocation. Since deciding, after all, to make that plane trip home 50 Augusts ago, he has led dozens of tours to all seven continents. None of those tours, to his everlasting relief, has been as eventful as the first.
--Jack Brubaker writes for the "Lancaster New Era." This article first appeared in the July 28 issue of the newspaper, and is reprinted here with permission.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
In August 1958, Ken Kreider didn't care whether he ever returned to Lancaster County, Pa. The 24-year-old Elizabethtown College student knew he had so much less to return to at the college and, especially, at his home.
The trauma of that dreadful summer--when his mother and 12 other Lancaster County residents died in what was characterized at the time as the largest mass tragedy in county history--dominated his thoughts. He wasn't sure what to do.
Kreider had led a group of fellow members of the Church of the Brethren to Germany to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Brethren movement. They toured Europe for 35 days, concluding with the 250th anniversary celebration in Schwarzenau, Germany. Then they returned to the United States, by way of the Netherlands, on three flights.
The second of those flights, carrying Brethren pilgrims and other passengers, exploded and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. All 91 passengers and eight crew members perished. Among them was Kreider's mother, 49-year-old Catherine Kreider.
With that crash, life for the young tour guide changed forever.
Flash forward to this summer--50 years later. Life, in some ways, repeats itself. On July 28, Kreider, 74, a retired professor of history at Elizabethtown College, left for Germany again, leading a tour group that would help commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Brethren.
Kreider, of course, hoped this trip would be happier than the first. But he could not forget the past. "I put them on the plane in Amsterdam and the plane went down just off the coast of Ireland," Kreider recalled of the early morning of Aug. 14, 1958. "I stayed on an additional week or I would have been on that plane."
Kreider spent much of that week mourning his mother and wondering how he could board another plane to fly home. "The thought went through my mind, it would be easier not to go home than to go home," he said. "In other words, I didn't care whether my plane went down or not."
But Kreider boarded his plane a week later. Informed of the young man's personal distress, the pilot called him to the cockpit. He told him there would be no repeat of the tragedy. His mother's plane--KLM Flight 607E--had exploded "instantaneously," the pilot said. The people on board had died before they hit the water. The strong implication was that the "accident" was no accident.
"The people involved in the airline (Dutch KLM) said it was an explosion," Kreider said. "I believe it was the first of the bombings of airplanes. It was terrorism, though I can't prove it."
In addition to his mother, Kreider lost his great-aunt, Florence Herr, 71, a retired teacher making her first trip abroad.
Many of the other Lancaster County passengers were related or had planned to become related. John Hollinger and Audrey Kilhefner, recent graduates of Brethren-affiliated Elizabethtown College and prospective teachers, were engaged to be married. The flight was Hollinger's engagement gift to Kilhefner. Surviving members of the tour group later said the engaged couple was "always hand-in-hand."
Eby Espenshade, 44, director of admissions at Elizabethtown College, also died in the crash. Another tour member recalled that Espenshade had been homesick and said he would never tour Europe again without his family.
Elsie Armstrong, of Holtwood, and her cousin, Ruth Ann Armstrong, of Drumore, went down with the plane. So did sisters Joy and Rose Groff, also of Drumore. All four were in their mid-20s. Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Hummer died along with Hummer's sister, Maria--all lived in Ephrata. Mary Stoner, 40, of Lititz, also lost her life in the crash.
The mourning for these people went on for a long time. Postcards arriving from the dead to the living provoked added grief.
Tinges of sadness remained 50 years later as Kreider, his wife, Carroll, and others prepared to leave Philadelphia for Germany. It was impossible to forget what happened in 1958, but the primary focus of their trip was on something that occurred in 1708. In that year, Alexander Mack began rebaptizing adult believers in the Eder River. Such activity, called Anabaptism, was illegal. That was the beginning of the Brethren movement.
This summer, Kreider led a group of 49 travelers, including 13 from Lancaster County, on a two-week tour that visited Schwarzenau and the Alps. He would be the only traveler who also made the 1958 trip.
While history has been Kreider's vocation, tour-guiding has become his summer avocation. Since deciding, after all, to make that plane trip home 50 Augusts ago, he has led dozens of tours to all seven continents. None of those tours, to his everlasting relief, has been as eventful as the first.
--Jack Brubaker writes for the "Lancaster New Era." This article first appeared in the July 28 issue of the newspaper, and is reprinted here with permission.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
New resources celebrate the 300th Anniversary.
The following new resources have been published as part of the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren:
The following new resources have been published as part of the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren:
- "Back to Schwarzenau: Celebrating 300 Years of the Brethren Movement": This video wrap up of the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary held on Aug. 2-3 in Schwarzenau, Germany, has been produced for the Brethren Encyclopedia Board by David Sollenberger. The video is available in DVD format and offers highlights of events as members of the six major Brethren bodies returned to their roots on the banks of the Eder River, where the first eight Brethren were baptized in 1708. The DVD contains a narrated 12-minute overview of the gathering, a three-minute collage of images from the weekend, the sermons from the Anniversary worship service, the McPherson College choir singing the anthem commissioned for the 300th Anniversary, a presentation by Larry Glick as Alexander Mack Sr., and a video tour of the Alexander Mack Museum. Order for $29.95 from Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc., 313 Fairview Ave., Ambler, PA 19002.
- "Schwarzenau 1708-2008": A new book about the relationship between the village of Schwarzenau and the Brethren has been released in German and English. The book has been edited by Otto Marburger, who served as a co-coordinator of the Schwarzenau Committee for the international celebration of the Anniversary. Identifying the village as the birthplace of the Brethren, authors from Schwarzenau and the Bad Berleburg region as well as from different Brethren bodies contributed to the book. Proceeds will support the Alexander Mack Museum in Schwarzenau. Order through Brethren Press for $25 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.
- "The Old Brethren: People of Wisdom and Simplicity Speak to Our Time": Brethren Press is offering a second edition of this book by James H. Lehman. "The Old Brethren" reviews the history, life, and faith of the Brethren in the United States in the 19th century. It is a vivid portrait of a courageous community that dared to be different. Living entirely by the Bible "as it reads," and dressing and acting in ways that often made them seem peculiar to their more sophisticated countrymen, the Brethren cultivated a faith that was simple but not simplistic. For people of the 21st century, "the old Brethren offer welcome words that speak of a deeper wisdom in the art of living," said a review from Brethren Press. Lehman is a writer and publisher and an active member of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill. Order from Brethren Press for $18.95 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.
Anniversary bits and pieces.
- A photo journal of 300th Anniversary events in Schwarzenau, Germany, is available at www.brethren.org. It documents the international celebration that took place on Aug. 2-3, showcasing the work of Church of the Brethren photographer Glenn Riegel.
- The 300th Anniversary Committee has published results of its "Annual Conference Attendance Challenge," in which congregations were challenged to triple the number of members who attended Annual Conference in 2008 in celebration of the 300 years of the Brethren. Eighteen of the 22 congregations that recorded their names for the challenge met the goal, the committee reported. "These and many others are to be commended for their contribution to the terrific attendance in 2008." The congregations include Olympia-Lacey Community Church and Olympic View Community Church in Oregon and Washington District; Mountain View in Idaho District; Columbia City in N. Indiana District; Blue Ball, Mountville, and a "First Church" in Atlantic Northeast District; Community of Joy, Glade Valley, Harmony, and Midland in Mid-Atlantic District; Charlottesville, Flat Rock, Mount Zion, and Sunrise in Shenandoah District; and Newport News-Ivy Farms, Moneta-Lake Side, and West Richmond in Virlina District.
- A concert by Ken Medema highlights the "Seeds for a Great Harvest" weekend of celebration and worship sponsored by Shenandoah District on Sept. 5-6 at the Rockingham County, Va., fairgrounds. The weekend will commemorate the 300th Anniversary, and most of the congregations in the district are expected to participate. Opening worship begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 5. On Sept. 6, several historic sites in the area will be open for tours including the John Kline Homestead, Tunker House, Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center, and the Reuel B. Pritchett Museum. The celebration also includes a heritage fair and appearances by figures from Brethren history such as Alexander Mack Sr., John Kline, Anna Beahm Mow, and Sarah Righter Major. Contact Ellen Layman at elayman@bridgewater.edu or 540-828-5452 or 540-515-3422.
- Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis, Ind., is planning a celebration of the 300th Anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to an announcement in the "Indianapolis Star." The celebration begins at 9:45 a.m. with the dedication of an expansive art quilt created for the church's sanctuary, followed by a reception and exhibition of Church of the Brethren historical memorabilia including items from the 300th Anniversary Celebration in Germany, and an 18th century Sauer Bible.
- Also on Sept. 7, the Cedar Creek, Cedar Lake, and Pleasant Chapel Church of the Brethren congregations in Northern Indiana District are planning a journey "Back for the Future" to celebrate the Anniversary. Events begin at 6 p.m. at Cedar Lake Church of the Brethren in Auburn, Ind., and will include skits, historical displays, refreshments, and more.
