Brethren bits.

Photo courtesy of South Central Indiana District

Lower Deer Creek Church of the Brethren in South Central Indiana District has collected over a ton of food for two food pantries, according to the district newsletter. A total of 2,032 pounds of food was dropped off at local food pantries in time for Thanksgiving.

• Remembrance: Rolland Perry Smith, 72, a former mission worker with the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, died Nov. 9 following a lengthy struggle with cancer. He was born Oct. 15, 1941, to Harvey and Margaret Cozad Smith in Newport, R.I., and grew up in Huntington, Ind. He earned degrees from Manchester College and Bethany Theological Seminary, and also attended Colgate-Rochester Divinity School. He served with Brethren Volunteer Service from 1964-67, first at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., then as a math teacher at Waka Teacher's College in Biu, Nigeria. After he was married to Bonnie Throne in 1968, they served together as teachers at Waka Teacher's College with the Church of the Brethren mission program for three years. In his professional career, he also served as a pastor in Indiana, and as a math teacher in Illinois. The family moved to Iowa in 1987, where Rolland taught math, physics, and Bible at Iowa Mennonite School until 1999, and after completing the chaplaincy program at the University of Iowa, served as a pastor for nine years, retiring in 2010. He is survived by former wife Bonnie Smith; children Daniel (Kathryn) Smith-Derksen of Seattle, Wash.; Timothy (MJ) Smith, of Atlanta, Ga.; Rachel (Bruce) Headings of Iowa City; and Sarah Smith of Boston Mass.; and by grandchildren.

• The National Council of Churches Governing Board has elected James E. Winkler as general secretary/president of the NCC. Winkler has been serving as general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. He will succeed Peg Birk, who has served as transitional general secretary of the NCC since July 2012, following the resignation of former general secretary Michael Kinnamon in 2011. The office of general secretary/president is the leading staff position in the NCC. Winkler has been a member of the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the NCC, a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for Health Care Now, and a board member of several organizations including the Faith and Politics Institute, Churches for the Middle East Peace, and Africa Action. He has served as general secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, the international public policy and social justice agency of the United Methodist Church, since Nov. 2000.

• Camp Alexander Mack has announced the retirement of office manager Phyllis Leininger as of the end of December. She has been with the camp for 25 years “and has been at the heart of all that describes Camp Mack,” the announcement said. A Retirement Open House was held on Dec. 1 at the camp, located near Milford, Ind. Camp Mack also gathered memories and photos of Leininger for the celebration. Cards for Leininger may be mailed care of Camp Mack, P.O. Box 158, Milford, IN 46542. Leininger has requested that any gifts in her honor be directed to Camp Mack for the “Growing from the Ashes Campaign” for building the new Becker Retreat Center.

• The Church of the Brethren seeks an assistant workcamp coordinator for 2015, to fill a volunteer position located at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The position is a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) placement and includes service as a BVS volunteer and being a member of the Elgin Community House. The position is an administrative and a practical ministry position with the first three-quarters of the year spent preparing for youth and young adult summer workcamps, and the summer spent traveling from location to location serving as coordinator of workcamps for youth and young adults. The administrative work includes choosing an annual theme, preparing promotional materials, writing and designing a devotional book and leaders resources, setting up financial spreadsheets, setting up and maintaining a registration database, sending letters to participants and leaders, workcamp site visits, collecting forms and paperwork, and other administrative work. During the summer the assistant coordinator is responsible for the overall administration of particular workcamps including housing, transportation, food, work, and recreation, and may be responsible for planning and leading devotional, educational, and group activities. Requirements include gifts for and experience in youth ministry, passion for Christian service, understanding of mutual ministry both giving and receiving, spiritual and emotional maturity, organizational and office skills, physical stamina and the ability to travel well. Preferred experience and skills include previous workcamp experience as a leader or participant, computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Access, and Publisher. For more information go to www.brethren.org/workcamps. To request an application, contact Emily Tyler, Church of the Brethren Workcamp Office, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; etyler@brethren.org; 800-323-8039 ext. 396.

