- Annual Conference preachers and other leaders are announced.
- Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 283 begins work.
- Indiana districts receive Lilly Endowment grant to aid pastors.
- Brethren bits: Remembrance, personnel, Brethren books, and more.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
NEWS
Annual Conference preachers and other leaders are announced.
Preachers and other leaders for the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference to be held June 26-30 in San Diego, Calif., have been announced by the Annual Conference Office. Coordinating the worship services will be Scott Duffey of Westminster, Md. Preachers will address the Conference theme for 2009, "The old has gone! The new has come! All this is from God!" (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
Annual Conference moderator David K. Shumate, who is district executive minister for Virlina District, will preach for the opening worship service on the evening of Friday, June 26. Moderator-elect Shawn Flory Replogle, pastor of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, will be worship leader for the Friday evening service.
For the Saturday evening worship service, the preacher will be Richard F. Shreckhise, of the pastoral team at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. The worship leader will be Susan R. Daniel, administrative executive of Idaho District.
Eric H. F. Law will bring the Sunday morning message for the Conference. He is an ordained Episcopal priest and consultant in the area of multicultural ministry, and author of a number of books including "The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community" and "Finding Intimacy in a World of Fear" among others. Leading worship Sunday morning will be Jonathan Shively, executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries.
Preaching on Monday evening will be Nancy Heishman, co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic along with her husband, Irvin Heishman. Leading worship will be Joseph V. Vecchio of the Pacific Southwest District office staff.
The closing worship service for the Conference, on Tuesday morning, June 30, will receive the message from Jaime Diaz, pastor of Castañer Iglesia de los Hermanos (Castañer Church of the Brethren) in Puerto Rico. The worship leader will be Valentina Satvedi, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and director of the Anti-Racism Program of Mennonite Central Committee US.
Music for the Annual Conference worship services will be coordinated by Eric Matteson, co-pastor of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Music leaders will include Conference Choir director Stephen Reddy, also of Modesto; Children’s Choir director Linda Williams of San Diego; organist Anna Grady of Goshen, Ind.; and at the piano/keyboard Dan Masterson of Lindsborg, Kan.
Bible study leaders include Julie Hostetter, director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, who will serve as leader of evening Bible study sessions; Nick Corrall, pastor of Iglesia de Cristo Genesis, a Church of the Brethren congregation in Los Angeles, who will coordinate Hispanic Bible studies; Gene Hagenberger, pastor of Easton (Md.) Church of the Brethren, and Noel Naff, pastor of Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren in Bassett, Va., who will lead morning Bible study sessions; and Estella Horning, an ordained Church of the Brethren minister and retired seminary teacher from Goshen, Ind., who will lead the theological studies.
Go to www.cobannualconference.org for more information about the Annual Conference and to register online.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Preachers and other leaders for the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference to be held June 26-30 in San Diego, Calif., have been announced by the Annual Conference Office. Coordinating the worship services will be Scott Duffey of Westminster, Md. Preachers will address the Conference theme for 2009, "The old has gone! The new has come! All this is from God!" (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
Annual Conference moderator David K. Shumate, who is district executive minister for Virlina District, will preach for the opening worship service on the evening of Friday, June 26. Moderator-elect Shawn Flory Replogle, pastor of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren, will be worship leader for the Friday evening service.
For the Saturday evening worship service, the preacher will be Richard F. Shreckhise, of the pastoral team at Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. The worship leader will be Susan R. Daniel, administrative executive of Idaho District.
Eric H. F. Law will bring the Sunday morning message for the Conference. He is an ordained Episcopal priest and consultant in the area of multicultural ministry, and author of a number of books including "The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community" and "Finding Intimacy in a World of Fear" among others. Leading worship Sunday morning will be Jonathan Shively, executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries.
Preaching on Monday evening will be Nancy Heishman, co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic along with her husband, Irvin Heishman. Leading worship will be Joseph V. Vecchio of the Pacific Southwest District office staff.
The closing worship service for the Conference, on Tuesday morning, June 30, will receive the message from Jaime Diaz, pastor of Castañer Iglesia de los Hermanos (Castañer Church of the Brethren) in Puerto Rico. The worship leader will be Valentina Satvedi, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and director of the Anti-Racism Program of Mennonite Central Committee US.
Music for the Annual Conference worship services will be coordinated by Eric Matteson, co-pastor of Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Music leaders will include Conference Choir director Stephen Reddy, also of Modesto; Children’s Choir director Linda Williams of San Diego; organist Anna Grady of Goshen, Ind.; and at the piano/keyboard Dan Masterson of Lindsborg, Kan.
Bible study leaders include Julie Hostetter, director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, who will serve as leader of evening Bible study sessions; Nick Corrall, pastor of Iglesia de Cristo Genesis, a Church of the Brethren congregation in Los Angeles, who will coordinate Hispanic Bible studies; Gene Hagenberger, pastor of Easton (Md.) Church of the Brethren, and Noel Naff, pastor of Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren in Bassett, Va., who will lead morning Bible study sessions; and Estella Horning, an ordained Church of the Brethren minister and retired seminary teacher from Goshen, Ind., who will lead the theological studies.
Go to www.cobannualconference.org for more information about the Annual Conference and to register online.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 283 begins work.
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) volunteers from Unit 283 have begun work at projects in the US and Northern Ireland. The unit trained at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., from Jan. 25-Feb. 13. While in Florida the volunteers had several days to serve the community including workdays with local agencies in Orlando and Miami. The group also explored many issues of faith, community, peace, and social justice throughout the three-week training.
The volunteers’ home congregations or hometowns and placements follow: Dan Finkbiner of Little Swatara Church of the Brethren in Bethel, Pa., is serving at Hopewell Inn in Mesopotamia, Ohio; Emily Fuentes of Erie, Colo., is serving at the Palms of Sebring, Fla.; Max Fuerstenberg of Gerlingen, Germany, and Philipp Siedler of Rottweil, Germany, are serving at San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker House; Aaron Hostetler of Bremen, Ind., is serving at Abode Services in Fremont, Calif.; Sarah Hurst of Dillsburg, Pa., and Heather Thompson of Billing, Mont., is serving at Quaker Cottage in Belfast, N. Ireland; Chelsea Spade of Grossnickle Church of the Brethren in Myersville, Md., is serving at Casa de Esperanza de los Niños in Houston, Tex.; Patrick Spahn of Neustadt, Germany, is serving at the Center on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C.; Matthew Witkovsky of Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntington, Pa., is serving at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; Lauren Young of Harrisonburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren is serving at Abode Services in Fremont, Calif.
For more information visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org or call 800-323-8039.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) volunteers from Unit 283 have begun work at projects in the US and Northern Ireland. The unit trained at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., from Jan. 25-Feb. 13. While in Florida the volunteers had several days to serve the community including workdays with local agencies in Orlando and Miami. The group also explored many issues of faith, community, peace, and social justice throughout the three-week training.
The volunteers’ home congregations or hometowns and placements follow: Dan Finkbiner of Little Swatara Church of the Brethren in Bethel, Pa., is serving at Hopewell Inn in Mesopotamia, Ohio; Emily Fuentes of Erie, Colo., is serving at the Palms of Sebring, Fla.; Max Fuerstenberg of Gerlingen, Germany, and Philipp Siedler of Rottweil, Germany, are serving at San Antonio (Texas) Catholic Worker House; Aaron Hostetler of Bremen, Ind., is serving at Abode Services in Fremont, Calif.; Sarah Hurst of Dillsburg, Pa., and Heather Thompson of Billing, Mont., is serving at Quaker Cottage in Belfast, N. Ireland; Chelsea Spade of Grossnickle Church of the Brethren in Myersville, Md., is serving at Casa de Esperanza de los Niños in Houston, Tex.; Patrick Spahn of Neustadt, Germany, is serving at the Center on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C.; Matthew Witkovsky of Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntington, Pa., is serving at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; Lauren Young of Harrisonburg (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren is serving at Abode Services in Fremont, Calif.
