Harvey is chosen as moderator-elect, and more elections and appointments.

Tim Harvey, pastor of Roanoke (Va.) Central Church of the Brethren, was elected Annual Conference moderator-elect. The Nominating Committee of the Standing Committee of district delegates developed the slate of candidates, and Standing Committee voted to create the ballot that was presented to the 2010 delegate body.

As moderator-elect of Annual Conference, Harvey will serve for the next year in the second-highest elected position in the Church of the Brethren, assisting 2011 moderator Robert Alley to lead the Conference next year. In 2010 Harvey will serve in the highest elected position in the church as moderator of the 2012 Annual Conference.

Having grown up in Broadway, Va., his home congregation is Bethel Church of the Brethren in Broadway. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Virginia Tech and a master of divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He is an ordained minister and his pastoral career also has included service as youth minister/associate pastor at Dayton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, and as pastor at New Hope Church of the Brethren in Stuart, Va.

He was a member of the Church of the Brethren General Board 2003-08, and chair of the board from 2007-08. He currently is chair of Congregations in Action, an interfaith group of nine Roanoke congregations partnering in a local, public elementary school. He and his wife Lynette have three children, Emily, Zachary, and Rose.

Other election results:

Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee:

Eric Bishop of Pomona, Calif.

Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee:

Mark Doramus of Middleton, Idaho.

Committee on Interchurch Relations:

Christina Singh of Panora, Iowa.

Mission and Ministry Board:

Area 1 -- Pamela Reist of Mount Joy, Pa.; Area 4 -- Tim Peter of Prairie City, Iowa; Area 5 -- Gilbert Romero of Los Angeles, Calif.

Bethany Theological Seminary Trustee:

representing the clergy -- John David Bowman of Lititz, Pa.; representing the laity -- Lynn Myers of Rocky Mount, Va.

Brethren Benefit Trust Board:

Wayne T. Scott of Harrisburg, Pa.

On Earth Peace Board:

Gail Erisman Valeta of Denver, Colo.

Confirmations of agency ppointments and nominations:

Mission and Ministry Board:

Rebecca Ball-Miller of Goshen, Ind., and Brian Messler of Emmitsburg, Md.

On Earth Peace Board:

Carol Mason of Centralia, Wash., and Donna Shumate of Sparta, N.C.

Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees:

Elaine Gibble of Lititz, Pa., and Paul Wampler of Manassas, Va.

Brethren Benefit Trust Board:

Eunice Culp of Goshen, Ind.; Karen Orpurt Crim of Dayton, Ohio; and Michael B. Leiter of Frederick, Md.

Elections and appointments made by Standing Committee:

World Council of Churches representative:

Michael L. Hostetter, pastor of Salem Church of the Brethren in Englewood, Ohio, with R. Jan Thompson of Bridgewater, Va., as alternate.

Nominating Committee of Standing Committee:

Leah Hileman from Atlantic Southeast District, Ed Garrison from Illinois and Wisconsin District, Cathy S. Huffman from Virlina District, and Steve Sauder from West Marva District.

Appeals Committee of Standing Committee:

Jeff Carter from Mid-Atlantic District, Eileen Wilson from Oregon and Washington District, Jim Hoffman from Southeastern District, with alternates Frank Polzin of Michigan District and Shirley Wampler of Virlina District.

Annual Conference Program Feasibility Study Committee:

David Crumrine of Middle Pennsylvania District.

Elections and appointments by the Mission and Ministry Board:

Executive Committee of the Mission and Ministry Board:

Andy Hamilton and Barbra Davis (Dale Minnich continues as chair, and Ben Barlow continues as chair-elect).

Program Feasibility Study Committee:

LeAnn Wine, executive director of Systems and Services.

Mission and Ministry Planning Council:

Terry Lewis.

Source: 7/7/2010 Newsline

Resolution on gun violence, 2011 budget adopted by denominational board.

A "Resolution on Ending Gun Violence" and a budget parameter for 2011 topped the agenda at the pre-Conference meeting of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board. The group was led by chair Dale Minnich.

Other business included financial reports, and approval of financial policies that have been revised to bring church nomenclature up to date and allow for technological developments like donations via electronic transfer. The board also nominated trustees to a trust in India and approved a large grant to continue disaster response in Haiti.

Reports were received on the board’s strategic planning process, the work of the denominational Vision Committee, progress toward a major revision of the Ministerial Leadership Paper, and from general secretary Stan Noffsinger on his visit to the White House earlier in the week.

Resolution on Ending Gun Violence:

The board adopted a Resolution on Ending Gun Violence that endorses a similar resolution by the National Council of Churches (NCC). The board’s resolution echoes the NCC document in encouraging church members to engage in action on the issue.

A recent Supreme Court decision on gun rights "really should not discourage us from this resolution," said Noffsinger as he presented the document. "If we do anything we ought to approach this with more vigor and determination to add our voice against handgun violence."

Invited to speak was Mimi Copp, a Church of the Brethren member living in Philadelphia, who has been part of the Heeding God’s Call movement for responsible gun sales and against the "straw sales" that provide guns to criminals.

Reviewing shocking statistics on deaths by gun violence in the United States--such as that since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, 25 times the number of Americans have been killed by gun violence in the US than have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan--she outlined the urgency for church action. "I am inspired by your willingness to look at this very touchy issue and pray for you in your deliberations," she told the board.

After some questions from board members, Noffsinger clarified that the resolution is not addressing guns used for hunting, and that the NCC resolution (which is attached to the board resolution) makes a clear distinction about the type of gun that is the focus. He also noted that the Church of the Brethren does not yet have an Annual Conference statement solely addressing gun violence, and commented that he views this resolution as "an intermediate step" until such a document may be created.

Budget parameter for 2011:

The board approved a 2011 budget parameter of $5,426,000 for the Church of the Brethren’s core ministries. The decision includes permission for up to $437,000 to be drawn from a bequest quasi endowment to cover an expected shortfall in income from other sources.

The shortfall reflects the continuing effect of the recession on the church’s investment income, as well as an expected 20 percent increase in the bill for employee health insurance, and a decrease in giving from individuals to core ministries. Wages will be frozen for a second year in a row.

However, report forms from congregations show that the churches who expect to contribute to the work of the denomination are committed to increase their giving by 4.5 percent for next year. "We are indeed blessed," commented Ken Neher, director of Stewardship and Donor Development.

"Our goal is to get to the point where our income matches our expense," said treasurer Judy Keyser, who characterized the funds from the bequest quasi endowment as a "short-term plug" and emphasized that it is not a solution to longterm issues affecting the church’s finances.

Noffsinger explained that with the board having just started a strategic planning--or "appreciative inquiry"--process, executive staff did not want to make decisions such as reconfiguring staff or programs before the board has an opportunity to consider long term goals.

"Everything I hear is directed at systemic organizational change," vice chair Ben Barlow responded, adding that he hopes the denomination understands the seriousness of the situation.

EDF grant to Haiti disaster response:

An additional grant of $250,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) was approved by the board following a video report on the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission Partnerships in Haiti. Prior EDF grants to the earthquake relief work in Haiti have totaled $300,000.

The direct relief phase of earthquake response, such as feeding programs and the building of temporary shelters, ends this summer, reported Brethren Disaster Ministries executive director Roy Winter. After that the focus of the work will turn to construction of permanent homes, trauma recovery, a medical effort, and agricultural development.

Nominations to the GBB Trust in India:

The board nominated four trustees to the General Brotherhood Board (GBB) Trust in India, which is located in the Second District of the India Brethren. The 95th annual assembly of the India Brethren had provided the names of Kantilal Somchand Tandel, Nityanand Manilal Thakore, Darryl Raphael Sankey, and Ramesh William Makwan, which were approved for nomination.

The board also instructed Noffsinger and Global Mission Partnerships executive director Jay Wittmeyer to seek out additional nominees to represent the Second district of the India Brethren and the Church of North India, after conversation revealed that all four nominees are from the First District.

Noffsinger explained that this is a second trust--along with the Church of the Brethren General Board (CBGB) Trust--to which the Church of the Brethren in the US has the responsibility to nominate trustees. Nominations will be given to the Charity Commissioner. The nominations need to be made to ensure that the trust does not revert the state, Noffsinger said, as the single remaining trustee is over 90 years old and will continue to serve out his lifetime.

General secretary’s report:

Noffsinger reported being one of 15 US church leaders who were invited to the White House last week to discuss Israel and Palestine with Denis McDonough, National Security Council Chief of Staff to President Obama. All three of the historic peace churches were represented, along with other Christian traditions who are members of Churches for Middle East Peace.

The reception the group received at the White House was excellent, Noffsinger said. "We were there to voice our concern over a sustainable peace," he told the board, adding that "it was a lively conversation."

The church leaders transmitted several messages to the US administration, including that the US has an important role to broker a peace for all peoples of the conflict. The group urged moving the peace negotiations into direct talks between the parties, the free flow of non-lethal goods between Gaza and Israel, and the immediate resumption of full humanitarian aid shipments.