- Nearly 300 people attended all or part of the 25th Annual Homecoming at Spruce Run Church of the Brethren in Lindside, W.Va., on July 20, according to a notice in the Virlina District e-newsletter. The event was sponsored by the Women's Circle, and celebrated the 300th Anniversary as well as the congregation's annual homecoming. Co-pastors Dewey Broyles and Rodger Boothe led a two-hour service that included a history presentation, stories exemplifying Brethren beliefs, and recognitions of church members. The highlight of the service was "A Visit with Alexander Mack" delivered by Larry Glick.
- Brethren who visited the castle in Bad Berleburg, Germany, during the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary will be interested in Nathalie Zu-Sayn Wittgenstein's Olympic accomplishment. She is an equestrian athlete and the daughter of Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, whose family counts the castle in Bad Berleburg as its residence. Zu-Sayn Wittgenstein was on the three-member dressage team for Denmark, and helped that country win a bronze medal in the Team Dressage competition. Bad Berleburg was one of the recommended sites for Brethren to visit during the Anniversary weekend. The Berleburg Bible, a German language Bible from the early 1700s, was printed there while the town was a center for Pietism.
A book, a bumper sticker, and a train ride in Germany.
R. Jan Thompson, interim director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren, relates this story of a train ride he took in Germany in early August, around the time of the 300th Anniversary celebration:
On the train to Frankfurt from Bad Berleburg, the town with which the village of Schwarzenau is consolidated, Thompson struck up conversation with a couple seated nearby. Heidi and Dieter were from Switzerland, and had been in Bad Berleburg for a conference on the Pietist movement.
The couple were well informed about the Brethren and their relationship with the Pietists. They mentioned a recent book edited by a friend of theirs and dedicated to a Brethren historian, the late Donald Durnbaugh. Thompson responded that he had known Durnbaugh, who was his boss in Brethren Volunteer Service.
Dieter jumped up, pulled a brand-new copy of the book from his bag, and gave it to Thompson as a gift. The book was "Schwarzenau 1708-2008," edited by Otto Marburger, co-coordinator of the Schwarzenau Committee for the international celebration of the Anniversary of the Brethren.
Remembering that he had something in his own luggage that he could give as a gift, Thompson offered his new friends a bumper sticker published by On Earth Peace, that read, "When Jesus said 'Love your enemies,' I think he probably meant don't kill them."
The Swiss couple accepted the gift with polite smiles and a thank you. Thompson soon learned, however, that they do not own a car because of their concerns about the environment and the cost.
Thompson is still wondering, "So what have they done with my bumper sticker?" For his part, he is treasuring the book he received on the train.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
R. Jan Thompson, interim director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren, relates this story of a train ride he took in Germany in early August, around the time of the 300th Anniversary celebration:
On the train to Frankfurt from Bad Berleburg, the town with which the village of Schwarzenau is consolidated, Thompson struck up conversation with a couple seated nearby. Heidi and Dieter were from Switzerland, and had been in Bad Berleburg for a conference on the Pietist movement.
The couple were well informed about the Brethren and their relationship with the Pietists. They mentioned a recent book edited by a friend of theirs and dedicated to a Brethren historian, the late Donald Durnbaugh. Thompson responded that he had known Durnbaugh, who was his boss in Brethren Volunteer Service.
Dieter jumped up, pulled a brand-new copy of the book from his bag, and gave it to Thompson as a gift. The book was "Schwarzenau 1708-2008," edited by Otto Marburger, co-coordinator of the Schwarzenau Committee for the international celebration of the Anniversary of the Brethren.
Remembering that he had something in his own luggage that he could give as a gift, Thompson offered his new friends a bumper sticker published by On Earth Peace, that read, "When Jesus said 'Love your enemies,' I think he probably meant don't kill them."
The Swiss couple accepted the gift with polite smiles and a thank you. Thompson soon learned, however, that they do not own a car because of their concerns about the environment and the cost.
Thompson is still wondering, "So what have they done with my bumper sticker?" For his part, he is treasuring the book he received on the train.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
The Brethren heritage: Not a bloodline, but a message.
When I was asked to write about the Church of the Brethren ancestors and their life struggles 300 years ago in Germany, panic set in--for my folks were slaves back then, and Alexander and Anna Mack were not among my family's ancestral lineage. What could I contribute to this German story line?
Then I read "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" (Hay House Inc., 2006), the story of Immaculee Ilibagiza's survival and forgiveness of the killers who hunted her down and hacked her family to death during the upheaval between the Tutsi and Hutu in 1994.
A great wave of shame washed over me. My thinking about the 300-year commemoration was so small minded. The Brethren are my ancestors not because of a bloodline, but because of the message of love and peace in the bloodline of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
On Sundays, I sit in church and look around at the various families from so many different ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds, and my heart swells with such joy that I belong to this church. Is this mix of languages and differences what those early Brethren wanted, or could have dreamed of?
The early Brethren had the scriptures, so they knew that the plank over Jesus' head as he hung on the cross was written in Greek, Latin, and other languages of the day. They knew from the Apostle Paul's letters that the early church was made up of a mixture of people.
Besides, of what value would the Good News have been to the Brethren, if they had remained a small German sect? That would have made them as small-thinking as I had been only days before. To seek peace among German speakers only, and to ignore the world around, does not sound very Brethren to me.
In "Left to Tell," Immaculee speaks of her beloved father's belief that passions of hate for the Tutsi were not shared by their Hutu neighbors, and thus would not harm them. But hate is an awful virus that only love can cure--everyday, all day love. Her father was most likely correct in his belief that their Hutu neighbors did not hate them, but their neighbors participated in the slaughter anyway.
The hate virus is a trap. In Rwanda the violence was over in months, but it left a million people dead. In Bosnia it lasted more than 10 years, and still today it is contained only by the continuous presence of UN peacekeepers. Violence goes on and on in Israel and Palestine and the occupied territories of that ancient land. Violence has unleashed itself once again in the 1,400-year-old dispute between Shiite and Sunni in Iraq. Violence spreads across the Darfur region of the Sudan into all of Africa at this moment.
It is a struggle to remain Brethren and carry the message of peace and love in the face of so many temptations to bend just a little. It is not enough to say, I love my neighbor, and then laugh at jokes that stereotype someone's culture or heritage. It is not enough to say, I give money to immigrants, and then request my Congressional representative to stop the flow of immigrants into this country. It is not enough to say, I believe that all people are created equal, and then ignore laws that bend justice to imprison people of color. It is not enough to believe in equalities of education, housing, and so forth, and then create means of testing that fix results in a predetermined manner to display the dominant group as wiser, smarter, or better suited to continue to rule over all.
This anniversary of the Church of the Brethren is a great opportunity to commemorate 300 years of spreading the message of peace and love. We can celebrate the wonderful culture of peace our Brethren ancestors have given us--a culture of peace that enriches the glory of the Son!
--Doris Abdullah is a member of First Church of the Brethren in Brooklyn, N.Y. In retirement she serves on the board of On Earth Peace and represents the Church of the Brethren at the United Nations as a member of the NGO Subcommittee for the Elimination of Racism. This reflection was first published as a devotional in "Seed Packet," a newsletter for Christian educators in the Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
When I was asked to write about the Church of the Brethren ancestors and their life struggles 300 years ago in Germany, panic set in--for my folks were slaves back then, and Alexander and Anna Mack were not among my family's ancestral lineage. What could I contribute to this German story line?
Then I read "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" (Hay House Inc., 2006), the story of Immaculee Ilibagiza's survival and forgiveness of the killers who hunted her down and hacked her family to death during the upheaval between the Tutsi and Hutu in 1994.
A great wave of shame washed over me. My thinking about the 300-year commemoration was so small minded. The Brethren are my ancestors not because of a bloodline, but because of the message of love and peace in the bloodline of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
On Sundays, I sit in church and look around at the various families from so many different ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds, and my heart swells with such joy that I belong to this church. Is this mix of languages and differences what those early Brethren wanted, or could have dreamed of?
The early Brethren had the scriptures, so they knew that the plank over Jesus' head as he hung on the cross was written in Greek, Latin, and other languages of the day. They knew from the Apostle Paul's letters that the early church was made up of a mixture of people.
Besides, of what value would the Good News have been to the Brethren, if they had remained a small German sect? That would have made them as small-thinking as I had been only days before. To seek peace among German speakers only, and to ignore the world around, does not sound very Brethren to me.
In "Left to Tell," Immaculee speaks of her beloved father's belief that passions of hate for the Tutsi were not shared by their Hutu neighbors, and thus would not harm them. But hate is an awful virus that only love can cure--everyday, all day love. Her father was most likely correct in his belief that their Hutu neighbors did not hate them, but their neighbors participated in the slaughter anyway.
The hate virus is a trap. In Rwanda the violence was over in months, but it left a million people dead. In Bosnia it lasted more than 10 years, and still today it is contained only by the continuous presence of UN peacekeepers. Violence goes on and on in Israel and Palestine and the occupied territories of that ancient land. Violence has unleashed itself once again in the 1,400-year-old dispute between Shiite and Sunni in Iraq. Violence spreads across the Darfur region of the Sudan into all of Africa at this moment.