For more information visit www.brethrenvolunteerservice.org or call 800-323-8039.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Indiana districts receive Lilly Endowment grant to aid pastors.
The Church of the Brethren’s Northern Indiana District and South Central Indiana District have jointly received a grant of $335,000 from the Lilly Endowment’s new Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Indiana Pastors. The two districts are among 16 regional bodies from a variety of Christian denominations to receive awards that total more than $11 million.
In Dec. 2007, the endowment awarded planning grants to Protestant regional judicatories in Indiana to study financial challenges faced by their pastors and ways to address them, according to a press release from the endowment. The groups conducted extensive surveys and engaged in in-depth interviews with pastors and congregational leaders about their current economic situations.
The groups then submitted proposals for new programs designed to address the most challenging economic issues their pastors face. In late 2008, the endowment gave grants to those groups that submitted compelling program plans. The amounts of the grants were based on the number of congregations served.
"The planning process during the past year identified a number of economic challenges impacting our pastors," said Northern Indiana District executive Herman Kauffman. "These were very similar to those impacting pastors of other denominations in Indiana. The financial concern listed most often as a serious stressor was the cost of health care. Second was inadequate retirement funds. Third was salary and benefits. Financial management was also a significant issue."
Kauffman reported that providing education to clergy and congregations related to specific ways to help alleviate stress on pastors and to improve congregational life will be a key component of the districts’ program. The two districts are considering such things as financial management seminars for clergy, stewardship education and financial management at the congregational level, and perhaps individual counseling with clergy where needed.
The two district boards have appointed a Ministerial Excellence Board consisting of six people--two appointed by each district board plus the two district executives--to oversee the hiring of a quarter-time director and to give oversight to the program and the grant funds. The Ministerial Excellence Board also will work at recruiting consultants in the areas of insurance, financial planning, fundraising, and legal matters.
"In addition to the grant received from Lilly Endowment, the Ministerial Excellence Board will work at generating matching funds to allow the program to grow and continue beyond the initial four-year period," Kauffman added. He said the districts anticipate that grants will be provided in areas that would include health care costs, retirement funds, educational debt, and higher education costs for children of clergy, with encouragement to congregations to match these grants.
"Even before the recent economic turmoil...we noticed and were increasingly troubled by ways that financial hardships facing some pastors can weigh them down and create barriers that make it very difficult for them to lead their congregations effectively," said Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at the Lilly Endowment, in the press release.
The Indiana pastors included in the study admitted that personal financial pressures make it hard for them to contribute much financially to their own churches, the release reported, adding that as a result pastors are reluctant to talk openly about financial matters, to take active roles in managing congregational finances, or to encourage members to give to church ministries. "Church leaders also noted that these personal financial pressures are a major motivating factor for clergy leaving the ministry," the release said.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
The Church of the Brethren’s Northern Indiana District and South Central Indiana District have jointly received a grant of $335,000 from the Lilly Endowment’s new Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Indiana Pastors. The two districts are among 16 regional bodies from a variety of Christian denominations to receive awards that total more than $11 million.
In Dec. 2007, the endowment awarded planning grants to Protestant regional judicatories in Indiana to study financial challenges faced by their pastors and ways to address them, according to a press release from the endowment. The groups conducted extensive surveys and engaged in in-depth interviews with pastors and congregational leaders about their current economic situations.
The groups then submitted proposals for new programs designed to address the most challenging economic issues their pastors face. In late 2008, the endowment gave grants to those groups that submitted compelling program plans. The amounts of the grants were based on the number of congregations served.
"The planning process during the past year identified a number of economic challenges impacting our pastors," said Northern Indiana District executive Herman Kauffman. "These were very similar to those impacting pastors of other denominations in Indiana. The financial concern listed most often as a serious stressor was the cost of health care. Second was inadequate retirement funds. Third was salary and benefits. Financial management was also a significant issue."
Kauffman reported that providing education to clergy and congregations related to specific ways to help alleviate stress on pastors and to improve congregational life will be a key component of the districts’ program. The two districts are considering such things as financial management seminars for clergy, stewardship education and financial management at the congregational level, and perhaps individual counseling with clergy where needed.
The two district boards have appointed a Ministerial Excellence Board consisting of six people--two appointed by each district board plus the two district executives--to oversee the hiring of a quarter-time director and to give oversight to the program and the grant funds. The Ministerial Excellence Board also will work at recruiting consultants in the areas of insurance, financial planning, fundraising, and legal matters.
"In addition to the grant received from Lilly Endowment, the Ministerial Excellence Board will work at generating matching funds to allow the program to grow and continue beyond the initial four-year period," Kauffman added. He said the districts anticipate that grants will be provided in areas that would include health care costs, retirement funds, educational debt, and higher education costs for children of clergy, with encouragement to congregations to match these grants.
"Even before the recent economic turmoil...we noticed and were increasingly troubled by ways that financial hardships facing some pastors can weigh them down and create barriers that make it very difficult for them to lead their congregations effectively," said Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at the Lilly Endowment, in the press release.
The Indiana pastors included in the study admitted that personal financial pressures make it hard for them to contribute much financially to their own churches, the release reported, adding that as a result pastors are reluctant to talk openly about financial matters, to take active roles in managing congregational finances, or to encourage members to give to church ministries. "Church leaders also noted that these personal financial pressures are a major motivating factor for clergy leaving the ministry," the release said.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Brethren bits: Remembrance, personnel, Brethren books, and more.
- Connie S. Andes, 66, a former executive staff member for the Church of the Brethren, died on March 2 at the Kansas City (Mo.) Hospice House. She served the Church of the Brethren General Board from July 1984 through August 1988 as an associate general secretary and executive of the General Services Commission, with responsibility for a number of key church programs including Brethren Press and communications, stewardship education and enlistment, data processing, and the Brethren Historical Library and Archives. During her tenure with the denomination, she was a member of the National Council of Churches (NCC) Governing Board, served on the Church Leaders Panel charged with integrating Church World Service into the NCC structure, and was a member-at-large of the NCC Executive Committee. Before joining the General Board staff, she was director of admissions, alumni director, and associate director of development at McPherson (Kan.) College, beginning in 1979. Her volunteer work for the church included service on the Annual Conference Worship Committee, the Womaen’s Caucus Steering Committee, the Western Plains Women’s Task Force, and the planning and program committee of Illinois and Wisconsin District, as well as involvement with the Global Women’s Project and writing for "Messenger" and the "Brethren Encyclopedia." She also worked in higher education, and taught high school English for two years. She was born on Nov. 1, 1942, on a farm near Mound City, Mo., to Leroy and Doris (Mann) Andes. She held a bachelor’s degree from McPherson College, a master’s degree in history from Wichita State University, and a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She was married to Leroy C. Weddle from 1963-1982. She is survived by her daughter Dana Andes and son Tedd Weddle and wife Melanie Larsen. The family held a private gathering at the family farm for the scattering of the ashes. Condolences may be shared with the family care of Dana Andes, 1631 Emerson #323, Denver, CO 80218.
- Matt and Betsy Kuecker begin April 1 as managers of Camp Pine Lake in Eldora, Iowa, an outdoor ministry center of Northern Plains District. The Kueckers are graduates of Central College in Pella, Iowa. Betsy Kuecker holds a degree in communication studies and has worked as a Special Events director in Colorado Springs, as coordinator of Admissions at Central College, and as marketing project coordinator for a company in Omaha, Neb. Matt Kuecker holds a degree in economics and has been employed as property claims field adjuster with American Family Insurance. He also has experience in house construction. They are members of Prairie City (Iowa) Church of the Brethren.