The group also touched on the status of the city of Jerusalem. "Any peace that is brokered will need to allow free access to Jerusalem by peoples of all three faiths--Christian, Jewish, and Muslim," Noffsinger said.

In other business, the board also thanked retiring members for their service, including Vernne Greiner, Bruce Holderreed, John Katonah, Dan McRoberts, and Chris Whitacre.

Source: 7/7/2010 Newsline

Deacon training to be offered in Spanish.

In order to be a truly intercultural denomination, it is critical that we have continuity throughout the work we do, that we consider the whole of our life together as an intercultural community. One effort toward such continuity will come to fruition on Aug. 14 when deacon training will be offered with full Spanish translation at the Nuevo Amanecer Fellowship in Bethlehem, Pa.

To date, bilingual training has been provided by multiple individuals on multiple topics. We are grateful for and are building on that foundation, with a goal of developing core competencies among all denominational deacons, regardless of language or culture.

In his work with Nuevo Amanecer and pastor Fausto Carrasco, intercultural ministries director Ruben Deoleo learned that the congregation’s deacons were interested in the same types of training workshops now being offered in English around the country. How could they take advantage of these presentations and materials in the primary language of their own faith community, Spanish? Within a matter of weeks a day of training had been scheduled, and all printed workshop materials were quickly translated into Spanish.

Phase I of providing this training in Spanish is simultaneous translation; one of the members of the fellowship will translate as the presenter offers the training in English. This is not an ideal situation, however, so future plans will be to offer a "train the trainer" program so that Spanish-speaking trainers are fully equipped to offer all of the same workshops now available in English.

Congregational Life Ministries is very excited to be able to offer this deacon training session in August and, along with the Nuevo Amanecer Fellowship, encourage other congregations with deacons whose primary language is Spanish to take advantage of this day of worship, fellowship, and learning.

For more information and to register, visit www.brethren.org/deacontraining. For questions, or if you are interested in becoming a trainer, contact Donna Kline, director of deacon ministry, dkline@brethren.org or 800-323-8039.

-- Donna Kline is director of the Church of the Brethren’s Deacon Ministry.

Source: 7/7/2010 Newsline

Brethren bits: Webcasts, Conference statistics, 5K winners, anniversaries, and more.

• The Saturday evening worship service of the 2010 Annual Conference was the first worship of an annual meeting of the Brethren to be broadcast worldwide. Brethren videographer David Sollenberger and his team provided live video feeds and Bethany Seminary staff member Enten Eller conducted the webcast. Based on the story of the Transfiguration found in Matthew 17:1-9, Annual Conference moderator Shawn Flory Replogle preached on the moments "When Heaven and Earth Touch." With moderator-elect Robert Earl Alley as worship leader, the assembled called to mind biblical and Brethren luminaries as all prayed with the ancient mystic Teresa of Avila to become the mind, the eyes, the ears, and the heart of Christ. Each day’s worship throughout the rest of the Conference also was webcast, along with some other events. The Sunday morning service was estimated to have reached some 1,000 people via the Internet. View recordings of the Conference webcasts at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts/AC2010.
  
  
• Conference statistics for 2010 included a total registration number of 3,381 including 793 delegates; 200 pints of blood collected, which exactly met the goal of the Blood Drive; $5,700.50 raised by the quilt auction of the Association for the Arts in the Church of the Brethren (AACB), which will go for hunger relief; and total offerings of $58,333.72.
  
  
• Four new churches were welcomed by the 2010 Conference. Iglesia de los Hermanos Christo Nuestro Paz, in Yahuecas, PR, was welcomed as a congregation. Common Spirit Fellowship in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) area of Minnesota; Cornerstone Church of the Brethren in Preble County, Ohio; and Way of Hope Ministry in Western Pennsylvania District were welcomed as new fellowships.
  
  
• Winners of this year’s Brethren Benefit Trust 5K Fitness Challenge are: Nathan Hosler, first male runner with a time of 18:13; Christy Crouse, first female runner (25:44); Don Shankster, first male walker (31:23); and Bev Anspaugh, first female walker (34:45).
  
  
• The 100 Year Celebration of Boones Chapel (Snow Creek) Church of the Brethren will be held Sunday, July 18, beginning at 10 a.m. with worship. Virlina District executive David Shumate will be the speaker, with former pastors and spouses sharing during worship and special music by Circle Creek Revival. A covered dish fellowship meal will be served.
  
  
• Boones Mill (Va.) Church of the Brethren celebrates its 85th anniversary on Sunday, July 18, with a 10 a.m. concert by contemporary gospel singing group Rise and Shine! followed by worship at 11 a.m. with William Abshire, professor of Philosophy and Religion at Bridgewater (Va.) College.

Source: 7/7/2010 Newsline

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. The News Team for the 2010 Annual Conference included writers Karen Garrett, Frank Ramirez, Frances Townsend; photographers Kay Guyer, Justin Hollenberg, Keith Hollenberg, Glenn Riegel; and website staff Amy Heckert and Jan Fischer Bachman.

NEWS

• Brethren leader at White House meeting on Israel and Palestine.
  
• Church leaders meet with Secretary of Agriculture on childhood hunger.

PERSONNEL

• Blevins to lead ecumenical peace program for NCC and Church of the Brethren
  
• Yoder resigns as BBT's director of Insurance Services.
  
• Michael Wagner to begin as peace worker in Sudan.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS

• Daily webcasts are offered from Annual Conference.
  
• Four Conference events feature Haiti disaster relief.
  
• Brethren Press bookstore to host book signings.
  
• On Earth Peace announces last year of Living Peace Church reports.
  
• Annual Conference bits and pieces.

BRETHREN BITS

• Personnel, job opening, hygiene kits, and more.

Brethren leader at White House meeting on Israel and Palestine.

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger today attended a meeting at the White House with a group of church leaders who were invited to discuss Israel and Palestine with Denis McDonough, National Security Council Chief of Staff to President Obama.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) helped organize the meeting and Noffsinger was specifically asked to take part as a head of communion by CMEP executive director Warren Clark.

"This meeting is most timely as Israeli officials are scheduled next week to meet with the President," Noffsinger commented by e-mail. The meeting was expected to allow the church leaders an opportunity to hear about progress the US administration is making in moving parties toward an agreement to end conflict in the area, including a freeze on new Israeli construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, Noffsinger said.

Noffsinger was to speak today at Standing Committee meetings of district representatives in Pittsburgh, Pa. However, after consulting with the Annual Conference officers and executive committee of the Mission and Ministry Board, it was decided the White House meeting "was an important opportunity for the voice of the Church of the Brethren to be heard," Noffsinger said. "As Brother Fred (Swartz, Annual Conference secretary) put it in his response to my inquiry, ‘The Brethren have a story to tell. We'd better take every prime opportunity to tell it! So... go tell it on the Mountain!’"

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Church leaders meet with Secretary of Agriculture on childhood hunger.

For all its wealth, our country still has children going hungry. And we can do something about it.

That was the take-home message from a June 15 meeting with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, held by 20 Christian leaders and hunger advocates including Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships.

Meeting with the group around a table symbolically spread with five loaves of bread and two fish, secretary Vilsack said he sees the biblical story of the feeding of the multitude as a miracle of overcoming the fear of sharing.

The numbers on childhood hunger are alarming: nearly one in four children in the United States lives in a family that struggles to put food on the table. The quickest and most direct way to help them is through federal nutrition programs.

Right now, Congress is debating and renewing an important group of nutrition programs aimed specifically at children. The child nutrition reauthorization legislation to be passed this year includes school lunch and breakfast, summer food, and WIC (the Women, Infants, and Children program).

Bread for the World president David Beckmann said that secretary Vilsack "made a strong plea for churches to provide more leadership on policy issues that affect hungry people, notably supporting the president’s proposed $1 billion increase in annual funding for child nutrition programs."

The administration’s request would help more eligible children to gain access to these programs--and, of course, to the food they need. As secretary Vilsack emphasized, the most pressing need is for better access to meals in the summer; for every 100 children who eat free or reduced-price school lunches, only 11 receive lunch during the summer.

The church leaders concluded the meeting with a prayer for the secretary, the USDA child nutrition programs, Congress, and the hungry children who await their action.

"It was very powerful to have a Cabinet secretary encourage grassroots advocacy on hunger," said Max Finberg, director of USDA’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. "I think the church leaders who came to the meeting were encouraged, and also challenged to do more."

For more information on childhood hunger in the US and how you can support policies and programs to help hungry children, visit www.bread.org. For more about the hunger relief work of the Church of the Brethren, go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=go_give_food_crisis.

(Bread for the World provided this report.)

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Blevins to lead ecumenical peace program for NCC and Church of the Brethren.

In a joint appointment announced today by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the Church of the Brethren, Jordan Blevins starts July 1 as the church’s staff for witness in a position also seconded to the NCC to serve as an advocacy officer in Washington, D.C. Blevins will lead an ecumenical peacemaking program on behalf of the two organizations.