It is a struggle to remain Brethren and carry the message of peace and love in the face of so many temptations to bend just a little. It is not enough to say, I love my neighbor, and then laugh at jokes that stereotype someone's culture or heritage. It is not enough to say, I give money to immigrants, and then request my Congressional representative to stop the flow of immigrants into this country. It is not enough to say, I believe that all people are created equal, and then ignore laws that bend justice to imprison people of color. It is not enough to believe in equalities of education, housing, and so forth, and then create means of testing that fix results in a predetermined manner to display the dominant group as wiser, smarter, or better suited to continue to rule over all.
This anniversary of the Church of the Brethren is a great opportunity to commemorate 300 years of spreading the message of peace and love. We can celebrate the wonderful culture of peace our Brethren ancestors have given us--a culture of peace that enriches the glory of the Son!
--Doris Abdullah is a member of First Church of the Brethren in Brooklyn, N.Y. In retirement she serves on the board of On Earth Peace and represents the Church of the Brethren at the United Nations as a member of the NGO Subcommittee for the Elimination of Racism. This reflection was first published as a devotional in "Seed Packet," a newsletter for Christian educators in the Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/26/2008 Newsline
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Dean Garrett, Jeff Lennard, and David Sollenberger 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. Dean Garrett, Jeff Lennard, and David Sollenberger contributed to this report.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
NEWS
- Brethren Disaster Ministries receives $50,000 grant to continue Katrina rebuilding.
- Ministry Summer Service participants complete internship program.
- Mission trip to the Dominican Republic builds faith, relationships.
- Brethren bits: Correction, personnel, jobs, YAC, and more.
Brethren Disaster Ministries receives $50,000 grant to continue Katrina rebuilding.
Brethren Disaster Ministries has received an additional allocation from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund to continue rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina. The grant will support the program’s rebuilding site in Chalmette, in the St. Bernard Parish of Louisiana.
The program has announced that it expects to continue working in St. Bernard parish for several more years. The grant will go toward the repair and rebuilding of homes, travel expenses, leadership training, tools and equipment, and food and housing for volunteers.
Prior grants to support this Brethren Disaster Ministries site total $120,000. Brethren Disaster Ministries established a project in Chalmette in February 2007. To date, more than 600 volunteers have given over 4,500 work days and assisted over 50 families in returning to their homes.
Chalmette was one of the most devastated areas when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the northern Gulf Coast. Homes there were flooded with six to 20 feet of water for more than two weeks. More than 200 parish residents lost their lives and 100 percent of the homes were officially "uninhabitable." Current estimates indicate that if one house were built per day in the parish, it would take nearly 74 years to rebuild, Brethren Disaster Ministries reported.
In other disaster relief news, pastor Chuck Berdel of Christ Our Shepherd Church of the Brethren in South/Central Indiana District has been heavily involved in the group coordinating longterm recovery efforts for flood survivors in Johnson County, Ind. He reported to Brethren Disaster Ministries that the Construction Committee is quickly moving forward with planning while homes are still drying out. He was to attend a "Recovery Tools and Training" workshop sponsored by Church World Service on July 31. "I am very humbled and wish to represent Christ Our Shepherd and our denomination well as we heal here from all the devastation," he said.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Brethren Disaster Ministries has received an additional allocation from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund to continue rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina. The grant will support the program’s rebuilding site in Chalmette, in the St. Bernard Parish of Louisiana.
The program has announced that it expects to continue working in St. Bernard parish for several more years. The grant will go toward the repair and rebuilding of homes, travel expenses, leadership training, tools and equipment, and food and housing for volunteers.
Prior grants to support this Brethren Disaster Ministries site total $120,000. Brethren Disaster Ministries established a project in Chalmette in February 2007. To date, more than 600 volunteers have given over 4,500 work days and assisted over 50 families in returning to their homes.
Chalmette was one of the most devastated areas when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the northern Gulf Coast. Homes there were flooded with six to 20 feet of water for more than two weeks. More than 200 parish residents lost their lives and 100 percent of the homes were officially "uninhabitable." Current estimates indicate that if one house were built per day in the parish, it would take nearly 74 years to rebuild, Brethren Disaster Ministries reported.
In other disaster relief news, pastor Chuck Berdel of Christ Our Shepherd Church of the Brethren in South/Central Indiana District has been heavily involved in the group coordinating longterm recovery efforts for flood survivors in Johnson County, Ind. He reported to Brethren Disaster Ministries that the Construction Committee is quickly moving forward with planning while homes are still drying out. He was to attend a "Recovery Tools and Training" workshop sponsored by Church World Service on July 31. "I am very humbled and wish to represent Christ Our Shepherd and our denomination well as we heal here from all the devastation," he said.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Ministry Summer Service participants complete internship program.
Eight young adults are completing internships with the Church of the Brethren’s Ministry Summer Service program, which is sponsored by the Office of Ministry and by the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office.
College students who are completing internships include Sarah Dotter of Atlantic Northeast District, Meredith Barton of Middle Pennsylvania District, Dylan Haro of Pacific Southwest District, Andy Duffey and Gabe Dodd of Mid-Atlantic District, John Michael Pickens of Southern Pennsylvania District, Melisa Grandison of Western Plains District, and Samantha Carwile of South/Central Indiana District.
The eight interns began their summer experience with an orientation May 30-June 4 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Throughout the orientation they participated in Bible studies and sessions on topics such as leadership, the call to ministry, spiritual disciplines, Brethren heritage, and personality and work styles. The adults who served as mentors for these young adults joined the orientation for the last two and a half days.
Following the orientation, four students went to Church of the Brethren congregations to serve as assistant summer pastors. The students served at San Diego (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, Happy Corner Church of the Brethren in Clayton, Ohio, and Easton (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Four other interns served as the denomination’s Youth Peace Travel Team, visiting Church of the Brethren camps to talk about Jesus’ teaching of peace.
Congregations interested in having a Ministry Summer Service intern next summer are invited to contact Chris Douglas, director of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, at cdouglas_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Eight young adults are completing internships with the Church of the Brethren’s Ministry Summer Service program, which is sponsored by the Office of Ministry and by the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office.
College students who are completing internships include Sarah Dotter of Atlantic Northeast District, Meredith Barton of Middle Pennsylvania District, Dylan Haro of Pacific Southwest District, Andy Duffey and Gabe Dodd of Mid-Atlantic District, John Michael Pickens of Southern Pennsylvania District, Melisa Grandison of Western Plains District, and Samantha Carwile of South/Central Indiana District.
The eight interns began their summer experience with an orientation May 30-June 4 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Throughout the orientation they participated in Bible studies and sessions on topics such as leadership, the call to ministry, spiritual disciplines, Brethren heritage, and personality and work styles. The adults who served as mentors for these young adults joined the orientation for the last two and a half days.
Following the orientation, four students went to Church of the Brethren congregations to serve as assistant summer pastors. The students served at San Diego (Calif.) Church of the Brethren, Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, Happy Corner Church of the Brethren in Clayton, Ohio, and Easton (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Four other interns served as the denomination’s Youth Peace Travel Team, visiting Church of the Brethren camps to talk about Jesus’ teaching of peace.
Congregations interested in having a Ministry Summer Service intern next summer are invited to contact Chris Douglas, director of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, at cdouglas_gb@brethren.org.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Mission trip to the Dominican Republic builds faith, relationships.
Building relationships, heavenly singing, smiling children, and overdosing on chicken are a few of the memories that the 15 volunteers from Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., will cherish from their June 21-28 mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
Led by Carolyn Fitzkee and Sally White, the group went to build relationships with members of the Church of the Brethren in the DR as they worked together to provide leadership in three Bible schools. In addition, the group worshiped in three congregations--Boca Chica, Carmona, and La Vid Verdadera (The True Vine)--singing in each service. Chiques minister Norm Yeater was called upon to preach at Carmona. He also led devotions and convened debriefing sessions daily.
Additional participants in the trip were Tina and Jennifer Brandt, Kristen and Stephanie Bruckhart, Michelle Ebersole, Carrie Fitzkee, Annie Hickernell, Kent Peters, Travis Pierce, Janice and Diana Shenk, and Rachel Yeater. Church of the Brethren mission coordinators Irvin and Nancy Heishman and daughter, Jenny, hosted the group and accompanied them throughout the week.
On the first Sunday morning in the DR, the group worshiped with the Boca Chica congregation and saw first-hand the new concrete church building that is being constructed there. "Worship was an unbelievable experience," said Fitzkee. "I felt surrounded by God’s love."
The group then co-led a two-day Bible school at Carmona, with members of the San Luis congregation. Fellowship with the San Luis Brethren was another highlight. A simple rural church in a batey northeast of Santo Domingo, Carmona serves mostly Haitian immigrants, who experience poverty and discrimination in the DR. "It was hard to see their poverty, but challenging to see their faith," said Fitzkee.