• Applications for Ministry Summer Service in 2014 are due by Jan. 10. Ministry Summer Service (MSS) is a leadership development program for college students in the Church of the Brethren who spend 10 weeks of the summer working in the church, either a congregation, district office, camp, or national program. The 2014 orientation dates are May 30-June 4. For more information and application forms for interns and mentors see www.brethren.org/yya/mss.

• The Church of the Brethren was one of 29 organizations warning Congress against new Iran sanctions. The church’s Office of Public Witness noted that “current sanctions have hindered the diplomatic process already and have caused numerous problems for Iranian citizens” A joint letter sent to key Senators by the 29 national organizations warned against new Iran sanctions or restrictive policy language that could sabotage diplomatic progress with Iran, and came at a time when the Senate was considering amendments on the National Defense Authorization Act and the day before the US and Iran were to re-convene for a third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva. The letter and signing organizations are at www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10061&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1 . Public Witness staff also supported a campaign by Bread for the World encouraging the message to Congress that “this is the wrong time to prevent families from putting food on the table.” Bread for the World is requesting calls to members of Congress at 800-326-4941 or e-mail messages to protect food aid for those in need this holiday season. Find out more at http://blog.bread.org/2013/11/200-million-meals-eliminated-as-thanksgiving-approaches.html.

• The Shine curriculum project of Brethren Press and MennoMedia has been awarded a grant of $10,000 to make the “Shine On” story Bible available in Spanish, reports Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden. The grant comes from the Schowalter Foundation, a Mennonite organization that has provided funding in the past for specific components of the Jubilee curriculum and the Gather ’Round curriculum, and will go toward expenses for editing, development and consulting, translation, design, and printing.

• Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries, will lead a workshop on “Vital Passions, Holy Practices: Exploring Spiritual Gifts” on Dec. 14 at Cross Keys Village the Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa. The event takes place from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and offers .4 continuing education credits for ministers. Cost is $10 per person or $25 for five or more people from the same congregation. Contact the Southern Pennsylvania District office at 717-624-8636. Registrations are due by Dec. 11.

• Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren Global Mission and Service, has been named to the executive committee of the board of Heifer International. He has been serving on the board as a representative of the denomination. The Church of the Brethren has a permanent seat on the board as the founding organization of Heifer International, which was started as the Church of the Brethren’s Heifer Project.

• Karis, an outreach ministry with connections to Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren, is celebrating the second anniversary of its shop and café in Mt. Sidney, Va., reports the Shenandoah District newsletter. “Proceeds benefit numerous organizations--local, denominational, and international,” the newsletter said. “A special interest has been setting up a garden to help feed the 30 children served at an orphanage in Haiti.”

• Ridge Church of the Brethren in Shippensburg, Pa., is holding a re-enactment and live nativity on Dec. 13, 14, and 15 at 7 p.m. “Over 30 characters participating, dressed in costume of the biblical period, along with live animals,” said an announcement in the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter. Refreshments will be provided, and all are welcome.

• County Line Church of the Brethren’s live Nativity in Champion, Pa., received media attention for adding a twist. “This year, besides the live Nativity, we are going to have a couple choirs sing each night,” Linda McGinley, event coordinator, told the Tribune newspaper. Various church choirs will participate along with singer Patty Kerr. The live Nativity will be held on two nights, Dec. 13 and 14, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Read more at http://triblive.com/news/fayette/5209841-74/nativity-church-mcginley#ixzz2mpevACfG.

• Lower Deer Creek Church of the Brethren in South Central Indiana District has collected over a ton of food for two food pantries, according to the district newsletter. A total of 2,032 pounds of food was dropped off at local food pantries in time for Thanksgiving.