- Shelly Wagner is returning to the position of director of the New Windsor Conference Center, located at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. She also will serve as director of Marketing. She returns to the position on March 19, after spending six months providing leadership development for regional sales staff. She brings 12 years of experience in domestic and international marketing in the for-profit arena, having worked previously for a commercial tires and accessory parts company called I.M.I. She is a member of the Church of the Brethren and will be commuting from Waynesboro, Pa.
- Wolfgang Spreen, program assistant for Buildings and Grounds at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., has completed his service with the Church of the Brethren as of March 9. The position has been eliminated as part of a re-evaluation of the needs of the center. Spreen began employment at the Brethren Service Center on July 14, 2003, as program assistant for the executive director, and providing assistance to the general secretary. Later he became the program assistant for the Buildings and Grounds department. His many and varied tasks have included mail sorting and delivery, providing tours for guests, telephone reception, and supporting information services on the center campus. Any services or functions previously handled by Spreen should be channeled through Ed Palsgrove, director of Buildings and Grounds for the Brethren Service Center.
- Joan McGrath, human resources coordinator at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., completes her service with the Church of the Brethren on March 26. She has served in the position for two years, since March 6, 2007. Previously she was the owner of Footsteps to Health in Westminster, Md., and also has worked as human resources administrator for ROI Technologies in Baltimore and as manager of Corporate Services for an organization in Bethesda. She is a University of Maryland graduate with a bachelor of science degree in Technology and Management. Any services or functions previously handled by McGrath should be channeled through Karin Krog, director of Human Resources for the Church of the Brethren.
- Amy Adkins, program assistant at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, will complete her service with the Church of the Brethren when her current service agreement ends. Her last day in the office will be March 14. She has served in the temporary, part-time position since Sept. 15, 2008. Previously, she worked in the Brethren Witness/Washington Office for three separate periods of time: as program assistant from July-Dec. 2005, and May-Nov. 2006; and as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker and legislative associate from Aug. 2003-Feb. 2005. She is from Middlebury, Ind., and is a graduate of Manchester College.
- Carol Wise, executive director of the Brethren Mennonite Council for GLBT Interests (BMC) has announced a 10-week sabbatical beginning March 15. She has served as executive for BMC for over five years. Her sabbatical plans include study and reading on the development and growth of social movements, work on worship resources for welcoming communities, and relaxing. During her sabbatical Ralph McFadden, vice-president of the BMC board, will fill in for her and spend time at the BMC office in Minneapolis, Minn., for several days every other week from March 16-May 31. He also will be available for consultation, speaking engagements, or conversation. Contact Ralph McFadden at rmcfadden@bmclgbt.org or at the BMC office at 612-343-2060 or at home at 847-622-1677.
- Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden has announced that the annual Church of the Brethren Lenten devotional book has sold out this year. The last copy went 10 days before Ash Wednesday, after the press sold 1,452 more than last year for a total of 5,579 copies. The strong sales are attributable to a significant gift for marketing the series, given by an individual donor who was impressed with the devotional series and wanted to expand its usage. "As part of this new push, we have begun a program to take standing orders for future seasons," McFadden said. Already, Brethren Press has received more than 2,400 orders for next Advent devotional. To be placed on the standing order list to receive the annual Advent and Lenten devotionals, call Brethren Press at 800-441-3712.
- A hardbound book of the minutes of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, for the years 2005-08, is now available through Brethren Press. The book includes minutes from the Conferences held in Peoria, Ill., in 2005; Des Moines, Iowa, in 2006; Cleveland, Ohio, in 2007; and Richmond, Va., in 2008. Recent previous hardbound editions have contained five years of minutes. This new volume, containing only four years, is approximately the same size as the 2000-04 volume. Go to www.brethrenpress.com or call 800-441-3712. Brethren Press also has hardbound volumes--individually and as a set--of Annual Conference minutes dating all the way back to 1945, with the exception of 1965-69.
- Children’s Disaster Services is offering a Level I Workshop at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., on April 3-4. The ministry also seeks sponsors for more training workshops for volunteers, especially in disaster-prone regions along the Gulf and West Coast. Children’s Disaster Services is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. Volunteers are trained to provide a calm, safe, and reassuring present in the midst of the chaos that follows disasters by setting up and operating child care centers in disaster locations. The workshop trains participants to understand and respond to children who have experienced a disaster, helping them recognize and understand fear and other emotions children experience and how child-led play and various art mediums can start the healing process. Participants will sleep on cots and eat simple meals to experience similar living conditions to those typically provided for survivors of disasters. A $45 registration fee is required. Once training is completed, participants may become certified Children’s Disaster Services volunteers by providing two personal references and a criminal and sexual offender background check. To attend the workshop in Fort Wayne, contact local coordinator Donna Belknap at 260-483-7244. To host a Level I Workshop, contact Children’s Disaster Services at 800-451-4407, ext. 5.
- Sixteen prospective students attended a recent Campus Visit Day at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. Driving and flying from Pennsylvania, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana, they attended classes and worship, ate with faculty and students, toured the campus, and enjoyed live music by Bethany student Seth Hendricks. According to a release from the seminary, more than 20 students are beginning classes this spring, a larger group than last year's spring start. For more information contact Elizabeth Keller, director of Admissions, at kelleel@bethanyseminary.edu.
- A Junior High Workcamp at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., will be held on July 13-17. The center houses Brethren Disaster Ministries, SERVV, and other programs that have a world-wide impact, assisting and empowering those in need. "Come serve at New Windsor and make a difference," said an invitation from the Church of the Brethren’s Workcamp Ministry. "Have fun with other Brethren junior high youth, and find your place in the larger fabric of God’s creation." Go to www.brethrenworkcamps.org to register online, or call 800-323-8039 for more information.
- Northern Plains District and Illinois and Wisconsin District have combined efforts to provide a "Matthew 18 Training for Trainers Workshop" at First Church of the Brethren in Peoria, Ill., on March 20-21. Rick Polhamus of the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) of On Earth Peace will lead the workshop. MoR is providing the training free of charge. Contact Kevin Kessler, Illinois and Wisconsin district executive minister, at kevink.iwdcob@sbcglobal.net or 309-649-6008.
- The Middle Pennsylvania District Shalom Team and the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Team are sponsoring a "Creating Healthy Congregations" workshop on March 20-21 at Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa. Leadership is provided by Carl Bowman, Church of the Brethren sociologist, who will report the findings of the largest ever survey of Church of the Brethren members. Stan Dueck, Congregational Life Team staff, will speak on "Who We Are and How We Do Things." Five different workshop also will be available to attendees. To download a brochure visit www.midpacob.org or call 814-643-0601.
- Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., has announced a record-setting $11.67 million in four-year academic scholarships, fueled by a record number of academically strong applicants. The scholarships range from $64,000 to $50,000, awarded to 202 high school students, according to a release. In addition, last fall the college enrolled its largest class in more than 25 years. Visit www.manchester.edu for more about Manchester College.
- The Bridgewater (Va.) College Concert Choir will present three concerts in Virlina District this spring: March 20 at 7 p.m. at Williamson Road Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va.; March 22 at 10:30 a.m. at Cloverdale (Va.) Church of the Brethren; and April 19 at 11 a.m. at West Richmond (Va.) Church of the Brethren. The Concert Choir includes 46 singers from all classes and specializes in masterworks for chorus. A free-will offering will be received at each concert to support the choir.
- Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village again has received high scores in the annual Maryland Nursing Facility Family Survey, according to a release from the retirement community near Boonsboro, Md. The survey contained 25 questions about five areas of a resident’s life and care: staff and administration, care provided to residents, food and meals, autonomy and resident rights, and physical aspects of the nursing home. Eighty-six surveys were issued to families or primary caregivers of Fahrney-Keedy residents. By the end of January 2009, respondents familiar with Fahrney-Keedy had returned 68 surveys for a response rate of 80 percent. Fahrney-Keedy’s scores were equal to or higher than the highest average score among all groupings in the survey. Two questions were included regarding the total experience and level of care provided by each nursing home. On a 1-to-10 scale, with 10 the best possible rating, respondents gave Fahrney-Keedy a 9.4 compared to an 8.2 rating statewide. "We are extremely pleased with the results," said Bob Lytle, administrator at Fahrney-Keedy.
- Peter Becker Community in Harleysville, Pa., is holding its 26th Annual Flower Show on the theme, "Oceans of Blooms," on March 12-14. Residents, volunteers, and staff of the retirement community share their talents, work, and enthusiasm at the annual show. Supporting the event are local businesses as display partners, donors, and sponsors. This year offers a collection of seaside scenes including a tall ship emerging from the fog, an animated lighthouse, an eco-friendly coral reef, a secret beach getaway, a sandcastle competition, and a Victorian cottage. This year's winners will be chosen by a People's Choice Competition. Also offered are a spring plant sale, thrift shop, bake sale, and other events. The show is open on March 12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for Senior Appreciation Day; on March 13 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and on March 14 from 9 a.m.-4 p..m. The suggested donation is $5 per person, free for children. Visit www.peterbeckercommunity.com for more information or call 215-256-9501.
- Camp Ithiel Venture Fun(d) Day is March 14. Proceeds from the event at the camp in Gotha, Fla., go to the Church Development Council of Atlantic Southeast District. The day will feature a Silent Auction of items offered by congregations, a Pie Auction, a food booth, games and contests including a "Pastors Crawl," and a fishing tournament for children. A praise band from the churches in Puerto Rico will play, as well as the praise team from Clay County Church of the Brethren. This year, the event is being opened to surrounding community as "an opportunity to demonstrate our faith and love to what we hope will be many more people," said an announcement in the district newsletter.
- Citing the economic recession, the Juniata College board of trustees has reduced its scheduled increase for tuition, room and board, and fees to just 3.9 percent, the lowest increase in nine years. The Brethren-related college is located in Huntingdon, Pa. Juniata also has initiated four new programs designed to lessen the economic impact of the recession for students: increased work-study opportunities by creating 30 new campus employment positions and more funds for higher wages in the Juniata Associates program; set-aside funding to adjust financial aid awards if a family's primary wage earner loses a job or the family experiences a catastrophic financial change; an increase of about 8 percent in the financial aid budget; and trustee approval for the use of up to $2 million of endowment principal for short-term, low-interest loans to families of students whose current loans are no longer available due to changes in real estate values or related issues. The college also started new food plans designed to lower costs to students.
- Emmert Bittinger gave a lecture Feb. 26 at the Young Center at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College titled "Crisis of Conscience: The Shenandoah Anabaptists During the Civil War," linking the Civil War to the experiences of Anabaptists during that time in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Bittinger also donated his collection of rare books to the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. He is a retired professor of sociology at Bridgewater (Va.) College and an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. His recent publications include "Unionists and the Civil War Experience in the Shenandoah Valley," published by the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center and the Valley Research Associates.
- McPherson (Kan.) College hosted a 3rd annual Math Competition Day on Feb. 18 for 400 visiting students from 16 Kansas high schools. Participating 9th through 12th graders competed in an individual test and team competition. Each school also created a unique mathematical team name. All participants received a t-shirt designed with the slogan "keeping it real…no imaginary numbers." Visit www.mcpherson.edu for more.
- The Association of Anabaptist Risk Management (AARM) is changing its name to "Resource Partners-Risk Management Solutions." The organization offers risk management products and services that promote human and financial stewardship with peace church organizations. The Peace Church Risk Retention Group serving longterm care providers associated with the Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, and Quaker denominations is one of six programs of Resource Partners. Other programs include a Peace Church Property and Auto Program for health and human service organizations; Administration for the Mutual Aid Sharing Plan, a self-insured health benefits program for mission and service agencies; corporate headquarters services for the Friends Mutual Health Group; and a Resource Partners Insurance Broker for nonprofit Anabaptist and Quaker organizations.
- The Springs of Living Water initiative led by Church of the Brethren minister David Young, is one of the sponsors of the 2009 Renovare International Conference on the theme, "The Jesus Way: Recovering the Lost Content of Discipleship," June 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas. Main presenters include Eugene Peterson, Max Lucado, Emilie Griffin, Richard J. Foster, and a number of other well-known speakers. The early registration deadline and fee of $129 has been extended to April 1. Visit www.renovare.org/journey_events_2009ic.htm or contact davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org.
- Sylvia Utz celebrated her 110th birthday on March 9 at the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, Ohio, according to a report in the "Dayton Daily News." She told the newspaper that her earliest memory is of her church, Pitsburg Church of the Brethren in Arcanum, Ohio, picnicking on the grounds of the Brethren Retirement Community when she was only 6 or 7 years old. The newspaper report said that only 1 in 5 million people lives to age 110. Go to http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/03/09/ddn030909centenarianinside.html for the full article.
Polzin serves as interim district executive for Michigan District.
The board of Michigan District has announced that Nathan (Nate) Polzin has been called to serve as interim district executive. The half-time position began March 7. Polzin has been called to serve as interim until the District Board and District Conference have named a committee to review and evaluate the district mission and structure and bring recommendations to the 2010 District Conference for ratification. The district office will be relocating to the Saginaw-Bay City area.
Polzin is a church planter, and start-up and continuing half-time pastor of The Church in Drive in Saginaw, Mich. He has served on the ministry commission of the District Board and as Michigan District’s Annual Conference standing committee delegate. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Bethany Theological Seminary representing the clergy. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree in Political Science, and of Bethany Theological Seminary with a master of divinity degree.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
The board of Michigan District has announced that Nathan (Nate) Polzin has been called to serve as interim district executive. The half-time position began March 7. Polzin has been called to serve as interim until the District Board and District Conference have named a committee to review and evaluate the district mission and structure and bring recommendations to the 2010 District Conference for ratification. The district office will be relocating to the Saginaw-Bay City area.
Polzin is a church planter, and start-up and continuing half-time pastor of The Church in Drive in Saginaw, Mich. He has served on the ministry commission of the District Board and as Michigan District’s Annual Conference standing committee delegate. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Bethany Theological Seminary representing the clergy. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree in Political Science, and of Bethany Theological Seminary with a master of divinity degree.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
On Earth Peace co-sponsors Intergenerational Workcamp.
On Earth Peace is co-sponsoring an Intergenerational Workcamp in partnership with the Church of the Brethren’s Workcamp Ministry. The Intergenerational Workcamp will take place Aug. 2-9 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
"This workcamp is a time for different generations to gather together and share their perspective--all while working side-by-side in faith," said an announcement. "Participants of all ages will come together to serve, share, and learn how we continue the peace witness of the church, as members of a global community." The workcamp will be held at the Brethren Service Center, where participants will work in service projects that have local, national, and global impacts, including SERRV and the Church of the Brethren’s distribution center for material relief following disasters.