The Bible school attracted about 100 children. The San Luis Brethren provided Bible teaching, while the Chiques group led crafts and games and put on a puppet show. Extensive advance preparation before the trip helped things go smoothly. The group had met monthly to learn what to expect and prepare for the activities they would lead.
The puppet show was accompanied by a recorded Spanish soundtrack with voices and recording done by members of the Maranatha Multicultural Fellowship in Lancaster, Pa. Crafts included sheep puppets to go with the puppet show on the parable of the lost sheep, braiding bailer twine jump ropes, and coloring. Crayons were a novelty for many of the children, and were left behind for future use. The Brethren World Mission Fund gave a grant of more than $400 to purchase craft and game supplies for the trip.
The Chiques volunteers also helped lead Bible schools for two new church plants in Santo Domingo. One afternoon they led activities for about 50 children on a rented balcony, with members of the Bethel congregation. On the next afternoon, they worked with three busloads of kids (about 130) in an area park, where the La Vid Verdadera congregation held its Vacation Bible School.
"For a lot of our people," said Fitzkee, "the relationships with the children at the Bible schools will be forever in their minds."
Along the way, group members experienced some extreme heat and humidity, rough bus rides, a sea urchin sting, occasional unsettled stomachs, cold showers, and some encounters with "wildlife" in hotel rooms. But these indignities were a small price to pay for an enriching, faith-building experience.
While they came home with fond memories and new friendships, the group left behind items to assist the Dominican churches in their ministry, including puppets and the puppet show soundtrack, a parachute, Frisbees, crayons, and a gift for each of the hosting congregations including a tarp, and Spanish version DVDs of the "Journey in Jesus Way" curriculum. The group also brought along and handed out 433 stuffed sheep that had been donated in memory of a Chiques youth who died in November 2007 in a motorcycle accident.
--Donald Fitzkee is an ordained minister and member of Chiques Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Building relationships, heavenly singing, smiling children, and overdosing on chicken are a few of the memories that the 15 volunteers from Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., will cherish from their June 21-28 mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
Led by Carolyn Fitzkee and Sally White, the group went to build relationships with members of the Church of the Brethren in the DR as they worked together to provide leadership in three Bible schools. In addition, the group worshiped in three congregations--Boca Chica, Carmona, and La Vid Verdadera (The True Vine)--singing in each service. Chiques minister Norm Yeater was called upon to preach at Carmona. He also led devotions and convened debriefing sessions daily.
Additional participants in the trip were Tina and Jennifer Brandt, Kristen and Stephanie Bruckhart, Michelle Ebersole, Carrie Fitzkee, Annie Hickernell, Kent Peters, Travis Pierce, Janice and Diana Shenk, and Rachel Yeater. Church of the Brethren mission coordinators Irvin and Nancy Heishman and daughter, Jenny, hosted the group and accompanied them throughout the week.
On the first Sunday morning in the DR, the group worshiped with the Boca Chica congregation and saw first-hand the new concrete church building that is being constructed there. "Worship was an unbelievable experience," said Fitzkee. "I felt surrounded by God’s love."
The group then co-led a two-day Bible school at Carmona, with members of the San Luis congregation. Fellowship with the San Luis Brethren was another highlight. A simple rural church in a batey northeast of Santo Domingo, Carmona serves mostly Haitian immigrants, who experience poverty and discrimination in the DR. "It was hard to see their poverty, but challenging to see their faith," said Fitzkee.
The Bible school attracted about 100 children. The San Luis Brethren provided Bible teaching, while the Chiques group led crafts and games and put on a puppet show. Extensive advance preparation before the trip helped things go smoothly. The group had met monthly to learn what to expect and prepare for the activities they would lead.
The puppet show was accompanied by a recorded Spanish soundtrack with voices and recording done by members of the Maranatha Multicultural Fellowship in Lancaster, Pa. Crafts included sheep puppets to go with the puppet show on the parable of the lost sheep, braiding bailer twine jump ropes, and coloring. Crayons were a novelty for many of the children, and were left behind for future use. The Brethren World Mission Fund gave a grant of more than $400 to purchase craft and game supplies for the trip.
The Chiques volunteers also helped lead Bible schools for two new church plants in Santo Domingo. One afternoon they led activities for about 50 children on a rented balcony, with members of the Bethel congregation. On the next afternoon, they worked with three busloads of kids (about 130) in an area park, where the La Vid Verdadera congregation held its Vacation Bible School.
"For a lot of our people," said Fitzkee, "the relationships with the children at the Bible schools will be forever in their minds."
Along the way, group members experienced some extreme heat and humidity, rough bus rides, a sea urchin sting, occasional unsettled stomachs, cold showers, and some encounters with "wildlife" in hotel rooms. But these indignities were a small price to pay for an enriching, faith-building experience.
While they came home with fond memories and new friendships, the group left behind items to assist the Dominican churches in their ministry, including puppets and the puppet show soundtrack, a parachute, Frisbees, crayons, and a gift for each of the hosting congregations including a tarp, and Spanish version DVDs of the "Journey in Jesus Way" curriculum. The group also brought along and handed out 433 stuffed sheep that had been donated in memory of a Chiques youth who died in November 2007 in a motorcycle accident.
--Donald Fitzkee is an ordained minister and member of Chiques Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Brethren bits: Correction, personnel, jobs, YAC, and more.
- Correction: The church affiliation for the two youth who were baptized in the Eder River in Schwarzenau, Germany, during the international celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement was incorrectly reported in Newsline. Lauren Knepp and John Michael Knepp are members of Curryville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
- A donor and accounts receivable specialist is sought to fill a fulltime position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Interviews will begin Aug. 18. Responsibilities include receiving and processing donations, accounts receivable and miscellaneous cash processing including reporting, coordinating an NGS accounts receivable system in Elgin, maintaining a thorough knowledge of all donor system financial reports and their impact on each other, donation information management, coordination of a mortgage system which includes gift related and church mortgage loans, creation and uploading of miscellaneous journals throughout the month. Qualifications include excellent typing and data entry skills, accuracy and efficiency in use of a 10-key calculator, attention to detail, ability to be a team worker, mature judgment and character, ability to maintain confidentiality, with proficiency in spreadsheet applications and word processing skills and accounting knowledge helpful. Required education and experience includes a high school diploma, with some accounting background helpful, and an associate degree in accounting, finance, or business preferred; at least two years of experience in a related field; experience working with money, and some computer experience required. Qualified candidates are invited to complete an application form, submit a resume and a letter of application, and request three references to send letters of recommendation to the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; or contact kkrog_gb@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 258.
- Dates and location for the 2009 Young Adult Conference have been announced: May 29-31, at Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa. This conference is for young adults ages 18-35, sponsored by the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
- The denomination's National Youth Cabinet met at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., Aug. 1-3. The group of five youth includes Seth Keller, Joel Rhodes, Elizabeth Willis, Turner Ritchie, and Tricia Ziegler. The cabinet worked on selecting the National Youth Theme for 2009 and on plans for next year’s National Youth Sunday, along with worship materials to be sent to youth groups across the denomination.
- The Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., recently witnessed results of the church’s work for peace in the world. Forty years ago US forces were fighting in Vietnam. This year, in late July, the New Windsor Conference Center hosted a youth retreat for 100 members of the Capital Vietnamese Christian Fellowship based in Maryland. The program for the youth included volunteer opportunities at SERRV International and a chance to learn more about the organizations at the Brethren Service Center. "For those of us old enough to remember the Vietnam War, what a joy it is to see this generation of Vietnamese youth in New Windsor working side by side with Brethren and other denominations making a difference in the world," commented public relations director Kathleen Campanella.
- An article titled "Caring for Children in the Aftermath of Disaster" in the online professional journal "Children, Youth, and Environments" reviews the work of the Church of the Brethren Children’s Disaster Services program. The article was co-authored by Judy Gump, a Church of the Brethren member from northern Colorado and a professor of Early Childhood Education at AIMS Community College in Greeley, Colo., along with Lori Peek of the Department of Sociology at Colorado State University, and Jeannette Sutton of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Gump has worked with Children’s Disaster Services since 1984 as a childcare giver, project manager, trainer, and regional coordinator, and is on the Critical Response Child Care Team. Go to www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/18_1/18_1_16_CaringForChildren.pdf to read the article.
- Dottie Steele, Marlys Hershberger, and Mark Liller led a traditional Brethren love feast as part of the "2008 Matter of Faith Summer Series" offered by the Interfaith Committee of the Ecumenical Conference of Greater Altoona, Pa. The three are all ordained in the Church of the Brethren, and Steele has been a member of the Interfaith Committee since 2002. The theme of this year's summer season, "How We Worship," provided an opportunity to share a unique Brethren worship service with the community, as well as some of the history of the Brethren in this 300th Anniversary year. The service was hosted by Hollidaysburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on July 17.