He is a member of Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Previously, he was associate director of the NCC’s Eco-Justice Program, and coordinator of Poverty Initiatives and Washington internships with the National Council of Churches since September 2007.

Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the NCC, praised the appointment. "It models a new form of support for the work of the NCC," he said. "The United Church of Christ already has a similar agreement with the Council that undergirds our ministry in racial justice and human rights, and we hope that other churches will follow suit. Second, this gives us staff coverage in the area of peacemaking, which has always been a crucial part of the Council’s agenda. And, third, I am absolutely delighted to welcome Jordan Blevins, who has been a fine colleague in the field of eco-justice, into this new position. He is the right person for this new portfolio."

Blevin’s responsibilities for the Church of the Brethren will include nurturing the denomination’s witness to society and government from a uniquely Anabaptist-Pietist Brethren perspective, with a pacifist emphasis on peace and justice. He will represent the NCC member churches in advocacy for peace and provide leadership in educational initiatives with the member churches and wider society.

Prior to joining the NCC, Blevins was a legislative intern at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office beginning in January 2007, where he participated in a Faith Expedition to Vietnam and did follow up reporting and helped create a Brethren Water and Sanitation project in that area through the Global Food Crisis Fund. Additionally, he was manager of Cokesbury Bookstore in Washington, as well as a grassroots fundraiser for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy and Religion and a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from Bridgewater (Va.) College and recently graduated from American University and Wesley Theological Seminary with a master of arts degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, and a master of theological studies, respectively. He is pursuing a doctorate of ministry in Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at Wesley Theological Seminary.

He serves on the Board of Directors of On Earth Peace, on the Church of the Brethren’s Young Adult Steering Committee, and on the New Fire Task Force, a young adult ecumenical movement.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Yoder resigns as BBT's director of Insurance Services.

Randy Yoder has resigned from his position as director of Insurance Services with Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) effective Dec. 31. He will continue to work with Insurance Services as Client Development Representative. This part-time arrangement will continue through at least June 30, 2011, but could be extended based on developmental needs.

Yoder took his current assignment for BBT on March 6, 2006, as director of Insurance Plans at a time when there was much unrest in the Brethren Medical Plan. Since that time, he has worked to stabilize the Brethren Medical Plan. Prior to this assignment, he and his wife, Peg Yoder, were hired in Jan. 2005 as independent contractors to work for BBT on special marketing projects. Then, on Nov. 1, 2005, Randy became a permanent, part-time employee serving as Field Representative.

"We would like to thank Randy for all of his leadership and service to BBT over the past several years," said an announcement from BBT.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Michael Wagner to begin as peace worker in Sudan.

Michael Wagner has accepted the call to serve as a peace worker with the Church of the Brethren in southern Sudan, effective July 1. This position is a seconded position with the Africa Inland Church-Sudan, a member of the Sudan Council of Churches.

Before joining the Church of the Brethren, Wagner served a two-year term with the Peace Corps in the West African country of Burkina Faso, in an enterprise development program. Prior to that, he worked as a life insurance auditor in Indianapolis, Ind.

Wagner’s responsibilities will include developing centralized management systems for planning, financial reporting, and project evaluation. He will serve as an organizational development advisor to build Africa Inland Church’s capacity to effectively implement post-war resettlement and poverty alleviation programs. These programs include health services, education, peacebuilding, theological training, agricultural development, women's self-help strategies, and relief efforts. He also will play a key role in stakeholder relations and communications.

He is a graduate of Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., and holds a master of arts degree in Finance and Accounting. His home congregation is Mountville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Daily webcasts are offered from Annual Conference.

The schedule of events to be webcast from the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 3-7 includes each day’s worship service, one afternoon business session, pre-Conference deacon training sessions, a hearing for the Special Response process, and more.

The webcasts are being provided at no cost through a collaboration of the Conference Office and Enten Eller, director of distributed education and electronic communication at Bethany Theological Seminary.

Below is a tentative schedule of what will be webcast. To see an event streaming live go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts then click on the Annual Conference link. Many of these events will be recorded for future viewing.

The Annual Conference live broadcast schedule (Eastern time):

Saturday, July 3:
9 a.m.-noon -- Deacon Training Session I
1:30-4:30 p.m. -- Deacon Training Session II
5-6:30 p.m. -- Voices for an Open Spirit Dinner with Peggy Campolo as speaker
6:50-8:30 p.m. -- Worship Service with Annual Conference moderator Shawn Flory Replogle preaching
9-10:15 p.m. -- Hearing and Bible Study on the Special Response Process

Sunday, July 4:
10-11:30 a.m. -- Worship Service with Marlys Hershberger preaching
1:55-4:30 p.m. -- Business Session
5-5:45 p.m. -- Early Evening With the Arts Concert by Community of Song
7-7:30 p.m. -- Ryan and Friends Ventriloquist Act, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency Disaster Fund (live only--no recording)

Monday, July 5:
5-6:30 p.m. -- Global Ministries Dinner with Roger Thurow speaking
7-8:30 p.m. -- Worship Service with Earle Fike Jr. preaching
9-10 p.m. -- Insight Session Original Brethren Songs by Dennis Webb

Tuesday, July 6:
5-6:30 p.m. -- Congregational Life Ministries Dinner with speaker John Creasy Roger
6:45-8:30 p.m. -- Worship Service with Nancy Fitzgerald preaching
9-10 p.m. -- Hearing on the Special Response Process featuring district conversations

Wednesday, July 7:
10-11:30 a.m. -- Worship Service with Jonathan Shively preaching

View webcasts at www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts, click on the Annual Conference link.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Four Conference events feature Haiti disaster relief.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is sponsoring four events about Haiti relief efforts at the Annual Conference, including a report during a business session, two insight sessions, and a special drop in gathering for those interested in the work in Haiti.

The report to the delegate body will take place Sunday, July 4, beginning at 2:50 p.m. in the Convention Center Hall A. Jean Bily Telfort, general secretary of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Haitian Church of the Brethren) will be present in person. The report also will feature video from the earthquake zone and personal reports from other church staff involved in the relief effort.

The two insight sessions on Haiti will be held on Sunday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. in Room 326 of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, with some time to talk about the ministry’s work in American Samoa and US rebuilding plans; and on Tuesday, July 6, at 12:30 p.m. in Room 329 with members of the medical delegation that provided clinics in the Port-au-Prince area in March.

The drop-in networking session is planned for Monday, July 5, at 8-10 a.m. in Room 338, as a time when people interested in Haiti can share about their work.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Brethren Press bookstore to host book signings.

A number of authors will be signing books at the Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.:

Nancy Ferguson, speaker for the Ministers' Association meeting, will sign copies of a number of her books on Saturday, July 3, from 3-4 p.m., including "The Retreat Leader’s Manual," "Training Staff to Be Spiritual Leaders," and "The Christian Educator’s Guide to Evaluating and Developing Curriculum."

Melanie G. Snyder and Marie Hamilton, in celebration of their successful Brethren Press release "Grace Goes to Prison: An Inspiring Story of Hope and Humanity," will be signing books on Sunday, July 4, from 2-3 p.m. The book is the story of Brethren homemaker Marie Hamilton and her simple vision to look for and affirm the good in prison inmates. Hamilton’s volunteer work challenged the conventional wisdom about how to deal with criminals and the prison programs she developed are still being used today.

R. Jan and Roma Jo Thompson will sign copies of "Beyond Our Means: How the Brethren Service Center Dared to Embrace the World," a behind-the-scenes historical journey of the Brethren Service Center published by Brethren Press, on Sunday, July 4, from 3-4 p.m. Readers will find out how this one time educational institution became a community of compassion known around the world.

Bob Neff, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Bethany Theological Seminary and associate for resource development at the Village at Morrison Grove, will sign books on Monday, July 5, at 12:30-1:30 p.m., including the brand new Brethren Press title, "The Witness of the Hebrew Bible for a New Testament Church."

Renowned "Wall Street Journal" reporter Roger Thurow will be signing copies of the book he has co-authored titled "Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty," on Monday, July 5, at 4-4:30 p.m. The book is a powerful indictment on the economic, political, and social dynamics that perpetuate famine--and makes a passionate call for change. Thurow also will be featured at Global Food Crisis Fund events throughout the week.

Retired pastor and former denominational staff member Ralph McFadden will sign copies of his newly self-published book "For Life Is a Journey: Reflections on Living," on Tuesday, July 6, at 2-3 p.m. The book offers stories and poems from McFadden’s personal journey and explores concerns he has for the church as it addresses issues of sexuality.

Singer and songwriter Bryan Moyer Suderman will sign copies of his CD offerings including "My Money Talks" on Tuesday, July 6, at 4-4:30 p.m. Suderman has a gift for writing songs that are deeply scriptural, musically memorable, and readily singable. He will be performing a concert later that evening.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

On Earth Peace announces last year of Living Peace Church reports.

