- Dr. Julian Choe and Mark Zimmerman of Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren have received donations of more than $3,000 from members of their congregation to support a trip to Haiti to provide medical care. Accompanied by "Frederick News-Post" reporter Ron Cassie, the two flew to the DR on Jan. 22, where they were met by Dominican Brethren pastor Onelis Rivas who is now traveling with them in Haiti. Cassie has been posting regular reports and photos from the trip at www.fredericknewspost.com. His report from Port-au-Prince on Jan. 26, "Searching in vain: Bodies remain on Port-au-Prince streets; food and water not reaching those in need," can be found at www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=100528.
- The Brethren Historical Library and Archives in Elgin, Ill., has an opening for an archival intern beginning in July. The archive is the official repository for Church of the Brethren publications and records. The one-year internship seeks to develop interest in vocations related to archives, libraries, and Brethren history. Work will include processing archival materials, writing descriptive inventories, preparing books for cataloging, responding to reference requests, and assisting researchers. For more information contact the Brethren Historical Library and Archives at kshaffer@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 294. To request an application packet, contact Karin Krog in the Office of Human Resources at kkrog@brethren.org.
- "Thirsting for God" by Amy S. Gall Ritchie is the annual Lenten devotional from Brethren Press. This paperback booklet offers a daily scripture and meditation for each day of Lent, and is suitable for individual use or for a congregation to provide to its members. Cost is $2.50 per copy, plus shipping and handling. Or seasonal subscribers may receive both the Lent and Advent devotional booklets for only $4 per year, plus shipping and handling. Call 800-441-3712.
- Registration for the Church of the Brethren’s 2010 workcamps opened online on Jan. 25. Go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_youth_ministry_workcamps for registration and information about the workcamp experiences offered this summer.
- A church-wide "NYC Prayer Day" has been scheduled for June 20--the Sunday one month before National Youth Conference. "We are going to have some commissioning materials and prayers for congregations to use to ‘send’ the participants to NYC," reported coordinators Audrey Hollenberg and Emily LaPrade. Materials will be made available at www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_youth_ministry_national_youth, where participants also may register for NYC online.
- The Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., has welcomed back IMA World Health staff Rick Santos, Sarla Chand, and Ann Varghese. The three received a warm welcome at the IMA offices on the center campus after a time of rest and recovery following their two days trapped in the rubble of Port-au-Prince’s Hotel Montana. For news coverage of their ordeal and return to work, read "Freed from rubble, back on the job" in the "Baltimore Sun" at www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-md.ima26jan26,0,1864004.story; and "Aid workers recall ordeal in Port-Au-Prince rubble" in the "Frederick News-Post" at www.wtop.com/?nid=25&pid=0&sid=1874097&page=1.
- Bethany Theological Seminary's spring courses will include offerings especially for those interested in Brethren history or church planting. Jeff Bach, director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies and associate professor of religious studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, will teach "History of the Church of the Brethren" at the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center in Elizabethtown. The course will meet two weekends in March and two weekends in April. Applications are due Feb. 12. Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries for the Church of the Brethren, will teach "Foundations of Church Growth" on May 17-28 at Bethany's campus in Richmond, Ind. Students also will attend the denomination’s Church Planting Conference as part of their course work. Applications are due April 17. For more visit www.bethanyseminary.edu/educational-opportunities or contact Elizabeth Keller, director of admissions, at kelleel@bethanyseminary.edu or 800-287-8822 ext. 1832.
- The New Windsor Conference Center on the campus of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is incorporating a line of environmentally responsible products for carry out from its food service and diningroom. "After research into a variety of options and consideration of both cost and performance, we have chosen to work with a company called EarthSmart products," said a note from the Dining Services staff. The "to go" containers will be made from "bagasse," a by-product of sugarcane. Disposable cutlery will be made from plant starches including potato and corn starch. The products are compostable and biodegradable, as well as safe for use in the refrigerator, freezer, microwave, or convection ovens.
- The Church of the Brethren’s Regional Youth Conference for the plains area will be held at McPherson (Kan.) College on April 9-11 with leadership by Paul Grout, new church planter and a former Annual Conference moderator. The theme is based on John 10:10, "Fully Alive: Taking Hold of the Life that Is Really Life in Body, Mind and Spirit." Activities will include sessions studying the theme, a campus tour of McPherson College, an evening coffeehouse with table games and a jazz pianist, and Sunday morning worship with McPherson Church of the Brethren.
- The Senior High Roundtable, one of the Church of the Brethren’s regional youth conferences, will be held March 19-21 at Bridgewater (Va.) College. Senior high youth from the entire east coast region are expected to attend. The weekend will include worship, workshops, and fellowship. The theme, "Come to the Mountain," will be led by Joel and Linetta Ballew, pastor of Lebanon (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and program director at Camp Brethren Woods, respectively.
- The Polo (Ill.) Growing Project this past growing season raised $26,240 in support of agricultural programs in the developing world. Proceeds are divided between a Foods Resource Bank program in Honduras and the Church of the Brethren member account that invests in sustainable community development in a score of countries. The project is in its fifth season and is jointly supported by Polo Church of the Brethren, Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., and Faith United Presbyterian Church in Tinley Park, Ill. Jim and Karen Schmidt head the project, with farm acreage owned by Bill and Betty Hare, all members of the Polo Church.
- Western Plains District is holding a series of installation services for its new district executive minister Sonja Griffith. Her first installation service took place Jan. 3 at her home congregation, First Central Church of the Brethren in Kansas City, Kan. Additional celebrations are to be held on Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community Church of the Brethren; and March 6 at 2 p.m. at Bethel Church of the Brethren in Arriba, Colo.
- The Juniata College Campus Ministry is trying a new outreach activity--a concert featuring Lucio Rubino at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, in Ellis Hall. "Lucio Rubino, one of Christian radio's top artist/writer/producers, is the main act of the show titled ‘Rockin' in a Winter Wonderland,’" reports a release from the college in Huntingdon, Pa. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Students who attend a Church of the Brethren student open house that afternoon and stay for the concert will be given a discounted rate. Tickets can be purchased by calling 814-641-3361. "This concert is something that will offer a great experience for Juniata students as well as area churches and their youth groups," said campus chaplain David Witkovsky.
- The Global Women’s Project is offering a 2010 Lenten Calendar "as a way to have a daily time of spiritual centering throughout Lent. This is also an important way for us to share our wealth with our sisters and brothers around the world who are working for empowerment and sustainability." The group is related to the Church of the Brethren. Order a calendar by e-mailing info@globalwomensproject.org by Feb. 3. Those who are interested also may receive calendar entries daily by e-mail. Go to www.globalwomensproject.org to download the daily donation log that accompanies each day's meditation.
- The National Council of Churches (NCC) is supporting a "Nationwide Faith Call-in Week for Health Care." The effort started on Jan. 25. "After decades of work, and a historic grassroots effort this year, advocates for national health care reform have come further than ever before toward enduring and meaningful change. Congress, which had reached the final stages of passing health care reform legislation, is now at a standstill," an NCC release said. "In this partisan climate people of faith and others of goodwill join together to remind Congress of the moral imperative of insuring that none of our brothers or sisters are left sick or dying due to insufficient access to quality, affordable to health care."
- In response to the Haiti earthquake, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the international community to cancel Haiti's foreign debt. An "immediate and full cancellation" of Haiti's foreign debt would be "only an initial step," as Haiti needs a broader "plan to support recovery, poverty eradication, and sustainable development," said the WCC general secretary in a statement on Jan. 25. Such a plan "must be developed with the full ownership of the people of Haiti and with the support of the international community under the coordination of the United Nations.... Any financial assistance should come in the shape of grants, not loans that would burden the country with more debt," the statement said. For the full text go to www.oikoumene.org/?id=7517.
- Church World Service (CWS) on Jan. 27 called for Wall Street's financial industry leaders to tithe their bonuses for the reconstruction of Haiti. "This month's catastrophic earthquake is not only an unforgettable tragedy but a wake-up call to rich nations of the world," said executive director John L. McCullough. CWS is also urging complete forgiveness of Haiti's remaining debts. Referring to the telethon for Haiti that was held on several US television channels last weekend, McCullough noted that, "Despite a continuing tough economy, persistently high jobless rate, and the alarming increase of homeless families in the US, the American people managed to contribute to the $61 million raised." The "Bonus4Haiti" tithing call to Wall Street is available on the CWS Causes page on Facebook.
- Springs of Living Water, the congregational renewal initiative led by David and Joan Young, has been invited to conduct a seminar at the Parish Resource Center in Lancaster, Pa. The seminar will be held on March 13, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. It will offer sessions on "Rediscovering Spiritual Disciplines," "Grounding in Servant Leadership," and "Using Spiritual Discernment to Discover Direction." Early registration (before March 5) costs $45 for subscribers to the center, or $55 for non-subscribers. Lunch is included. Contact davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org.
- "Brethren Voices," a community television program produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren, will share the short documentary "12 Stones" by filmmaker Sandy Smolan as its February edition. This evocative film documents the work of Heifer International with women of Nepal, and their journey out of poverty to self reliance. With cinematography by Jacek Laskus and narration by Diane Lane, "12 Stones" captures the transformation the women undergo and Heifer’s mission to work with communities to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. "12 Stones" has won awards for best short documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival and the Tallahassee Film Festival. Heifer International began as the Church of the Brethren’s Heifer Project, since then becoming an ecumenical venture receiving widespread support from many different denominations. In March, "Brethren Voices" will take viewers to Hiroshima, Japan, and a visit to the World Friendship Center where BVS volunteers have served as hosts for more than 20 years. For more about "Brethren Voices" contact producer Ed Groff at groffprod1@msn.com. Copies of the program cost $8, with donations forwarded to Portland Peace Church of the Brethren, 12727 SE Market St., Portland, OR 97233.
- Brethren Disaster Ministries is sharing the information that eligible Haitians living in the United States on or before Jan. 12 may begin applying for Temporary Protected Status. The announcement of the special status came from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services on Jan. 21. Details and procedures for applying are provided in the US government’s online "Federal Register" publication. The special status designation for Haitians came as a result of the earthquake, and will remain in effect through July 22, 2011. It means that eligible Haitian nationals will not be deported and will be eligible to apply to work in the US. A registration period to apply ends on July 20.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Internship, Haiti relief, Lenten devotional, NYC prayer day, more.
Annual Conference online registration opens Feb. 22.
Online registration for the 2010 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren opens Feb. 22 at www.brethren.org/ac . The site will offer early registration for non-delegate participants and hotel reservations for the Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 3-7. Conference rates will be offered at six hotels in downtown Pittsburgh.
The early registration fees are $95 for adults, $30 for ages 12-20, free for children under 12, and $25 for those currently in Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS). Weekend and daily rates will be available. Through the online registration process, participants also will be able to purchase conference booklets and meal tickets, register for age-group activities, and volunteer to help out at the Conference.
Early registration will close June 7. After that date, registration will be offered only on site in Pittsburgh. On-site fees will increase to $120 for adults, $50 for ages 12-20, and $30 for BVS volunteers. Children under 12 will continue to be offered free registration.
The Information Packet for the 2010 Annual Conference is to be mailed to all congregations as a CD during the last week of January. The Information Packet also will be available to view, download, or print from the Annual Conference website: www.brethren.org/ac. A printed copy of the packet can be requested from the Annual Conference Office for a fee of $20.
The Annual Conference Office has issued a reminder to congregations and districts that early registration for their 2010 delegates ends on Feb. 19. Completed delegate registration cards and payments should be received by that date. Early registration for delegates costs $275, with the fee going up to $300 after Feb. 19.
Questions can be directed to the Annual Conference Office at 800-323-8039 ext. 229 or jkobel@brethren.org.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
Online registration for the 2010 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren opens Feb. 22 at www.brethren.org/ac . The site will offer early registration for non-delegate participants and hotel reservations for the Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 3-7. Conference rates will be offered at six hotels in downtown Pittsburgh.
The early registration fees are $95 for adults, $30 for ages 12-20, free for children under 12, and $25 for those currently in Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS). Weekend and daily rates will be available. Through the online registration process, participants also will be able to purchase conference booklets and meal tickets, register for age-group activities, and volunteer to help out at the Conference.
Early registration will close June 7. After that date, registration will be offered only on site in Pittsburgh. On-site fees will increase to $120 for adults, $50 for ages 12-20, and $30 for BVS volunteers. Children under 12 will continue to be offered free registration.
The Information Packet for the 2010 Annual Conference is to be mailed to all congregations as a CD during the last week of January. The Information Packet also will be available to view, download, or print from the Annual Conference website: www.brethren.org/ac. A printed copy of the packet can be requested from the Annual Conference Office for a fee of $20.
The Annual Conference Office has issued a reminder to congregations and districts that early registration for their 2010 delegates ends on Feb. 19. Completed delegate registration cards and payments should be received by that date. Early registration for delegates costs $275, with the fee going up to $300 after Feb. 19.
Questions can be directed to the Annual Conference Office at 800-323-8039 ext. 229 or jkobel@brethren.org.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
Intercultural Consultation and Celebration offers online registration.
Online registration has opened for the Church of the Brethren’s annual Intercultural Consultation and Celebration, to be held on April 22-25 at Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa. Registration is available in both English and Spanish at www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_intercultural_InterculturalConsultation. The deadline to register is March 6.
This will be the 12th Intercultural Consultation and Celebration for the denomination, meeting this year on the theme, "Celebrating Diversity in Harmony" (Romans 12:15-17). The event will feature worship services with preaching by pastors Samuel Sarpiya and Ray Hileman; plenary sessions facilitated by Barbara Daté; an intercultural ministries coaching and mentoring session; times for music and story-telling; and a selection of mission activities such as a prison visit and work at the camp. Also, a "Revelation 7:9 Diversity Award" will be presented.
The registration of $100 per person includes lodging at Camp Harmony, meals, and transportation to and from Pittsburgh (Pa.) International Airport. All meals are furnished by Camp Harmony. A special German dinner will be served on Friday evening. Vegetarian meals are available on request. A free shuttle to and from the Pittsburg International Airport will be available (see the website for shuttle times).
Churches and individuals are expected to make their own travel arrangements and cover their own expenses. However, limited travel assistance is available for a maximum of two people from a congregation with limited resources. For more information, contact rdeoleo@brethren.org. Two continuing education credits will be offered to participants attending the event. A CEU certificate will be distributed upon the conclusion of the celebration.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
Online registration has opened for the Church of the Brethren’s annual Intercultural Consultation and Celebration, to be held on April 22-25 at Camp Harmony in Hooversville, Pa. Registration is available in both English and Spanish at www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grow_intercultural_InterculturalConsultation. The deadline to register is March 6.
This will be the 12th Intercultural Consultation and Celebration for the denomination, meeting this year on the theme, "Celebrating Diversity in Harmony" (Romans 12:15-17). The event will feature worship services with preaching by pastors Samuel Sarpiya and Ray Hileman; plenary sessions facilitated by Barbara Daté; an intercultural ministries coaching and mentoring session; times for music and story-telling; and a selection of mission activities such as a prison visit and work at the camp. Also, a "Revelation 7:9 Diversity Award" will be presented.
The registration of $100 per person includes lodging at Camp Harmony, meals, and transportation to and from Pittsburgh (Pa.) International Airport. All meals are furnished by Camp Harmony. A special German dinner will be served on Friday evening. Vegetarian meals are available on request. A free shuttle to and from the Pittsburg International Airport will be available (see the website for shuttle times).
Churches and individuals are expected to make their own travel arrangements and cover their own expenses. However, limited travel assistance is available for a maximum of two people from a congregation with limited resources. For more information, contact rdeoleo@brethren.org. Two continuing education credits will be offered to participants attending the event. A CEU certificate will be distributed upon the conclusion of the celebration.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
Bethany Seminary's third Presidential Forum takes place in April.
Bethany Theological Seminary's third Presidential Forum will take place on April 9-10. Titled "When Strangers Are Angels: The Spiritual and Social Movements of Brethren, Friends, and Mennonites in a New Century)," this forum will bring persons from all three Historic Peace Church traditions together to explore this historical inheritance for the 21st century church and the world.