• The Goshen News is reporting on a new collaborative effort between Nappanee (Ind.) Church of the Brethren and Faith Mission of Elkhart, Chicago/Michiana Five for the Homeless. The collaboration is bringing a new soup kitchen to Nappanee. John Shafer, founder of Chicago/Michiana Five for the Homeless, shared his vision for a new soup kitchen on Facebook and Deb Lehman of the Nappanee church mentioned it to her pastor, Byrl Shaver, “who loved the idea,” the paper reported. “Right now plans are to host the soup kitchen Mondays and Thursdays every week from 5 to 6 p.m.” See www.goshennews.com/local/x1636702933/Nappanee-soup-kitchen-to-open#sthash.sg9EyELA.dpuf.

• The board of Southern Ohio District met for an annual retreat with business centered “around how to best honor the decisions of our District Conference as we move forward with Outdoor Ministries and the facilities at Camp Woodland Altars,” said a report in the district newsletter. “The camp will require costly repairs and updates in order to meet state recommended life health and safety standards.” The board created a new Camping and Retreat Commission with members of the Outdoor Ministries Transition Team invited to be a part of it. “Their purpose will be to develop the camping and retreat ministry in Southern Ohio and to manage the property of Woodland Altars,” the report said. “$100,000.00 of our reserves will be released to the Camping and Retreat Commission to make needed repairs and updates to meet state requirements for life and health safety in time for the 2014 summer camping season. All loans to Outdoor Ministries have been removed from the books.”

• Candlelight Dinners at the John Kline Homestead in Broadway, Va., will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20 and 21. “In addition to enjoying a home-style meal, guests will learn about the family's struggles in the fall of 1863, including the Virginia cavalry raids, high inflation, and fleeing war refugees,” said an invitation from John Kline Homestead board of directors president Paul Roth. Seats are $40 per person. Call 540-896-5001 for reservations. Groups are welcome; seating is limited to 32 guests.

• Peter Becker Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement community, has partnered with Home Helpers of Lansdale, Pa., in a move to enhance choices and meet the changing needs of community members said a release. Peter Becker has entered into a preferred provider arrangement. “Home Helpers at Peter Becker Community” will have campus presence with staffed office hours. The agency will provide personal care assistance, homemaker services, and companionship to residents in all levels of care, as requested by residents and their families.  In addition, campus residents will receive preferential pricing. A concierge caregiver program will be launched in early December to allow campus residents to engage these services. As an integral part of this new strategic relationship, Home Helpers is committing to formalizing and increasing its previous and ongoing commitment to Peter Becker Community’s Benevolent Fund.

•  Camp Bethel's Christmas TOGETHER Banquet on Dec. 6 was also a fundraiser for a new tractor for the camp located near Fincastle, Va. The banquet included a Christmas music program presented by the Jones Family. Gifts helped toward the tractor purchase. “Our collective support of Camp Bethel puts TOGETHERness into practice as described in Acts 2:43-47,” said an announcement.

• McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren is hosting a performance by the McPherson College Choir on Sunday, Dec. 8. "Christmas at McPherson: Music for Harp and Choir, A Service of Lessons and Carols" will begin at 7 p.m. The music is by contemporary British composer Benjamin Britten, said a release from the college. “A Ceremony of Carols op. 28 was originally written as a series of unconnected songs, but was later connected into one unified piece with a processional and recessional chant. A solo harp based on these chants are worked through the compositions,” the release noted. “Written in 1942 during a transatlantic voyage, Britten’s cantata is based on Middle English, Latin, and modern English poetry.” The choir is directed by Josh Norris, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. The public is invited. A free-will offering will be received at the door to help underwrite expenses of the concert.

• Bethel Ministries in Boise, Idaho, connected with Mt. View Church of the Brethren, is holding a Graduation Banquet on Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. at the church. The ministry aids people who have been in prison to re-enter society. Speaker for the banquet is David Birch, Area 4 Supervisor for the Department of Parole. “Come join us as we celebrate changed lives and God's grace,” said an invitation from David McKellip, who is a leader in the ministry. Contact P.O. Box 44106, Boise ID 83711-0106; 208-345-0701; www.bethelministries.net.