This is the last year for Living Peace Church Reports at the Annual Conference, according to an announcement from On Earth Peace. The intent of the annual open microphone time slot during Conference business sessions has been to encourage the development of a living peace tradition in the Church of the Brethren.

Guided by the 2003 paper, "Call to Be a Living Peace Church," the Annual Conference officers provided a time of open sharing at the microphones for people to report on "efforts to seek and develop a living peace tradition, in order to strengthen and encourage one another." This year, 2010, is the last time for such reporting as mandated by the 2003 paper.

The Living Peace Church reports are scheduled for Monday, July 5, beginning at 3:25 p.m. during the business session in the Convention Center Hall A. Matt Guynn, On Earth Peace program director, will introduce the time of sharing.

Guynn "may bring one or two pre-planned reports to prime the pump, but the bulk of this time will be open sharing from the microphones," the announcement said. "If you or your congregation have a story to tell about seeking and building a living Christian peace tradition, we would love for you to be ready to share it with the delegate body....

"Share about the way God is moving in your congregation and the kinds of ministries that are developing. Maybe you will share one particular story that has moved you, or something else that expresses this living Christian peace tradition, which we are creating together with God in our generation."

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Annual Conference bits and pieces.

• The 50th anniversary of the Emergency Disaster Fund will be celebrated with a presentation by Ryan & Friends ventriloquist and comedian, sponsored by Brethren Disaster Ministries on Sunday, July 4, at 7 p.m. in the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom. A free-will offering will be received to benefit the Emergency Disaster Fund.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren exhibit in the Brethren Press bookstore at Annual Conference will feature a hot new technology: QR code, a type of two-dimensional barcode. QR code will hold far more information than a regular barcode, and can include text, a business card, or even a URL. Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden is creating QR codes for about a dozen of the images on the exhibit, to be affixed in corners of display panels. The code can be read by a smartphone that has a barcode scanner app. The codes will be "a bonus for those people who recognize them," McFadden said. "The QR codes on the exhibit will take people to relevant pages on our website, such as www.brethren.org/HaitiEarthquake, workcamps, Brethren Volunteer Service, and several photo albums.
  
  
• Guests representing the Foods Resource Bank (FRB) at the Annual Conference include Cher-Frère Fortune, an agriculturist from Haiti, and translator Kelsey Day. Fortune is a consultant for SKDE, Sant Kretyen Pou Development Entegre (Christian Center for Integrated Development), and works with Haiti’s Northwest Rural Development Program. He also helped with the Brethren homes constructed in Gonaives, Haiti, through Brethren Disaster Ministries. Day is fluent in French, has done special projects for FRB at its Western Springs office, and is a recent graduate of Elmhurst (Ill.) College this month. The Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund contributed $15,000 to the Northwest Rural Development Program in 2008, and previously the Church of the Brethren allocated grants of $2,500 to the program from its member account in FRB in 2006 and 2007. "The guests also will attend the National Gathering of FRB hosted by our Grossnickle growing project in Maryland July 12-15," reported fund manager Howard Royer.
  
  
• Two key Brethren ministries are marking 20th anniversaries at this Annual Conference: the Ministry of Reconciliation is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a reception on Saturday afternoon, July 3; the Brethren Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary with cupcakes in the exhibit hall on Monday, July 5, over the lunch hour.
  
  
• Ed Poling, pastor of Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren, is riding his bicycle to Annual Conference as a fundraiser for church camping in the Church of the Brethren, and is seeking people to make pledges as sponsors of his ride. "The distance is about 250 miles from Washington County, Md., to the big city," he wrote in a letter to supporters. "I plan to take four days, traveling by way of the C&O Canal towpath to Cumberland, then over the Alleghany Mountains via the Great Alleghany Passage Rail-Trail." He was to leave on June 30 from Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministry Center near Sharpsburg, Md. "I used to be a camp director myself and have a great love for the out-of-doors and appreciation for what the experience of church camping can do for young people in their spiritual development," he wrote. "Such Christian camping experiences help them not only learn to appreciate the natural world but also to see the Creator and Sustainer behind it all." Read a "Washington Examiner" article about Poling’s bike ride at www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/md-pastor-pedaling-250-miles-to-benefit-camp-kids-97400144.html.
  
  
• The Springs of Living Water Initiative for church renewal is featured at several places during the Annual Conference. On Sunday, July 4, 9-10 p.m. an insight session will feature Springs founders Joan and David Young presenting a path of renewal for churches, with testimonies from congregation members and pastors, and sponsorship by four districts. At the Congregational Life Ministries exhibit the Youngs will offer two "Living Room Chats" about the Springs initiative, on Monday, July 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m., and on Tuesday, July 6, at 3-4 p.m. A Congregational Life Ministries insight session titled "Stories of Congregational Vitality and Hope" on Monday, July 6, 9-10 p.m. will feature a panel including David Young and Gary Moore representing the initiative. A prayer request from the Youngs asks "for a sense of the movement of God's spirit in formal and informal gatherings and that the presence of Christ will be real as we gather in Pittsburgh and go forth with a sense of mission for Christ."

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Personnel, job opening, hygiene kits, and more.

• Diane Parrott has accepted the position of administrative office assistant for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) beginning July 14. She brings a broad array of experience to the position, serving most recently as human resource/office coordinator for Hoffie Nursery in Union, Ill. She also worked for BBT in 2008 as a loan processor for the Church of the Brethren Credit Union and worked for the Brethren Employees Credit Union from 1999-2003. She received her associates of arts degree with high honors from Elgin (Ill.) Community College. She lives in Lake in the Hills, Ill., and has been a life-long member of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust is seeking to fill the position of director of Insurance Services to start in the fall of 2010. This is a full-time, salaried position based in Elgin, Ill. The person filling this position will serve as chief administrator of Church of the Brethren Insurance Services. The director is responsible for program oversight for all health and welfare benefits including medical, life, long-term disability, short-term disability, dental, vision, and long-term care plan administration. The director is to be knowledgeable in legislation and regulations affecting the insurance services and is to ensure that the insurance ministries are compliant with all applicable laws. The director also will supervise work with program-related vendors and consultants. This person will represent the department in the field for customer service calls with current plan members, offer program interpretation for prospective clients, and supervise Insurance Services staff members. The director will travel to Annual Conference, BBT Board meetings, the Church Benefits Association annual meeting, and other BBT-related events and client-related meetings. BBT seeks a candidate with an undergraduate degree in business or human resources, and/or certification as an Employee Benefits Specialist, and at least 10 years of experience in employee benefits plans management, human resources administration, or related management experience. It is also preferred that the candidate be licensed in life and medical insurance. A member of the Church of the Brethren is preferred; active membership in a faith community is required. The salary for this position is competitive with those offered at Church Benefits Association agencies of comparable size and scope of services. A full benefits package is included. Send a letter of interest, a resume, three references (one supervisor, two colleagues), and salary range expectation to Donna March at 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, or dmarch_bbt@brethren.org. For questions or clarification about the position, call 847-622-3371. For more information visit www.brethrenbenefittrust.org.
  
  
• The number of hygiene kits sent to Haiti through the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., since the January earthquake is now 49,980--just 20 short of 50,000. Shipments of hygiene kits have been sponsored by a number of church relief agencies including Church World Service, Lutheran World Relief, and others.
  
  
• Nigeria mission workers Nathan and Jennifer Hosler have announced speaking engagements in the United States this summer. The couple have been serving with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) teaching at Kulp Bible College and working with EYN’s Peace Program. They will lead an insight session at Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 6, from 9-10 p.m. In addition, they will speak at Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., on Sunday, July 11, at 9 a.m.; at Hempfield Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., on July 11, at 7:15 p.m.; at Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on July 15, at 7 p.m.; and at the National Youth Conference in Fort Collins, Colo., later in July. "With KBC classes over, Peace Seminars have been at the forefront of our work," the Hoslers reported in a recent newsletter. "These are workshop trainings for EYN staff, clergy, and laity on Brethren peace background, basic conflict awareness, forgiveness, and conflict analysis. Our first one was held June 10...." On June 14 the Hoslers took part in a meeting of several Muslims and Christians from Mubi area who were at an Interfaith Peace Conference in January. "The meeting was the first step to enacting a community-based, interfaith peace initiative in Mubi. We are in the initial planning stages of conducting conflict resolution workshops with Muslim imams and Christian pastors. Please pray for the planning and implementation of this initiative!"
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren Workcamp Ministry is holding its second "We Are Able Camp" for 14 participants June 29-July 2 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. In another report from a workcamp this summer, 23 people traveled to Saint Louis du Nord, Haiti, for the Church of the Brethren young adult workcamp at New Covenant School on June 1-8. The school serves local children in need of an affordable education, with over 200 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Two participants were young adult members of Eglise des Frères Haitiens (the Haitian Church of the Brethren) in Port-au-Prince. Workcampers worked on the new school building in the mornings. In the afternoon, they led a Vacation Bible School for the students, along with the teachers and other local volunteers. For more about New Covenant School, check out the page on Facebook. For more about youth and young adult workcamps, go to www.brethren.org/workcamps or call the workcamp office at 800-323-8039 ext. 286.
  