The event will explore a number of questions, including, "What have been and are each movement’s understandings of the relationship between Christ and culture?" and "How do our understandings of scripture and our spiritual practices address social concerns of today and extend hospitality in a blessed and broken world?"
Martin Marty, distinguished service professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and columnist for the "Christian Century," will be the keynote speaker. Other leadership will include representatives from each of the Historic Peace Churches. The forum also will feature a play titled "Man from Magdalena," written by Earlham School of Religion student Patty Willis and including musical compositions by Mary Lou Prince, music director and composer in residence at the Unitarian Universalist congregation of Green Valley, Ariz.
Scott Holland, Bethany Seminary professor of theology and culture and director of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies, will give a presentation titled "Intertextual Interpretation: When Jesus Is a Stranger." In addition, the forum will include worship and small group discussions.
Bethany alumni/ae and friends are invited to a Pre-Forum Gathering beginning with dinner on April 8, to explore the forum theme especially as it relates to the Church of the Brethren. Five Bethany faculty members will lead plenary sessions: academic dean Steven Schweitzer will focus on the Old Testament; professor of New Testament studies Dan Ulrich will compare the Matthew 25 and 28 passages; associate professor of preaching and worship Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm will lead a session on "Preaching Our Legacy from the Pulpit"; Tara Hornbacker, associate professor of ministry formation Tara Hornbacker and Russell Haitch, associate professor of Christian education Russell Haitch will lead a session exploring the topic, "How Is the Church Today Living out Church of the Brethren values?"
Continuing education units will be available: .5 for either the pre-forum gathering or the forum, or 1 unit for attending both events. Registration for the forum costs $75, or $25 for students; registration for the pre-forum gathering is $25. Meals are available for an additional charge. Questions may be directed to shetlma@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1823. Register for the forum at www.bethanyseminary.edu/forum2010.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
Bethany Theological Seminary's third Presidential Forum will take place on April 9-10. Titled "When Strangers Are Angels: The Spiritual and Social Movements of Brethren, Friends, and Mennonites in a New Century)," this forum will bring persons from all three Historic Peace Church traditions together to explore this historical inheritance for the 21st century church and the world.
The event will explore a number of questions, including, "What have been and are each movement’s understandings of the relationship between Christ and culture?" and "How do our understandings of scripture and our spiritual practices address social concerns of today and extend hospitality in a blessed and broken world?"
Martin Marty, distinguished service professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and columnist for the "Christian Century," will be the keynote speaker. Other leadership will include representatives from each of the Historic Peace Churches. The forum also will feature a play titled "Man from Magdalena," written by Earlham School of Religion student Patty Willis and including musical compositions by Mary Lou Prince, music director and composer in residence at the Unitarian Universalist congregation of Green Valley, Ariz.
Scott Holland, Bethany Seminary professor of theology and culture and director of Peace Studies and Cross-Cultural Studies, will give a presentation titled "Intertextual Interpretation: When Jesus Is a Stranger." In addition, the forum will include worship and small group discussions.
Bethany alumni/ae and friends are invited to a Pre-Forum Gathering beginning with dinner on April 8, to explore the forum theme especially as it relates to the Church of the Brethren. Five Bethany faculty members will lead plenary sessions: academic dean Steven Schweitzer will focus on the Old Testament; professor of New Testament studies Dan Ulrich will compare the Matthew 25 and 28 passages; associate professor of preaching and worship Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm will lead a session on "Preaching Our Legacy from the Pulpit"; Tara Hornbacker, associate professor of ministry formation Tara Hornbacker and Russell Haitch, associate professor of Christian education Russell Haitch will lead a session exploring the topic, "How Is the Church Today Living out Church of the Brethren values?"
Continuing education units will be available: .5 for either the pre-forum gathering or the forum, or 1 unit for attending both events. Registration for the forum costs $75, or $25 for students; registration for the pre-forum gathering is $25. Meals are available for an additional charge. Questions may be directed to shetlma@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1823. Register for the forum at www.bethanyseminary.edu/forum2010.
Source: 1/28/2010 Newsline Extra
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. Ed Groff, Jon Kobel, Donna March, Ken Neher, Marcia Shetler, Molly Sollenberger, Shelly Wagner, LeAnn K. Wine, Zach Wolgemuth 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. Ed Groff, Jon Kobel, Donna March, Ken Neher, Marcia Shetler, Molly Sollenberger, Shelly Wagner, LeAnn K. Wine, Zach Wolgemuth contributed to this report.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Newsline Update: Brethren Disaster Ministries executive returns from Haiti
Brethren Disaster Ministries executive director Roy Winter has returned to the United States from Haiti, after being part of a US Church of the Brethren delegation to the earthquake zone.
Other members of the delegation remain in Haiti for the time being, including mission coordinator Ludovic St. Fleur, Haiti disaster rebuilding coordinator Jeff Boshart, and Haitian consultant Klebert Exceus.
Winter’s two final journal entries from Port-au-Prince are being posted in full at the Brethren blog on Haiti (go to http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments). Following are excerpts:
"Sunday, January 24: Ludovic is preaching at the Delmas 3 church location. Roy had planned to go along, but was advised to stay to help with the generator and because of safety concerns. This is an area where a large sheet city has grown up and there is much unrest. My presence could cause problems for the church members.
"Jeff, Ludovic, Jean Bily (a Haitian pastor), and others are heading to northern Haiti to meet with church members who fled Port-au-Prince. They will also work on a few details of our Gonaives projects while in the area (2008 hurricane response).
"I met with Julian Choe and Mark Zimmerman of Frederick Church of the Brethren, who were traveling with a group from the Dominican Church of the Brethren, including pastor Onelis Rivas. We shared ideas and experiences in Haiti. Dr. Choe is volunteering in a variety of clinics in Haiti and the DR....
"Having a little time to write also let me reflect on the situation in Haiti. I have chosen to not dwell on the more gory details, but that is exactly what’s on my heart right now. The masses of homeless, the fear of buildings, hunger, and now signs that people are starving to death are heavy today. It seems food distributions are just now scaling up, as people literally are dying for lack of food. Likely many have seen all this on TV, but the overwhelming scope of the situation weighs so heavy.
"Even with all our combined resources (international response community), how do we help these people move from victims to self-sustaining people? For some, living in temporary shelters and receiving handouts of food is an easier life than before the quake, but certainly not a life that helps build dignity and a belief they can care for themselves.
"We certainly cannot solve the problems in Haiti, but we can try not to add to them. The primary issues to address are easy to identify: things like food, safe drinking water, reasonable shelter, finding employment for more Haitians, and so on. Our challenge is to address these issues in a way that builds independence and capacity rather than dependence. As we develop a comprehensive response we will be working very closely with the National Committee (of Eglise des Freres Haitiens--the Haitian Church of the Brethren) and find ways to employ or work with Haitians to help with the response....
"I plan to fly back to Florida tomorrow, and make it to Maryland on Tuesday morning. From here, my focus will be finishing a draft of our response plan, developing a household kit I hope Church of the Brethren congregation will help create, and, and.... The list is long....
"May God’s grace embrace us all."
Planning begins for longterm Brethren response
In his journal entry for Saturday, Jan. 23, Winter outlined some of the planning being done with the National Committee of the Haitian Church of the Brethren to begin a longterm response to the earthquake. Plans will likely change, he noted, but may include developing a feeding program in four locations, and supporting the Haitian Brethren church leadership who have lost homes themselves while at the same time needing to be part of the church’s earthquake response.
"We hope to feed around 1,200 people for six months, provide some household items, and water filtration systems," Winter wrote. "I believe there will be a place for work teams, but not immediately. Right now logistics are so difficult it is difficult to imagine how we support a team, when so many simply need food."
Before he left Haiti, Winter and the delegation were able to visit with ecumenical partners working in Port-au-Prince including Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), SKDE, and a partner of SERRV. They were unable to locate Church World Service staff, however. "These visits are always very helpful and build response partnerships," Winter noted. "MCC was particularly interested in our home construction work from last year and we were interested in the canned meat they are receiving--multiple containers."
The group also received a report from the New American School, which is supported by Brethren in Florida. The school lost one of its two buildings. "The director Donald Pierre-Louis was trapped in the school for eight hours while his staff worked to dig and cut him out. One of his teachers had to crawl through a two-foot opening they cut through rebar and slide on his stomach to free Donald from the debris. Thankfully Donald was not injured and no children were present."
For more about the Church of the Brethren’s Haiti earthquake response, including a bulletin insert, online opportunities to give to support the work in Haiti and share prayers for Haiti, the Haiti blog, and video clips from the work of disaster ministries staff, go to www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake.
Source: 1/26/2010 Newsline Update
Brethren Disaster Ministries executive director Roy Winter has returned to the United States from Haiti, after being part of a US Church of the Brethren delegation to the earthquake zone.
Other members of the delegation remain in Haiti for the time being, including mission coordinator Ludovic St. Fleur, Haiti disaster rebuilding coordinator Jeff Boshart, and Haitian consultant Klebert Exceus.
Winter’s two final journal entries from Port-au-Prince are being posted in full at the Brethren blog on Haiti (go to http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments). Following are excerpts:
"Sunday, January 24: Ludovic is preaching at the Delmas 3 church location. Roy had planned to go along, but was advised to stay to help with the generator and because of safety concerns. This is an area where a large sheet city has grown up and there is much unrest. My presence could cause problems for the church members.
"Jeff, Ludovic, Jean Bily (a Haitian pastor), and others are heading to northern Haiti to meet with church members who fled Port-au-Prince. They will also work on a few details of our Gonaives projects while in the area (2008 hurricane response).
"I met with Julian Choe and Mark Zimmerman of Frederick Church of the Brethren, who were traveling with a group from the Dominican Church of the Brethren, including pastor Onelis Rivas. We shared ideas and experiences in Haiti. Dr. Choe is volunteering in a variety of clinics in Haiti and the DR....
"Having a little time to write also let me reflect on the situation in Haiti. I have chosen to not dwell on the more gory details, but that is exactly what’s on my heart right now. The masses of homeless, the fear of buildings, hunger, and now signs that people are starving to death are heavy today. It seems food distributions are just now scaling up, as people literally are dying for lack of food. Likely many have seen all this on TV, but the overwhelming scope of the situation weighs so heavy.
"Even with all our combined resources (international response community), how do we help these people move from victims to self-sustaining people? For some, living in temporary shelters and receiving handouts of food is an easier life than before the quake, but certainly not a life that helps build dignity and a belief they can care for themselves.
"We certainly cannot solve the problems in Haiti, but we can try not to add to them. The primary issues to address are easy to identify: things like food, safe drinking water, reasonable shelter, finding employment for more Haitians, and so on. Our challenge is to address these issues in a way that builds independence and capacity rather than dependence. As we develop a comprehensive response we will be working very closely with the National Committee (of Eglise des Freres Haitiens--the Haitian Church of the Brethren) and find ways to employ or work with Haitians to help with the response....
"I plan to fly back to Florida tomorrow, and make it to Maryland on Tuesday morning. From here, my focus will be finishing a draft of our response plan, developing a household kit I hope Church of the Brethren congregation will help create, and, and.... The list is long....
"May God’s grace embrace us all."
Planning begins for longterm Brethren response
In his journal entry for Saturday, Jan. 23, Winter outlined some of the planning being done with the National Committee of the Haitian Church of the Brethren to begin a longterm response to the earthquake. Plans will likely change, he noted, but may include developing a feeding program in four locations, and supporting the Haitian Brethren church leadership who have lost homes themselves while at the same time needing to be part of the church’s earthquake response.
"We hope to feed around 1,200 people for six months, provide some household items, and water filtration systems," Winter wrote. "I believe there will be a place for work teams, but not immediately. Right now logistics are so difficult it is difficult to imagine how we support a team, when so many simply need food."
Before he left Haiti, Winter and the delegation were able to visit with ecumenical partners working in Port-au-Prince including Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), SKDE, and a partner of SERRV. They were unable to locate Church World Service staff, however. "These visits are always very helpful and build response partnerships," Winter noted. "MCC was particularly interested in our home construction work from last year and we were interested in the canned meat they are receiving--multiple containers."
The group also received a report from the New American School, which is supported by Brethren in Florida. The school lost one of its two buildings. "The director Donald Pierre-Louis was trapped in the school for eight hours while his staff worked to dig and cut him out. One of his teachers had to crawl through a two-foot opening they cut through rebar and slide on his stomach to free Donald from the debris. Thankfully Donald was not injured and no children were present."
For more about the Church of the Brethren’s Haiti earthquake response, including a bulletin insert, online opportunities to give to support the work in Haiti and share prayers for Haiti, the Haiti blog, and video clips from the work of disaster ministries staff, go to www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake.
Source: 1/26/2010 Newsline Update
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Brethren delegation in Haiti begins reporting from earthquake zone
A delegation from the Church of the Brethren has begun work with Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) in response to the earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince area last week.
The delegation now in Haiti includes Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church program that has been rebuilding homes in Haiti destroyed when four hurricanes and tropical storms hit the island in 2008; and Klebert Exceus, consultant for the hurricane rebuilding program.
Following are excerpts from a first report phoned in yesterday by the group. Winter made the phone call on Jan. 20 from Exceus’ home in Port-au-Prince, where the delegation was meeting with members of the National Committee or leadership team of the Haitian Brethren:
"Klebert started the meeting...by saying that God is with us. He allowed Satan even to affect Job, but He didn’t allow Satan to destroy Job, and Job remained faithful. He said we have much to be thankful for. Even at this time, we’re called to be thankful and give glory to God in all things.
"It was very noticeable among the leadership team, most of whom I’ve met before, how different some of them were and how their demeanor was very subdued and how tired and stressed and frustrated people were. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to hear them talk about it. As we discussed the next steps for us and evaluating the situation, they didn’t want to talk about rebuilding--they wanted to talk about food and water and how desperate people were, including them.
"To hear the leadership of the church--these are mostly young men, it’s a young leadership--to be stuck in a time without food and water and to be so desperate for it, and to hear the anguish in their voices, it’s so heart-wrenching. And they set that aside, and they try to think about what’s right for the church.
"They’re all spending the night at Klebert’s. Klebert is extending all of his hospitality and all of his resources, making them available to the Church of the Brethren right now so we can help these people recover.
"It is abundantly clear, just after our short meeting, that we have a real need to be here and minister to our church members. They have some desperate need right now, and we’ve got to find ways to support them and meet their needs.
"We, the Church of the Brethren, are going to have a broader response. We’re going to work in Port-au-Prince, we’re going to be part of the Church World Service response. It’s very important that we support that CWS response. This is something the Church of the Brethren is doing...in partnership and collaboration with Church World Service.
"Delmas 3 was the ‘mother church,’ the first Church of the Brethren in Haiti, as far as we know. The church building was heavily damaged and partially collapsed. Of that membership, at least 30 homes are destroyed, many people are missing, and at least one life was lost. It’s amazing that it was only one at this point.
"Throughout the area, there’s always the question about the people missing. Even up north in Gonaïves, families from the church there talk about their family or friends who were visiting or had gone to Port-au-Prince for a holiday, and they have not heard and they just don’t know. The stress and the pain of not knowing--how that weighs on people.
"The second church that was built here is Croix-de-Bouquets, and Jean Bily is the pastor. He and his wife and one-year-old son escaped unharmed, but their house was destroyed. They went up to the Gonaïves area to find someplace where they can get access to food and to live with family there. That’s what many of the Church of the Brethren members have done if they could.
"Pastor Ives Jean is the moderator (living in) one of the hardest hit areas. We hadn’t heard whether he was alive until today. He apparently is alive but was injured. We’re going to try to see him tomorrow. Many homes destroyed and loss of life in that area. We expect the preaching point there to be pretty heavily impacted--the real concern is for food and water."
In a follow-up call about the activities of the delegation today, Thursday, Jan. 21, Winter said:
"The delegation is handing out the tents and water purifiers that they had brought to Church of the Brethren members. (The Haitian Brethren leaders) had held back 20 cases of canned chicken (that was donated by the US Brethren last year) for special events or emergencies. They’re feeling blessed that they had the foresight to do that. The chicken was distributed, and it was a real blessing to the neighborhood."