• The Springs of Living Water church renewal initiative has released an Advent/Christmas spiritual disciplines folder titled “Awake to the Joy, Christ the Savior is Born!” The folder is intended to help individuals and congregations experience spiritual growth in this season of preparation and celebration, said an announcement from Springs leader David Young. The Sunday texts follow the Church of the Brethren bulletin/lectionary series. An insert gives options for persons to consider where God is leading in next steps of spiritual growth. Vince Cable, pastor of Uniontown Church of the Brethren, has written the Bible study questions. Find the folder at the Springs website www.churchrenewalservant.org.

• December's "Brethren Voices," the cable television program produced by Portland Peace Church of the Brethren, features the Brethren Disaster Relief Auction of Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania Districts. This large auction raises funds for disaster relief, with all types of items are donated and auctioned off and proceeds contributing to assist Brethren  Disaster Ministries. This year “60 heifers were auctioned as well as beautiful quilts, antique cars, household furnishings, tools, and equipment,” said an announcement from producer Ed Groff.  “Those attending this 37th Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction were treated to the tasty food prepared for this event. A prize red and white heifer is auctioned and sells for $3,400. It's a delightful story.” For a copy contact groffprod1@msn.com.

• The Open Table Cooperative, an organization of progressive Brethren, has created a daily Photography Advent Practice. “Guided by the calendar each day you are invited to take a photo, use a smart phone...a point and shoot camera, film, even a mental snapshot, whatever medium works for you. The idea is to capture a moment of your day, to see it with new eyes through the lens of a camera, and bring intention into your day as we prepare for the birth of Christ,” said an announcement. The group invites the sharing of photographs through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, using the hashtag #PhotoAdvent13. Or upload photos to the group on Flickr photostream, www.flickr.com/groups/advent2013.

• Heeding God’s Call is taking steps to become an independent 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The initiative against gun violence in America’s cities got its start at a meeting of the peace churches. It is expanding quickly, with a new chapter in southeastern Pennsylvania called the Chester/Delco Chapter holding a kick-off rally on Nov. 3, with over 140 people in attendance. There is conversation about expansion into Virginia as well. A Greater Washington (D.C.) Chapter has begun participating in demonstrations held the 14th of each month at the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va., in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. The Harrisburg, Pa., chapter constructed a “Memorial to the Lost” featuring t-shirts bearing the names of those killed by handguns in the area since 2009. “It has been on display at six sites already since being constructed in August,” the newsletter said. “Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia all now have or soon will have a Memorial to the Lost.” For more go to www.heedinggodscall.org.

• A faith sharing page for the Christmas movie "Angels Sing," offers a sermon and children’s story by Church of the Brethren pastor Frank Ramirez, titled “Blue Christmas True Christmas.” The movie featuring Harry Connick Jr., Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, among others, “centers around a man who experienced a terrible tragedy as a child at Christmas time, and who struggles during the holiday,” Ramirez reports to Newsline. The sermon and children’s story are at www.angelssingmovie.com/faith-sharing-resources/#.Uo1RiHco7cs.

• Bill Galvin, who has worked for the Center on Conscience and War (previously NISBCO) for over 30 years, will receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the Washington Peace Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12. He has worked as a GI Rights counselor and has become an all-around expert on rights of conscience in the military, said an announcement from the board of directors of the Center on Conscience and War. “His expertise has been foundational to the GI Rights and resister movement and critical for countering military recruitment with a true picture of the reality of military service,” said the announcement, adding that the board is “very excited that someone who is doing ‘our work’ will be recognized in this way.” For more about the award, go to http://washingtonpeacecenter.net/activistawards.

Source: 12/7/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Colleen M. Algeo, Jeff Boshart, Chris Douglas, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Ed Groff, Rick Koch, Wendy McFadden, Becky Ullom Naugle, David McKellip, Dale Minnich, Paul Roth, Janine Schwab, Anna Speicher, David S. Young, Jane Yount, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline Special: Brethren Disaster Ministries responds to Illinois tornado outbreak

Photo courtesy of FEMA

An aerial view of tornado destruction in Washington, Ill.