- The "Wall Street Journal" recently published an article about a summer program that meets at York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill. "Summer camp at the York Community Resource Center in suburban Chicago offers all the usual activities: arts and crafts, sports, computer games, new adventures in reading," the article begins. "But the prime attraction for Elizabeth Castro, who drops off her two children every morning, is the activity that begins at noon: lunch." The July 8 article by Roger Thurow and Anna Prior highlighted the food crisis for many American families, and the way that day camps and summer camp programs help keep children fed. Go to the church’s website at www.yccob.org to find a link to the article. The York Center church also is holding a benefit concert and ice cream social on Aug. 16 to benefit disaster flood relief.
- Scott Major, pastor of Pottstown (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren, was the prime attraction at a "dunk the pastor" booth at the town’s "Night Out" event Aug. 5. Other activities included music, crafts and food, games, a magician, child identification kits, and a Relay for Life, according to a report in the "Pottstown Mercury." The event is held to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness in the community and to strengthen neighborhood spirit and partnership with the police.
- "Reading Biblical Books in Context: A Study of the Festal Scrolls" is a continuing education event of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center to be taught by Robert Neff on Sept. 9. The class will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. The course will explore ways to read a particular writing based on the context in which it is found. Cost is $50 and includes light refreshments and lunch. An additional $10 documentation fee is required to receive continuing education units. The registration deadline is Sept. 1. Contact www.etown.edu/svmc or call 717-361-1450.
- Juniata College's "2008 General Election" course is offering eight students the opportunity to attend the 2008 national party conventions, according to a release from the college in Huntingdon, Pa. Six students plus Dennis Plane, assistant professor of politics, will travel to Denver to attend the Democratic National Convention from Aug. 25-28, followed the next week by two student attendees at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. The trips are organized in part by the Washington Center in Washington, D.C. "Instead of learning about campaigns from a text book, we are going to look at a campaign as it naturally unfolds," said Plane. He will assign students who did not travel to the conventions to watch them on television. "The media looks at politics differently than voters and the students who watch the conventions will have a different perspective than the students who were in attendance," he explained. Plane is expanding on a formula he first developed as a visiting assistant professor at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., when he accompanied students to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
- The August edition of "Brethren Voices" celebrates three years of community television programming by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren with a trip to the Amazonian Rainforest of Ecuador. The show highlights the work of New Community Project, a Church of the Brethren related nonprofit, which has been providing learning tours to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest for four years. The learning tours take people to the Cuyabeno Ecological Reserve at the headwaters of the Amazon River, hosted by SELVA, a nongovernmental international organization that since 1997 has been actively engaged in supporting the indigenous communities of the rainforest. In support of SELVA, the New Community Project has agreed to purchase and preserve a 137-acre parcel of rainforest adjacent to the Cuyabeno Ecological Reserve. Go to www.newcommunityproject.org for information about the project. In September, "Brethren Voices" will celebrate 60 years of Brethren Volunteer Service. As told by Jim Lehman, the program features the story of Brethren youth who made the proposal of BVS to the 1948 Annual Conference, and a group interview with four of the first BVSers: Alma and Irvan Long, Julia Larade, and Vernon Merkey. For copies of these programs contact producer Ed Groff, Portland Peace Church of the Brethren, at Groffprod1@msn.com.
- Leaders in the National Council of Churches in the USA (NCC) and the Orthodox Peace Fellowship have issued statements on the Russia-Georgia conflict, according to a release from the NCC. "Russia's attack on Georgia is a disheartening reminder that the 21st century remains a primitive age of fanatical nationalism and military bullying," said NCC general secretary Michael Kinnamon. "The military intervention in Georgia, like all actions born of hatred or callous self-interest, is an act of madness, a senseless rejection of God's love and salvation." Leaders of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship issued a letter stating, "What a sin and a scandal it is to see these armies shedding each other's blood. That such an event can happen is a poignant reminder of how often, among Orthodox Christians no less than others, national identity easily takes priority over our common identity as children of the One God." Go to www.ncccusa.org/news/080813MKpeacestatement.html for Kinnamon's statement and a link to the Orthodox Peace Fellowship letter.
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has announced a delegation to the Kurdish north of Iraq on Jan. 8-22, 2009. "The Kurds of northern Iraq faced discrimination, terror, and death under the regime of Saddam Hussein. As the security situation deteriorated in southern and central Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, thousands of displaced persons fled to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)-controlled area in the north. Recently, northern border villages have suffered military attacks by Turkey and Iran," CPT explained. CPT has had a presence in Iraq since Oct. 2002, first in Baghdad and since Nov. 2006 in the Kurdish north. The fundraising expectation for participants is $3,500. Contact CPT, PO Box 6508, Chicago, IL 60680; delegations@cpt.org or 773-277-0253; or see www.cpt.org. Applications must be received by Nov. 10.
- Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm has written a new commentary on "Preaching the Gospel of Mark: Proclaiming the Power of God," published by Westminster John Knox Press. Wilhelm is a member of the faculty of the Church of the Brethren’s Bethany Theological Seminary, where she is associate professor of preaching and worship. In this 300-page paperback volume, she combines biblical scholarship with a close reading of the text to meet the needs of preachers. Swift and purposeful, the Gospel of Mark proclaims God’s reign and urges the participation of all God’s people in the witness of the good news that God has transformed human reality through Jesus Christ. Wilhelm’s new commentary is intended to help that message come alive while providing pertinent suggestions about how preachers can proclaim the message to today’s churchgoers. Order "Preaching the Gospel of Mark" through Brethren Press for $24.95 plus shipping and handling, call 800-441-3712.
- Seven-year-old Natalia Contreras found herself in the media spotlight when she asked a question of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Ind. The second-grader is the granddaughter of pastor Frank Ramirez of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, and was accompanied to the meeting by her grandmother, Jenny Ramirez. Contreras stood on a chair to ask the question, "Why did you run for president?" Her question and Obama’s answer were covered by the "South Bend Tribune" and Fox News Channel 28 in South Bend. Go to www.sbtjobmatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/NEWS07/808070350/1130/Sports01 for the newspaper report. Go to www.fox28.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=2774284&h1
=Elkhart%20Town%20Hall%20meeting%20-%20Part%207&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=257567
&LaunchPageAdTag=Homepage&activePane=info&rnd=51483016 for the video clip.
David Whitten resigns as mission coordinator for Nigeria.
David Whitten has resigned as the Church of the Brethren's mission coordinator in Nigeria. He has served for two-and-a-half years in the position, as staff of the denomination's Global Mission Partnerships program. He and his wife, Judith, plan to leave Nigeria at the end of the year to explore other ministry opportunities.
Whitten began in the position in the summer of 2006. His main responsibilities have been to lead the Church of the Brethren team in Nigeria and to relate to leadership of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). In other work in Nigeria, Whitten served from 1991-94 as a rural development consultant for the Church of the Brethren.
He was previously employed by Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass., as manager from 1986-91. The facility is a residential psycho-social therapeutic facility for adults with mental illness, and is a Brethren Volunteer Service project site. Whitten is ordained in the Church of the Brethren and has served as a pastor. He holds a master of divinity degree from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
David Whitten has resigned as the Church of the Brethren's mission coordinator in Nigeria. He has served for two-and-a-half years in the position, as staff of the denomination's Global Mission Partnerships program. He and his wife, Judith, plan to leave Nigeria at the end of the year to explore other ministry opportunities.
Whitten began in the position in the summer of 2006. His main responsibilities have been to lead the Church of the Brethren team in Nigeria and to relate to leadership of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). In other work in Nigeria, Whitten served from 1991-94 as a rural development consultant for the Church of the Brethren.
He was previously employed by Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass., as manager from 1986-91. The facility is a residential psycho-social therapeutic facility for adults with mental illness, and is a Brethren Volunteer Service project site. Whitten is ordained in the Church of the Brethren and has served as a pastor. He holds a master of divinity degree from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Tim Button-Harrison called as district executive for N. Plains.
Tim Button-Harrison has been called as district executive minister of the Church of the Brethren's Northern Plains District, on a half-time basis. He has been serving as interim district executive since Nov. 2006.
Button-Harrison attended Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., majoring in peace studies and religion, and also holds a degree in religion from the University of Iowa. He graduated from Bethany Seminary in 1990.
He has served as a pastor for district congregations in Iowa. He also brings broad district experience to the position, including service as a District Board member, district moderator, district coordinator for Training in Ministry, and Standing Committee member. He was installed as Northern Plains District executive minister in a service during the recent District Conference.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Tim Button-Harrison has been called as district executive minister of the Church of the Brethren's Northern Plains District, on a half-time basis. He has been serving as interim district executive since Nov. 2006.
Button-Harrison attended Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., majoring in peace studies and religion, and also holds a degree in religion from the University of Iowa. He graduated from Bethany Seminary in 1990.
He has served as a pastor for district congregations in Iowa. He also brings broad district experience to the position, including service as a District Board member, district moderator, district coordinator for Training in Ministry, and Standing Committee member. He was installed as Northern Plains District executive minister in a service during the recent District Conference.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Leslie Frye is new coordinator for Ministry of Reconciliation.