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff reported today that the delegation "has yet to speak to anyone who has received direct aid. Perhaps that’s because the Brethren in this area are staying put, and they aren’t in the worst hit part of the city."
Today the delegation hopes to get closer to the center of the Port-au-Prince area most affected by the earthquake, and to visit Pastor Ives Jean.
Daily updates from the delegation’s activities in Haiti are to be posted at a new blog on the Church of the Brethren relief effort and related comments from readers. Find the blog at http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments.
Source: 1/21/2010 Newsline Update
A delegation from the Church of the Brethren has begun work with Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) in response to the earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince area last week.
The delegation now in Haiti includes Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church program that has been rebuilding homes in Haiti destroyed when four hurricanes and tropical storms hit the island in 2008; and Klebert Exceus, consultant for the hurricane rebuilding program.
Following are excerpts from a first report phoned in yesterday by the group. Winter made the phone call on Jan. 20 from Exceus’ home in Port-au-Prince, where the delegation was meeting with members of the National Committee or leadership team of the Haitian Brethren:
"Klebert started the meeting...by saying that God is with us. He allowed Satan even to affect Job, but He didn’t allow Satan to destroy Job, and Job remained faithful. He said we have much to be thankful for. Even at this time, we’re called to be thankful and give glory to God in all things.
"It was very noticeable among the leadership team, most of whom I’ve met before, how different some of them were and how their demeanor was very subdued and how tired and stressed and frustrated people were. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to hear them talk about it. As we discussed the next steps for us and evaluating the situation, they didn’t want to talk about rebuilding--they wanted to talk about food and water and how desperate people were, including them.
"To hear the leadership of the church--these are mostly young men, it’s a young leadership--to be stuck in a time without food and water and to be so desperate for it, and to hear the anguish in their voices, it’s so heart-wrenching. And they set that aside, and they try to think about what’s right for the church.
"They’re all spending the night at Klebert’s. Klebert is extending all of his hospitality and all of his resources, making them available to the Church of the Brethren right now so we can help these people recover.
"It is abundantly clear, just after our short meeting, that we have a real need to be here and minister to our church members. They have some desperate need right now, and we’ve got to find ways to support them and meet their needs.
"We, the Church of the Brethren, are going to have a broader response. We’re going to work in Port-au-Prince, we’re going to be part of the Church World Service response. It’s very important that we support that CWS response. This is something the Church of the Brethren is doing...in partnership and collaboration with Church World Service.
"Delmas 3 was the ‘mother church,’ the first Church of the Brethren in Haiti, as far as we know. The church building was heavily damaged and partially collapsed. Of that membership, at least 30 homes are destroyed, many people are missing, and at least one life was lost. It’s amazing that it was only one at this point.
"Throughout the area, there’s always the question about the people missing. Even up north in Gonaïves, families from the church there talk about their family or friends who were visiting or had gone to Port-au-Prince for a holiday, and they have not heard and they just don’t know. The stress and the pain of not knowing--how that weighs on people.
"The second church that was built here is Croix-de-Bouquets, and Jean Bily is the pastor. He and his wife and one-year-old son escaped unharmed, but their house was destroyed. They went up to the Gonaïves area to find someplace where they can get access to food and to live with family there. That’s what many of the Church of the Brethren members have done if they could.
"Pastor Ives Jean is the moderator (living in) one of the hardest hit areas. We hadn’t heard whether he was alive until today. He apparently is alive but was injured. We’re going to try to see him tomorrow. Many homes destroyed and loss of life in that area. We expect the preaching point there to be pretty heavily impacted--the real concern is for food and water."
In a follow-up call about the activities of the delegation today, Thursday, Jan. 21, Winter said:
"The delegation is handing out the tents and water purifiers that they had brought to Church of the Brethren members. (The Haitian Brethren leaders) had held back 20 cases of canned chicken (that was donated by the US Brethren last year) for special events or emergencies. They’re feeling blessed that they had the foresight to do that. The chicken was distributed, and it was a real blessing to the neighborhood."
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff reported today that the delegation "has yet to speak to anyone who has received direct aid. Perhaps that’s because the Brethren in this area are staying put, and they aren’t in the worst hit part of the city."
Today the delegation hopes to get closer to the center of the Port-au-Prince area most affected by the earthquake, and to visit Pastor Ives Jean.
Daily updates from the delegation’s activities in Haiti are to be posted at a new blog on the Church of the Brethren relief effort and related comments from readers. Find the blog at http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments.
Source: 1/21/2010 Newsline Update
Relief supplies go to Haiti from the Brethren Service Center
Relief materials are being sent to Haiti by the Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources program at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Material Resources staff led by director Loretta Wolf, are working to coordinate shipments to Haiti being made on behalf of Church World Service (CWS), IMA World Health, and Lutheran World Relief, among others.
A $25,000 grant from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund is supporting the initial CWS response to the earthquake, and helping to pay for the immediate distribution of relief supplies to earthquake survivors including hygiene kits, baby care kits, and blankets.
Twenty IMA World Health medicine boxes have been prepared to be picked up today for a Mennonite shipment to Haiti, Wolf reported. Another 60 medicine boxes will be shipped to Haiti on Friday on behalf of Church World Service.
Earlier this week, CWS had arranged for one air shipment and one ocean shipment. The air shipment of 14,743 pounds of blankets, baby kits, hygiene kits, flashlights, and toothpaste left New Windsor on Tuesday, bound for Haiti. The ocean shipment of a 40-foot container of blankets, baby kits, and hygiene kits was scheduled to leave New Windsor yesterday. "Initial plans are for the container to enter through the Dominican Republic," Wolf said.
A group of 13 Church of the Brethren volunteers from Wyomissing, Pa., are volunteering in Material Resources today packing CWS hygiene kits, baby kits, and school kits, which will be shipped to Haiti or used to replenish those shipped.
"We have received many calls from persons wanting to volunteer and are scheduling them as we have materials to work with," Wolf said.
A video report on the work of Material Resources appeared yesterday on Channel 11 television WBAL TV in Baltimore, Md. View it at www.wbaltv.com/video/22292207.
Source: 1/21/2010 Newsline Update
Relief materials are being sent to Haiti by the Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources program at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The Material Resources staff led by director Loretta Wolf, are working to coordinate shipments to Haiti being made on behalf of Church World Service (CWS), IMA World Health, and Lutheran World Relief, among others.
A $25,000 grant from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund is supporting the initial CWS response to the earthquake, and helping to pay for the immediate distribution of relief supplies to earthquake survivors including hygiene kits, baby care kits, and blankets.
Twenty IMA World Health medicine boxes have been prepared to be picked up today for a Mennonite shipment to Haiti, Wolf reported. Another 60 medicine boxes will be shipped to Haiti on Friday on behalf of Church World Service.
Earlier this week, CWS had arranged for one air shipment and one ocean shipment. The air shipment of 14,743 pounds of blankets, baby kits, hygiene kits, flashlights, and toothpaste left New Windsor on Tuesday, bound for Haiti. The ocean shipment of a 40-foot container of blankets, baby kits, and hygiene kits was scheduled to leave New Windsor yesterday. "Initial plans are for the container to enter through the Dominican Republic," Wolf said.
A group of 13 Church of the Brethren volunteers from Wyomissing, Pa., are volunteering in Material Resources today packing CWS hygiene kits, baby kits, and school kits, which will be shipped to Haiti or used to replenish those shipped.
"We have received many calls from persons wanting to volunteer and are scheduling them as we have materials to work with," Wolf said.
A video report on the work of Material Resources appeared yesterday on Channel 11 television WBAL TV in Baltimore, Md. View it at www.wbaltv.com/video/22292207.
Source: 1/21/2010 Newsline Update
Credits
The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Contact cobnews@brethren.org to receive Newsline by e-mail or to submit news to the editor.
The Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren. Newsline stories may be reprinted if Newsline is cited as the source. Contact cobnews@brethren.org to receive Newsline by e-mail or to submit news to the editor.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Haitian pastor is alive.
Haitian Brethren pastor Ives Jean is alive, but injured, reports Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Winter arrived in Haiti yesterday with a Church of the Brethren delegation from the US.
Earlier today the Church of the Brethren released a prayer request for pastor Ives Jean, who had been reported missing since last Tuesday’s earthquake. He is moderator of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti) and serves as the only ordained minister among the fledgling church’s small group of licensed pastors.
More information about the Church of the Brethren disaster response in Haiti is available at www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake , where updates are being provided from the delegation that arrived in Haiti yesterday as well as information from Church World Service and other ecumenical partners.
A video message on Haiti from Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger also is now online, find the link at www.brethren.org.
A blog has been set up to share detailed reports from the delegation’s experience in Haiti, reports from others involved with the relief effort in Haiti, along with an opportunity for reader response and the expression of concerns for Haiti; go to http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments.
Source: 1/20/2010 Newsline Update
Haitian Brethren pastor Ives Jean is alive, but injured, reports Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Winter arrived in Haiti yesterday with a Church of the Brethren delegation from the US.
Earlier today the Church of the Brethren released a prayer request for pastor Ives Jean, who had been reported missing since last Tuesday’s earthquake. He is moderator of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti) and serves as the only ordained minister among the fledgling church’s small group of licensed pastors.
More information about the Church of the Brethren disaster response in Haiti is available at www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake , where updates are being provided from the delegation that arrived in Haiti yesterday as well as information from Church World Service and other ecumenical partners.
A video message on Haiti from Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger also is now online, find the link at www.brethren.org.
A blog has been set up to share detailed reports from the delegation’s experience in Haiti, reports from others involved with the relief effort in Haiti, along with an opportunity for reader response and the expression of concerns for Haiti; go to http://blog.brethren.org/?p=41#comments.
Source: 1/20/2010 Newsline Update
Request for prayer for Nigeria:
A request for prayer has been received from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) in the city of Jos, where an outbreak of violence began Sunday and was continuing as of yesterday. The Associated Press has reported that at least 200 people have died in the violence.
Prayers are requested for the family of Shedrak Garba, an EYN student at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN) who was killed by security forces after having gone out after a curfew that has been in force in the area. TCNN is located in the wider Jos area.
Prayers are requested for those whose homes have been burned in the rioting as well. Markus Gamache, an EYN leader in Jos, has sent news that at least two homes of Brethren families have been burned. His report also expresses concern for those who are fleeing the violence, those who have become separated from family members or who are looking for missing children, and the people who are experiencing more difficulty getting food and water.
Church of the Brethren mission workers Nathan and Jennifer Hosler also have sent a quick report by e-mail today. "We just finished up a Inter-Religious Forum on Peaceful Coexistence today here at KBC, sponsored by the Peace Program," the Hoslers wrote. "It is quite striking holding that and talking about peace amongst Muslims and Christians while a conflict is occurring in Jos."
The couple are working at EYN’s Kulp Bible College, which is in in eastern Nigeria, many hours drive from the violence occurring in central Nigeria.
Source: 1/20/2010 Newsline Update
A request for prayer has been received from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) in the city of Jos, where an outbreak of violence began Sunday and was continuing as of yesterday. The Associated Press has reported that at least 200 people have died in the violence.
Prayers are requested for the family of Shedrak Garba, an EYN student at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN) who was killed by security forces after having gone out after a curfew that has been in force in the area. TCNN is located in the wider Jos area.
Prayers are requested for those whose homes have been burned in the rioting as well. Markus Gamache, an EYN leader in Jos, has sent news that at least two homes of Brethren families have been burned. His report also expresses concern for those who are fleeing the violence, those who have become separated from family members or who are looking for missing children, and the people who are experiencing more difficulty getting food and water.
Church of the Brethren mission workers Nathan and Jennifer Hosler also have sent a quick report by e-mail today. "We just finished up a Inter-Religious Forum on Peaceful Coexistence today here at KBC, sponsored by the Peace Program," the Hoslers wrote. "It is quite striking holding that and talking about peace amongst Muslims and Christians while a conflict is occurring in Jos."
The couple are working at EYN’s Kulp Bible College, which is in in eastern Nigeria, many hours drive from the violence occurring in central Nigeria.
Source: 1/20/2010 Newsline Update
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Brethren delegation from US arrives in Haiti today; Haitian Brethren church leader is reported missing.
A Church of the Brethren delegation of mission and disaster relief leaders from the US is to arrive in Haiti today to do assessment and begin the church’s response to the massive earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince area last Tuesday.
The delegation includes Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church’s current hurricane rebuilding project in Haiti; and Klebert Exceus, Haiti consultant for the hurricane rebuilding project.
Also today, a key Haitian Brethren church leader has been reported missing: Pastor Ives who leads one of the three Brethren congregations in Port-au-Prince and is moderator of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
News also has been received that some members of Pastor Ives’ congregation have lost their lives, and that the church building of at least one Brethren congregation in Port-au-Prince has collapsed.
News from Haitian Brethren:
The news from the Haitian Brethren in Port-au-Prince was received from Pastor Sauyeux, pastor of a Brethren congregation in Descubierta, the Dominican Republic. He passed the news along to Irvin Heishman, DR mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren, and Tom Crago, a Church of the Brethren member currently in the DR.
Pastor Sauyeux "went into Haiti to check on the Church of the Brethren churches there," wrote Heishman and Crago in an e-mail. "His report is that Pastor Ives is missing. The church in Del Matre collapsed and some church members have died. The other two pastors (in the Port-au-Prince area) are known to be okay. Members are living in the street and it rained today. There is disorder, with looting."
Pastor Ives was described today as the "spiritual leader" of the Haitian Brethren by Jay Wittmeyer, executive of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren. He expressed deep concern for Ives’ wellbeing and that of his congregation.
Many of the Church of the Brethren members from the Port-au-Prince area have been able to relocate in northern Haiti with family, added a report from Roy Winter at Brethren Disaster Ministries.
Other news has been received from Haitian Brethren through family members in the United States who are living in the Miami and Orlando areas of Florida, and in New York. From some informal reports, it appears that numerous members of Haitian Brethren congregations in the US may have lost family members in the earthquake, and that many have not yet heard from family living in Haiti.
US Brethren delegation arrives in Haiti today:
An e-mail received yesterday from Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, reports that the Brethren delegation successfully obtained a flight to Port-au-Prince with Missionary Flights International (MFI). The flight was to leave for Haiti today.
"The fact we got through to MFI is rather amazing," Winter wrote. "Normally they only fly missionaries or workgroups directly connected to MFI’s mission partners. Maybe because of some special intervention, they responded to a call and e-mail from Jeff, while ignoring hundreds of others."
When the group arrived at the Orlando (Fla.) airport to have their supplies weighed for the flight, Winter wrote, "It was still chaos. The passenger list is hand written on a legal pad, but we saw ‘Boshart - 4' confirming our seats. We also saw some of the old DC-3, a vintage 1940s plane, that will be our ride to Port-au-Prince tomorrow.
"The chaos came from the multiple efforts going on at MFI," Winter explained. "They are collecting donations for Haiti, have gone from two flights a week to two flights a day. All while supporting their other mission points and other parts of Haiti."
Dick Snook, president of MFI, personally put the Brethren group’s bags on a pallet to be ready for the flight the next day, "so we left feeling like we are as ready as possible," Winter commented.
One of the group’s first plans on arrival in Port-au-Prince is to try to organize a meeting with Haitian Brethren church leaders.
Brethren Service Center begins shipping relief supplies to Haiti:
The Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is beginning shipments of relief materials to Haiti. The Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources staff at the center, led by director Loretta Wolf, are working to coordinate shipments being made ready for Haiti on behalf of IMA World Health, Church World Service (CWS), and Lutheran World Relief.
"Church World Service has arranged for one air shipment and one ocean shipment," Wolf reported in an e-mail today. "The air shipment contains 14,743 pounds of blankets, baby kits, hygiene kits, flashlights, and toothpaste. It will be picked up today. The ocean shipment is one 40-foot container with blankets, baby kits, and hygiene kits. The container will leave New Windsor tomorrow. Initial plans are for the container to enter through the Dominican Republic. We are currently receiving medicines and packing medicine boxes for IMA."
