Brethren bits: Remembrances, personnel, jobs, Camp Mack campaign, and much more.

Photo by Carol Smith

A student learns using shape puzzles at the Comprehensive Secondary School in Nigeria. Carol Smith, who took this photo, is continuing as a teacher and mission worker at the school connected with Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). See a note below in Brethren bits about her work at the school.

• Remembrance: Robert  G. “Bob” Greiner, 94, who served for several decades as treasurer for the former Church of the Brethren General Board, passed away Oct. 3 at Timbercrest Healthcare in N. Manchester, Ind. He was born June 11, 1918, in Lancaster County, Pa., to Noah and Anna (Geib) Greiner. He attended Elizabethtown (Pa.) College for two years, later graduating from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Law. On Oct. 31, 1942, he married Edna M. Mosemann. After being drafted in 1941, he chose to enter Civilian Public Service and served first at Camp Lagro, Ind., and after a year was transferred to the Treasurer’s Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board in Elgin, Ill., where for the next three years he was the accountant for the CPS camps throughout the nation. From 1945-1952, he was assistant treasurer of the General Board. He was then appointed treasurer, serving in that leadership position for the denomination until his retirement in 1981. Following his retirement from the Church of the Brethren, he was a real estate agent at Hoover-Burnidge Realtors in Elgin from 1981-91. In 1993, he and his wife Edna moved to Timbercrest. He enjoyed traveling with his wife through most of the United States, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and in 1973 to the Church of the Brethren Mission in Nigeria. Edna preceded him in death in 2004. He is survived by daughters Donna (Jerry) McKee of North Manchester, and Beverly (Brian) Graham of Warsaw, Ind., as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m., at Timbercrest Chapel in N. Manchester with pastor Kurt Borgmann officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. Memorial contributions are received to Timbercrest Senior Living Community or Manchester Church of the Brethren.

• Remembrance: Ralph A. Royer, 80, who spent many years in mission work in Africa with his first wife, Florence (“Flossie”) Royer, died Oct. 14 in N. Manchester, Ind. He was born July 26, 1932, in the village of Virgwi, Nigeria, to missionary parents Harold (“Red”) and Gladys Royer, and attended Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria. After two years at McPherson (Kan.) College he returned to Nigeria as a conscientious objector and there met Flossie S. Miller, a nurse from Grantville, Pa. They were married April 17, 1955. She died Feb. 25, 2005. After doing his alternative service, he returned to the US and completed his college degree. The couple returned to Nigeria where they were Church of the Brethren missionaries for 18 years. Their three daughters were born in Nigeria. Ralph was supervisor of the mission primary schools until 1969, when the mission school system was turned over to state governments. From 1969-72 he was superintendent of schools in Waka, which included Waka Teacher’s College and Waka Secondary School. When in 1973 the Waka Schools were turned over to the state, the Royers became houseparents at Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria. In 1976 they moved to Niger, which was suffering a devastating drought. There he was director of Church World Service (CWS) for 11 years, and was an appropriate technology consultant. Later, for a time in the early 1990s, the couple served with CWS in Liberia. Returning to Indiana in 1986 he worked in construction for the next 20 years. Since then, his volunteer work included serving on a delegation to Haiti with Christian Peacemaker Teams, eight years on the Grant Review Panel for the Global Food Crisis Fund, participation in workcamps and disaster relief, and organizing reunions of Hillcrest alumni. He also poured time, energy, and love into Eel River Community Church of the Brethren in Silver Lake, Ind., and the surrounding community. On April 29, 2006, he married Barbara (Peters) McFadden. For the last six years Barbara has joined Ralph in his efforts. Surviving are his wife, Barbara; daughters Linda Shankster of Elkhart, Ind., Roxane (Carl) Hill of Abilene, Texas, and Sylvia (Andrew) Taussig of Oklahoma City, Okla.; grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held yesterday, Oct. 17, at Eel River Community Church of the Brethren. Memorial gifts are received to Kulp Bible College, a ministerial training school for Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) care of McKee Mortuary ( http://mckeemortuary.com ).