On Earth Peace has announced the appointment of Leslie Frye as program coordinator for the Ministry of Reconciliation. Frye currently is a member of a non-salaried pastoral team at Monitor Community Church of the Brethren in rural McPherson, Kan.
Frye graduated from Bethany Theological Seminary in 2004 with a Peace Studies emphasis, and was ordained to ministry in the Church of the Brethren in 2005. She is active in the Church of the Brethren's Western Plains District, where she is serving as district moderator and as a member of the Area Ministry Team. She is a Kansas State Supreme Court-approved mediator, and has worked with the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution as a trainer and a volunteer mediator.
Frye will work from her home in McPherson, and can be reached by e-mail at leslie.oep@earthlink.net or by telephone at 620-755-3940.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
On Earth Peace has announced the appointment of Leslie Frye as program coordinator for the Ministry of Reconciliation. Frye currently is a member of a non-salaried pastoral team at Monitor Community Church of the Brethren in rural McPherson, Kan.
Frye graduated from Bethany Theological Seminary in 2004 with a Peace Studies emphasis, and was ordained to ministry in the Church of the Brethren in 2005. She is active in the Church of the Brethren's Western Plains District, where she is serving as district moderator and as a member of the Area Ministry Team. She is a Kansas State Supreme Court-approved mediator, and has worked with the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution as a trainer and a volunteer mediator.
Frye will work from her home in McPherson, and can be reached by e-mail at leslie.oep@earthlink.net or by telephone at 620-755-3940.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Nancy Miner to be manager in office of associate general secretary.
Nancy Miner will move into a staff position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., as manager of Office Operations in the office of one of the two new associate general secretaries.
Miner will serve as manager in the Office of the Associate General Secretary of Ministry and Program/Executive Director of the Caring Ministries, beginning Sept. 1. She has worked for the Association of Brethren Caregivers as administrative assistant since May 2004. Previously she served in a number of positions with Brethren Benefit Trust, first as claims processing assistant, then as customer service representative, and finally in the communications department.
Miner and her family live in Elgin and are members of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Nancy Miner will move into a staff position at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., as manager of Office Operations in the office of one of the two new associate general secretaries.
Miner will serve as manager in the Office of the Associate General Secretary of Ministry and Program/Executive Director of the Caring Ministries, beginning Sept. 1. She has worked for the Association of Brethren Caregivers as administrative assistant since May 2004. Previously she served in a number of positions with Brethren Benefit Trust, first as claims processing assistant, then as customer service representative, and finally in the communications department.
Miner and her family live in Elgin and are members of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
On Earth Peace promotes International Day of Prayer for Peace.
On Earth Peace is inviting Church of the Brethren congregations and members to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sept. 21. So far, the organization reports that more than 90 congregations and Brethren organizations have committed to holding prayer vigils on or around that date. The number includes communities across the US and in two other countries, reports coordinator Michael Colvin.
"The goal of the campaign is to help congregations be able to respond to local violence issues in their communities with positive action," Colvin said. "Participating congregations are being encouraged to build new and deeper relationships with people in their communities while gathering information about what violence is affecting them."
The On Earth Peace website for the International Day of Prayer for Peace is greatly improved over last year, Colvin reported. Many new resources are being offered this year, including a three-minute video prepared by pastor Larry O'Neill of Skippack Church of the Brethren in Collegeville, Pa., and a news clip about the 2007 International Day of Prayer for Peace event planned by Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. A Community Violence Survey is available, and participating groups may register at the site as well. Go to http://onearthpeace.org/prayforpeace/index.html to access the website.
For more information contact Michael Colvin, On Earth Peace International Day of Prayer for Peace Coordinator, at mcolvin.oep@gmail.com or 626-921-4712 or see his blogspot at http://mocolvin.blogspot.com.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
On Earth Peace is inviting Church of the Brethren congregations and members to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace on Sept. 21. So far, the organization reports that more than 90 congregations and Brethren organizations have committed to holding prayer vigils on or around that date. The number includes communities across the US and in two other countries, reports coordinator Michael Colvin.
"The goal of the campaign is to help congregations be able to respond to local violence issues in their communities with positive action," Colvin said. "Participating congregations are being encouraged to build new and deeper relationships with people in their communities while gathering information about what violence is affecting them."
The On Earth Peace website for the International Day of Prayer for Peace is greatly improved over last year, Colvin reported. Many new resources are being offered this year, including a three-minute video prepared by pastor Larry O'Neill of Skippack Church of the Brethren in Collegeville, Pa., and a news clip about the 2007 International Day of Prayer for Peace event planned by Harrisburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. A Community Violence Survey is available, and participating groups may register at the site as well. Go to http://onearthpeace.org/prayforpeace/index.html to access the website.
For more information contact Michael Colvin, On Earth Peace International Day of Prayer for Peace Coordinator, at mcolvin.oep@gmail.com or 626-921-4712 or see his blogspot at http://mocolvin.blogspot.com.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Christian Citizenship Seminar will focus on modern-day slavery.
On April 25-30, 2009, high school age youth and advisors in the Church of the Brethren will gather in New York City and Washington, D.C., for the 2009 Christian Citizenship Seminar. The focus for the seminar will be modern-day slavery. The event is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
"Most of us think of slavery as an institution that does not exist anymore, but many experts estimate that there are approximately 27 million human beings who are currently being held in slavery around the world," said an announcement of the event. "What would Jesus do? What does God call us to do in light of these persons forced to perform domestic and agricultural work as well as to become prostitutes or soldiers against their will? We will examine the current status of slavery today and what our Christian faith invites us to do for ‘the least of these.’"
Brochures are now available from the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, call 800-323-8039.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
On April 25-30, 2009, high school age youth and advisors in the Church of the Brethren will gather in New York City and Washington, D.C., for the 2009 Christian Citizenship Seminar. The focus for the seminar will be modern-day slavery. The event is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
"Most of us think of slavery as an institution that does not exist anymore, but many experts estimate that there are approximately 27 million human beings who are currently being held in slavery around the world," said an announcement of the event. "What would Jesus do? What does God call us to do in light of these persons forced to perform domestic and agricultural work as well as to become prostitutes or soldiers against their will? We will examine the current status of slavery today and what our Christian faith invites us to do for ‘the least of these.’"
Brochures are now available from the Church of the Brethren's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office, call 800-323-8039.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Ministry of Reconciliation announces its Fall workshop schedule.
The Ministry of Reconciliation of On Earth Peace is announcing three regional workshops to take place this fall.
"Exploring Consensus Decision-making" will take place at Richmond (Ind.) Church of the Brethren on Oct. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshop will explore the underlying principles of decision by consensus, the process itself, and participate in a mock meeting where a decision is made using consensus. Cost to participants is $60 per person or $100 for groups of three or more. Leadership is provided by Charletta Erb of Chicago, Ill., and Wanda Joseph of Brethren, Mich.
"Keeping a Cool Head in a Hot Meeting" will be presented at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind.. on Nov. 13-14 by Celia Cook-Huffman, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College. Participants will learn the best way to structure meetings with an eye to efficiency, openness, and clarity, and will learn basic guidelines to use when anxiety levels are high, and how to lead difficult discussions. Cost is $155 for overnight lodgers and $120 for commuters.
"Keeping a Christian Attitude, Skills for Holding Difficult Conversations" will be held at Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Service and Outreach Ministry Team of Mid-Atlantic District. Participants will learn to prepare well for difficult conversations, create the space for honest sharing when emotions run high, and utilize conversation to build trust and understanding. Cost to participants is $20.
For more information, click on "Upcoming Events" at www.onearthpeace.org or contact Leslie Frye, Ministry of Reconciliation coordinator, at 410-635-8704.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
The Ministry of Reconciliation of On Earth Peace is announcing three regional workshops to take place this fall.
"Exploring Consensus Decision-making" will take place at Richmond (Ind.) Church of the Brethren on Oct. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshop will explore the underlying principles of decision by consensus, the process itself, and participate in a mock meeting where a decision is made using consensus. Cost to participants is $60 per person or $100 for groups of three or more. Leadership is provided by Charletta Erb of Chicago, Ill., and Wanda Joseph of Brethren, Mich.
"Keeping a Cool Head in a Hot Meeting" will be presented at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind.. on Nov. 13-14 by Celia Cook-Huffman, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College. Participants will learn the best way to structure meetings with an eye to efficiency, openness, and clarity, and will learn basic guidelines to use when anxiety levels are high, and how to lead difficult discussions. Cost is $155 for overnight lodgers and $120 for commuters.
"Keeping a Christian Attitude, Skills for Holding Difficult Conversations" will be held at Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Service and Outreach Ministry Team of Mid-Atlantic District. Participants will learn to prepare well for difficult conversations, create the space for honest sharing when emotions run high, and utilize conversation to build trust and understanding. Cost to participants is $20.
For more information, click on "Upcoming Events" at www.onearthpeace.org or contact Leslie Frye, Ministry of Reconciliation coordinator, at 410-635-8704.