Emergency Disaster Fund gives grant for Haiti refugee effort in New York:
Brethren Disaster Ministries has requested a grant from the Emergency Disaster Fund of $5,000 for the Haitian First Church of New York, which is a Church of the Brethren congregation, and the New York Disaster Interfaith Services. The grant will fund the establishment of a family assistance center to assist Haitians relocating to the US following the earthquake.
The center will offer refugees a variety of services including help from the American Red Cross, chaplains, mental health services, resettlement support in the form of housing vouchers, casework services, and an Internet café to assist with communication.
United Methodist leaders die in Haiti:
Disaster News Network has reported that United Methodists are mourning the deaths of Sam W. Dixon Jr., the head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and Clint Rabb, head of the organization's office of mission volunteers, who died last week in Haiti as a result of injuries received when the hotel in they were meeting collapsed.
Dixon and several other mission and relief specialists had been dropped off at the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince just minutes before the earthquake hit. It was the same hotel from which three staff of IMA World Health were rescued safely last Friday.
"Sam Dixon was a tireless servant of the church of Jesus Christ on behalf of all of us," said Bishop Joel N. Martinez, interim top executive of The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. "His death is an incalculable loss to Global Ministries, UMCOR, and our worldwide ministry of relief to God’s most vulnerable children."
Source: 1/19/2010 Newsline Special
A Church of the Brethren delegation of mission and disaster relief leaders from the US is to arrive in Haiti today to do assessment and begin the church’s response to the massive earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince area last Tuesday.
The delegation includes Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church’s current hurricane rebuilding project in Haiti; and Klebert Exceus, Haiti consultant for the hurricane rebuilding project.
Also today, a key Haitian Brethren church leader has been reported missing: Pastor Ives who leads one of the three Brethren congregations in Port-au-Prince and is moderator of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
News also has been received that some members of Pastor Ives’ congregation have lost their lives, and that the church building of at least one Brethren congregation in Port-au-Prince has collapsed.
News from Haitian Brethren:
The news from the Haitian Brethren in Port-au-Prince was received from Pastor Sauyeux, pastor of a Brethren congregation in Descubierta, the Dominican Republic. He passed the news along to Irvin Heishman, DR mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren, and Tom Crago, a Church of the Brethren member currently in the DR.
Pastor Sauyeux "went into Haiti to check on the Church of the Brethren churches there," wrote Heishman and Crago in an e-mail. "His report is that Pastor Ives is missing. The church in Del Matre collapsed and some church members have died. The other two pastors (in the Port-au-Prince area) are known to be okay. Members are living in the street and it rained today. There is disorder, with looting."
Pastor Ives was described today as the "spiritual leader" of the Haitian Brethren by Jay Wittmeyer, executive of Global Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren. He expressed deep concern for Ives’ wellbeing and that of his congregation.
Many of the Church of the Brethren members from the Port-au-Prince area have been able to relocate in northern Haiti with family, added a report from Roy Winter at Brethren Disaster Ministries.
Other news has been received from Haitian Brethren through family members in the United States who are living in the Miami and Orlando areas of Florida, and in New York. From some informal reports, it appears that numerous members of Haitian Brethren congregations in the US may have lost family members in the earthquake, and that many have not yet heard from family living in Haiti.
US Brethren delegation arrives in Haiti today:
An e-mail received yesterday from Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, reports that the Brethren delegation successfully obtained a flight to Port-au-Prince with Missionary Flights International (MFI). The flight was to leave for Haiti today.
"The fact we got through to MFI is rather amazing," Winter wrote. "Normally they only fly missionaries or workgroups directly connected to MFI’s mission partners. Maybe because of some special intervention, they responded to a call and e-mail from Jeff, while ignoring hundreds of others."
When the group arrived at the Orlando (Fla.) airport to have their supplies weighed for the flight, Winter wrote, "It was still chaos. The passenger list is hand written on a legal pad, but we saw ‘Boshart - 4' confirming our seats. We also saw some of the old DC-3, a vintage 1940s plane, that will be our ride to Port-au-Prince tomorrow.
"The chaos came from the multiple efforts going on at MFI," Winter explained. "They are collecting donations for Haiti, have gone from two flights a week to two flights a day. All while supporting their other mission points and other parts of Haiti."
Dick Snook, president of MFI, personally put the Brethren group’s bags on a pallet to be ready for the flight the next day, "so we left feeling like we are as ready as possible," Winter commented.
One of the group’s first plans on arrival in Port-au-Prince is to try to organize a meeting with Haitian Brethren church leaders.
Brethren Service Center begins shipping relief supplies to Haiti:
The Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is beginning shipments of relief materials to Haiti. The Church of the Brethren’s Material Resources staff at the center, led by director Loretta Wolf, are working to coordinate shipments being made ready for Haiti on behalf of IMA World Health, Church World Service (CWS), and Lutheran World Relief.
"Church World Service has arranged for one air shipment and one ocean shipment," Wolf reported in an e-mail today. "The air shipment contains 14,743 pounds of blankets, baby kits, hygiene kits, flashlights, and toothpaste. It will be picked up today. The ocean shipment is one 40-foot container with blankets, baby kits, and hygiene kits. The container will leave New Windsor tomorrow. Initial plans are for the container to enter through the Dominican Republic. We are currently receiving medicines and packing medicine boxes for IMA."
Emergency Disaster Fund gives grant for Haiti refugee effort in New York:
Brethren Disaster Ministries has requested a grant from the Emergency Disaster Fund of $5,000 for the Haitian First Church of New York, which is a Church of the Brethren congregation, and the New York Disaster Interfaith Services. The grant will fund the establishment of a family assistance center to assist Haitians relocating to the US following the earthquake.
The center will offer refugees a variety of services including help from the American Red Cross, chaplains, mental health services, resettlement support in the form of housing vouchers, casework services, and an Internet café to assist with communication.
United Methodist leaders die in Haiti:
Disaster News Network has reported that United Methodists are mourning the deaths of Sam W. Dixon Jr., the head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and Clint Rabb, head of the organization's office of mission volunteers, who died last week in Haiti as a result of injuries received when the hotel in they were meeting collapsed.
Dixon and several other mission and relief specialists had been dropped off at the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince just minutes before the earthquake hit. It was the same hotel from which three staff of IMA World Health were rescued safely last Friday.
"Sam Dixon was a tireless servant of the church of Jesus Christ on behalf of all of us," said Bishop Joel N. Martinez, interim top executive of The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. "His death is an incalculable loss to Global Ministries, UMCOR, and our worldwide ministry of relief to God’s most vulnerable children."
Source: 1/19/2010 Newsline Special
Dominican Brethren respond to the earthquake in Haiti.
The Mendoza church in the Dominican Republic gathered together on this first Sunday following the earthquake in Haiti to grieve and comfort one another in the face of the terrible losses. Thge church is part of the Church of the Brethren in the DR.
Many wept as the congregation sang in Haitian Creole, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll." One woman fell to the floor in a convulsion of wailing and sorrow. The gathering felt like a mass funeral service given that most of the 400-plus members were grieving personal losses and also the collective story of so many deaths of loved ones in Port-au-Prince.
Many have still not heard news of their loved ones and are terribly worried. Others know of injuries and destruction of family property.
"We will not fear, though the earth give way…and the mountains quake" (Psalm 46:2-3). This was Pastor Ernst Merisier’s text as he comforted his grieving congregation. "God is our stability (refuge and strength) in an unstable world," he said. In this world, everything is unstable and unworthy of trust. "Nevertheless," he said, "we can put our faith in the salvation offered through Jesus Christ because He is 'rock-solid.'" A special offering to help victims of the earthquake was collected by the members of the congregation.
Other Brethren churches in the Dominican Republic are responding as well with offerings and collections of food. National Dominican leaders have begun setting goals for a coordinated relief effort using funds granted by Brethren Disaster Services.
-- Irvin Heishman is co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren’s mission in the Dominican Republic.
Source: 1/19/2010 Newsline Special
The Mendoza church in the Dominican Republic gathered together on this first Sunday following the earthquake in Haiti to grieve and comfort one another in the face of the terrible losses. Thge church is part of the Church of the Brethren in the DR.
Many wept as the congregation sang in Haitian Creole, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll." One woman fell to the floor in a convulsion of wailing and sorrow. The gathering felt like a mass funeral service given that most of the 400-plus members were grieving personal losses and also the collective story of so many deaths of loved ones in Port-au-Prince.
Many have still not heard news of their loved ones and are terribly worried. Others know of injuries and destruction of family property.
"We will not fear, though the earth give way…and the mountains quake" (Psalm 46:2-3). This was Pastor Ernst Merisier’s text as he comforted his grieving congregation. "God is our stability (refuge and strength) in an unstable world," he said. In this world, everything is unstable and unworthy of trust. "Nevertheless," he said, "we can put our faith in the salvation offered through Jesus Christ because He is 'rock-solid.'" A special offering to help victims of the earthquake was collected by the members of the congregation.
Other Brethren churches in the Dominican Republic are responding as well with offerings and collections of food. National Dominican leaders have begun setting goals for a coordinated relief effort using funds granted by Brethren Disaster Services.
-- Irvin Heishman is co-coordinator of the Church of the Brethren’s mission in the Dominican Republic.
Source: 1/19/2010 Newsline Special
Violence breaks out again in Nigeria; Brethren reportedly not affected.
Violence again has broken out in the city of Jos, Nigeria, where there are churches and members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and where Hillcrest School is located, an ecumenical mission school that was originally founded by the Church of the Brethren.
However, according to a report from EYN leader Markus Gamache, no Brethren have been involved in the violence which began on Sunday morning, Jan. 17, and has been continuing through this morning.
The violence is reported to be based on political grievances of indigenous groups in the area, but is breaking out in the form of interreligious violence between Muslims and Christians. It follows similar outbreaks that occurred in this central Nigerian city in the past, including the most recent outbreak in late 2008 in which hundreds of people died.
The following has been received from Gamache, who lives and works in Jos:
"This time around in Jos northern area again," began his first report dated Jan. 17. He said that the violence broke out initially in a neighborhood of northern Jos called Dutse Uku, about 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Since Sunday morning, people have been leaving the city in fear, he said. "As of the time I am reporting this report there is no trace of EYN members being involved in any way."
The church first affected was St. Michael Catholic Church, Gamache said, explaining that EYN received word that the incident began with a dispute over use of a playground by Muslim youth during the church’s worship service. "St. Michael has a good playground for both Christian/Muslim youths. We learnt from the church members that the Muslim youth came to the playground to play while the worship service was going on, and the church leaders advised them not to play until when the worship service is over," he wrote.
"The destruction and casualty started right there at the church and in return of this, other close-by communities like Congo Rusa and Nasarawa Gwom started to protect their areas, and in this protection there is destruction of lives and property."
Gamache explained that the current dispute seems to have less to do with local politics than the violence of 2008. "The reason at this time seems different. Jos north is made up of different wards or communities in the city. Dutse Uku is a community originally occupied by the indigenes of Jos called Jarawa (Fizare) but as the city developed the place swelled up with different tribes from Hausa, Yoruba, and other people from the north east of the country. (The) 2008 crisis lost people, separated from their brothers and sisters; this means Christian and Muslims no longer stay in same community or share work as it use to be in the past."
Gamache is one of the Brethren church leaders who have been working on conflict resolution efforts with Muslim counterparts. His report added, "I have spoken to my Moslem friend Sheikh Isma’ila who is on the committee of the recent NGO that we are about to register called Integrated Service for Women/Youth Development with the aim of bringing friendship and the lost trust among the two faiths on the Plateau, and it is the aim of this organization to organize interfaith free-interest micro finance to create marketing friendship between the two faiths. Sheikh is a principal in one of the Islamic secondary schools that we just visited with group of missionaries from the United States Church of the Brethren," he reported.
"As from yesterday many house belonging to both Christians and Muslims including cars and shops were burnt to ashes. Nobody is allowed to visit the affected area at the moment...and as such I can not give a true level of destruction on ground. Based on the local news and telephone calls I made, there are about 35 people (who) lost their lives, dozens of people injured, and many were arrested."
In his second report, which was received today, Jan. 19, Gamache added: "This morning turns out to be something different as we wake up with 24 hours curfew from the government as a protection for the fight not to get worse or to go into different places.... Nothing is moving in Jos at all, the whole street is empty as it as been declared no movement in the city of Jos. People are complaining of water and food since they cannot come out to buy. Let us continue to pray for Jos and other places in the world."
The Associated Press reported that violence broke out between Christians and Muslims again this morning in Jos, and that the rioting that started on Sunday has burned homes and killed at least 27 people. The report added that security forces had brought the fighting to a halt later in the day today, and that the Plateau State government had called for additional military units.
The AP report describes the city as "situated in Nigeria's ‘middle belt,’ where dozens of ethnic groups mingle in a band of fertile and hotly contested land separating the Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south."
Source: 1/19/2010 Newsline Special
Violence again has broken out in the city of Jos, Nigeria, where there are churches and members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and where Hillcrest School is located, an ecumenical mission school that was originally founded by the Church of the Brethren.
However, according to a report from EYN leader Markus Gamache, no Brethren have been involved in the violence which began on Sunday morning, Jan. 17, and has been continuing through this morning.
The violence is reported to be based on political grievances of indigenous groups in the area, but is breaking out in the form of interreligious violence between Muslims and Christians. It follows similar outbreaks that occurred in this central Nigerian city in the past, including the most recent outbreak in late 2008 in which hundreds of people died.
The following has been received from Gamache, who lives and works in Jos:
"This time around in Jos northern area again," began his first report dated Jan. 17. He said that the violence broke out initially in a neighborhood of northern Jos called Dutse Uku, about 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Since Sunday morning, people have been leaving the city in fear, he said. "As of the time I am reporting this report there is no trace of EYN members being involved in any way."
The church first affected was St. Michael Catholic Church, Gamache said, explaining that EYN received word that the incident began with a dispute over use of a playground by Muslim youth during the church’s worship service. "St. Michael has a good playground for both Christian/Muslim youths. We learnt from the church members that the Muslim youth came to the playground to play while the worship service was going on, and the church leaders advised them not to play until when the worship service is over," he wrote.
"The destruction and casualty started right there at the church and in return of this, other close-by communities like Congo Rusa and Nasarawa Gwom started to protect their areas, and in this protection there is destruction of lives and property."
Gamache explained that the current dispute seems to have less to do with local politics than the violence of 2008. "The reason at this time seems different. Jos north is made up of different wards or communities in the city. Dutse Uku is a community originally occupied by the indigenes of Jos called Jarawa (Fizare) but as the city developed the place swelled up with different tribes from Hausa, Yoruba, and other people from the north east of the country. (The) 2008 crisis lost people, separated from their brothers and sisters; this means Christian and Muslims no longer stay in same community or share work as it use to be in the past."
Gamache is one of the Brethren church leaders who have been working on conflict resolution efforts with Muslim counterparts. His report added, "I have spoken to my Moslem friend Sheikh Isma’ila who is on the committee of the recent NGO that we are about to register called Integrated Service for Women/Youth Development with the aim of bringing friendship and the lost trust among the two faiths on the Plateau, and it is the aim of this organization to organize interfaith free-interest micro finance to create marketing friendship between the two faiths. Sheikh is a principal in one of the Islamic secondary schools that we just visited with group of missionaries from the United States Church of the Brethren," he reported.
"As from yesterday many house belonging to both Christians and Muslims including cars and shops were burnt to ashes. Nobody is allowed to visit the affected area at the moment...and as such I can not give a true level of destruction on ground. Based on the local news and telephone calls I made, there are about 35 people (who) lost their lives, dozens of people injured, and many were arrested."
In his second report, which was received today, Jan. 19, Gamache added: "This morning turns out to be something different as we wake up with 24 hours curfew from the government as a protection for the fight not to get worse or to go into different places.... Nothing is moving in Jos at all, the whole street is empty as it as been declared no movement in the city of Jos. People are complaining of water and food since they cannot come out to buy. Let us continue to pray for Jos and other places in the world."
The Associated Press reported that violence broke out between Christians and Muslims again this morning in Jos, and that the rioting that started on Sunday has burned homes and killed at least 27 people. The report added that security forces had brought the fighting to a halt later in the day today, and that the Plateau State government had called for additional military units.