Cost is $285. Go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_youth_ministry_workcamps_registration for online registration. Financial assistance is available through On Earth Peace, contact mrhoades@onearthpeace.org or 717-867-1902. Contact Bekah Houff, assistant workcamp coordinator for the Church of the Brethren, at rhouff_gb@brethren.org or 800-323-8039.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
On Earth Peace is co-sponsoring an Intergenerational Workcamp in partnership with the Church of the Brethren’s Workcamp Ministry. The Intergenerational Workcamp will take place Aug. 2-9 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
"This workcamp is a time for different generations to gather together and share their perspective--all while working side-by-side in faith," said an announcement. "Participants of all ages will come together to serve, share, and learn how we continue the peace witness of the church, as members of a global community." The workcamp will be held at the Brethren Service Center, where participants will work in service projects that have local, national, and global impacts, including SERRV and the Church of the Brethren’s distribution center for material relief following disasters.
Cost is $285. Go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_youth_ministry_workcamps_registration for online registration. Financial assistance is available through On Earth Peace, contact mrhoades@onearthpeace.org or 717-867-1902. Contact Bekah Houff, assistant workcamp coordinator for the Church of the Brethren, at rhouff_gb@brethren.org or 800-323-8039.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
'Brethren Life & Thought' offers new study resource.
The current issue of "Brethren Life & Thought" (Summer 2008, Vol. 53, No. 3) should have arrived in subscriber mailboxes recently. With this issue, the journal is introducing a new study resource. "Brethren Life & Thought" is a quarterly journal published in the interest of the Church of the Brethren by the Brethren Journal Association.
Study questions for each article in the current issue are available on the "Brethren Life & Thought" website, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/blt. The current issue features two articles interpreting the theological concept of atonement, one by Thomas Finger, visiting professor of theology at Bethany Theological Seminary, the second by Kate Eisenbise, graduate student at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Finger’s article, "Atonement, Ethics, Society, and Violence" defines atonement as "at-one-ment" or reconciliation with God. Eisenbise offers a friendly critique of Mennonite scholar J. Denny Weaver’s "narrative Christus Victor" model of atonement. Both provide for thoughtful discussion at this time of Lent.
The Brethren Journal Association and "Brethren Life & Thought" remain committed to providing an open forum for ideas and discussion related to the faith, history, and practices of the Church of the Brethren. For information about subscriptions or how to purchase single issues, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/blt or contact blt@bethanyseminary.edu.
-- Karen Garrett is a student at Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
The current issue of "Brethren Life & Thought" (Summer 2008, Vol. 53, No. 3) should have arrived in subscriber mailboxes recently. With this issue, the journal is introducing a new study resource. "Brethren Life & Thought" is a quarterly journal published in the interest of the Church of the Brethren by the Brethren Journal Association.
Study questions for each article in the current issue are available on the "Brethren Life & Thought" website, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/blt. The current issue features two articles interpreting the theological concept of atonement, one by Thomas Finger, visiting professor of theology at Bethany Theological Seminary, the second by Kate Eisenbise, graduate student at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Finger’s article, "Atonement, Ethics, Society, and Violence" defines atonement as "at-one-ment" or reconciliation with God. Eisenbise offers a friendly critique of Mennonite scholar J. Denny Weaver’s "narrative Christus Victor" model of atonement. Both provide for thoughtful discussion at this time of Lent.
The Brethren Journal Association and "Brethren Life & Thought" remain committed to providing an open forum for ideas and discussion related to the faith, history, and practices of the Church of the Brethren. For information about subscriptions or how to purchase single issues, go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/blt or contact blt@bethanyseminary.edu.
-- Karen Garrett is a student at Bethany Theological Seminary.
Source: 3/11/2009 Newsline
Dominican Brethren celebrate 18th Annual Conference.
"Without faith, it is impossible to please God!" (Hebrews 11:6). With this challenging theme, moderator José Juan Méndez opened and guided the18th Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic. The conference was held at a Nazarene Church campground in Los Alcarrizos in Santo Domingo, Feb. 20-22.
Two new congregations were received into the denomination and prayer was held for five new preaching points. The 74 delegates also approved a new constitution for the church, elected leaders for the national board and other positions, approved the 2009 budget, and dealt with some challenging issues of discipline.
Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren, presented plaques to national leaders recognizing their excellent work during the past year and led the delegates in a closing service of bread and cup communion.
Pastor Jorge Rivera, associate district executive for Puerto Rico, in Atlantic Southeast District, presented a moving tribute following a time of silence in honor of the late Guillermo Encarnación for his many years of service in the DR, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Also representing the Puerto Rican Brethren was Severo Romero. The Church of the Brethren in Haiti was represented by pastor Ives Jean and Altenor Gesusand, a church deacon.
Nancy Heishman, director of the Church of the Brethren’s theological education program in the DR, led morning Bible studies on the theme of faith, utilizing the talent of some of her students as co-teachers.
Irvin Heishman, co-coordinator of the DR mission for the Church of the Brethren, commented, "It’s a joy to see the Dominican church emerging from several difficult years with such vitality and health."
To view a photo album from the Asamblea, go to http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=7127&view=UserAlbum
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
"Without faith, it is impossible to please God!" (Hebrews 11:6). With this challenging theme, moderator José Juan Méndez opened and guided the18th Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic. The conference was held at a Nazarene Church campground in Los Alcarrizos in Santo Domingo, Feb. 20-22.
Two new congregations were received into the denomination and prayer was held for five new preaching points. The 74 delegates also approved a new constitution for the church, elected leaders for the national board and other positions, approved the 2009 budget, and dealt with some challenging issues of discipline.
Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren, presented plaques to national leaders recognizing their excellent work during the past year and led the delegates in a closing service of bread and cup communion.
Pastor Jorge Rivera, associate district executive for Puerto Rico, in Atlantic Southeast District, presented a moving tribute following a time of silence in honor of the late Guillermo Encarnación for his many years of service in the DR, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Also representing the Puerto Rican Brethren was Severo Romero. The Church of the Brethren in Haiti was represented by pastor Ives Jean and Altenor Gesusand, a church deacon.
Nancy Heishman, director of the Church of the Brethren’s theological education program in the DR, led morning Bible studies on the theme of faith, utilizing the talent of some of her students as co-teachers.
Irvin Heishman, co-coordinator of the DR mission for the Church of the Brethren, commented, "It’s a joy to see the Dominican church emerging from several difficult years with such vitality and health."
To view a photo album from the Asamblea, go to http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=7127&view=UserAlbum
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Arroyo Salado Church construction project begins in the DR.
For over a year, Arroyo Salado Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic has been holding worship services in the open air "ruins" of its old building. The government condemned and tore down half of the old church building to make way for improvements to the highway that runs in front of the building. The remains of the old building formed a rough "band shell" that the congregation has been using for outdoor worship in good weather.
Pastor Cristian Aquino Encarnacion expressed excitement that the construction of the new church and parsonage is now finally underway. The work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. The project is being supervised by a local contractor with the work being carried out by laborers and a number of volunteers from the Arroyo Salado Church. Church members are cooking meals for the workers over an open fire at the work site. The construction cost of RD $2,000,000 pesos (about US $58,000) will be paid in full with funds given by the government to compensate the national church for the loss of its old building.
The national leadership of the Church of the Brethren in the DR now requires that title for land be obtained before construction is authorized. This explains why it took over a year to find land suitable for the reconstruction of the Arroyo Salado Church. In addition, there was a high demand for every available lot, because many other homes and businesses in Arroyo Salado were also forced to relocate due to the road project. However, once land was found, the process of obtaining clear title for it took several additional months to complete.
This emphasis on getting clear title to the land represents a change in policy for the Dominican Brethren. As a result, work teams from the Church of the Brethren in the United States wanting to come to the DR to help with building projects may find that projects need to be delayed until clear title to land is obtained. This is a much lengthier bureaucratic process than the relatively quick title transfer common in the US, however new Dominican laws have reduced the process of title transfer to two to three months if no complications are found.