Source: 8/13/2008 Newsline
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Annie Clark, Chris Douglas, Ed Groff, Bob Gross, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Frank Ramirez, John Wall, Christy Waltersdorff, 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. Annie Clark, Chris Douglas, Ed Groff, Bob Gross, Jon Kobel, Karin Krog, Frank Ramirez, John Wall, Christy Waltersdorff, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
BRETHREN FROM AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATE THEIR ROOTS IN SCHWARZENAU
Close to 1,000 people gathered in Schwarzenau, Germany, on Aug. 3 for the second day of international celebrations of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. The observance has been held in the village on the banks of the Eder River, where the first group of eight Brethren, led by Alexander Mack Sr., were baptized in 1708.
Schwarzenau, “that small town at the edge of the wood...has attained a reputation” for tolerance and the free exercise of religion, said the keynote speaker for the day in his address at an afternoon Anniversary Program in Schwarzenau’s Riding Hall.
Keynote speaker Marcus Meier is a research fellow at the Institute for European History in Mainz, and a German academic authority on the early history of the Brethren. His presentation went on to outline in great detail the influence of Pietism and Anabaptism on the early Brethren.
The village of Schwarzenau is firmly anchored in the memory of Brethren around the world, Meier said. The baptisms in Schwarzenau are “the primal seal for the today many-branched Brethren movement.... Here a group of eight people first counted the cost,” he said, quoting a phrase from a hymn by Alexander Mack.
A unique Sunday morning service celebrating the 300th Anniversary began the day. Preaching for worship were Fredric G. Miller Jr., pastor of Mount Olive Brethren Church in Pineville, Va., and James Beckwith, the 2008 moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and pastor of Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
Prayers, litanies, and scriptures were read by representatives of five of the six major Brethren bodies: the Church of the Brethren, the Brethren Church, the Old German Baptist Brethren Church, the Dunkard Brethren Church, and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (the representative from the sixth major body, the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International, was unable to be present).
The McPherson (Kan.) College Choir sang two anthems. The first was one of the pieces of music commissioned by the Church of the Brethren’s 300th Anniversary Committee: “Speak, O Lord,” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend, arranged by John Ferguson (see www.churchofthebrethrenanniversary.org/pdfs/song_anthem_order.pdf for more information).
Speaking on Matthew 3:13-17, Miller gave a message titled, “The Beautiful Rewards of Immersion.” He spoke of the first Brethren baptisms as “the echo of the splash of Jesus being dunked in the water of the Jordan.”
Dropping a 300-year-old German coin, made in 1708, into a small glass bowl set on the podium, he asked the congregation to listen for the echoes of its fall. “Hear the echo of a church that was formed here 300 years ago. I believe God is well pleased when he sees the results of the work of the Brethren,” he said. “We are 300 years young and still feel the passion for mission.”
He complimented the Church of the Brethren for its work in founding Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), which has grown to be the largest Brethren denomination in the world. He also lifted up the success of the Brethren Church, which has only some 120 congregations in the United States, he said, but has planted 2,000 churches around the world.
Miller encouraged Brethren today to have “hearts immersed in love, and hands immersed in service,” and emphasized that the story of Jesus Christ is only discovered through immersion in the word of God. He added that the Brethren heritage also calls for an immersion in prayer. “There will be no Brethren church without fervent prayer,” he said.
He closed with a call for Brethren to continue to listen for and hear the echoes of their heritage. “The next time you swing a hammer or attend an anointing service, I pray that you might hear an echo of the early church and the early Brethren,” Miller said. “And the next time you attend a baptism...hear the Father say, This is my church which I love, with the Brethren I am well pleased.”
Beckwith preached a sermon titled, “Shaped by the Love Feast,” on the text John 13:1-17 and 34-35. The Schwarzenau Brethren “washed one another’s feet simply because Jesus said so,” Beckwith said, as he began his comments about the lasting influence of the Love Feast on Brethren practice and community. The witness of the Love Feast has been “that Brethren take Jesus seriously and seek to follow him closely.”
The Love Feast “makes us appreciate the gritty needs of the world,” with its requirement for self examination, and the act of footwashing that makes so many people uncomfortable. “It still expresses faithfully the love and care of belonging in God’s family,” he said.
Beckwith characterized the Brethren practice of Love Feast as not just a personal or congregational preparation for partaking in the service of Communion, but as a way for the church to prepare to engage in service to the world as an act of communion with God. “Three hundred years of Love Feasts have shaped us to express mutual care and understanding,” he said. “The Love Feast has been the spiritual antidote to the violence of the world.”
“It is serious business to declare a loving fellowship, to declare ourselves Brethren,” Beckwith said. “It is a foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God.”
The afternoon’s program acknowledged the debt that the Brethren owe to Schwarzenau, its people, and its leaders over the centuries. Greetings were brought by many dignitaries including Bernhart, Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, who is considered the patron of the celebration. Prince Bernhart offered the use of his grounds and facilities for the Anniversary meeting area, including his residence, the Manor House in Schwarzenau.
On behalf of the Encyclopedia Board, Dale Stoffer thanked the Prince for continuing the hospitality shown by his forebear, Count Henrich Albrecht, who offered the first eight Brethren refuge in Schwarzenau.
The mayor of the town of Bad Berleburg and the village mayor of Schwarzenau also brought greetings, as did ecumenical guests representing districts of the Protestant Church, and Oliver Lehnsdorf, pastor of the church in Schwarzenau--the Protestant St. Luke Parish in the valleys of the Eder and the Elshoff.
Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, introduced the five leaders of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) who were present; and Dave Guiles, executive director of the Grace Brethren International Missions, introduced more than 20 delegates from several different countries who were gathering in Schwarzenau to begin a six-day planning meeting for future mission endeavors. Organizers reported that as many as 18 nations were represented at the celebration today.
The Encyclopedia Board gave a number of gifts of appreciation to the community of Schwarzenau, and also received a number of gifts from the village and the visiting dignitaries. The board also gave gifts specifically to the Schwarzenau Celebration Committee, and the Heimatverein Schwarzenau, a heritage association that is responsible for and maintains the Alexander Mack Museum. Among the gifts, a stack of newly published books about the Brethren were presented for the museum’s collection, including a number from Brethren Press, and a peace pole was presented to the community.
“The people of Schwarzenau have been tireless” in their preparations for the Anniversary, said Dale Ulrich, a member of the board of the Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc., which planned and organized the international celebration along with a Schwarzenau Celebration Committee of local residents. Ulrich has served as primary coordinator for the logistics of the event.
The village of Schwarzenau has a population of only 800 people, Ulrich said, and at least 260 of them helped with the difficult task of converting the Riding Hall temporarily from a horseback riding arena into a meeting place with seating for 1,000 people. The conversion included the laying of a wood plank floor, and installation of a stage, sound system, and lighting equipment. Schwarzenau’s volunteer fire department stood by throughout the weekend, and helped control bus and car traffic. A local catering company served the meals in a large tent between the Riding Hall and the river.
Villagers also offered an outdoor cafe selling cold drinks and homemade baked goods, made warm waffles for the Brethren on Sunday morning, and sold commemorative bottles of Eder River water, that came complete with certificates of authenticity.
The Schwarzenau Celebration Committee was co-coordinated by Bernd Julius and Otto Marburger, and also included members Bodo Huster, Peter Kanstein, and Karin Zacharais. Johannes Haese served as liaison between the Schwarzenau Celebration Committee and the board of the Brethren Encyclopedia.
The Brethren Encyclopedia board is made up of members representing the six major Brethren bodies. Its president is Robert Lehigh; vice president Dale Stoffer coordinated the afternoon Anniversary Program; secretary Dale Ulrich served as a main coordinator for the Schwarzenau events; Terry White is treasurer; and Michael M. Miller and Jeff Bach are members of the board. Consultants to the board for the Schwarzenau events were Ken Kreider and Ted Rondeau.
A short gathering for worship at the river closed the day’s events. People gathered on both sides of the Eder River and on the bridge over the river, to participate in the short time of hymns and prayers led by a group of Old German Baptist Brethren. A brief meditation was brought by Michael Miller, a member of the Encyclopedia Board representing the Old German Baptist Brethren.
“So we come to the banks of this quiet river to say goodbye,” Miller said. The earth has listened to so much pain and suffering, he commented, but the earth also has heard the 24 splashes as the first eight Brethren were lifted from the waters of baptism. He closed with a blessing for the place, the people of Schwarzenau, and their children and descendants. Coming close to tears, he said, “May God bless you here in Schwarzenau.”
To the Brethren, Miller offered this blessing: “May we go with the same joy, peace, and hope that those eight people had 300 years ago.... Our prayer is that 300 years from now, we will all stand together again in the Kingdom of God.”
Worship ended with the singing of the Doxology, the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn.
After the dismissal, many people still stood for some time along the banks of the river and on the bridge, in what became a moment of appreciation for the solemnity of the occasion. Some took the opportunity to dip their feet or hands in the river.