The AP report describes the city as "situated in Nigeria's ‘middle belt,’ where dozens of ethnic groups mingle in a band of fertile and hotly contested land separating the Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south."
Source: 1/19/2010 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. Walt Wiltschek and Jay Wittmeyer 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. Walt Wiltschek and Jay Wittmeyer contributed to this report.
Friday, January 15, 2010
For those concerned to locate family and friends affected by the earthquake in Haiti, two helps are being recommended by the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), in which Brethren Disaster Ministries participates: The International Committee of the Red Cross has opened a family/friends unification website allowing both those in Haiti and those outside Haiti to list their contact information in hopes of being reunited with friends or family affected by the earthquake. Go to www.familylinks.icrc.org/WFL_HTI.NSF/DocIndex/locate_eng?opendocument. In addition, the US State Department has help line for family reunification, call the State Department Operations Center Helpline at 888-407-4747.
Brethren disaster and mission leaders to go to Haiti, first contacts are received from Haitian Brethren.
A group representing the Church of the Brethren has scheduled a flight to Haiti with Mission Flights International. The group will include Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church’s disaster rebuilding project in Haiti; and Klebert Exceus, consultant for the Haiti rebuilding program.
The group will travel to Haiti on Monday, Jan. 18, barring unforeseen circumstances.
"We will further assess the situation of the Brethren members and likely set up a base camp at the new church built in the mountains about 40 miles north of Port-au-Prince," reported Winter. He added that Brethren Disaster Ministries and the church’s Material Resources program also may work with Mission Flights International to get supplies to Haiti in the short-term, until containers can be transported.
A report has been received from one of the three Port-au-Prince congregations of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti). "Good news from Sister Marie in Croix des Bouquets," reports Boshart. "Her house is fine and so is the immediate neighborhood and the church members are well also."
The denominational staff is still waiting for confirmation of the wellbeing of the congregation’s pastor, Jean Bily, who also serves as general secretary of the Haitian Church of the Brethren.
In other news from Brethren in the Dominican Republic, the amount of $5,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund grants for Haiti relief efforts (see story below) has been delivered to Servicios Sociales de Las Iglesias Dominicanas (SSID) to assist in local relief efforts coming from the Dominican Republic. SSID also is a partner organization of Church World Service.
The money was delivered by Irvin Heishman, a Church of the Brethren mission coordinator in the Dominican Republic along with his wife, Nancy.
"Lorenzo Mota King, SSID executive director, expressed profound gratitude," reported Heishman, "and said the funds will help support the following goals for the first two weeks of response: continued support for a team of rescue workers in Port-au-Prince; mobilizing a network of Haitian partners and churches for distribution of humanitarian aid; establishing medical and food services in the border towns of Jimini and Ford Parisien, where many of the wounded are congregating--this includes putting in place a mobile kitchen for preparation of food and opening a temporary medical clinic in a school; finalizing arrangements with the Dominican customs department for the efficient movement of containers of relief supplies through the Dominican Republic to Haiti."
The Heishmans are working on other response activities with the Dominican Brethren, reporting that Brethren there want to do what they can to help out. An additional amount of $2,000 has been sent to the Dominican Church of the Brethren to support the effort. Heishman reported that the board of the DR church is meeting today and tomorrow.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
A group representing the Church of the Brethren has scheduled a flight to Haiti with Mission Flights International. The group will include Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Church of the Brethren mission in Haiti and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries; Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the church’s disaster rebuilding project in Haiti; and Klebert Exceus, consultant for the Haiti rebuilding program.
The group will travel to Haiti on Monday, Jan. 18, barring unforeseen circumstances.
"We will further assess the situation of the Brethren members and likely set up a base camp at the new church built in the mountains about 40 miles north of Port-au-Prince," reported Winter. He added that Brethren Disaster Ministries and the church’s Material Resources program also may work with Mission Flights International to get supplies to Haiti in the short-term, until containers can be transported.
A report has been received from one of the three Port-au-Prince congregations of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti). "Good news from Sister Marie in Croix des Bouquets," reports Boshart. "Her house is fine and so is the immediate neighborhood and the church members are well also."
The denominational staff is still waiting for confirmation of the wellbeing of the congregation’s pastor, Jean Bily, who also serves as general secretary of the Haitian Church of the Brethren.
In other news from Brethren in the Dominican Republic, the amount of $5,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund grants for Haiti relief efforts (see story below) has been delivered to Servicios Sociales de Las Iglesias Dominicanas (SSID) to assist in local relief efforts coming from the Dominican Republic. SSID also is a partner organization of Church World Service.
The money was delivered by Irvin Heishman, a Church of the Brethren mission coordinator in the Dominican Republic along with his wife, Nancy.
"Lorenzo Mota King, SSID executive director, expressed profound gratitude," reported Heishman, "and said the funds will help support the following goals for the first two weeks of response: continued support for a team of rescue workers in Port-au-Prince; mobilizing a network of Haitian partners and churches for distribution of humanitarian aid; establishing medical and food services in the border towns of Jimini and Ford Parisien, where many of the wounded are congregating--this includes putting in place a mobile kitchen for preparation of food and opening a temporary medical clinic in a school; finalizing arrangements with the Dominican customs department for the efficient movement of containers of relief supplies through the Dominican Republic to Haiti."
The Heishmans are working on other response activities with the Dominican Brethren, reporting that Brethren there want to do what they can to help out. An additional amount of $2,000 has been sent to the Dominican Church of the Brethren to support the effort. Heishman reported that the board of the DR church is meeting today and tomorrow.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
IMA World Health team and United Methodist staff are rescued.
IMA World Health reports that three of its staff--including president Rick Santos--who were missing in Haiti are safe and not seriously hurt after having been rescued from the rubble of the Montana Hotel. The hotel collapsed in the earthquake.
Also rescued from the same hotel were a United Methodist group including Sam Dixon, head of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief); Clinton Rabb, head of the United Methodist denomination’s Mission Volunteers; and James Gulley, an UMCOR consultant .
IMA World Health had requested prayer when it was unable to contact the three staff who had been visiting Haiti from its headquarters at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The three included Rick Santos, president of IMA World Health, along with Sarla Chand and Ann Varghese. IMA also had requested prayer for its five national staff in Haiti: Abdel Direny, Giannie Jean Baptiste, Execkiel Milar, Ambroise Sylvain, and Franck Monestime.
"I am happy to pass on the good news...that Rick, Sarla, Ann, and Sam Dixon (executive director of UMCOR--the United Methodist Committee on Relief--who also was missing since the earthquake) are safe and not seriously hurt," said an e-mail note this morning from Don Parker, chair of the board of IMA World Health.
"We have much to give God grateful thanksgiving for," his note continued. "Yet we still need to keep all our Haitian staff and many thousands of Haitian people, who continue to grieve and suffer, in our prayers."
A follow-up announcement from Gary Lavan, vice president of Human Resources for IMA, added, "This great news is tempered by our still needing to find out the status of our Port-au-Prince staff members. We have had some encouraging news but not on all staff as of yet, please keep all in your prayers."
IMA received word late yesterday evening that its country director for Haiti, Dr. Abdel Direny, is with staff from the University of Notre Dame who were in earlier meetings at the Montana Hotel on that Tuesday afternoon but had left the hotel before its collapse. However the organization is still trying to locate the following IMA staff: Dr. Franck Monestime and Mr. Execkiel Milar.
News about the rescue of the three IMA headquarters staff has appeared on Good Morning America, go to abcnews.go.com/GMA, see the video "Alive Under Haiti’s Rubble"; on MSNBC at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34880918/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/from/ET; and in the "Baltimore Sun," go to www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-ima-workers-rescued0115,0,644214.story.
The three are to be evacuated to the Dominican Republic today.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
IMA World Health reports that three of its staff--including president Rick Santos--who were missing in Haiti are safe and not seriously hurt after having been rescued from the rubble of the Montana Hotel. The hotel collapsed in the earthquake.
Also rescued from the same hotel were a United Methodist group including Sam Dixon, head of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief); Clinton Rabb, head of the United Methodist denomination’s Mission Volunteers; and James Gulley, an UMCOR consultant .
IMA World Health had requested prayer when it was unable to contact the three staff who had been visiting Haiti from its headquarters at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The three included Rick Santos, president of IMA World Health, along with Sarla Chand and Ann Varghese. IMA also had requested prayer for its five national staff in Haiti: Abdel Direny, Giannie Jean Baptiste, Execkiel Milar, Ambroise Sylvain, and Franck Monestime.
"I am happy to pass on the good news...that Rick, Sarla, Ann, and Sam Dixon (executive director of UMCOR--the United Methodist Committee on Relief--who also was missing since the earthquake) are safe and not seriously hurt," said an e-mail note this morning from Don Parker, chair of the board of IMA World Health.
"We have much to give God grateful thanksgiving for," his note continued. "Yet we still need to keep all our Haitian staff and many thousands of Haitian people, who continue to grieve and suffer, in our prayers."
A follow-up announcement from Gary Lavan, vice president of Human Resources for IMA, added, "This great news is tempered by our still needing to find out the status of our Port-au-Prince staff members. We have had some encouraging news but not on all staff as of yet, please keep all in your prayers."
IMA received word late yesterday evening that its country director for Haiti, Dr. Abdel Direny, is with staff from the University of Notre Dame who were in earlier meetings at the Montana Hotel on that Tuesday afternoon but had left the hotel before its collapse. However the organization is still trying to locate the following IMA staff: Dr. Franck Monestime and Mr. Execkiel Milar.
News about the rescue of the three IMA headquarters staff has appeared on Good Morning America, go to abcnews.go.com/GMA, see the video "Alive Under Haiti’s Rubble"; on MSNBC at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34880918/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/from/ET; and in the "Baltimore Sun," go to www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-ima-workers-rescued0115,0,644214.story.
The three are to be evacuated to the Dominican Republic today.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
Emergency Disaster Fund grants go to Haiti relief effort.
Two grants have been given from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for the Haiti earthquake relief effort. The grants total $50,000, and had been bolstered by the more than $16,500 that already has been given through the Haiti donations page at the denominational website as of yesterday evening.
An EDF grant of $25,000 has been given for Brethren Disaster Ministries and Church of the Brethren work in Haiti following the earthquake. The grant will provide for travel and support of assessment teams from the US working in Haiti; support for the Haitian Church of the Brethren members impacted in Port-au-Prince; initial response activities developed by the response team; and a grant to partner with SSID through the Dominican Church of the Brethren.
An EDF grant of $25,000 has been given to the Church World Service earthquake appeal. The money will support cooperative efforts with CWS, and will help in the provision of immediate relief assistance that may include material resources, temporary shelter, food assistance, and health services.
Church World Service released a situation report on the earthquake yesterday, saying that "the global humanitarian effort...faces enormous challenges, given difficult logistics, collapsed infrastructure, and rising tensions." The situation report cited statements from authorities that looting has been reported in parts of Port-au-Prince, and as of yesterday power remained out, food supplies were dwindling, telecommunications were rarely functioning, and most medical facilities in the city had been severely damaged. The report cited a tentative casualty estimate from the Haitian Red Cross of about 45,000 to 50,000.
Today a report from the ACT Alliance global network of churches and related agencies said Haiti's capital "looks like a war zone," and that one million people are without shelter. The ACT statement appeared in Ecumenical News International, the news service of the World Council of Churches. "Thousands of people in Port-au-Prince--injured, hungry, and desperate--have spent days outdoors...without food or shelter," ACT said. "Desperate Haitians have blocked streets with corpses in anger. Food is stocking up at the airport, but has not yet been distributed."
CWS has issued an appeal for $200,000 for its relief effort; the Church of the Brethren has given $25,000 toward that total from its Emergency Disaster Fund. CWS is sending funds to local partners in Haiti as it continues to assess the situation. CWS-supported efforts will include the construction of temporary water systems, providing water purification materials, tents, and food packages. Additional efforts will be announced once assessments are completed.
SSID, which also partners with CWS in the Dominican Republic, is sending pre-positioned CWS Kits and Blankets from its warehouse in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the DR.
Don Tatlock, CWS Latin America and Caribbean program manager, is coordinating the CWS efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Tatlock also has a relationship with the Church of the Brethren, having been at the center of food assistance projects that the church’s Global Food Crisis Fund has sponsored in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the DR.
CWS is pressing the US government to grant "Temporary Protected Status" to Haitians, allowing them to remain in the United States for at least 18 months as part of a comprehensive response to the current humanitarian crisis. CWS noted that Haiti’s current circumstances fall well within the criteria for granting the status, since it may be granted when requested by a foreign state that temporarily cannot handle the return of nationals due to an environmental disaster. The special status has been granted in similar situations to nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and to Salvadorans after an earthquake in 2001.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
Two grants have been given from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for the Haiti earthquake relief effort. The grants total $50,000, and had been bolstered by the more than $16,500 that already has been given through the Haiti donations page at the denominational website as of yesterday evening.
An EDF grant of $25,000 has been given for Brethren Disaster Ministries and Church of the Brethren work in Haiti following the earthquake. The grant will provide for travel and support of assessment teams from the US working in Haiti; support for the Haitian Church of the Brethren members impacted in Port-au-Prince; initial response activities developed by the response team; and a grant to partner with SSID through the Dominican Church of the Brethren.
An EDF grant of $25,000 has been given to the Church World Service earthquake appeal. The money will support cooperative efforts with CWS, and will help in the provision of immediate relief assistance that may include material resources, temporary shelter, food assistance, and health services.
Church World Service released a situation report on the earthquake yesterday, saying that "the global humanitarian effort...faces enormous challenges, given difficult logistics, collapsed infrastructure, and rising tensions." The situation report cited statements from authorities that looting has been reported in parts of Port-au-Prince, and as of yesterday power remained out, food supplies were dwindling, telecommunications were rarely functioning, and most medical facilities in the city had been severely damaged. The report cited a tentative casualty estimate from the Haitian Red Cross of about 45,000 to 50,000.
Today a report from the ACT Alliance global network of churches and related agencies said Haiti's capital "looks like a war zone," and that one million people are without shelter. The ACT statement appeared in Ecumenical News International, the news service of the World Council of Churches. "Thousands of people in Port-au-Prince--injured, hungry, and desperate--have spent days outdoors...without food or shelter," ACT said. "Desperate Haitians have blocked streets with corpses in anger. Food is stocking up at the airport, but has not yet been distributed."
CWS has issued an appeal for $200,000 for its relief effort; the Church of the Brethren has given $25,000 toward that total from its Emergency Disaster Fund. CWS is sending funds to local partners in Haiti as it continues to assess the situation. CWS-supported efforts will include the construction of temporary water systems, providing water purification materials, tents, and food packages. Additional efforts will be announced once assessments are completed.
SSID, which also partners with CWS in the Dominican Republic, is sending pre-positioned CWS Kits and Blankets from its warehouse in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the DR.
Don Tatlock, CWS Latin America and Caribbean program manager, is coordinating the CWS efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Tatlock also has a relationship with the Church of the Brethren, having been at the center of food assistance projects that the church’s Global Food Crisis Fund has sponsored in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the DR.
CWS is pressing the US government to grant "Temporary Protected Status" to Haitians, allowing them to remain in the United States for at least 18 months as part of a comprehensive response to the current humanitarian crisis. CWS noted that Haiti’s current circumstances fall well within the criteria for granting the status, since it may be granted when requested by a foreign state that temporarily cannot handle the return of nationals due to an environmental disaster. The special status has been granted in similar situations to nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and to Salvadorans after an earthquake in 2001.
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
Member of Lititz Church of the Brethren is still in Haiti with mission group.
A group of youth adults in Haiti on a mission trip with the Feed My Sheep Ministry includes Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren member Mark Risser. He is with a group of three other young men from the Lititz area, including Trevor Sell, Ty Getz, and Ben Wingard.
Betsy and Bill Longenecker, also of Lititz Church of the Brethren, and their son Billy helped coordinate the mission trip. The Longeneckers for 13 years have been taking annual mission trips to Haiti through Feed My Sheep. The family was in Haiti just last week as part of a Feed My Sheep mission group that also included several others from the Lititz congregation. Their group returned to the US on Saturday, Jan. 9, before the earthquake struck.