• Remembrance: Mary Blocher Smeltzer died at home in La Verne, Calif., on Oct. 8. Her long life of service and peace witness included teaching in the Manzanar internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II, with her late husband Ralph Smeltzer. They were among several teachers who volunteered to join their students in the camps after 110,000 people of Japanese descent were incarcerated following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Smeltzers helped about 1,000 people leave the camps and resettle elsewhere. After a few months at Manzanar, with the help of M.R. Zigler who was then head of Brethren Service, and with participation from Bethany Seminary, they set up a hostel in Chicago for Japanese American evacuees. A second hostel in New York, which housed evacuees 1944-46, was met with “noisy opposition from New York Mayor LaGuardia and New Jersey Governor Edge,” according to a “Messenger” report. Ralph went on to become director of peace and social education and later Washington Office representative for the Church of the Brethren. He died in 1976. In recent decades Mary was active in many peace and justice efforts including founding Womaen’s Caucus, which she served for several years as co-chair and which has instituted an award in her name; serving in the Peace Corps in Botswana; serving as host at the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, Japan, 1981-82; and in 1985 addressing a Brethren gathering during the tying of a Peace Ribbon around the Pentagon. In 1983 she was the denomination’s delegate to the World Council of Churches Sixth Assembly. In her 70s, she was arrested for civil disobedience at the Nevada nuclear test site. In 2010 “Brethren Voices”--a cable television show produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren--featured her work at Manzanar (view it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppm_Ohm3Ewk ). In 2005 at age 89 she was among 200 educators honored by the Japanese American National Museum. Interviewed by the “Los Angeles Times” on that occasion, she was asked why she reached out to internees. She said, “It’s just part of me. It’s just part of being a Christian, being a peace person, part of doing what I think is right.” She enjoyed the companionship of her partner, Chuck Butterfield, from 1998 until his death in 2011. Also preceding her in death was daughter Janet, who died at age 9 in a car accident. Surviving are children Marty Smeltzer West of Davis, Calif., Patricia Himes of La Verne, Calif., and Ken (Bonnie) Kline Smeltzer of Boalsburg, Pa., grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Friday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Memorial contributions are received to the La Verne Church, designated for a peace camp, and to the Janet Smeltzer Scholarship Fund at the University of La Verne.

• The Church of the Brethren’s Advocacy and Peace Witness office welcomes Bryan Hanger as a new Brethren Volunteer Service worker. He was a member of the BVS Unit 299, which recently completed orientation, and will work in Washington, D.C., with Nathan Hosler, advocacy officer for the Church of the Brethren and the National Council of Churches, and Jonathan Stauffer, a BVS intern in the Advocacy and Peace Witness office.

• The Church of the Brethren seeks a program assistant for the director of Donor Relations and the associate director of Donor Communications, to work at the church’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. This newly created fulltime hourly position will support and assist in developing connections with donors and friends of the denomination through electronic and print correspondence, individual and congregational contacts, special offerings, and stewardship education resources. Key performance accountabilities include communication with individuals, communication with congregations, and donor support. Tasks include assisting with production, printing, proofreading, and other development of materials; communication with contributors to various projects; assisting with donor relations contacts, schedules, files, and databases. A complete list of tasks is included on the position description. Required skills and knowledge include a high level of skill in oral and written communication; a positive, creative, and collaborative working style; technological savvy and ability to learn new technology quickly; proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook; ability to become familiar with other software programs including Adobe Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, InDesign, and Convio. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required. Experience in communications, fundraising, public relations, administration, or marketing is desired. For an application form and a full job description contact the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org .

• The University of La Verne, Calif., seeks an associate provost for Faculty Affairs, and a director for the Center of the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. The associate provost will provide support and assistance to the Provost for all faculty affairs as well as units within the Academic Affairs Division that directly support faculty professional development, the teaching and learning process, the assessment of teaching and learning, WASC accreditation, faculty scholarship, research and creative work, and associated support services. The associate provost will supervise the associate vice presidents, the director of the Library, the director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, and the director of Sponsored Programs. The director for the Center of the Advancement of Teaching and Learning manages the center and works collaboratively with academic leadership and faculty to develop and implement faculty development programming, instructional technology initiatives, pedagogical innovations, action research, manages university wide assessment, and provides expert leadership to the Provost and the Academic Affairs Team. Find links to fuller information about these open positions and more job openings at http://sites.laverne.edu/hr/job-openings .