  
• "The gift that keeps on giving"--that is what Becky Ullom, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, is calling the "reverse offering" that continues to be received from participants in the last National Junior High Conference. The youth were given a chance to participate in a reverse offering to "grow" a grant of $4,000 made possible by the Church of the Brethren’s funding and donor development office. As of June, the junior high have now given a total of $8,179.49 back to the church.
  
  
• Bethany Theological Seminary reminds prospective students that July 15 is the admission deadline for the fall. Contact Elizabeth Keller, director of admissions, at kelleel@bethanyseminary.edu or 800-287-8822 or go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/admissions.
  
  
• Join the current Brethren Volunteer Service Orientation group for a potluck dinner at Harrisonburg (Va.) First Church of the Brethren at 6 p.m. on July 27. Bring a dish to pass, a friend or spouse, "and your favorite memories to share!" said an invitation from BVS. Contact Callie Surber at csurber@brethren.org for questions or directions.
  
  
• A Pastors for Peace program will be held July 12 at Roanoke (Va.) Oak Grove Church of the Brethren, starting with a potluck meal at 6 p.m. "For the past several years Oak Grove's Peace and Justice group has partnered with the Roanoke Friends to sponsor the Pastors for Peace caravan as it travels through Roanoke on its annual humanitarian trip to Cuba," said an announcement. This year's speaker is Luis Barrios of the Pastors for Peace Board of Directors who also is associate pastor at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in West Harlem and spiritual advisor for Iglesia San Romero de Las Americas--UCC in the Washington Heights area of New York, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice-City University of New York, and a weekly columnist for "El Diario La Prensa."
  
  
• "Peace Pizzazz II: The Golden Rule," an event for children, was sponsored by Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Kalamazoo, Mich., and the Michigan 6th District Campaign for a US Department of Peace. The free children’s peace day art fest took place in a city park on May 22, with hundreds of children, teachers, and parents attending. The day included dancing, singing, bubble blowing, banner waving, and drumming as well as the making of art. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation provided funding. Skyridge member Lowey Dickason headed up the effort. Another Skyridge attendee, Karen Ullrich, summed up the day in a reflection prepared for worship: "The day had a special spirit because, I believe, it was just a peek...just a moment...of Christ’s kingdom here on Earth--all people together in joy and peace."
  
  
• Cedar Lake Church of the Brethren in Auburn, Ind., now has a website. Go to www.cedarlakecob.org.
  
  
• Peter Becker Community will break ground on July 12 at 2 p.m. for a $10 million project to renovate skilled nursing areas, increase personal care, and add a specialized Dementia Care Unit Highlights include additional residential rooms, new technology, and a secure dementia garden and walking area. The celebration takes place at 800 Maple Ave., Harleysville, Pa., at the site of the first phase of the project. Light refreshments will be served afterward in the Orchid Terrace. Please RSVP to Paul A. Nye at 215-703-4015 or pnye@peterbeckercommunity.com. Peter Becker Community also is holding a Green Fair for Eco-Friendly Living on July 29 at 12:30-4:30 p.m. at the Maplewood Estates.
  
  
• The July edition of the community television program "Brethren Voices" produced by Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren will feature an interview with Mary Blocher Smeltzer, a Church of the Brethren member who worked with Japanese Interned Citizens of the United States during World War II. Copies are available from Portland Peace Church of the Brethren for a contribution of $8, which includes postage. Contact Ed Groff at groffprod1@msn.com.
  
  
• The New Community Project has sent a grant of $16,500 to Sudan for girls' education, hygiene kits for girls, a women's tailoring program, reforestation, and administration. An initial 2010 grant in a similar amount was sent earlier this year. Part of these grants were made possible by Sarah Parcell of Hanover (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, who set out to raise $1,600 for the Give a Girl a Chance fund for her 16th birthday. For a newspaper story about Purcell montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/06/23/souderton_independent/news/doc4c219f768a3fa451549557.txt.
  
  
• Starting July 17, brethren.org will feature National Youth Conference news and photos and links to an NYC Facebook page, a live webcast of one of the worship services, and an NYC Twitter stream. In another communications development at NYC, Brethren Press staff will test a new web-based tool called "Poll Everywhere" in one workshop. Participants will use cell phones to text answers to questions, with results showing up on an overhead screen.
  
  
• Orion Samuelson is the narrator for a new video, "Sowing Seed...Harvesting Hope," being produced for the Foods Resource Bank with help from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund and its manager Howard Royer, and Brethren videographer David Sollenberger. Samuelson is heard on WGN Radio in Chicago where he has served as Agribusiness Director since 1960, is known for his syndicated National Farm Report, and is seen weekly on RFD-TV as co-host of "This Week in Agri-Business." He was filmed last weekend at Karen and Ned Rolston’s home in Hampshire, Ill., in front of a vista of rolling fields of shoulder-high corn. The video will be previewed at the Foods Resource Bank Annual Gathering in the Gaithersburg/Myersville area of Maryland later this year.

Source: 7/1/2010 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren, cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Colleen M. Algeo, Jeanne Davies, Phil Jenks, Gimbiya Kettering, Karin Krog, Jeff Lennard, Wendy McFadden, David Radcliff, Howard Royer, Brian Solem, Becky Ullom, Loretta Wolf contributed to this report

NEWS

• Church developers called to ‘Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully.’
  
• Young adults ‘rock’ Camp Blue Diamond over Memorial Day weekend.
  
• Brethren leader helps defend CWS against charges of proselytizing.
  
• Global Food Crisis Fund supports work of Foods Resource Bank.
  
• Nine receive Caring Ministries nursing scholarships.
  
• Agape-Satyagraha peace program begins at three new pilot sites.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• National Youth Conference to gather close to 3,000 Brethren.

PERSONNEL

• Garcia to coordinate donor invitation for Church of the Brethren.

FEATURE

• Baseball... and forgiveness.

BRETHREN BITS

• Personnel, job openings, hunger advocacy, more.

Church developers called to ‘Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully.’

The New Church Development Conference was held May 20-22 at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. Was it a church planting conference or a Holy Spirit conference? It was hard to make a distinction as 120 participants gathered for the fifth biennial conference sponsored by the Church of the Brethren’s Congregational Life Ministries and New Church Development Advisory Committee, in partnership with the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and hosted by the seminary.

Planters, district leaders, and revitalizing pastors attended this event, which challenged, inspired, connected, and equipped the church for new mission and ministry development.

Guest leaders Jim Henderson and Rose Madrid-Swetman provided provocative and practical perspectives and tools for connecting with non-Christians and engaging local communities with the transforming Gospel. Henderson challenged the gathering to "take back Jesus" from Christianity and stay focused on valuing the "outsider" unconditionally, while clearly following Jesus. Swetman shared the purpose for and practical forms of community-based servant ministry, drawing on her experience as a pastor/planter in the Seattle area. Swetman also shared her gift of spiritual insight through reflective listening and prayer leadership.

Workshops were led by Church of the Brethren planters and leaders, focusing on everything from holistic health for planters, to practical steps for beginning a plant, to the district’s role in supporting new plants. Thirty workshops were offered, including a complete track of workshops in Spanish. Translation was provided throughout the conference.

Worship and prayer rooted the conference. Preaching to begin the event was Belita Mitchell, a former Annual Conference moderator and current pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Harrisburg, Pa. Church planter Lidia Gonzalez provided the encouragement and challenge for the close of the conference. Worship was coordinated by Bethany professor Tara Hornbacker.

Two evening sessions were open to the public, the second of which drew an overall attendance of 180 people to hear two atheists talk about their experiences visiting local Church of the Brethren congregations. The interview with Willis and Shane was conducted by Jim Henderson and was alternately uncomfortable, enlightening, and motivating.

A photo album of the conference is online at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=11363. For more information about new church development in the Church of the Brethren contact churchplanting@brethren.org or Jonathan Shively at 800-323-8039.

-- Jonathan Shively is executive director of Congregational Life Ministries.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Young adults ‘rock’ Camp Blue Diamond over Memorial Day weekend.

Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pa., was rockin’ this Memorial Day weekend. Four-square, footwashing, and four-part harmonies filled the weekend as almost 70 Church of the Brethren young adults from across the country gathered for the denomination’s annual Young Adult Conference.

Participants not only studied and discussed the theme of community, focused on a passage from Romans 12, but also lived it out.

The church’s Young Adult Steering Committee planned the conference, and many others shared their gifts to make the weekend happen. Sermons were offered by Matt McKimmy, pastor of Richmond (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; Marie Benner-Rhoades of On Earth Peace; and Carrie Fry-Miller, a student at Bethany Theological Seminary. Other participants led over a dozen workshops on topics from faithful ecology to crafting.

Saturday evening’s open microphone coffee house provided another opportunity for young adults to share their passions, and the offerings ranged from the beautiful (Broadway ballads and classical violin) to the bizarre (beat-boxing flute and recorder played by nostril).