The change in policy by the Dominican church has been made because the church has run into some difficulties with church buildings built on land without title. In the DR, it is possible to purchase land with a simple notarized hand-written sales contract. While these contracts are common and recognized as legal, the practice is nonetheless risky since former owners or their heirs may still have some legal claim to the property. In addition, these hand-written contracts are notoriously riddled with errors, adding to the legal vulnerability of the current owner.
-- Irvin Heishman is co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
For over a year, Arroyo Salado Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic has been holding worship services in the open air "ruins" of its old building. The government condemned and tore down half of the old church building to make way for improvements to the highway that runs in front of the building. The remains of the old building formed a rough "band shell" that the congregation has been using for outdoor worship in good weather.
Pastor Cristian Aquino Encarnacion expressed excitement that the construction of the new church and parsonage is now finally underway. The work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. The project is being supervised by a local contractor with the work being carried out by laborers and a number of volunteers from the Arroyo Salado Church. Church members are cooking meals for the workers over an open fire at the work site. The construction cost of RD $2,000,000 pesos (about US $58,000) will be paid in full with funds given by the government to compensate the national church for the loss of its old building.
The national leadership of the Church of the Brethren in the DR now requires that title for land be obtained before construction is authorized. This explains why it took over a year to find land suitable for the reconstruction of the Arroyo Salado Church. In addition, there was a high demand for every available lot, because many other homes and businesses in Arroyo Salado were also forced to relocate due to the road project. However, once land was found, the process of obtaining clear title for it took several additional months to complete.
This emphasis on getting clear title to the land represents a change in policy for the Dominican Brethren. As a result, work teams from the Church of the Brethren in the United States wanting to come to the DR to help with building projects may find that projects need to be delayed until clear title to land is obtained. This is a much lengthier bureaucratic process than the relatively quick title transfer common in the US, however new Dominican laws have reduced the process of title transfer to two to three months if no complications are found.
The change in policy by the Dominican church has been made because the church has run into some difficulties with church buildings built on land without title. In the DR, it is possible to purchase land with a simple notarized hand-written sales contract. While these contracts are common and recognized as legal, the practice is nonetheless risky since former owners or their heirs may still have some legal claim to the property. In addition, these hand-written contracts are notoriously riddled with errors, adding to the legal vulnerability of the current owner.
-- Irvin Heishman is co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in the Dominican Republic.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Brethren disaster project in Haiti is close to completing five homes.
A series of reports from the new Church of the Brethren disaster relief project in Haiti are showing swift progress, with five homes already nearing completion. The project was initiated earlier this year by Brethren Disaster Ministries and the Church of the Brethren Haiti Mission following the destruction caused by last Fall’s hurricanes.
Jeff Boshart, who is serving as Haiti Disaster Response Mission Coordinator, has provided the progress reports. He is working in Haiti with Klebert Exceus of Orlando, Fla., who serves as Haitian consultant for the project. The project is funded by a grant of $100,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund.
The five homes close to completion are in the Fond Cheval area, a mountainous region near the town of Mirebalais. The area was heavily affected by the storms, and also is served by one of the Church of the Brethren preaching points as well as a Brethren-related school.
The five homes are "nearly finished except for one final outer coating," Boshart said. Fifteen more homes are to be worked on in Fond Cheval. In addition, a "house-by-house selection process" is being carried out to identify families to be served in the Mont Boulage area, where Boshart and Exceus received a list of 34 families affected by storm damage, have made 28 home visits, and have selected 21 houses for work. The project is budgeting $2,000 for each house.
"The personal stories of these families are all too familiar in Haiti," Boshart reported. "A family of six children can only afford to send the first three to school. A widow who had one whole side of her home collapse has moved away and hopes to come back if her children will help her rebuild. Young couples with no education and several children who have little hope for ever moving beyond subsistence living.... In general these families have one or two beds, some sleeping mats, a few cups and bowls and silverware, three or four chairs, and a few bags of clothing."
The project is working close to a school started by a Brethren preaching point in Fond Cheval, Boshart reported. "School fees at the small school started by the Brethren preaching point are only about $13 for the year but there are still families that can't afford to send their kids," he said.
With the unemployment rate at around 60 percent, many Haitians are desperate for work. The families being served in Fond Cheval are taking part in the building work, Boshart said. Recipients of homes carry water from a distance to mix the cement, and also help transport sand and other building materials. Also, some laborers will be paid for their work.
When the home repairs get started in Mont Boulage, villagers who are not being served will be paid in food and cement to do the heavy work. They will be responsible for their own home improvements. As the hurricane response progresses, Brethren Disaster Ministries will endeavor to bring in small groups of US Brethren to work with local Haitians once volunteer housing, safety, and transportation are definite.
In another aspect of the project, Boshart has met with a doctor and pharmacist connected with IMA World Health to talk about cooperative work to provide medicines and support to a hospital and clinic near an area flooded in last year’s storms. Boshart and Exceus also met with Church of the Brethren members in Gonaives and others in need of rebuilt homes in that area, as well as with an ecumenical pastor’s group that may work with the Brethren through a micro-loan program. They visited people who are living in homemade tents in Gonaives following the storms and flooding.
The pastors in Gonaives "shared that things are slow to return to normal," Boshart reported. "Some people are starting to move back into their homes.... Typhoid and malaria continue to be present in high levels.... UN food and water deliveries have ended.... Those who haven't left the city to live with families or move back into flooded out homes are living under homemade tents made out of bed sheets and tarps and what pieces of plastic they can find. We went to visit these tents and it is really tragic."
"It will be quite a challenge," Boshart said of the Church of the Brethren project in Haiti, "but the Haitian people are no strangers to hard work and sacrifice and seem to be eager to get going."
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
A series of reports from the new Church of the Brethren disaster relief project in Haiti are showing swift progress, with five homes already nearing completion. The project was initiated earlier this year by Brethren Disaster Ministries and the Church of the Brethren Haiti Mission following the destruction caused by last Fall’s hurricanes.
Jeff Boshart, who is serving as Haiti Disaster Response Mission Coordinator, has provided the progress reports. He is working in Haiti with Klebert Exceus of Orlando, Fla., who serves as Haitian consultant for the project. The project is funded by a grant of $100,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund.
The five homes close to completion are in the Fond Cheval area, a mountainous region near the town of Mirebalais. The area was heavily affected by the storms, and also is served by one of the Church of the Brethren preaching points as well as a Brethren-related school.
The five homes are "nearly finished except for one final outer coating," Boshart said. Fifteen more homes are to be worked on in Fond Cheval. In addition, a "house-by-house selection process" is being carried out to identify families to be served in the Mont Boulage area, where Boshart and Exceus received a list of 34 families affected by storm damage, have made 28 home visits, and have selected 21 houses for work. The project is budgeting $2,000 for each house.
"The personal stories of these families are all too familiar in Haiti," Boshart reported. "A family of six children can only afford to send the first three to school. A widow who had one whole side of her home collapse has moved away and hopes to come back if her children will help her rebuild. Young couples with no education and several children who have little hope for ever moving beyond subsistence living.... In general these families have one or two beds, some sleeping mats, a few cups and bowls and silverware, three or four chairs, and a few bags of clothing."
The project is working close to a school started by a Brethren preaching point in Fond Cheval, Boshart reported. "School fees at the small school started by the Brethren preaching point are only about $13 for the year but there are still families that can't afford to send their kids," he said.
With the unemployment rate at around 60 percent, many Haitians are desperate for work. The families being served in Fond Cheval are taking part in the building work, Boshart said. Recipients of homes carry water from a distance to mix the cement, and also help transport sand and other building materials. Also, some laborers will be paid for their work.