• The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board holds fall meetings Oct. 18-21 at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill. For this meeting the regular schedule has shifted forward a day, with new member orientation and the Executive Committee starting today, and an all-board education event planned for tomorrow afternoon. Open sessions of the full board will be Saturday, Oct. 20, and Sunday morning, Oct. 21. On the agenda: a budget for 2013, a financial review of 2012, follow up on Annual Conference actions regarding the district representation on the board and the future of the denomination’s ecumenical witness, a report from process observers who attended Annual Conference among several other reports, and a Board Development Session, among other business.

• The Children’s Aid Society receives congratulations from Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger in a video clip that may be viewed on the denomination’s home page www.brethren.org . The society is a ministry of Southern Pennsylvania District, and last weekend held the first event in a year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary.

• In related news, on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 21, the Children's Aid Society holds a Free Community Event at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York, Pa., on the Brooks Robinson Plaza. Highlights are "York’s Got Talent" and "Minute to Win It" contests (entry fee for contestants is $25). “York’s Got Talent” will feature singing, dancing, and juggling in an effort to win a grand prize of $1,000. In “Minute to Win It” businesses will compete for a chance to win prizes. Child artists may contribute pieces to a Children’s Art Auction. Other activities for the whole family include a petting zoo, face painting, play area, booths by community businesses and organizations, children’s safety information from the police department, and painting of a large mural that will be displayed at the Lehman Center in downtown York. For more information go to www.cassd.org/index_files/Page898.htm .

• Global Mission and Service announces preparations for three workcamps, each scheduled to take place early next year. A workcamp to Nigeria in January 2013 will include construction on the headquarters of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). A workcamp to Burundi is projected to begin around the last week of February, led by John Braun in service to the Twa Pygmies. A workcamp to South Sudan next spring will include construction of a new Brethren ministry center. Indicate interest in any of these workcamps by e-mailing mission@brethren.org .

• In more news from Africa, mission worker Carol Smith is continuing this year as a math teacher at the Comprehensive Secondary School of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria. In a recent interview, made in preparation for the Mission Alive conference, she explains the three things she attempts to teach in the classroom: 1. character and honesty, 2. learning skills, and 3. math skills. Smith views her role as a teacher as encouraging future leaders of the church and of Nigeria to believe in themselves and to act with honesty and good character, reports Anna Emrick in the denomination’s Global Mission and Service office. Smith has been teaching in Nigeria since early 2011.

• New online at www.brethren.org is the most recent Brethren Volunteer Service newsletter, “The Volunteer,” at www.brethren.org/bvs/updates with stories from a new BVS project site in Japan, and the first EIRENE volunteer in BVS, among others. Also newly posted is the fall newsletter from the Global Food Crisis Fund, go to www.brethren.org/gfcf/stories .

• Doris Abdullah, Church of the Brethren representative to the United Nations, is offering opening remarks for a forum today at the UN Plaza in New York. Tiled “The Impact of Religion, Spirituality, and Beliefs on Racism, Migration, and Development” is sponsored by the committee she chairs, the NGO Sub-Committee for the Elimination of Racism. Featured speakers are Hardayal Singh, director of the United Sikhs; Victoria Edmond, a major in the Salvation Army; and John Rafferty, president of the Secular Humanist Society of New York. Offering closing remarks will be Bruce Knotts, chair of the NGO Committee on Human Rights and representative of the Unitarian Universalist UN Office.

• “Growing from the Ashes” is the name of the Camp Mack campaign to raise funds to build Becker Retreat Center on the site of the former Becker Lodge. The lodge was lost to a fire in July 2010. After the June 2011 completion of the John Kline Welcome Center to replace the food service and office functions formerly housed in the lodge, Camp Mack now needs to replace lodging and meeting areas. The campaign goal is $2,466,000 toward the project goal of $3,766,000. As a part of the campaign, Camp Mack has been holding fundraising dinners throughout Indiana on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The first dinners were held Sept. 22 at Camp Mack, in Kokomo on Sept. 30, and in N. Manchester on Oct. Upcoming dinners are scheduled for Fort Wayne on Oct. 20, Indianapolis on Nov. 4, Mishawaka on Nov. 17, Richmond on Dec. 1, and a final dinner at Camp Mack on Dec. 9. Information about the campaign, the dinners, and an opportunity to donate, are at www.campmack.org . Reservations for a dinner may be made by calling Camp Mack at 574-658-4831.