Hiking, canoeing, card playing, cooking out, and roasting s’mores around the campfire took up generous portions of the weekend, but the group also dove into some serious conversation. Jordan Blevins and Bekah Houff, members of the denominational Visioning Committee, led an intentional conversation about a proposed new vision statement for the Church of the Brethren. "Here’s something we’ve put together about who we are as Brethren," Blevins said. "Now what did we leave out?" The question provoked impassioned responses from the young adults, who expressed both their love for the church as well as their frustration with it.

This shared sense of love and frustration, combined with genuine attempts to live in joyful community as "members of one another," seemed to characterize the entire weekend. Young adults are invited to join in the fun, fellowship, and community building at next year’s Young Adult Conference, held over Memorial Day weekend May 28-31, 2011, in a location to be determined.

A photo album from the Young Adult Conference is online at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=11371.

-- Dana Cassell is Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) staff for vocation and community living.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Brethren leader helps defend CWS against charges of proselytizing.

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger has been among American church officials helping to defend Church World Service (CWS) against charges of religious proselytizing in Afghanistan. CWS is an international humanitarian aid agency related to the National Council of Churches, established after World War II in 1946 to assist displaced people in Europe and Asia with food assistance and relief activities.

"When I saw and read the allegations I was dumbfounded," said Noffsinger in a CWS release. "For more than 60 years, Church World Service has grounded its role in serving people regardless of faith tradition.

"Church World Service is held in the highest regard and is seen as honoring those whom it serves," he added. "I believe CWS functions with the highest of integrity."

Also quoted in defense of CWS was Susan Sanders, head of Global Sharing of Resources for the United Church of Christ, who noted that CWS has signed the NGO code of conduct of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that specifically prohibits proselytizing in disaster relief, and that in Afghanistan and Pakistan CWS is a member of Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International, a self-regulatory partnership of NGOs, and adheres to humanitarian standards for quality and accountability.

In the first week of June CWS’s long-time work in Afghanistan dating back more than 30 years was temporarily suspended by the Afghan Ministry of Economy, pending investigation of allegations related to an Afghan television news story claiming that CWS and Norwegian Church Aid had engaged in religious proselytizing. CWS formally denied the allegations and said it expected the suspension to last only briefly.

Noffsinger’s experience with CWS dates back to the 1970s. He once served as a CWS staffer.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Global Food Crisis Fund supports work of Foods Resource Bank.

A member contribution of $22,960 has been given to the Foods Resource Bank from the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund. The allocation represents a 2010 grant for operational support of the organization, based on the scope of overseas programming for which the denomination is lead sponsor.

Member contributions to the Foods Resource Bank are allocated in the following way: 40 percent administration and resource development; 17 percent overseas programing; 43 percent US growing projects. The organization’s current total assets stand at $3.6 million, of which $3 million is designated for overseas programing and $0.6 million for operations.

The Church of the Brethren is lead sponsor for four of the 62 Foods Resource Bank overseas programs: the Totonicapan program in Guatemala, the Rio Coco program in Nicaragua, and Bateye Food Security in the Dominican Republic (all in partnership with Church World Service); and the Ryongyon program in North Korea in partnership with Agglobe International.

In the United States the Foods Resource Bank is engaged in 200 growing projects. In 2009, 22 of these were Church of the Brethren led. This year, a growing project called "Field of Hope" started by a group of six Church of the Brethren congregations in the area of Grossnickle, Md., will host the Foods Resource Bank Annual Gathering on July 13-15.

"Foods Resource Bank has become an increasingly major partner of the Global Food Crisis Fund," said the grant request from fund manager Howard Royer. "Some 35 of our congregations have participated in FRB growing projects, the majority for three or more years. In 2009 Brethren-led growing projects raised $266,000 for investing in agricultural development with indigenous partners in poor countries abroad."

The Global Food Crisis Fund also has given a grant of $5,000 to Liberia to assist with the distribution of 300,000 vegetable seed packets to subsistence farmers and gardeners and schools, with logistics handled by Church Aid Inc., Liberia. Three previous grants of this amount were allocated to Church Aid Liberia in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

A grant of $3,000 has been given to the ECHO organization in support of a West Africa Networking Forum this fall. The funds will cover the $200 registration fee for five delegates and will provide a $2,000 grant toward the cost of the forum itself. In September ECHO will host its first networking forum bringing together agricultural leaders from Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, the Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, and Libya. The venue is a central location, Ouagadougo in Burkina Faso.

A special effort will be made by the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships to enlist two Nigerian agricultural workers from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria to attend. In 2008, the fund participated in a similar ECHO-related event in Haiti with a grant of $1,750. Through that experience, Haitian Brethren became connected to a wider group of agricultural specialists in the country. One Haitian Brethren pastor and agriculturalist, Jean Bily Telfort, was invited to address the forum.

In other news, Royer and the Global Food Crisis Fund are congratulating the leaders of Heifer International and Bread for the World as joint recipients of the 2010 World Food Prize. The prize is shared by Jo Luck, president of Heifer International, and David Beckmann, head of Bread for the World. Heifer International was started by the Church of the Brethren and denominational staff member Dan West as Heifer Project, and since going independent has grown into a large international nonprofit that receives wide ecumenical support. The two leaders were honoured for "landmark achievements in building two of the world's foremost grassroots organizations leading the charge to end hunger and poverty for millions of people around the world."

For more about the Global Food Crisis Fund, go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=go_give_food_crisis.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Nine receive Caring Ministries nursing scholarships.

Nine Church of the Brethren nursing students are recipients of Caring Ministries Nursing Scholarships for 2010. This scholarship, made possible by the Health Education and Research Endowment, is available to members of the Church of the Brethren enrolled in LPN, RN, or nursing graduate programs.

This year’s recipients are Janet Craig of Briery Branch Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Va.; Natalie England of Peoria (Ill.) Church of the Brethren; Timothy Fisher of Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa.; Amy Frye of Woodbury (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; Heather Galang-Ellerbee of Bridgewater (Va.) Church of the Brethren; Tina Good of Bermudian Church of the Brethren in East Berlin, Pa.; Jennifer Miller of West Green Tree Church of the Brethren in Elizabethtown, Pa.; Kimberly Ryman of Antioch Church of the Brethren in Woodstock, Va.; and Shayla Thomas of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

Scholarships of up to $2,000 for RN and graduate nurse candidates and up to $1,000 for LPN candidates are awarded to a limited number of applicants each year. Information on the scholarships, including an application form and instructions, is available at www.brethren.org. Applications and supporting documentation are due by April 1 of each year.

-- Nancy Miner is manager of the Office of the General Secretary.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Agape-Satyagraha peace program begins at three new pilot sites.

It looks like it could be tutoring: an after-school program, adults and youth paired together, having intense conversations. But if you listen closely, no one is talking about math or history or literature. The word coming up again and again is peace.

Not a generic peace, like peace on earth, but rather how these students can choose peace in their day-to-day activities. They role play ways to respond to situations they face: in school with bullies, interactions in their neighborhoods, and how to help friends who may be angry at one another.

Adults call this conflict resolution, with a foundation in social theory and religious philosophy that informs their conversations; whereas in these classrooms it is called Agape-Satyagraha building upon Jesus’ philosophy of interpersonal love and Gandhi’s belief that nonviolent expressions of truth are forceful.

It is On Earth Peace’s newest program offering. The program equips youth to confront violence with active nonviolence. These skills are taught within the context that the youth face in their lives, preparing them to think about the larger context of their communities, country, and the world as a whole.

Agape-Satyagraha was developed in Harrisburg, Pa., by Brethren Community Ministry’s director Gerald Rhoades in response to school shootings in 2001. "Youth need alternatives to solving conflicts rather than fighting," he reflected. Success in Harrisburg inspired On Earth Peace to develop a curriculum that could be expanded to other communities.

Donations from Church of the Brethren constituents and a matching grant from the Shumaker Foundation have enabled three new pilot sites: Modesto (Calif.) Church of the Brethren; Elm Street Church of the Brethren in Lima, Ohio; and Beaver Dam Church of the Brethren in Union Bridge, Md. There are currently 22 youth and 17 adult mentors active in the Agape-Satyagraha program.

Site coordinators hold monthly phone calls to share updates, hear from On Earth Peace staff, work on specific questions, and network with one another. Communication also includes individual site check-ins with On Earth Peace staff and weekly and monthly written reports.

The Agape-Satyagraha program continues to grow. On Earth Peace is currently in conversation with four congregations discerning their call to bring this message of peace to the youth in their communities. This is a possibility because of the time donated by volunteers in the classroom and donors from around the country who support the vision that young people can change the world, if we teach them how.

For more information visit www.onearthpeace.org/programs/peace-ed/a-s/index.html.

-- Gimbiya Kettering is communications coordinator for On Earth Peace.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

National Youth Conference to gather close to 3,000 Brethren.

National Youth Conference (NYC) is about a month away, and more than 2,800 people are registered to attend. Online registration ended on June 15 for the conference that takes place in Fort Collins, Colo., on July 17-22.