The group of young adults currently in Haiti are scheduled to return to the US next Wednesday, Jan. 20, through Port-au-Prince on Delta Airlines. Yesterday, while the Longeneckers were meeting with the parents of the group, Billy Longenecker "was finally able to directly connect with the Delta airlines to reschedule reserved seats for his friends," Betsy Longenecker said in a report today.
The group hopes that waiting until Wednesday will give time for humanitarian aid distribution to begin and for "the current airport chaos to settle down, and security forces to be better strategically placed throughout this devastated city. In addition, it was agreed that the displaced, who lived in Port-au-Prince, should be evacuated first," she said.
The group is safe and staying at the Feed My Sheep Ministry Base in Montrouis, a town of about 40,000 people in a "very poor" area 70 miles up the northern coastline of Haiti. "These young men are choosing to continue the tree planting/drip irrigation project that they had originally planned to do in addition to helping with local clean-up efforts," Longenecker’s report said. Other Americans at the Feed My Sheep Ministry Base include directors Bev and Richard Felmey and a young adult longterm volunteer Leah Bomberger.
Since Montrouis was spared major damage from the earthquake, life there is going forward somewhat normally, Longenecker said. "However...there is incredible sadness as people learn more about the extensive damage and loss of life just 70 miles away. In the midst of this sadness, many churches in Montrouis are having 24-hour prayer services."
She also expressed concern that the crisis in Port-au-Prince will make getting essential supplies for Montrouis an even larger task and more expensive. "We were also just informed that many people are coming up the coast from Port-au-Prince to be with their families or to just get away from the situation. The needs in Montrouis for basic supplies will be an issue as the week goes forward."
She asked for prayers "for Haitians and missions throughout the country. Thank you for praying for the safe return of Trevor, Mark, Ty, and Ben. Continue to pray too for Haiti, a country filled with wonderful people who are again experiencing tragedy."
Source: 1/15/2010 Newsline Special
A group of youth adults in Haiti on a mission trip with the Feed My Sheep Ministry includes Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren member Mark Risser. He is with a group of three other young men from the Lititz area, including Trevor Sell, Ty Getz, and Ben Wingard.
Betsy and Bill Longenecker, also of Lititz Church of the Brethren, and their son Billy helped coordinate the mission trip. The Longeneckers for 13 years have been taking annual mission trips to Haiti through Feed My Sheep. The family was in Haiti just last week as part of a Feed My Sheep mission group that also included several others from the Lititz congregation. Their group returned to the US on Saturday, Jan. 9, before the earthquake struck.
The group of young adults currently in Haiti are scheduled to return to the US next Wednesday, Jan. 20, through Port-au-Prince on Delta Airlines. Yesterday, while the Longeneckers were meeting with the parents of the group, Billy Longenecker "was finally able to directly connect with the Delta airlines to reschedule reserved seats for his friends," Betsy Longenecker said in a report today.
The group hopes that waiting until Wednesday will give time for humanitarian aid distribution to begin and for "the current airport chaos to settle down, and security forces to be better strategically placed throughout this devastated city. In addition, it was agreed that the displaced, who lived in Port-au-Prince, should be evacuated first," she said.
The group is safe and staying at the Feed My Sheep Ministry Base in Montrouis, a town of about 40,000 people in a "very poor" area 70 miles up the northern coastline of Haiti. "These young men are choosing to continue the tree planting/drip irrigation project that they had originally planned to do in addition to helping with local clean-up efforts," Longenecker’s report said. Other Americans at the Feed My Sheep Ministry Base include directors Bev and Richard Felmey and a young adult longterm volunteer Leah Bomberger.
Since Montrouis was spared major damage from the earthquake, life there is going forward somewhat normally, Longenecker said. "However...there is incredible sadness as people learn more about the extensive damage and loss of life just 70 miles away. In the midst of this sadness, many churches in Montrouis are having 24-hour prayer services."
She also expressed concern that the crisis in Port-au-Prince will make getting essential supplies for Montrouis an even larger task and more expensive. "We were also just informed that many people are coming up the coast from Port-au-Prince to be with their families or to just get away from the situation. The needs in Montrouis for basic supplies will be an issue as the week goes forward."
She asked for prayers "for Haitians and missions throughout the country. Thank you for praying for the safe return of Trevor, Mark, Ty, and Ben. Continue to pray too for Haiti, a country filled with wonderful people who are again experiencing tragedy."
Source: 1/15/2010 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. Jeff Boshart, Irvin Heishman, Carol A. Hulver, Howard Royer, Roy Winter 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. Jeff Boshart, Irvin Heishman, Carol A. Hulver, Howard Royer, Roy Winter contributed to this report.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
NEWS
- General secretary calls Brethren to a time of prayer for Haiti; Brethren Disaster Ministries prepares for relief efforts.
- BBT Board approves five new investment options, expands SRI guidelines.
General secretary calls Brethren to a time of prayer for Haiti; Brethren Disaster Ministries prepares for relief efforts.
"In the darkest times, we can turn toward the Creator God and admit our frailty as part of this creation," said Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger in a call for the entire denomination to enter into a time of prayer for Haiti.
"It is an interim step until the way is clear for us to individually take action. The call of the whole church to prayer is traditional Church of the Brethren, where together we discern what it is that God would have us do," he said.
Noffsinger emphasized that prayer for Haiti in the current disaster situation "has a new element for us.... We have members of our church family we have not heard from and we don’t know their wellbeing and safety. And so a part of us is at risk."
He called church members who are eager to personally take part in a relief effort to be patient and wait "until the right pathway to be involved emerges," emphasizing that the Church of the Brethren is committed to a longterm relief effort in Haiti. "We’ll be in Haiti for the long haul." Brethren Disaster Ministries executive director Roy Winter also stated that at this time volunteers are not yet needed.
Brethren Disaster Ministries plans relief effort
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff are continuing to monitor the situation in Haiti and consulting with ecumenical colleagues and groups including Church World Service (CWS).
In the initial phase of response, "we can be much more efficient working with CWS and other partners," Winter said. Brethren Disaster Ministries is to participate in the relief work of ecumenical organizations such as CWS and local partners such as SSID (Servicio Social de Iglesias Dominicanas), a church organization in the Dominican Republic.
"It may be quite awhile before rebuilding begins to respond to the earthquake," Winter reported in a conference call with several denominational staff yesterday morning. At this time volunteers are not yet needed. "We will wait until we have plans in place and until understandings about travel are much clearer. At some time (in the future) we expect to need volunteer groups working. That will come."
Plans for a longterm Church of the Brethren response to the earthquake in Haiti include support for Haitian Brethren and the most vulnerable in the Port-au-Prince area, Winter said. It also may include the involvement of Children’s Disaster Services in helping children affected by the earthquake learn resiliency and become comfortable with the new situation in Port-au-Prince, he added.
Brethren Disaster Ministries will continue its ongoing project in Haiti to finish rebuilding homes damaged by the hurricanes that hit the island in 2008, Winter announced. Jeff Boshart, who is coordinating the project, concurred, saying, "There are still people living in terrible conditions in Gonaives." That city suffered severe flooding in the storms of 2008.
An additional allocation of $60,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund for the current rebuilding project in Haiti was given today. The grant is expected to be the final allocation for the project, to support "phase three" of construction of homes in Gonaives. Previous grants to this project have totaled $445,000.
Updates from the situation in Haiti
Church of the Brethren staff and Brethren Disaster Ministries have received a number of updates from Brethren and others related to the church who have been affected by the situation in Haiti since an earthquake hit near the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
However, as of yesterday evening staff have been unable to contact leaders of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti), and have received reports that many Haitian members of Brethren congregations in New York and Florida have been unable to contact family in Haiti.
Brethren congregations in New York who have a number of members of Haitian background--including Haitian First Church of New York and Brooklyn First Church of the Brethren--have been in prayer for family members living in Haiti. "They’re kind of sitting on pins and needles right now," said Brooklyn First pastor Jonathan Bream, who called to check in with denominational staff this morning. "They just don’t know because of the lack of communication."
Verel Montauban in Brooklyn has yet to hear from family members in Haiti, he told Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the Brethren Disaster Ministries’ current rebuilding project in Haiti. But one of his church members, a deacon, has lost two family members as a house collapsed on them.
At least one licensed minister in Atlantic Southeast District has received word of the death of a close family member in the earthquake.
Brethren Disaster Ministries reports that the US State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 888-407-4747.
Mission groups in Haiti
There have been at least three mission groups from US Church of the Brethren congregations either in Haiti currently, or there earlier this week or planning to travel later this week. A group of young adults from Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren are in Haiti currently on a mission trip. The group has reported that they are okay.
In Shenandoah District, one church group returned from Haiti Tuesday morning before the earthquake happened, and one was planning to arrive in Haiti later this week, according to a prayer request from district executive Jim Miller and associate executive Joan Daggett.
Their e-mail reported that Doug Southers of Rileyville (Va.) Church of the Brethren is in Haiti but has called home by cell phone and is safe. He had traveled to Haiti last weekend to make preparations for a group from the Rileyville church that was to travel to Haiti later this week.
"We are glad for the safe return of Henry and Janet Elsea and volunteers from the Mount Pleasant Church (in Harrisonburg, Va.) who arrived home early Tuesday morning," the Shenandoah District leaders wrote.
They also wrote that at least one Brethren-related church building has been destroyed; this has yet to be confirmed by denominational staff.
Prayer requests from ecumenical partners
IMA World Health has requested prayer for three staff who work out of the organization’s headquarters at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.--Rick Santos, Sarla Chand, Ann Varghese--and IMA’s five local national staff in Haiti--Abdel Direny, Giannie Jean Baptiste, Execkiel Milar, Ambroise Sylvain, and Franck Monestime. As of yesterday evening all were unaccounted for in Port-au-Prince.
"Our staff were involved in partner meetings connected with our Neglected Tropical Disease Program and working from our offices in Port-au-Prince," said the prayer request from Carol Hulver, assistant to the president of IMA World Health. "IMA has been actively reaching out for additional information on our staff’s well-being and safety through various channels but have received no confirmation as yet. We would appreciate the prayers of our Church of the Brethren community for the safety of our staff members and for comfort, healing, and restoration for the city of Port-au-Prince and the entire nation of Haiti."
SERRV president and CEO Bob Chase has passed along word from Gisele Fleurant, a former member of the SERRV Board whose CAH artisan enterprise in Port-au-Prince has been a long-time producer for SERRV. SERRV is a nonprofit alternative trade and development organization originally begun by the Church of the Brethren with warehouses and a store at the Brethren Service Center.
Fleurant spoke last September at the 60th anniversary celebration of SERRV at the Brethren Service Center. A work group of Brethren visited her operation in Port-au-Prince in November.
She wrote from Haiti: "It is total chaos! CAH has only fence walls that are down! My house same thing with a lot of crackling which makes it impossible to live in unless major repairs! ...So far most of cell phones are working but with a lot of difficulties. I know only of two CAH employees that lost their houses completely and are with their families in public places.... In my neighborhood we had a lot of deaths, mostly children trapped when the houses were falling. Please pass the news to all as I do not know how long that Internet will work. I will try to keep in touch! Thanks for caring and keeping us in your prayers!"
UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) is expressing concern for Sam Dixon, its top executive, who has been in Haiti along with Clinton Rabb, head of the United Methodist denomination’s Mission Volunteers; and James Gulley, an UMCOR consultant."No one has been able to reach the three men since the earthquake occurred and communications with Haiti have been difficult," said the United Methodist release today.
In news from other denominations, the Roman Catholic Church has reported to CNN that Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, died in the earthquake.
How to contribute to the relief effort in Haiti
The Emergency Disaster Fund is now receiving donations toward earthquake relief work in Haiti. Find the online donation page at www.brethren.org/HaitiDonations.
A special web page "Prayers for Haiti" has been created for church members, congregations, and others concerned about the people of Haiti to express their prayers following the earthquake, go to www.brethren.org/HaitiPrayers.
An online updates page offers updates on the Haiti earthquake relief effort, find it at www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake.
Donations of relief supplies also are needed. Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting donations of Gift of the Heart Hygiene Kits and School Kits, which will be in large demand in the area affected by the earthquake. The kits should be sent to the Brethren Service Center, P.O. Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776. For instructions to make the kits, go to www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
"In the darkest times, we can turn toward the Creator God and admit our frailty as part of this creation," said Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger in a call for the entire denomination to enter into a time of prayer for Haiti.
"It is an interim step until the way is clear for us to individually take action. The call of the whole church to prayer is traditional Church of the Brethren, where together we discern what it is that God would have us do," he said.
Noffsinger emphasized that prayer for Haiti in the current disaster situation "has a new element for us.... We have members of our church family we have not heard from and we don’t know their wellbeing and safety. And so a part of us is at risk."
He called church members who are eager to personally take part in a relief effort to be patient and wait "until the right pathway to be involved emerges," emphasizing that the Church of the Brethren is committed to a longterm relief effort in Haiti. "We’ll be in Haiti for the long haul." Brethren Disaster Ministries executive director Roy Winter also stated that at this time volunteers are not yet needed.
Brethren Disaster Ministries plans relief effort
Brethren Disaster Ministries staff are continuing to monitor the situation in Haiti and consulting with ecumenical colleagues and groups including Church World Service (CWS).
In the initial phase of response, "we can be much more efficient working with CWS and other partners," Winter said. Brethren Disaster Ministries is to participate in the relief work of ecumenical organizations such as CWS and local partners such as SSID (Servicio Social de Iglesias Dominicanas), a church organization in the Dominican Republic.
"It may be quite awhile before rebuilding begins to respond to the earthquake," Winter reported in a conference call with several denominational staff yesterday morning. At this time volunteers are not yet needed. "We will wait until we have plans in place and until understandings about travel are much clearer. At some time (in the future) we expect to need volunteer groups working. That will come."
Plans for a longterm Church of the Brethren response to the earthquake in Haiti include support for Haitian Brethren and the most vulnerable in the Port-au-Prince area, Winter said. It also may include the involvement of Children’s Disaster Services in helping children affected by the earthquake learn resiliency and become comfortable with the new situation in Port-au-Prince, he added.
Brethren Disaster Ministries will continue its ongoing project in Haiti to finish rebuilding homes damaged by the hurricanes that hit the island in 2008, Winter announced. Jeff Boshart, who is coordinating the project, concurred, saying, "There are still people living in terrible conditions in Gonaives." That city suffered severe flooding in the storms of 2008.
An additional allocation of $60,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund for the current rebuilding project in Haiti was given today. The grant is expected to be the final allocation for the project, to support "phase three" of construction of homes in Gonaives. Previous grants to this project have totaled $445,000.
Updates from the situation in Haiti
Church of the Brethren staff and Brethren Disaster Ministries have received a number of updates from Brethren and others related to the church who have been affected by the situation in Haiti since an earthquake hit near the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
However, as of yesterday evening staff have been unable to contact leaders of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Church of the Brethren in Haiti), and have received reports that many Haitian members of Brethren congregations in New York and Florida have been unable to contact family in Haiti.
Brethren congregations in New York who have a number of members of Haitian background--including Haitian First Church of New York and Brooklyn First Church of the Brethren--have been in prayer for family members living in Haiti. "They’re kind of sitting on pins and needles right now," said Brooklyn First pastor Jonathan Bream, who called to check in with denominational staff this morning. "They just don’t know because of the lack of communication."
Verel Montauban in Brooklyn has yet to hear from family members in Haiti, he told Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the Brethren Disaster Ministries’ current rebuilding project in Haiti. But one of his church members, a deacon, has lost two family members as a house collapsed on them.
At least one licensed minister in Atlantic Southeast District has received word of the death of a close family member in the earthquake.
Brethren Disaster Ministries reports that the US State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 888-407-4747.
Mission groups in Haiti
There have been at least three mission groups from US Church of the Brethren congregations either in Haiti currently, or there earlier this week or planning to travel later this week. A group of young adults from Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren are in Haiti currently on a mission trip. The group has reported that they are okay.
In Shenandoah District, one church group returned from Haiti Tuesday morning before the earthquake happened, and one was planning to arrive in Haiti later this week, according to a prayer request from district executive Jim Miller and associate executive Joan Daggett.