• West View Manor, a Church of the Brethren related retirement community in Wooster, Ohio, has changed its name to West View Healthy Living as part of a recently completed strategic planning process. A letter from administrator Jerrold E. Blackmore announced the change.

• Beavercreek (Ohio) Church of the Brethren is celebrating 200 years of ministry, the oldest worshiping congregation in Southern Ohio District. The church began meeting in 1805 and received recognition as a congregation in 1812, according to a district announcement. On Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., Beavercreek holds an evening of music titled “Celebrating 200 Years in Song and Script.” Also featured are appearances by Alexander Mack and Dan West, and the story of the congregation’s response to the 1974 Xenia tornado disaster. On Oct. 28 at 10:15 a.m. the church will worship “old style” followed by a carry-in meal, with historical displays and an art exhibit. RSVP to beavercreekcob@yahoo.com or 937-429-1434.

• The 100th Anniversary of the Dranesville Church of the Brethren building is planned for Oct. 21. An invitation notes that the first service in the building was on Oct. 27, 1912. The church is located in Herndon, Va.

• “The Times of Our Lives” is a workshop event hosted by Manchester Church of the Brethren in N. Manchester, Ind., and provided free of charge by South/Central Indiana District on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 27. A caramel roll and fruit breakfast starts the day at 8 a.m. followed by a keynote address “Politicians, the Public, and Polarization” by Leonard Williams, professor of Political Science at Manchester University. A number of workshops will follow including a “Conversation About Polarization” with professor Williams, and “Cactus Blooms and the Search for Hope” led by district executive minister Beth Sollenberger, among others.

• A weekend of workshops by Sharon Ellison, author of “Taking the War Out of Our Words,” has been initiated by Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren after a Sunday school class studied her book of the same name. An all-day workshop led by Ellison takes place Nov. 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at Carroll Community College which is a partner in the event. Social workers and ministers receive continuing education units. Cost to attend in person (includes lunch) or to view the webinar: Carroll County resident $75, Maryland resident $80, Maryland resident over 60 $55 (plus $5 out-of-county fee), not a Maryland resident $85, students $25 (plus $5 out-of-county or $10 out-of-state fee). Register at www.carrollcc.edu/instantenrollment , use course #AHE-238-A2 (students use #AHE-238-A2S) or for the webinar use course #AHE-238-A2W (students use #AHE-238-A2SW). Register by phone at 410-386-8100. Ellison will preach at Westminster on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m., and will lead a workshop at the church from 2-4 p.m. on “Taking Power Struggles Out of Parenting” (fee is $25). Sponsors include Bethany Theological Seminary, the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, and Mid-Atlantic District. Register for the Sunday workshop at www.davidebaugh.name/parenting.html . In-home hospitality is offered through the Westminster Church or at local hotels at participant’s expense, an airport shuttle may be arranged; contact 410-848-8090 or PersonalizingPeace@gmail.com .

• Womaen's Caucus has announced live webcasting of the Progressive Brethren Gathering on Oct. 26-28 at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren. Go to http://new.livestream.com//enten/ProgressiveBrethren2012 to view webcasts and for a tentative schedule. With the theme, "Holy Work: Becoming a Beloved Community," the gathering will feature speakers Abigail A. Fuller, associate professor of Sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Manchester University in N. Manchester, Ind.; and Katy Gray Brown, associate professor of Philosophy and Peace Studies at Manchester University. To attend the gathering in person register at http://progressivebrethrengathering-es2.eventbrite.com .

• West Marva District has given special recognition to Harvey Vance for 33 years of service as district disaster coordinator. He was presented with a plaque during the recent district conference.