Youth, advisors, parents, and congregations have been spending years preparing for NYC by raising money, having informational meetings, coordinating travel, and much more.

Coming up on June 20, the denomination is having an NYC Prayer Day. Just under a month from the beginning of NYC, congregations will spend time in prayer for their youth and what they will experience at NYC. The congregations who have spent so much time physically preparing for NYC, will take this time to spiritually prepare the youth for their mountain top experience, both literally and figuratively.

National Youth Conference is such a unique experience for youth. Youth will come together, in community, with people who are very different, yet very similar. The NYC participants are a diverse community. In a time when it feels like differences are being accented, we encourage participants to be in conversation with people who are different from themselves. The diversity that the body of Christ offers is important. As the scripture reminds us, not everyone can be a hand. Some people need to be a foot, or an arm, or a nose.

Everyone is invited to take advantage of the unique opportunity that is NYC, and we invite everyone to see the God in others! It is no accident that the NYC theme this summer is "More than Meets the Eye."

-- Audrey Hollenberg is one of the two NYC coordinators, along with Emily LaPrade.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Garcia to coordinate donor invitation for Church of the Brethren.

Amanda (Mandy) Garcia has accepted the position of coordinator of Donor Invitation for the Church of the Brethren, effective July 26. Her responsibilities will include promoting and securing online and direct mail gifts, working in the Stewardship and Donor Development department.

She comes to the position from Brethren Benefit Trust, where she has resigned as administrative office assistant, effective July 23. She has worked for BBT since Feb. 2, 2009. She is a graduate of Judson University in Elgin, Ill., where she earned a degree in worship arts/communications and media. She and her family live in Elgin.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Baseball... and forgiveness.

The following reflection by Larry Gibble about what baseball may have to teach us about forgiveness comes from the e-mail newsletter of York (Pa.) First Church of the Brethren. It is used here with permission:

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12, KJV).

Detroit. Wednesday night, June 2, 2010. The Cleveland Indians vs. the Detroit Tigers. The principles: pitcher Armando Galarraga (2-1/2 weeks Major League experience) and umpire Jim Joyce (Major League umpire since 1989). The witnesses: millions of TV viewers. The situation: a perfect game is underway and is down to the last out.

A grounder is hit to the first baseman, who tosses to the pitcher covering first base. Then there is the blown call at first base (the mistake). The spontaneous smile (instead of anger) of the pitcher when the umpire made the bad call depriving him of a perfect game forever. The TV replay (seeing the facts). The remorse of the umpire (after seeing the replay several times) realizing, "I just cost that kid a perfect game." The umpire's tears. Minutes later, the umpire's sincerest apology in the clubhouse to the pitcher with tears flowing down his cheeks (his debt to the young pitcher could never be repaid). The pitcher's immediate acceptance of the apology (forgiveness).

The witnesses: millions around the world. The replays of the event since then: provided by the news media around the world. The lesson: for each one of us to apply in our everyday living. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

Personnel, job openings, hunger advocacy, more.

• Jan Fischer Bachman began June 7 as website producer for the Church of the Brethren, working on a contract basis from Chantilly, Va. A member of Oakton (Va.) Church of the Brethren, she is a writer for the Gather ’Round curriculum published by Brethren Press and Mennonite Publishing Network. In other work, she has provided consultation in editing, design, and marketing for a wide range of clients in several countries, most recently in the Gambia, where she used to live. During a stint with the Foreign Service Institute at the US Department of State, she was a writer, editor, and manager of the organization’s websites.
  
  
• Sam Smith has joined the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships staff in a 12-week position as Peace Witness Consultant. His responsibilities will include strengthening the conscientious objector program, developing peace-related print resources, populating the Church of the Brethren website peace pages, and nurturing relationships with Brethren-affiliated peace entities. He is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. He and his family live in West Chicago, Ill. Since 1995 he has served as a youth pastor in Mennonite, Brethren, and United Methodist congregations. Currently he is a youth speaker/evangelist with Heavy Light Ministries and most recently started a youth church called Upper Xtreme Fellowship, which meets in the western suburbs of Chicago.
  
  
• Ray and Bev Ax have begun as managers at Camp Wilbur Stover in New Meadows, Idaho. Both grew up on farms in the Nampa area where Bev Ax attended Bowmont and Nampa Churches of the Brethren. They are currently members of First Church of the Nazarene in Nampa. Retired in 2003 and 1995 respectively, the couple are members of ROAM (RVers On A Mission), a ministry of the Nazarene Church, and have worked at small Nazarene congregations and campgrounds in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington States. In other news, the camp was struck by flash floods recently, pictures of damage are at www.campstover.org, click on "News" and choose "Goose Creek Murmurs" Vol. 2, Issue 4. "Due to the flash floods this year we are in need of your prayers," said the camp newsletter. "Also we are in need of donations for gravel and other repairs." Send love offerings to Gary Ackerman, 44 N. Pit Ln., Nampa, ID 83687.
  
  
• Southern Ohio District seeks a district executive minister for a part-time position available Jan. 1, 2011. The district includes 52 congregations and 3 fellowships in Ohio and Kentucky, and is entering a time of transition and visioning new mission and ministry as it moves from full-time to part-time executive staffing. Congregations are rural, suburban, and urban, with the majority in the greater Dayton area. It is theologically diverse while able to celebrate its unity in Jesus Christ. The preferred candidate is a spiritual leader who offers inspiration and works collaboratively. The district office is at Mill Ridge Village of the Brethren Retirement Community in Union, Ohio. Responsibilities include serving as executive officer of the board of the district, facilitating and giving general oversight to planning and implementation of ministries as directed by the District Conference and District Board, providing linkages to congregations and denominational agencies, articulating and promoting the vision of the district, assisting congregations and pastors with placement, building and strengthening relationships with congregations and pastors, using mediation skills to work with congregations in conflict, facilitating and encouraging the calling of people to set-apart ministry and lay leadership, and promoting unity in the district. Qualifications include a clear commitment to Jesus Christ demonstrated by a vibrant spiritual life, commitment to New Testament values, commitment to Church of the Brethren faith and heritage, a minimum of 10 years of pastoral experience, respect for theological diversity, flexibility in working with staff and volunteers and pastoral and lay leadership, and strong skills in communication, mediation, conflict resolution, administration, management, and budget. Ordination in the Church of the Brethren is required, with a master of divinity degree preferred. Send letter of interest and resume to OfficeofMinistry@brethren.org. Applicants are requested to contact three or four people to provide a letter of reference. A candidate profile must be completed and returned before the application is complete. The application deadline is Aug. 1.
  
  
• With the announced retirement of president Steve Morgan, the University of La Verne Board of Trustees, through the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and national search firm of Witt/Kieffer, is conducting a nationwide search for a new president to take office July 2011. The University of La Verne is a Church of the Brethren related school located in La Verne, Calif. Visit the Presidential Search webpage at laverne.edu/presidential-search to review the "Position Specification." Submit letters of nomination or expressions of interest to Witt/Kieffer through the Presidential Search webpage by selecting "How to Submit or Nominate" for details and contact information.
  
  
• Camp Eder near Gettysburg, Pa., seeks a seasoned and dynamic full-time executive director to lead the organization to new levels of growth in its mission to provide creative camping ministry for children, youth, and adults in a place of natural beauty where people can experience God’s creation in a loving and caring environment. The executive director works with the camp board to carry out the strategic goals of Camp Eder. Responsibilities include managing personnel and fiscal operations, fundraising, agency relations, communications, assuring compliance with governmental regulations, assessing organizational needs, and implementing improvements. The executive director will foster development and implementation of organizational strategic direction, reporting directly to the camp board and nurturing a strong relationship with Southern Pennsylvania District. Camp Eder is eight miles west of Gettysburg on a 400-acre facility. As a ministry of the Southern Pennsylvania District, Camp Eder is a faith-based agency grounded in values and beliefs of the Church of the Brethren. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead an organization rooted in central Pennsylvania’s history for 50 years and whose future will build on the agency’s exemplary record of creative camping ministry for children, youth, and families. Qualifications and required skills: A Christian with a growing faith and a heart for evangelism as well as an understanding and acceptance of Church of the Brethren core values. Strong spiritual leader with a passion for outdoor ministry. Ability to implement the strategic vision plan as directed by the camp board. A bachelor's degree or equivalent life/work experience. Previous administration and camping experience preferred with strong fiscal, management, organizational, computer, and communication skills. Capability and enthusiasm for interpreting the mission and vision of the camp to area congregations and beyond. Submit a cover letter, resume, and three or four references (personal and professional) along with salary expectations to Joe Detrick at jdetrick@brethren.org. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 7.
  