A comment made by Meier during the afternoon program was affirmed: For the Brethren, “the act of baptism...laid the cornerstone.”
Source: 08/03/2008 Newsline Special from Schwarzenau, Germany
Close to 1,000 people gathered in Schwarzenau, Germany, on Aug. 3 for the second day of international celebrations of the 300th Anniversary of the Brethren movement. The observance has been held in the village on the banks of the Eder River, where the first group of eight Brethren, led by Alexander Mack Sr., were baptized in 1708.
Schwarzenau, “that small town at the edge of the wood...has attained a reputation” for tolerance and the free exercise of religion, said the keynote speaker for the day in his address at an afternoon Anniversary Program in Schwarzenau’s Riding Hall.
Keynote speaker Marcus Meier is a research fellow at the Institute for European History in Mainz, and a German academic authority on the early history of the Brethren. His presentation went on to outline in great detail the influence of Pietism and Anabaptism on the early Brethren.
The village of Schwarzenau is firmly anchored in the memory of Brethren around the world, Meier said. The baptisms in Schwarzenau are “the primal seal for the today many-branched Brethren movement.... Here a group of eight people first counted the cost,” he said, quoting a phrase from a hymn by Alexander Mack.
A unique Sunday morning service celebrating the 300th Anniversary began the day. Preaching for worship were Fredric G. Miller Jr., pastor of Mount Olive Brethren Church in Pineville, Va., and James Beckwith, the 2008 moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference and pastor of Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
Prayers, litanies, and scriptures were read by representatives of five of the six major Brethren bodies: the Church of the Brethren, the Brethren Church, the Old German Baptist Brethren Church, the Dunkard Brethren Church, and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (the representative from the sixth major body, the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International, was unable to be present).
The McPherson (Kan.) College Choir sang two anthems. The first was one of the pieces of music commissioned by the Church of the Brethren’s 300th Anniversary Committee: “Speak, O Lord,” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend, arranged by John Ferguson (see www.churchofthebrethrenanniversary.org/pdfs/song_anthem_order.pdf for more information).
Speaking on Matthew 3:13-17, Miller gave a message titled, “The Beautiful Rewards of Immersion.” He spoke of the first Brethren baptisms as “the echo of the splash of Jesus being dunked in the water of the Jordan.”
Dropping a 300-year-old German coin, made in 1708, into a small glass bowl set on the podium, he asked the congregation to listen for the echoes of its fall. “Hear the echo of a church that was formed here 300 years ago. I believe God is well pleased when he sees the results of the work of the Brethren,” he said. “We are 300 years young and still feel the passion for mission.”
He complimented the Church of the Brethren for its work in founding Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), which has grown to be the largest Brethren denomination in the world. He also lifted up the success of the Brethren Church, which has only some 120 congregations in the United States, he said, but has planted 2,000 churches around the world.
Miller encouraged Brethren today to have “hearts immersed in love, and hands immersed in service,” and emphasized that the story of Jesus Christ is only discovered through immersion in the word of God. He added that the Brethren heritage also calls for an immersion in prayer. “There will be no Brethren church without fervent prayer,” he said.
He closed with a call for Brethren to continue to listen for and hear the echoes of their heritage. “The next time you swing a hammer or attend an anointing service, I pray that you might hear an echo of the early church and the early Brethren,” Miller said. “And the next time you attend a baptism...hear the Father say, This is my church which I love, with the Brethren I am well pleased.”
Beckwith preached a sermon titled, “Shaped by the Love Feast,” on the text John 13:1-17 and 34-35. The Schwarzenau Brethren “washed one another’s feet simply because Jesus said so,” Beckwith said, as he began his comments about the lasting influence of the Love Feast on Brethren practice and community. The witness of the Love Feast has been “that Brethren take Jesus seriously and seek to follow him closely.”
The Love Feast “makes us appreciate the gritty needs of the world,” with its requirement for self examination, and the act of footwashing that makes so many people uncomfortable. “It still expresses faithfully the love and care of belonging in God’s family,” he said.
Beckwith characterized the Brethren practice of Love Feast as not just a personal or congregational preparation for partaking in the service of Communion, but as a way for the church to prepare to engage in service to the world as an act of communion with God. “Three hundred years of Love Feasts have shaped us to express mutual care and understanding,” he said. “The Love Feast has been the spiritual antidote to the violence of the world.”
“It is serious business to declare a loving fellowship, to declare ourselves Brethren,” Beckwith said. “It is a foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God.”
The afternoon’s program acknowledged the debt that the Brethren owe to Schwarzenau, its people, and its leaders over the centuries. Greetings were brought by many dignitaries including Bernhart, Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein, who is considered the patron of the celebration. Prince Bernhart offered the use of his grounds and facilities for the Anniversary meeting area, including his residence, the Manor House in Schwarzenau.
On behalf of the Encyclopedia Board, Dale Stoffer thanked the Prince for continuing the hospitality shown by his forebear, Count Henrich Albrecht, who offered the first eight Brethren refuge in Schwarzenau.
The mayor of the town of Bad Berleburg and the village mayor of Schwarzenau also brought greetings, as did ecumenical guests representing districts of the Protestant Church, and Oliver Lehnsdorf, pastor of the church in Schwarzenau--the Protestant St. Luke Parish in the valleys of the Eder and the Elshoff.
Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, introduced the five leaders of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) who were present; and Dave Guiles, executive director of the Grace Brethren International Missions, introduced more than 20 delegates from several different countries who were gathering in Schwarzenau to begin a six-day planning meeting for future mission endeavors. Organizers reported that as many as 18 nations were represented at the celebration today.
The Encyclopedia Board gave a number of gifts of appreciation to the community of Schwarzenau, and also received a number of gifts from the village and the visiting dignitaries. The board also gave gifts specifically to the Schwarzenau Celebration Committee, and the Heimatverein Schwarzenau, a heritage association that is responsible for and maintains the Alexander Mack Museum. Among the gifts, a stack of newly published books about the Brethren were presented for the museum’s collection, including a number from Brethren Press, and a peace pole was presented to the community.
“The people of Schwarzenau have been tireless” in their preparations for the Anniversary, said Dale Ulrich, a member of the board of the Brethren Encyclopedia, Inc., which planned and organized the international celebration along with a Schwarzenau Celebration Committee of local residents. Ulrich has served as primary coordinator for the logistics of the event.
The village of Schwarzenau has a population of only 800 people, Ulrich said, and at least 260 of them helped with the difficult task of converting the Riding Hall temporarily from a horseback riding arena into a meeting place with seating for 1,000 people. The conversion included the laying of a wood plank floor, and installation of a stage, sound system, and lighting equipment. Schwarzenau’s volunteer fire department stood by throughout the weekend, and helped control bus and car traffic. A local catering company served the meals in a large tent between the Riding Hall and the river.
Villagers also offered an outdoor cafe selling cold drinks and homemade baked goods, made warm waffles for the Brethren on Sunday morning, and sold commemorative bottles of Eder River water, that came complete with certificates of authenticity.
The Schwarzenau Celebration Committee was co-coordinated by Bernd Julius and Otto Marburger, and also included members Bodo Huster, Peter Kanstein, and Karin Zacharais. Johannes Haese served as liaison between the Schwarzenau Celebration Committee and the board of the Brethren Encyclopedia.
The Brethren Encyclopedia board is made up of members representing the six major Brethren bodies. Its president is Robert Lehigh; vice president Dale Stoffer coordinated the afternoon Anniversary Program; secretary Dale Ulrich served as a main coordinator for the Schwarzenau events; Terry White is treasurer; and Michael M. Miller and Jeff Bach are members of the board. Consultants to the board for the Schwarzenau events were Ken Kreider and Ted Rondeau.
A short gathering for worship at the river closed the day’s events. People gathered on both sides of the Eder River and on the bridge over the river, to participate in the short time of hymns and prayers led by a group of Old German Baptist Brethren. A brief meditation was brought by Michael Miller, a member of the Encyclopedia Board representing the Old German Baptist Brethren.
“So we come to the banks of this quiet river to say goodbye,” Miller said. The earth has listened to so much pain and suffering, he commented, but the earth also has heard the 24 splashes as the first eight Brethren were lifted from the waters of baptism. He closed with a blessing for the place, the people of Schwarzenau, and their children and descendants. Coming close to tears, he said, “May God bless you here in Schwarzenau.”
To the Brethren, Miller offered this blessing: “May we go with the same joy, peace, and hope that those eight people had 300 years ago.... Our prayer is that 300 years from now, we will all stand together again in the Kingdom of God.”
Worship ended with the singing of the Doxology, the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn.
After the dismissal, many people still stood for some time along the banks of the river and on the bridge, in what became a moment of appreciation for the solemnity of the occasion. Some took the opportunity to dip their feet or hands in the river.
A comment made by Meier during the afternoon program was affirmed: For the Brethren, “the act of baptism...laid the cornerstone.”
Source: 08/03/2008 Newsline Special from Schwarzenau, Germany
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