• On Oct. 26-28 the Gathering 2012 will be held by Western Plains District. This has become an annual highlight for the district, offering exciting and fun activities for church members and their families. The Gathering is at Webster Conference Center in Salina, Kan. ( www.wpcob.org ).

• The 158th Southern Ohio District Conference is Oct. 19-20 at W. Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio, on the theme, “Thy Kingdom Come.” Special leadership is provided by Bethany Seminary academic dean Steve Schweitzer. Two district worship services have led up to the conference, one held in March at Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren and the other Aug. 10 at Oakland Church of the Brethren.

• In connection with its district conference, Southern Ohio District is offering a workshop for youth leaders and others interested in youth ministry, led by Bekah Houff, coordinator of Outreach Programs at Bethany Seminary. “Youth do best when the whole church cares about them and youth leaders do best when the whole church cares about youth ministry,” explained an announcement. “We’ll talk about how to form a mentoring program, start an intergenerational Sunday school class, or plan a youth-led Sunday worship service. Together we’ll help the church to see its youth leaders less as pied pipers and more as bridge-builders.” The workshop will be at W. Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio, on Oct. 20  www.sodcob.org/_forms/view/9276 ).

• Also holding district conference on Oct. 19-20 is Middle Pennsylvania District, with Bedford Church of the Brethren and Snake Spring Valley Church of the Brethren as hosts. The theme will be “Pray, Seek, Listen” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Conference Office director Chris Douglas is the opening preacher. The Breezewood Trucker Traveler Ministries is the Outreach Project.

• On Oct. 20, Western Pennsylvania District Conference meets at the Fred M. Rogers Center at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. This year’s offering will again be received in the form of disaster relief kits or clean-up buckets.

• The 16th Annual Pleasant Hill Village Benefit Dinner and Auction is Oct. 20 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Virden, Ill. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is at 6. More than $242,000 has been raised at the retirement community’s annual benefit dinner and auction over the past 15 years, reports the Illinois and Wisconsin District newsletter. The goal for 2012 is $23,000. For more information visit www.pleasanthillvillage.org .

• Camp Eder near Fairfield, Pa., holds its 34th Annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 20.

• Camp Bethel reports that its 28th annual Brethren Heritage Day Festival was an “excellent day of wonderful fellowship and fun” with approximately 1,850 guests and helpers enjoying food, crafts, apple butter, and other activities. The event raised $32,804 for the camp's ministries.

• Manchester University dedicates its new pharmacy campus today, Oct. 18. The $20 million, 82,000-square-foot structure is at Dupont and Diebold roads just east of Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Ind. The architect was Design Collaborative, general contractor Michael Kinder and Sons Inc., both of Fort Wayne. A $35 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. put Manchester on the path to the “built from scratch” campus, said a release. The public was invited to the dedication where Indiana Senator David C. Long and others will speak, followed by a reception and campus tours. For more visit www.manchester.edu/pharmacy or call 260-470-2700.

• McPherson (Kan.) College celebrates its 125th anniversary with Homecoming on Oct. 19-21. Highlighting the celebration is a “Bulldog Bash” starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in and around the Student Union. Saturday morning will include events for the whole family, automotive restoration students assembling a Model T, a tailgate lunch, and a faculty and staff celebration. The football game was cancelled in honor of Tabor football player Brandon Brown, who died in September, and instead will be alumni basketball games and a special cycling event in memory of McPherson sophomore Paul Ziegler, who died in truck/bicycle accident on Sept. 23. "Pedals for Paul" invites participants to a 20-mile bicycle ride starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, or to log miles on stationary bikes in the sport center, or to ride on their own and send the number of miles to wiensc@mcpherson.edu by 4 p.m. Oct. 20. The weekend wraps up with a 125th anniversary worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday in Brown Auditorium, recognizing the college's deep roots in the Church of the Brethren. The message will be delivered by campus minister Steve Crain. The service will be webcast at https://new.livestream.com/McPherson-College/125thAnniversary . Find the weekend schedule at www.mcpherson.edu/alumni .