Their e-mail reported that Doug Southers of Rileyville (Va.) Church of the Brethren is in Haiti but has called home by cell phone and is safe. He had traveled to Haiti last weekend to make preparations for a group from the Rileyville church that was to travel to Haiti later this week.
"We are glad for the safe return of Henry and Janet Elsea and volunteers from the Mount Pleasant Church (in Harrisonburg, Va.) who arrived home early Tuesday morning," the Shenandoah District leaders wrote.
They also wrote that at least one Brethren-related church building has been destroyed; this has yet to be confirmed by denominational staff.
Prayer requests from ecumenical partners
IMA World Health has requested prayer for three staff who work out of the organization’s headquarters at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.--Rick Santos, Sarla Chand, Ann Varghese--and IMA’s five local national staff in Haiti--Abdel Direny, Giannie Jean Baptiste, Execkiel Milar, Ambroise Sylvain, and Franck Monestime. As of yesterday evening all were unaccounted for in Port-au-Prince.
"Our staff were involved in partner meetings connected with our Neglected Tropical Disease Program and working from our offices in Port-au-Prince," said the prayer request from Carol Hulver, assistant to the president of IMA World Health. "IMA has been actively reaching out for additional information on our staff’s well-being and safety through various channels but have received no confirmation as yet. We would appreciate the prayers of our Church of the Brethren community for the safety of our staff members and for comfort, healing, and restoration for the city of Port-au-Prince and the entire nation of Haiti."
SERRV president and CEO Bob Chase has passed along word from Gisele Fleurant, a former member of the SERRV Board whose CAH artisan enterprise in Port-au-Prince has been a long-time producer for SERRV. SERRV is a nonprofit alternative trade and development organization originally begun by the Church of the Brethren with warehouses and a store at the Brethren Service Center.
Fleurant spoke last September at the 60th anniversary celebration of SERRV at the Brethren Service Center. A work group of Brethren visited her operation in Port-au-Prince in November.
She wrote from Haiti: "It is total chaos! CAH has only fence walls that are down! My house same thing with a lot of crackling which makes it impossible to live in unless major repairs! ...So far most of cell phones are working but with a lot of difficulties. I know only of two CAH employees that lost their houses completely and are with their families in public places.... In my neighborhood we had a lot of deaths, mostly children trapped when the houses were falling. Please pass the news to all as I do not know how long that Internet will work. I will try to keep in touch! Thanks for caring and keeping us in your prayers!"
UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) is expressing concern for Sam Dixon, its top executive, who has been in Haiti along with Clinton Rabb, head of the United Methodist denomination’s Mission Volunteers; and James Gulley, an UMCOR consultant."No one has been able to reach the three men since the earthquake occurred and communications with Haiti have been difficult," said the United Methodist release today.
In news from other denominations, the Roman Catholic Church has reported to CNN that Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, died in the earthquake.
How to contribute to the relief effort in Haiti
The Emergency Disaster Fund is now receiving donations toward earthquake relief work in Haiti. Find the online donation page at www.brethren.org/HaitiDonations.
A special web page "Prayers for Haiti" has been created for church members, congregations, and others concerned about the people of Haiti to express their prayers following the earthquake, go to www.brethren.org/HaitiPrayers.
An online updates page offers updates on the Haiti earthquake relief effort, find it at www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake.
Donations of relief supplies also are needed. Brethren Disaster Ministries is requesting donations of Gift of the Heart Hygiene Kits and School Kits, which will be in large demand in the area affected by the earthquake. The kits should be sent to the Brethren Service Center, P.O. Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776. For instructions to make the kits, go to www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kits_main.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
BBT Board approves five new investment options, expands SRI guidelines.
In order to provide its members and clients with a wider array of investment options, the Board of Directors of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) has approved the addition of five additional fund choices for both Brethren Pension Plan and Brethren Foundation.
At its annual fall meeting, held Nov. 19-21 in Greenville, Ohio, the board approved the addition of a Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, a High-Yield Bond Fund, an Emerging Markets Stock Fund, a Public Real Estate Fund, and a Commodities-Based Fund to the investment guidelines of both entities. In the next few months, staff will be working with investment consultants to determine which funds are appropriate to offer to members and clients at this time, and the implementation of these funds will be completed as quickly as possible in 2010.
The board also approved staff recommendation that the Brethren Pension Plan’s Common Stock Fund be unbundled, which means staff may now consider also offering one or more of the five investment components of the Common Stock Fund as individual investment options. These include Value, Growth, Core, Small-Cap, and International investments.
"Our members and clients have been asking for additional investment options, and we are committed to developing new investment choices that complement those already offered by Brethren Pension Plan and Brethren Foundation," said Nevin Dulabaum, BBT president. "We do believe that the increased selection will bring an increased demand for asset allocation assistance, and so we are working to develop such a service that we anticipate providing in some form."
The board also accepted a significant revision of its socially responsible investing guidelines, as prompted by statements of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. These include prohibitions against companies generating 10 percent or more of their income from firearms and weapons of mass destruction ("Violence and the Use of Firearms," 1978 Annual Conference, and "Children and Violence," 1999 Annual Conference); and abortion procedures or the manufacture or sale of products used primarily to complete abortion procedures ("Statement on Abortion," 1984 Annual Conference).
Additionally, restrictions now apply to both domestic and international companies with a history of child labor ("Statement on Child Exploitation," 1997 Annual Conference); slavery ("Resolution on Slavery in the 21st Century," 2008 Annual Conference); violations of human rights; and violations of environmental regulations.
Brethren Pension Plan and BFI’s SRI guidelines continue to restrict investments in companies that generate 10 percent or more of their income from the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; the production, sale, or distribution of pornography; the manufacture or operation of gambling devices; or through contracts with the US Department of Defense. Publicly traded companies holding the 25 largest Defense contracts are also excluded from BBT’s investment portfolios.
"The previous guidelines served us well, but we wanted to be certain that they are seated in the positions of the Church of the Brethren as defined by Annual Conference statements," said Steve Mason, director of Brethren Foundation and coordinator of socially responsible investing activities for BBT. "We discovered a few gaps in our SRI policies, and we have now filled them."
One of BBT’s strongest allies in its socially responsible investing program has been Boston Common Asset Management, one of BBT’s eight investment management firms. Geeta Aiyer, Boston Common’s president and chief investment officer of US Equities, and Matt Zalosh, CIO of International Equities, reported on the firm’s management of BBT and BFI’s US large-cap core equity and international equity funds over the last three years. Because it continues to meet BBT’s performance standards--staying in the top quartile among its peers and meeting or exceeding relevant benchmarks--the board voted to keep Boston Common as the manager of these funds.
In other business, the BBT board worked on improving insurance and pension services. As BBT’s Brethren Medical Plan becomes a stand-alone provider starting Jan. 1, 2010, the board recognized the need for an additional management position in that department and moved to create a manager of sales for health and welfare benefits position. Similarly, the board approved a BBT staff recommendation to create a manager of Pension Operations position, so that Brethren Pension Plan director Scott Douglas can spend more time meeting with members and addressing increased regulatory requirements. This latter move will return Pension Plan staffing to the level it had for most of this decade.
These positions are reflected in the approved 2010 BBT budget, which reflects total expenses of $3,730,195.
The Church Workers’ Assistance Plan was the subject of much discernment at the two-day meeting. The plan provides financial assistance to any active or retired Church of the Brethren pastor or church worker through grants; $147,567.59 was distributed through this program in 2009. Congregations that participate in the Pension Plan contribute one percent of their total employee compensation to the plan; an Annual Conference resolution mandates that congregations not in the Pension Plan contribute a similar amount.
The board approved a resolution declaring that 100 percent of Church Workers’ Assistance Plan grants and Pension Plan income can be considered housing allowance. This resolution includes a statement indicating that, because the Internal Revenue Service has not declared the eligibility of this grant as housing allowance, to do so could be treated as a violation of code; grant recipients are directed to consult with a tax adviser before designating a grant as housing allowance.
BBT staff members will further examine the Church Workers’ Assistance Plan, including issues related to eligibility, the intended use of the plan, and funding, with the Council of District Executives and the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee in 2010. Proposed changes to the plan are expected to be presented to the board at its July meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In an effort to increase communication between BBT and its constituents, the staff and board met with 40 local members at a luncheon at the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, Ohio, on Nov. 20.
-- Brian Solem is publications coordinator for Brethren Benefit Trust.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
In order to provide its members and clients with a wider array of investment options, the Board of Directors of Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) has approved the addition of five additional fund choices for both Brethren Pension Plan and Brethren Foundation.
At its annual fall meeting, held Nov. 19-21 in Greenville, Ohio, the board approved the addition of a Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, a High-Yield Bond Fund, an Emerging Markets Stock Fund, a Public Real Estate Fund, and a Commodities-Based Fund to the investment guidelines of both entities. In the next few months, staff will be working with investment consultants to determine which funds are appropriate to offer to members and clients at this time, and the implementation of these funds will be completed as quickly as possible in 2010.
The board also approved staff recommendation that the Brethren Pension Plan’s Common Stock Fund be unbundled, which means staff may now consider also offering one or more of the five investment components of the Common Stock Fund as individual investment options. These include Value, Growth, Core, Small-Cap, and International investments.
"Our members and clients have been asking for additional investment options, and we are committed to developing new investment choices that complement those already offered by Brethren Pension Plan and Brethren Foundation," said Nevin Dulabaum, BBT president. "We do believe that the increased selection will bring an increased demand for asset allocation assistance, and so we are working to develop such a service that we anticipate providing in some form."
The board also accepted a significant revision of its socially responsible investing guidelines, as prompted by statements of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. These include prohibitions against companies generating 10 percent or more of their income from firearms and weapons of mass destruction ("Violence and the Use of Firearms," 1978 Annual Conference, and "Children and Violence," 1999 Annual Conference); and abortion procedures or the manufacture or sale of products used primarily to complete abortion procedures ("Statement on Abortion," 1984 Annual Conference).
Additionally, restrictions now apply to both domestic and international companies with a history of child labor ("Statement on Child Exploitation," 1997 Annual Conference); slavery ("Resolution on Slavery in the 21st Century," 2008 Annual Conference); violations of human rights; and violations of environmental regulations.
Brethren Pension Plan and BFI’s SRI guidelines continue to restrict investments in companies that generate 10 percent or more of their income from the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; the production, sale, or distribution of pornography; the manufacture or operation of gambling devices; or through contracts with the US Department of Defense. Publicly traded companies holding the 25 largest Defense contracts are also excluded from BBT’s investment portfolios.
"The previous guidelines served us well, but we wanted to be certain that they are seated in the positions of the Church of the Brethren as defined by Annual Conference statements," said Steve Mason, director of Brethren Foundation and coordinator of socially responsible investing activities for BBT. "We discovered a few gaps in our SRI policies, and we have now filled them."
One of BBT’s strongest allies in its socially responsible investing program has been Boston Common Asset Management, one of BBT’s eight investment management firms. Geeta Aiyer, Boston Common’s president and chief investment officer of US Equities, and Matt Zalosh, CIO of International Equities, reported on the firm’s management of BBT and BFI’s US large-cap core equity and international equity funds over the last three years. Because it continues to meet BBT’s performance standards--staying in the top quartile among its peers and meeting or exceeding relevant benchmarks--the board voted to keep Boston Common as the manager of these funds.
In other business, the BBT board worked on improving insurance and pension services. As BBT’s Brethren Medical Plan becomes a stand-alone provider starting Jan. 1, 2010, the board recognized the need for an additional management position in that department and moved to create a manager of sales for health and welfare benefits position. Similarly, the board approved a BBT staff recommendation to create a manager of Pension Operations position, so that Brethren Pension Plan director Scott Douglas can spend more time meeting with members and addressing increased regulatory requirements. This latter move will return Pension Plan staffing to the level it had for most of this decade.
These positions are reflected in the approved 2010 BBT budget, which reflects total expenses of $3,730,195.
The Church Workers’ Assistance Plan was the subject of much discernment at the two-day meeting. The plan provides financial assistance to any active or retired Church of the Brethren pastor or church worker through grants; $147,567.59 was distributed through this program in 2009. Congregations that participate in the Pension Plan contribute one percent of their total employee compensation to the plan; an Annual Conference resolution mandates that congregations not in the Pension Plan contribute a similar amount.
The board approved a resolution declaring that 100 percent of Church Workers’ Assistance Plan grants and Pension Plan income can be considered housing allowance. This resolution includes a statement indicating that, because the Internal Revenue Service has not declared the eligibility of this grant as housing allowance, to do so could be treated as a violation of code; grant recipients are directed to consult with a tax adviser before designating a grant as housing allowance.
BBT staff members will further examine the Church Workers’ Assistance Plan, including issues related to eligibility, the intended use of the plan, and funding, with the Council of District Executives and the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee in 2010. Proposed changes to the plan are expected to be presented to the board at its July meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In an effort to increase communication between BBT and its constituents, the staff and board met with 40 local members at a luncheon at the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, Ohio, on Nov. 20.
-- Brian Solem is publications coordinator for Brethren Benefit Trust.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Bridgewater College names new president.
The Board of Trustees of Bridgewater (Va.) College announced in a special on-campus meeting earlier this week that it has unanimously selected George Cornelius as the 8th president of the college. The announcement was distributed as a press release from the college.
Described as "a seasoned leader in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors," Cornelius will assume the presidency of Bridgewater College on July 1. He currently is secretary of Community and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he oversees a department of approximately 350 employees and 90 state and federal programs and works closely with many of Pennsylvania’s universities, colleges, and communities.
A native and lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Cornelius has been a member of Church of the Brethren congregations at Knobsville, Mechanicsburg, and Ridgeway in Pennsylvania, and Wilmington (Del.) Church of the Brethren. For some years he was a licensed minister in Southern Pennsylvania District and Atlantic Northeast District.
"Our national search has led us to an individual of extraordinary experience, achievement, and commitment to excellence," said G. Steven Agee, Bridgewater trustee and chair of the search committee. "We are confident that the vision, enthusiasm, and leadership George Cornelius brings to the presidency will foster the values and mission of the college and continue to build a bright future."
"Bridgewater College is very fortunate to attract a person of George Cornelius’s experience and ability as its eighth president," said President Phillip C. Stone in the press release. "I am certain that George will provide great leadership to the College in the years ahead."
Cornelius is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Penn State Dickinson School of Law. In previous positions he has been president and CEO of Arkema Inc., a chemical company based in Philadelphia with operations throughout the Americas; and has been vice president and general counsel of Atofina (predecessor to Arkema Inc.). Earlier he was a partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott, a national law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh. His civic and community service has included leadership fundraising roles with United Way, Penn State, and various church-related teaching and leadership roles.
"The Bridgewater opportunity was attractive because it combines my passion for education and my interest and abilities in organizational leadership and development. The Church of the Brethren has played a major role in my life, so the fact that the college is grounded in the tradition and values of the church makes the opportunity even more special," commented Cornelius in the release from the college.
(This report is taken from a Bridgewater College press release by Mary K. Heatwole. Photos are available at www.bridgewater.edu/files/bc_galleries.php?g=16.)
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
The Board of Trustees of Bridgewater (Va.) College announced in a special on-campus meeting earlier this week that it has unanimously selected George Cornelius as the 8th president of the college. The announcement was distributed as a press release from the college.Described as "a seasoned leader in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors," Cornelius will assume the presidency of Bridgewater College on July 1. He currently is secretary of Community and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he oversees a department of approximately 350 employees and 90 state and federal programs and works closely with many of Pennsylvania’s universities, colleges, and communities.
A native and lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Cornelius has been a member of Church of the Brethren congregations at Knobsville, Mechanicsburg, and Ridgeway in Pennsylvania, and Wilmington (Del.) Church of the Brethren. For some years he was a licensed minister in Southern Pennsylvania District and Atlantic Northeast District.
"Our national search has led us to an individual of extraordinary experience, achievement, and commitment to excellence," said G. Steven Agee, Bridgewater trustee and chair of the search committee. "We are confident that the vision, enthusiasm, and leadership George Cornelius brings to the presidency will foster the values and mission of the college and continue to build a bright future."