  
• Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) seeks a full-time administrative office assistant at its Elgin, Ill., office as soon as possible. This person will assist the director of office operations by typing general documents; assisting with logistics for special events and travel; maintaining records; assisting with document retention (electronic and paper) for Board documents, contracts, and more; and performing other administrative duties as requested. This position also assists the director of information technology by functioning as the operations go-to person for the VOIP phone system, training employees to use BBT’s e-mail system, helping with backup tape rotation, and administering BBT’s Internet conferencing system. Qualifications for this role include maintaining confidentiality (which is critical to the position), proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, and excellent writing, grammar, organizational, and multi-tasking skills. The candidate must possess a positive, committed, collaborative working style and be a member of a faith community. Candidates must have at least five years of experience performing secretarial or general office duties or a bachelor’s degree. Submit a resume, letter of interest, salary requirement, and three references to Donna March, Director of Office Operations, Brethren Benefit Trust, 1505 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-746-1505 ext. 371; dmarch_bbt@brethren.org. More information about the position can be found at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org, click on "About BBT" and then "Job Openings."
  
  
• Brethren Disaster Ministries is in need of long-term volunteer cooks at its Winamac, Ind., and Chalmette, La., projects, willing to spend three or more weeks cooking for groups of volunteer disaster workers. The ministry will pay transportation costs and provide separate sleeping quarters when possible. Cooks are needed during the months of July and August at both sites. Contact Zach Wolgemuth at zwolgemuth@brethren.org or 800-451-4407.
  
  
• Several Brethren were part of hunger events in Washington, D.C., this week. Among religious leaders in a meeting with US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships. The meeting was organized by Bread for the World and addressed domestic hunger issues. Also sponsored by Bread was a training for 75 young adult hunge justice advocates including former National Youth Conference coordinator Beth Rhodes. In addition, Herb and Jeanne Smith of McPherson, Kan., participated in the Foods Resource Bank's "Heart of the Hill" witness on hunger to legislators.
  
  
• Congregational Life Ministries executive director Jonathan Shively is on the planning committee for the 2011 Congress on Urban Ministry, titled "Peacemaking in a Culture of Violence." Sponsored by the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education in Chicago, Ill. (SCUPE), the event will be held March 1-4, 2011, at Hyatt McCormick Place in Chicago.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren’s Facebook page now has more than 3,000 fans as of yesterday. "Thanks for being part of the Church of the Brethren online community," wrote Wendy McFadden, Brethren Press publisher who posts on behalf of the denomination. "Thanks for all the ways you continue the work of Jesus." The 3,000 mark is roughly double the number of fans in late January. The country with the second highest number of fans after the United States is Nigeria, with 19, and top cities are Philadelphia, Roanoke, Harrisburg, and Chicago. Find the page at www.facebook.com/churchofthebrethren.
  
  
• "Join us live in Colorado!" says an invitation to the first-ever webcast from National Youth Conference. On July 19, from 8:30-9:55 a.m. mountain time (10:30-11:55 a.m. eastern), streaming video of the worship service from NYC will feature the youth speech and music contest winners. A recording will be made for those unable to tune in at the time of the live broadcast. All that will be needed to view the broadcast is a computer connected to the Internet. The webcast will be produced by Bethany Seminary in collaboration with the Church of the Brethren’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry. To view the webcast or access the recording go to www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts and click on the National Youth Conference link.
  
  
• The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership continues this year with some "tweaking," reports the academy newsletter. Recruitment of pastors began this April, an initial retreat for the Advanced Foundations for Congregational Leaders will be Aug. 24-27, and a first retreat/workshop for Vital Pastor cohorts will be Sept. 13-16. Recruitment will continue through the summer while there is time for the pastors entering this fall’s cohorts to complete their pre-retreat reflections or until each educational track is filled. Pastors can contact coordinators Linda and Glenn Timmons at timmogl@bethanyseminary.edu or timmoli@bethanyseminary.edu or 800-287-8822 ext. 1810.
  
  
• "Peace Among the Peoples: Overcoming the Spirit, Logic, and Practice of Violence" is planned for July 28-31 in Elkhart, Ind. The Church of the Brethren is one of the sponsors of this ecumenical peace conference focused on contemporary North American responses to war in preparation for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation culminating event of the Decade to Overcome Violence in Jamaica next year. For more information and to register go to www.peace2010.net.
  
  
• Erwin (Tenn.) Church of the Brethren has opened its new sanctuary for worship, two years after a fire touched off by lightning destroyed its church building on June 9, 2008 (see the Newsline report of the fire at www.brethren.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5508). A piece from News Channel 11 posted at Tricities.com last Sunday, June 13, reported on the first worship service open to the public at the new building. "That new church smell greeted dozens of regulars--and several guests," the report said, quoting pastor Phil Graeber: "A lot of times I hear people say, ‘Well you all have done a tremendous job.’ It’s not me that’s done a tremendous job, it’s everyone. Because everyone has had a hand in it." A video report is at www2.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/erwin_church_of_the_brethren_opens_new_meeting_house/47548.
  
  
  
• Shiloh Church of the Brethren near Kasson, W.Va., has started rebuilding following a fire on Jan. 3 this year (see the Newsline report of Jan. 5 at www.brethren.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9965). Financial secretary Doug Mills reports the congregation hopes to have its new building enclosed and weather proofed by the end of this week, at this point focusing on first completing the sanctuary and restrooms. So far, about $474,000 has been received from the church’s insurance plan and in donations, toward a total rebuilding estimate of $528,000, Mills said. Virlina District churches have contributed more than $8,000, and some 20 other Brethren congregations also have sent donations. "You never can get enough insurance, and we voted not to borrow any money," Mills commented. For more information about the rebuilding effort contact Shiloh Church of the Brethren, Attn: Doug Mills, Rt. 1, Box 284, Moatsville, WV 26405; 304-457-2650 or sharks@dishmail.net.
  
  
• May 16 marked the Open House service for the new Glory to Glory Ministries, a church plant of Illinois and Wisconsin District in the Douglas Park neighborhood of Chicago. "The house was packed with all 64 seats taken," reported the district newsletter. "Please continue to keep this ministry and the work in Chicago in your prayers."
  
  
• Colorful fabric bags were made out of used t-shirts by women at Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Kalamazoo, Mich., on May 15. Carie Gross had seen the pattern in her "Family Fun" magazine as an idea for your child's favorite t-shirts that have been outgrown. Seeing a possible outreach project, she began in February collecting donations. Thanks to the letter she wrote to the local paper, the church not only received donations, but two women from the community joined in the first work day alongside six from the congregation. Over 600 t-shirts were donated and the women finished 180 bags that first day. The bags were blessed the following day during worship, and delivered to Ministry with Community, a daytime drop-in shelter that serves the homeless.
  
  
• Atlantic Southeast District has a new website: www.cob-net.org/church/ase.
  
  
• Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., has recognized five people with its Alumni Honor Award including physician Phil Wright of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., who serves as medical director for Physicians Health Plan. Also receiving the award are Marvin L. Bittinger of Carmel, Ind., mathematics textbook author and honorary professor emeritus of mathematics education for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis; Carolyn Hardman, long-time board member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the American Pianists Association; Edward L. Hollenberg of Winamac, Ind., family physician and author; and Anita Sherman of Indianapolis, senior audit partner of Greenwalt CPAs.
  
  
• The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., on June 29 starting at 7:30 p.m. in Rosenberger Auditorium in Oller Hall. "The awe-inspiring acts of acrobatics used by the Golden Dragon troupe date back more than 2,000 years" and include routines such as the human pagoda, rope-walking, and the "dancing horse," the release said. For tickets and information call 814-641-JTIX (5849). General admission is $12. Juniata College students are admitted free with a student ID.
  
  
• Louise Nolt, a resident at Timbercrest Senior Living, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in North Manchester, Ind., is collecting stories from people who served in Civilian Public Service (CPS) or alternative service during World War II. Nolt is undertaking a history of CPS camps and alternative service projects during the war. Write to Louise Nolt, c/o Timbercrest Senior Living, 2201 East St., North Manchester, IN 46962.
  
  
• Nine Ministry Summer Service interns participated in orientation in early June. Interns serve in congregations and denominational programs and include the Youth Peace Travel Team. Above from left are interns Hannah Wysong, Bethany Clark, Allen Bowers, Marcus Harden, Jenna Stacy, Cambria Teter, Hannah Miller, Sarah Neher, and Tim Heishman. Find a blog from the 2010 Youth Peace Travel Team (Harden, Heishman, Teter, and Wysong) at blog.brethren.org.
  
  
• Artist and minister David Weiss painted pictures inspired by the New Church Development Conference. This painting illustrates the text for the conference, 1 Corinthians 3:6. View the photo album from the conference at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserAlbum&AlbumID=11363.

Source: 6/17/2010 Newsline

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. Jan Fischer Bachman, Martha Beach, Kathleen Campanella, Lesley Crosson, Joe Detrick, Enten Eller, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Jonathan Frerichs, Ed Groff, Carie Gross, Audrey Hollenberg, Jeri S. Kornegay, Karin L. Krog, Emily LaPrade, Donna March, Wendy McFadden, Howard Royer, Andrew Sampson, Jonathan Shively, Brian Solem, John Wall, Julia Wheeler contributed to this report.