• The University of La Verne, Calif., holds its Homecoming Weekend Oct. 19-21. “This tradition-packed weekend includes a dinner and dance at the beautiful Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center on Friday evening,” said an invitation. “Then on Saturday, events include a 5k fun run/walk, street fair, picnic lunch, Celebrate La Verne parade, and football game vs. Pomona-Pitzer.” For a complete list of events visit www.ulv.edu .

• Elizabethtown (Pa.) College will receive a two-year grant from the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, under the auspices of the US Department of Education. The grant of $93,669 in the first year, combined with matching funding from the college and partners, will strengthen Asian Studies and Languages as signature programs of the college, launch a new Chinese language program, add four new Asian Studies courses and related co-curricular activities, enhance the Japanese language program with needed faculty and instructional support, and host an on-campus national conference titled "Teaching Japan." Additionally, the funding will expand the college's International Studies program through innovative programing in partnership with international NGOs and intergovernmental organizations. Visit www.etown.edu for more about Elizabethtown College.

• In more news from Elizabethtown College, lectures in the areas of peacemaking and care for children have been announced:
  
  On Oct. 23 the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies welcomes Keith Graber Miller as Dale W. Brown Book Award recipient for 2012. He will speak about "Prophetic Peacemaking: Selected Writings of J.R. Burkholder." Miller is professor of Bible, religion, and philosophy at Goshen (Ind.) College. The award honors long-time Church of the Brethren scholar Dale W. Brown.
  
  On Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Children's Defense Fund founder and president Marian Wright Edelman will give the 2012 Leffler Memorial Lecture on the importance of defending and addressing the needs of children and how the defense of children in the US relates to issues of diversity and inclusion. She is a graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, and was the first black woman to be admitted to the Mississippi Bar. She began her professional career in the mid-1960s as director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss., and in 1968 was counsel for the Poor People's Campaign organized by Martin Luther King Jr. Tickets are free but must be reserved by calling 717-361-4757.
  
  On Nov. 1 Matthew Southworth, the 2012 Elizabethtown College Alumni Peace Fellow, will speak on "A More Peaceful Future: Making Change in an Election Year" at 7:30 p.m. at the Bucher Meetinghouse at the Young Center. He is a military veteran turned anti-war activist, and Washington, D.C., chapter president of Iraq Veterans Against the War and on the board of directors for Veterans for Peace. This event is free and open to the public.

• Bridgewater (Va.) College will hold a CROP Meal from 4:45-7 p.m. on Oct. 25. Faculty, staff, and members of the community purchase CROP Meals surrendered by Bridgewater students and enjoy “dinner out” in the main campus dining hall. The meals have been paid for on the student meal plan, and proceeds go to CROP’s hunger relief, education, and development programs in 80 countries around the world, with a portion given to the Bridgewater Area Inter-Church Food Pantry. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under.

• The October "Brethren Voices," the community television program produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren, features the Brethren Historical Library and Archives and its director Terry Barkley. Viewers are taken on a tour of the archive at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., including demonstration of a historic pipe organ once owned by Henry Kurtz. Host Brent Carlson takes a look at the digitized website connected with the BHLA featuring publications of the Church of the Brethren and other Brethren groups. In November, "Brethren Voices" visits the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in Alaska with David Radcliff of the New Community Project. The program marks the 90th edition of "Brethren Voices," now in its 9th year. For a complete list of programs, contact Ed Groff at groffprod1@msn.com .

• Members of the Brubaker family from Antioch Church of the Brethren have been honored by the Virginia Livestock Hall of Fame, according to the “Roanoke Times.” Brubaker brothers Daniel, Galen, Cline, and Emory were inducted into the hall of fame on Sept. 22 at Virginia Tech. Cline Brubaker, 68, has been owner since 1967 of the Franklin County farm where he was born, serves on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, and has been president of the American Guernsey Association and the World Guernsey Cattle Federation. Emory Brubaker, 84, was general manager for 20 years of Virginia-North Carolina Select Sires, and is a former member of the Franklin County School Board. Galen Brubaker, who ran Gale-Ru Dairy in Franklin County, died in June at the age of 87. Daniel, 81, operated a dairy farm in Rockingham County, has been president of a poultry cooperative, and a board member of the Rockingham Farm Bureau. Read the story at www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/315080 .

Source: 10/18/2012 Newsline