"Bridgewater College is very fortunate to attract a person of George Cornelius’s experience and ability as its eighth president," said President Phillip C. Stone in the press release. "I am certain that George will provide great leadership to the College in the years ahead."
Cornelius is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Penn State Dickinson School of Law. In previous positions he has been president and CEO of Arkema Inc., a chemical company based in Philadelphia with operations throughout the Americas; and has been vice president and general counsel of Atofina (predecessor to Arkema Inc.). Earlier he was a partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott, a national law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh. His civic and community service has included leadership fundraising roles with United Way, Penn State, and various church-related teaching and leadership roles.
"The Bridgewater opportunity was attractive because it combines my passion for education and my interest and abilities in organizational leadership and development. The Church of the Brethren has played a major role in my life, so the fact that the college is grounded in the tradition and values of the church makes the opportunity even more special," commented Cornelius in the release from the college.
(This report is taken from a Bridgewater College press release by Mary K. Heatwole. Photos are available at www.bridgewater.edu/files/bc_galleries.php?g=16.)
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service 287th orientation unit is announced.
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) has announced the start of the 2010 Winter Orientation, to be held Jan. 24-Feb. 12 at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla. This will be the 287th orientation unit for BVS and will consist of 15 volunteers from across the US and Germany. Several Church of the Brethren members will attend, and the remaining volunteers come from varied faith backgrounds.
A highlight of the three weeks will be a weekend trip to southern Florida. During orientation, the group will have the opportunity to work at area food banks, a rehabilitation facility, and other various non-profits.
A BVS potluck is open to all those who are alumni, friends, and supporters of BVS on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. at Camp Ithiel. "Please feel free to come and welcome the new BVS volunteers and share your own experiences," said an invitation from the BVS Office. "As always your thoughts and prayers are welcome and needed. Please remember this new unit and the people they will touch during their year of service through BVS." For more information contact the BVS Office at 800-323-8039 ext. 423.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) has announced the start of the 2010 Winter Orientation, to be held Jan. 24-Feb. 12 at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla. This will be the 287th orientation unit for BVS and will consist of 15 volunteers from across the US and Germany. Several Church of the Brethren members will attend, and the remaining volunteers come from varied faith backgrounds.
A highlight of the three weeks will be a weekend trip to southern Florida. During orientation, the group will have the opportunity to work at area food banks, a rehabilitation facility, and other various non-profits.
A BVS potluck is open to all those who are alumni, friends, and supporters of BVS on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. at Camp Ithiel. "Please feel free to come and welcome the new BVS volunteers and share your own experiences," said an invitation from the BVS Office. "As always your thoughts and prayers are welcome and needed. Please remember this new unit and the people they will touch during their year of service through BVS." For more information contact the BVS Office at 800-323-8039 ext. 423.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
New online seminars announced by Congregational Life Ministries.
Two new "webinars" have been announced by the Transforming Practices office of the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries: an online seminar on Feb. 2 and 4 led by Chip Arn, president of the Church Growth Institute; and an online seminar on Feb. 16 and 18 led by Celia Cook-Huffman, professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., where she also is associate director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and director of Baker Mediation Services.
The webinars are a collaborative resource offered by Congregational Life Ministries, Bethany Theological Seminary, and the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. No pre-registration is required and there is no fee for participating. Participants are requested to connect 10 minutes before the start of each webcast. Link to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcast/transformation2010.
Arn will lead a webinar titled, "Building Bridges: Connecting with New People" as Part Two of an "Effective Evangelism" series of workshops that began last year. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 12:30-1:30 p.m. Pacific standard time (or 3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern); and Thursday, Feb. 4, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern). A continuing education credit of .1 is offered for those who attend the one-hour session either Tuesday or Thursday.
Cook-Huffman will lead a webinar titled, "Developing Conflict Healthy Congregations, Part 1: Understanding Patterns of Congregational Conflict." The seminar will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 12:30-1:30 p.m. Pacific time (3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern), and on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern). A continuing education credit of .1 is offered for those who attend the one-hour session either Tuesday or Thursday.
Go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcast/transformation2010 to participate in webcasts. For more information contact Stan Dueck, director for Transforming Practices, at 717-335-3226 or sdueck@brethren.org.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Two new "webinars" have been announced by the Transforming Practices office of the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries: an online seminar on Feb. 2 and 4 led by Chip Arn, president of the Church Growth Institute; and an online seminar on Feb. 16 and 18 led by Celia Cook-Huffman, professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., where she also is associate director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and director of Baker Mediation Services.
The webinars are a collaborative resource offered by Congregational Life Ministries, Bethany Theological Seminary, and the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. No pre-registration is required and there is no fee for participating. Participants are requested to connect 10 minutes before the start of each webcast. Link to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcast/transformation2010.
Arn will lead a webinar titled, "Building Bridges: Connecting with New People" as Part Two of an "Effective Evangelism" series of workshops that began last year. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 12:30-1:30 p.m. Pacific standard time (or 3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern); and Thursday, Feb. 4, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern). A continuing education credit of .1 is offered for those who attend the one-hour session either Tuesday or Thursday.
Cook-Huffman will lead a webinar titled, "Developing Conflict Healthy Congregations, Part 1: Understanding Patterns of Congregational Conflict." The seminar will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 12:30-1:30 p.m. Pacific time (3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern), and on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern). A continuing education credit of .1 is offered for those who attend the one-hour session either Tuesday or Thursday.
Go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcast/transformation2010 to participate in webcasts. For more information contact Stan Dueck, director for Transforming Practices, at 717-335-3226 or sdueck@brethren.org.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
An interview with Nigerian church leader Toma H. Ragnjiya.
Toma H. Ragnjiya is a leader in Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) serving in a dual position as principal of Kulp Bible College (KBC) and director of the EYN Peace Program. In the following interview by mission workers Nathan and Jennifer Hosler, he talks about the EYN Peace Program and the sectarian and inter-religious violence that has broken out repeatedly in areas of northeastern and central Nigeria:
Q: What are your hopes for the peace and reconciliation curriculum at Kulp Bible College?
A: My hope and my vision are to have students know the basics of peace when they graduate and go to their communities. Throughout Nigeria, it is obvious that Muslims and Christians live side-by-side. We want students to have the basic concept of peace so that they can participate in the community as peacemakers at their own level.
I was so glad to have Nathan and Jennifer to be the supporting staff here at KBC. Being young and new, you are well-received by students. [Peace and Reconciliation] is a new thing that we do not have in our curriculum and so we want to develop it. This way, it will be a continuous thing that can be shared with other Bible schools and other church schools. Gradually it will expand further; we have to start at the base which is the center of leadership training for EYN. If [students] have it, then soon the whole church will have it gradually.
Q: What do you see the role of the EYN Peace Program is in equipping the church as a whole?
A: You see, EYN does not have the real basis as a peace church because when the missionaries came they [taught peace] but not directly as we have now. They had a lot of problems, conflicts in the communities, so their main emphasis was preaching the gospel. It was really a holistic approach because [the missionaries brought] not just the gospel but they also brought education, medical care, and a new method of agriculture. These things touched lives. While there was no specific subject of peace as we are doing now, we are building on [their] foundation.
When we started [the EYN Peace Program], we had the District Church Council, chairmen, and secretaries attend Peace Seminars because they are the ones closer to the grassroots. They have gone through the basic concept of peace, introducing to them or reminding them that our church was founded on peace. It is one of the pillars of the church’s teaching. We have tried that with the aim that gradually the members will all come to appreciate peacemaking and be peacemakers at their own level in the society.
Q: I know the US church is interested in what has happened since [the violence in] Maiduguri and Jos. Can you tell me about what you’ve seen in those communities since you’ve done some research in the aftermath?
A: You know the Middle Belt, the Plateau, has been the center of Christianity [in Nigeria]. Also, those who have been opposing Christianity have had their eyes on Jos [in Plateau State]. There have been crises between Muslims and Christians, not necessarily based on religion as such but a question of indigene-ship, a question of economy, who controls what. It happens that [the ethnic indigenes of the Jos plateau] are not Muslims, they are Christians. And then the Hausas--as a people, as a tribe, as an ethnic group--happen to be Muslims. So religion had to come in [to the conflict]. It is not that there is no freedom of worship. Nobody stops you from preaching Christ. Nobody stops you from preaching Islam.
I and my colleagues have gone around and seen the destruction that happened especially on Nov. 28, 2008. It was a really terrible thing that happened when Christians and Muslims clashed and destroyed lives and properties. What I suggest is the government and the community leaders--both Muslims and Christians--have to come together to address this issue of indigene-ship because when the Muslims say they want to control [the government], it is going to be impossible.
Q: Ethnic Hausas, Muslims by religion, have lived in the central Nigerian city of Jos for generations but are not permitted to take part in government.
A: The government should give [the Hausas] their own share [in governing] because they have been there for a long time. It is a sin like it was in South Africa, really. The Hausas settled there a long time ago but [there were existing residents], indigenes there. It is a question of politics really, rather than religion.
Many have been traumatized. I have interviewed, personally, pastors and their spouses and you see how terrifying it was. There is a need for trauma healing workshops, seminars, especially in the northeastern zone around the Maiduguri area, even [with] Muslims and Christians--because trauma is all around. It’s not just one side. The effect, it’s terrible.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Toma H. Ragnjiya is a leader in Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) serving in a dual position as principal of Kulp Bible College (KBC) and director of the EYN Peace Program. In the following interview by mission workers Nathan and Jennifer Hosler, he talks about the EYN Peace Program and the sectarian and inter-religious violence that has broken out repeatedly in areas of northeastern and central Nigeria:
Q: What are your hopes for the peace and reconciliation curriculum at Kulp Bible College?
A: My hope and my vision are to have students know the basics of peace when they graduate and go to their communities. Throughout Nigeria, it is obvious that Muslims and Christians live side-by-side. We want students to have the basic concept of peace so that they can participate in the community as peacemakers at their own level.
I was so glad to have Nathan and Jennifer to be the supporting staff here at KBC. Being young and new, you are well-received by students. [Peace and Reconciliation] is a new thing that we do not have in our curriculum and so we want to develop it. This way, it will be a continuous thing that can be shared with other Bible schools and other church schools. Gradually it will expand further; we have to start at the base which is the center of leadership training for EYN. If [students] have it, then soon the whole church will have it gradually.
Q: What do you see the role of the EYN Peace Program is in equipping the church as a whole?
A: You see, EYN does not have the real basis as a peace church because when the missionaries came they [taught peace] but not directly as we have now. They had a lot of problems, conflicts in the communities, so their main emphasis was preaching the gospel. It was really a holistic approach because [the missionaries brought] not just the gospel but they also brought education, medical care, and a new method of agriculture. These things touched lives. While there was no specific subject of peace as we are doing now, we are building on [their] foundation.
When we started [the EYN Peace Program], we had the District Church Council, chairmen, and secretaries attend Peace Seminars because they are the ones closer to the grassroots. They have gone through the basic concept of peace, introducing to them or reminding them that our church was founded on peace. It is one of the pillars of the church’s teaching. We have tried that with the aim that gradually the members will all come to appreciate peacemaking and be peacemakers at their own level in the society.
Q: I know the US church is interested in what has happened since [the violence in] Maiduguri and Jos. Can you tell me about what you’ve seen in those communities since you’ve done some research in the aftermath?
A: You know the Middle Belt, the Plateau, has been the center of Christianity [in Nigeria]. Also, those who have been opposing Christianity have had their eyes on Jos [in Plateau State]. There have been crises between Muslims and Christians, not necessarily based on religion as such but a question of indigene-ship, a question of economy, who controls what. It happens that [the ethnic indigenes of the Jos plateau] are not Muslims, they are Christians. And then the Hausas--as a people, as a tribe, as an ethnic group--happen to be Muslims. So religion had to come in [to the conflict]. It is not that there is no freedom of worship. Nobody stops you from preaching Christ. Nobody stops you from preaching Islam.
I and my colleagues have gone around and seen the destruction that happened especially on Nov. 28, 2008. It was a really terrible thing that happened when Christians and Muslims clashed and destroyed lives and properties. What I suggest is the government and the community leaders--both Muslims and Christians--have to come together to address this issue of indigene-ship because when the Muslims say they want to control [the government], it is going to be impossible.
Q: Ethnic Hausas, Muslims by religion, have lived in the central Nigerian city of Jos for generations but are not permitted to take part in government.
A: The government should give [the Hausas] their own share [in governing] because they have been there for a long time. It is a sin like it was in South Africa, really. The Hausas settled there a long time ago but [there were existing residents], indigenes there. It is a question of politics really, rather than religion.
Many have been traumatized. I have interviewed, personally, pastors and their spouses and you see how terrifying it was. There is a need for trauma healing workshops, seminars, especially in the northeastern zone around the Maiduguri area, even [with] Muslims and Christians--because trauma is all around. It’s not just one side. The effect, it’s terrible.
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
A reflection on peace and the Gospel.
Does focusing on peace undermine preaching about the work of God through Jesus? Does preaching Jesus without discussing peace truly articulate the full meaning of the Gospel? For members of a Historic Peace Church and ones employed as "Teachers and Workers of Peace and Reconciliation," these are important questions that we have had to consider in our spiritual life and our vocation. These are also issues that we have heard brothers and sisters struggle with in a variety of churches and theological backgrounds in the United States.
Jesus came to bring peace between humanity and God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are reconciled to our Creator. This established peace also enables us--by the Holy Spirit--to establish peace within humanity. Enmity in the human family has existed since the first few chapters of the Bible, but the many following pages illustrate that Yahweh’s final goal is that of shalom (peace), of harmony and reconciliation.
Through Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, but one body. Wealth disparities, racial and gender inequalities--these are all to be made void and null within the body of Christ.
The Kingdom of God is one of righteousness, justice, and wellbeing for all humanity. We believe that Jesus has called us to demonstrate what his Kingdom looks like ("Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven") by working for justice for all people, by working for peace and reconciliation between warring communities and ethnic groups.
Working for peace is essentially living out one’s love for God and neighbor. Working for peace is seeing that violent conflict has underlying roots of injustice and hatred. It is attempting to address root problems. Working for peace is understanding that traumatic events wound communities. It is attempting to bring healing and forgiveness, a slow and arduous process that requires much grace.
Peace--articulated through the biblical definitions of wholeness, wellbeing, righteousness, and justice--is not contrary to the Gospel. Rather, it is the fruit of receiving reconciliation with God.
-- Nathan and Jennifer Hosler are Church of the Brethren mission workers serving with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Does focusing on peace undermine preaching about the work of God through Jesus? Does preaching Jesus without discussing peace truly articulate the full meaning of the Gospel? For members of a Historic Peace Church and ones employed as "Teachers and Workers of Peace and Reconciliation," these are important questions that we have had to consider in our spiritual life and our vocation. These are also issues that we have heard brothers and sisters struggle with in a variety of churches and theological backgrounds in the United States.
Jesus came to bring peace between humanity and God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are reconciled to our Creator. This established peace also enables us--by the Holy Spirit--to establish peace within humanity. Enmity in the human family has existed since the first few chapters of the Bible, but the many following pages illustrate that Yahweh’s final goal is that of shalom (peace), of harmony and reconciliation.
Through Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, but one body. Wealth disparities, racial and gender inequalities--these are all to be made void and null within the body of Christ.
The Kingdom of God is one of righteousness, justice, and wellbeing for all humanity. We believe that Jesus has called us to demonstrate what his Kingdom looks like ("Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven") by working for justice for all people, by working for peace and reconciliation between warring communities and ethnic groups.
Working for peace is essentially living out one’s love for God and neighbor. Working for peace is seeing that violent conflict has underlying roots of injustice and hatred. It is attempting to address root problems. Working for peace is understanding that traumatic events wound communities. It is attempting to bring healing and forgiveness, a slow and arduous process that requires much grace.
Peace--articulated through the biblical definitions of wholeness, wellbeing, righteousness, and justice--is not contrary to the Gospel. Rather, it is the fruit of receiving reconciliation with God.
-- Nathan and Jennifer Hosler are Church of the Brethren mission workers serving with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).
Source: 1/14/2010 Newsline
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)