When the home repairs get started in Mont Boulage, villagers who are not being served will be paid in food and cement to do the heavy work. They will be responsible for their own home improvements. As the hurricane response progresses, Brethren Disaster Ministries will endeavor to bring in small groups of US Brethren to work with local Haitians once volunteer housing, safety, and transportation are definite.
In another aspect of the project, Boshart has met with a doctor and pharmacist connected with IMA World Health to talk about cooperative work to provide medicines and support to a hospital and clinic near an area flooded in last year’s storms. Boshart and Exceus also met with Church of the Brethren members in Gonaives and others in need of rebuilt homes in that area, as well as with an ecumenical pastor’s group that may work with the Brethren through a micro-loan program. They visited people who are living in homemade tents in Gonaives following the storms and flooding.
The pastors in Gonaives "shared that things are slow to return to normal," Boshart reported. "Some people are starting to move back into their homes.... Typhoid and malaria continue to be present in high levels.... UN food and water deliveries have ended.... Those who haven't left the city to live with families or move back into flooded out homes are living under homemade tents made out of bed sheets and tarps and what pieces of plastic they can find. We went to visit these tents and it is really tragic."
"It will be quite a challenge," Boshart said of the Church of the Brethren project in Haiti, "but the Haitian people are no strangers to hard work and sacrifice and seem to be eager to get going."
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Storms compound misery in Haiti.
Brother Klebert Exceus paints a grim picture of life in Haiti: "The local people are saying that anything God can do for them is ‘too good.’... Many think it would be better to die than to live because what they are doing is not truly living."
He described the situation further:
The Brethren Disaster Ministries hurricane response includes micro-loans of $200 per person to purchase livestock. When these loans are being repaid, the recipients will provide an offspring of the animal with the money so that other people can be helped.
At the Esperance Clinic in Gonaíves, doctors are preparing a proposal of needs. They lack medicine and they do not have a laboratory. Normally, the clinic receives 75-100 sick people each day at a fee of approximately $3. Since the hurricanes, the clinic is receiving 300 patients per day without charging.
Brother Klebert, accompanied by an engineer and two Brethren pastors, selected 20 homes to repair in the village of Fond Cheval, in the Mirebalais area. This will be a model plan that will serve as a guide for other similar interventions. He reported that the local government official had tried unsuccessfully to obtain help for the village from other sources, but "he believes God intervened, as the Church of the Brethren sought him out," he said.
"I’m praying that God will bless the Church of the Brethren which is helping the poor," declared Brother Klebert. "The people in Fond Cheval say God’s visible hands are supporting them."
The work of Brethren Disaster Ministries is made possible by the generosity of individuals and churches who support the Emergency Disaster Fund. Our prayer is that, through our combined efforts, more and more vulnerable people in helpless situations will be touched by heavenly grace as our vision and stewardship grow.
-- Roy Winter is executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. This article originally appeared in the "Bridges" newsletter.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Brother Klebert Exceus paints a grim picture of life in Haiti: "The local people are saying that anything God can do for them is ‘too good.’... Many think it would be better to die than to live because what they are doing is not truly living."
He described the situation further:
- At a school with 200 children and three teachers, the students spend five hours a day in class with no food or water.
- A person who sells things in the local market earns about $25 each year.
- Since the hurricanes, 10 percent of the population in the target area has been forced to beg for a living.
- Families eat once a day, and depend on what they grow in their gardens.
- Children sleep on dirt floors on mats made from banana leaves.
- A typical small house has two rooms for a family (average size seven members).
- Women walk three kilometers to fetch a bucket of water, which they carry on their heads.
The Brethren Disaster Ministries hurricane response includes micro-loans of $200 per person to purchase livestock. When these loans are being repaid, the recipients will provide an offspring of the animal with the money so that other people can be helped.
At the Esperance Clinic in Gonaíves, doctors are preparing a proposal of needs. They lack medicine and they do not have a laboratory. Normally, the clinic receives 75-100 sick people each day at a fee of approximately $3. Since the hurricanes, the clinic is receiving 300 patients per day without charging.
Brother Klebert, accompanied by an engineer and two Brethren pastors, selected 20 homes to repair in the village of Fond Cheval, in the Mirebalais area. This will be a model plan that will serve as a guide for other similar interventions. He reported that the local government official had tried unsuccessfully to obtain help for the village from other sources, but "he believes God intervened, as the Church of the Brethren sought him out," he said.
"I’m praying that God will bless the Church of the Brethren which is helping the poor," declared Brother Klebert. "The people in Fond Cheval say God’s visible hands are supporting them."
The work of Brethren Disaster Ministries is made possible by the generosity of individuals and churches who support the Emergency Disaster Fund. Our prayer is that, through our combined efforts, more and more vulnerable people in helpless situations will be touched by heavenly grace as our vision and stewardship grow.
-- Roy Winter is executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. This article originally appeared in the "Bridges" newsletter.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Brethren staff express concern about Darfur, southern Sudan.
Following the issue of an international arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Church of the Brethren staff related to mission and disaster relief have expressed concern for the situation in Darfur and in southern Sudan. The International Criminal Court announced the warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese president on March 4 on war crime charges over the conflict in the Darfur region.
Some aid agencies have been expelled from Sudan or have had their licenses revoked, reported Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. "There is much concern about an expanded humanitarian crisis" in Darfur, he said. However, he added that the work the Church of the Brethren is supporting in Darfur through ACT International is continuing at the moment.
Upon the announcement of the warrant, Sudan revoked the licenses of 10 of the largest aid agencies providing humanitarian services in Sudan, "thereby putting at extreme risk millions of refugees and internally displaced Darfurians," according to information from the Sudan Advocacy Action Coalition, provided by Brad Bohrer, director of the Church of the Brethren mission in Sudan. The coalition said that according to the United Nations, the affected groups include Action Contre la Faim (a famine relief group), Care International, CHF International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, both the French and Dutch branches of Medecins sans Frontieres (or Doctors Without Borders), Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam Great Britain, Solidarite, PATCO, and Save the Children Fund of both the United Kingdom and the US.
"Larger aid organizations have to register with the Khartoum government to function in Sudan, but the Church of the Brethren does not since we are partnering with a Sudanese organization, so we are not affected directly at this time," Bohrer said. The Brethren mission has begun a partnership with Reconcile International in southern Sudan, where a first short-term Brethren mission worker--computer consultant Bibek Sahu--has been working.
Bohrer relayed a number of prayer requests from Reconcile, including request for prayer that the reaction across Sudan to the arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir would be peaceful. "Please keep the people in Darfur in your prayers," said a communication from Reconcile staff. "They are going through tremendous suffering now that the government withdrew most of the international aid agencies from the area in response to the arrest warrant."
Reconcile has successfully opened its Reconcile Peace Institute (RPI) with 30 students coming from areas of high inter-ethnic conflict, many having been traumatized themselves. Additional prayer requests from the organization have to do with RPI students and their personal situations. "Pray for us as we help them to experience the healing needed so they can serve as agents of peace as they return to their communities," said the Reconcile staff letter.
"While the Darfur situation is not directly affecting the program of Reconcile, violence from the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group continues to affect the people in and around Yei," Bohrer said. "Recent attacks by this group have forced many people out of the villages around Yei and to seek shelter in the city. Some participants in the Reconcile program have lost family members to this violence and to the kidnappings."
Reconcile staff reported that students in the RPI program have been affected by the recent violence, one having had a brother killed on Jan. 1 by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and another having lost his father, who was killed, and his mother, who was abducted, in an LRA attack last week. This past weekend the LRA attacked the village of Luthaya, at the outskirts of Yei, killing five people and abducting two. "Hundreds of people...were sleeping in the town square," reported Reconcile staff. "Pray that the reign of terror being carried out by the LRA may cease."
Bohrer also announced the creation of a new Reconcile website through the work of Brethren mission worker Bibek Sahu. "Part of our work with Reconcile was to create a new website for them. The old one had become unworkable. I'm excited to announce that the site is up and working," Bohrer said. Go to www.reconcile-int.org to view the new website.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Following the issue of an international arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Church of the Brethren staff related to mission and disaster relief have expressed concern for the situation in Darfur and in southern Sudan. The International Criminal Court announced the warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese president on March 4 on war crime charges over the conflict in the Darfur region.
Some aid agencies have been expelled from Sudan or have had their licenses revoked, reported Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. "There is much concern about an expanded humanitarian crisis" in Darfur, he said. However, he added that the work the Church of the Brethren is supporting in Darfur through ACT International is continuing at the moment.
Upon the announcement of the warrant, Sudan revoked the licenses of 10 of the largest aid agencies providing humanitarian services in Sudan, "thereby putting at extreme risk millions of refugees and internally displaced Darfurians," according to information from the Sudan Advocacy Action Coalition, provided by Brad Bohrer, director of the Church of the Brethren mission in Sudan. The coalition said that according to the United Nations, the affected groups include Action Contre la Faim (a famine relief group), Care International, CHF International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, both the French and Dutch branches of Medecins sans Frontieres (or Doctors Without Borders), Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam Great Britain, Solidarite, PATCO, and Save the Children Fund of both the United Kingdom and the US.
"Larger aid organizations have to register with the Khartoum government to function in Sudan, but the Church of the Brethren does not since we are partnering with a Sudanese organization, so we are not affected directly at this time," Bohrer said. The Brethren mission has begun a partnership with Reconcile International in southern Sudan, where a first short-term Brethren mission worker--computer consultant Bibek Sahu--has been working.
Bohrer relayed a number of prayer requests from Reconcile, including request for prayer that the reaction across Sudan to the arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir would be peaceful. "Please keep the people in Darfur in your prayers," said a communication from Reconcile staff. "They are going through tremendous suffering now that the government withdrew most of the international aid agencies from the area in response to the arrest warrant."
Reconcile has successfully opened its Reconcile Peace Institute (RPI) with 30 students coming from areas of high inter-ethnic conflict, many having been traumatized themselves. Additional prayer requests from the organization have to do with RPI students and their personal situations. "Pray for us as we help them to experience the healing needed so they can serve as agents of peace as they return to their communities," said the Reconcile staff letter.
"While the Darfur situation is not directly affecting the program of Reconcile, violence from the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group continues to affect the people in and around Yei," Bohrer said. "Recent attacks by this group have forced many people out of the villages around Yei and to seek shelter in the city. Some participants in the Reconcile program have lost family members to this violence and to the kidnappings."
Reconcile staff reported that students in the RPI program have been affected by the recent violence, one having had a brother killed on Jan. 1 by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and another having lost his father, who was killed, and his mother, who was abducted, in an LRA attack last week. This past weekend the LRA attacked the village of Luthaya, at the outskirts of Yei, killing five people and abducting two. "Hundreds of people...were sleeping in the town square," reported Reconcile staff. "Pray that the reign of terror being carried out by the LRA may cease."
Bohrer also announced the creation of a new Reconcile website through the work of Brethren mission worker Bibek Sahu. "Part of our work with Reconcile was to create a new website for them. The old one had become unworkable. I'm excited to announce that the site is up and working," Bohrer said. Go to www.reconcile-int.org to view the new website.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Mission and Ministry Board to address budget parameter.
Finances will top the agenda at the March 14-16 meeting of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board. The denominational board will meet at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
On the board’s agenda are an overview of the financial situation of the Church of the Brethren, and an expected decision to revise the denomination’s budget parameter for 2009. Also under review will be the 2009 budget for Annual Conference, a revision of the denomination’s by-laws, an update of the Ministerial Leadership Paper, a proposal to establish a new Children’s Ministry area within the Caring Ministries of the Church of the Brethren, and a number of reports.
Following the close of the board meeting at noon on March 16, the Church of the Brethren Leadership Team and the Annual Conference officers will hold meetings through the morning of March 17.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Finances will top the agenda at the March 14-16 meeting of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board. The denominational board will meet at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
On the board’s agenda are an overview of the financial situation of the Church of the Brethren, and an expected decision to revise the denomination’s budget parameter for 2009. Also under review will be the 2009 budget for Annual Conference, a revision of the denomination’s by-laws, an update of the Ministerial Leadership Paper, a proposal to establish a new Children’s Ministry area within the Caring Ministries of the Church of the Brethren, and a number of reports.
Following the close of the board meeting at noon on March 16, the Church of the Brethren Leadership Team and the Annual Conference officers will hold meetings through the morning of March 17.
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Bits and Pieces.
New at www.brethren.org are pictorial histories of the two main Church of the Brethren denominational facilities: the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. (shown here), which celebrates its 50th anniversary on April 8, and the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., which also celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. Go to http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=6059&view=UserAlbum and http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=7005&view=UserAlbum to view the histories, shown through old and new photographs of the two facilities.
A photo album from the 18th Asamblea or Annual Conference of Iglesia de los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic) is available online. Click here to view the photographs taken by Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships.
Church of the Brethren treasurer Judy Keyser addressed the denomination's Mission and Ministry Board meeting last October. The denomination has recorded a loss of $638,770 for 2008 (in pre-audit figures). Click here for the photo album from the last Mission and Ministry Board meeting.
© Church of the Brethren/Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
The Church of the Brethren has a new disaster response project in Haiti following a series of hurricanes that hit the island last fall. Brethren leaders involved in the project are among the group shown above, including Ludovic St. Fleur (back row, right), mission coordinator in Haiti; and Jeff Boshart (front row, left), coordinator for the disaster project. Click here for more about Brethren Disaster Ministries. Click here for more on the Brethren in Haiti.
© Church of the Brethren/courtesy Jeff Boshart
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
New at www.brethren.org are pictorial histories of the two main Church of the Brethren denominational facilities: the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. (shown here), which celebrates its 50th anniversary on April 8, and the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., which also celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. Go to http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=6059&view=UserAlbum and http://www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=7005&view=UserAlbum to view the histories, shown through old and new photographs of the two facilities.A photo album from the 18th Asamblea or Annual Conference of Iglesia de los Hermanos (Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic) is available online. Click here to view the photographs taken by Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships.Church of the Brethren treasurer Judy Keyser addressed the denomination's Mission and Ministry Board meeting last October. The denomination has recorded a loss of $638,770 for 2008 (in pre-audit figures). Click here for the photo album from the last Mission and Ministry Board meeting. © Church of the Brethren/Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
The Church of the Brethren has a new disaster response project in Haiti following a series of hurricanes that hit the island last fall. Brethren leaders involved in the project are among the group shown above, including Ludovic St. Fleur (back row, right), mission coordinator in Haiti; and Jeff Boshart (front row, left), coordinator for the disaster project. Click here for more about Brethren Disaster Ministries. Click here for more on the Brethren in Haiti.© Church of the Brethren/courtesy Jeff Boshart
Source: 3/12/2009 Newsline Special
Credits
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Colleen M. Algeo, Jeanne Davies, Lerry Fogle, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin L. Krog, Beth Merrill, Cletus Miller, Glen Sargent, Anne Marie Swinehart, John Wall, Gretchen Wolfram contributed to this report
Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Colleen M. Algeo, Jeanne Davies, Lerry Fogle, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin L. Krog, Beth Merrill, Cletus Miller, Glen Sargent, Anne Marie Swinehart, John Wall, Gretchen Wolfram contributed to this report
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