By Jane Yount

Following an intense outbreak of thunderstorms and tornadoes that heavily impacted parts of Illinois and Indiana on Sunday, Nov. 17, Brethren Disaster Ministries is preparing to be involved as needed in those states.

Preliminary reports indicate some 91 tornadoes resulted in six fatalities and approximately 150 to 200 injuries. In Illinois, more than 1,000 residences sustained moderate to severe damage, with the heaviest damage in the towns of Washington and Minden. Indiana fared better with 26 counties reporting damage to about 56 dwellings and 2 schools.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is supporting Church World Service (CWS) efforts to provide disaster recovery training for communities hit by the tornadoes and material aid shipments such as Emergency Clean-up Buckets, Hygiene Kits, Baby Care Kits, School Kits, and CWS blankets. CWS responded to its first request for material goods by shipping 200 Clean-up Buckets to the American Red Cross Chicago Region for distribution in the Coal City area of Illinois.

Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator reports

Rick Koch, the Illinois and Wisconsin District disaster coordinator, is representing Brethren Disaster Ministries on daily conference calls of Illinois VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). He reports that VOAD member organizations are assessing where to send early responders.

“While Washington, Ill., was first in the news, many communities other than Washington have been hard hit,” Koch reports. “Coal City, Ill., also had deaths, and a trailer park was destroyed.”

Koch shared with the Illinois VOAD that Brethren Disaster Ministries stands ready to do long-term recovery work as the affected communities become ready.

In an e-mail message to Illinois and Wisconsin District churches he wrote, “First and foremost, please pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for those injured and for those who have been displaced.... Some of our Brethren families have been affected directly as well.”

In an e-mail update today, Koch writes that “lists are being posted by the Red Cross on items needed. They vary, so find the one closest to your area,” he says, noting that churches in the district may begin to collect items. Three different collection sites are being opened in Illinois, at Coal City, in the community of Gillespie near Champaign, and in Washington. He recommends that interested congregations talk to their area Red Cross for more information about the need for volunteers.

“Also please do not forget to give financially to Brethren Disaster Ministries,” Koch urges. Giving to the Illinois tornado response may be done online at www.brethren.org/edf or by check to Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is in touch with churches

Zach Wolgemuth, associate director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, has spoken with Dana McNeil, pastor of Peoria (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, one of the closest churches to the worst affected areas in Illinois. McNeil said the church is planning to get involved in clean-up work and other recovery efforts.

Cliff Kindy, South/Central Indiana District disaster coordinator, has reached out to several congregations in Indiana including Kokomo, Lafayette, and Logansport. They reported fallen trees and loose shingles but were spared major damage. “I’m not sensing any urgency in this state,” Kindy said. “I think the warning systems were effective.” He too plans to be in touch with his state VOAD.

-- Jane Yount is coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries. Find out more about the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries at www.brethren.org/bdm . The program also recently announced a challenge to raise $500,000 for disaster response following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Source: 11/20/2013 Newsline Special

Newsline: November 15, 2013

NEWS

• Former general secretary Judy Mills Reimer is remembered for her leadership to the Church of the Brethren
• Great Multitude Symposium considers the intercultural vision of church
• Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 begins service
• New Young Adult Steering Committee members announced
• Church World Service issues update on Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts
• World Hunger Auction completes its 30th year

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Progressive Brethren Gathering to be webcast live this weekend
• National Youth Conference speakers announced, registration opens January 3
• New video series asks, ‘Why NYC?’
• Bethany Seminary offers course on Dietrich Bonhoeffer

BRETHREN BITS

• Remembering J. Henry Long, personnel, SVMC course, Lilly clergy renewal, Nobel laureate at Juniata, Colombia peace prize, Virlina members to school boards, Christmas events, and more

Former general secretary Judy Mills Reimer is remembered for her leadership to the Church of the Brethren

Photo by Kermon Thomasson

Judy Mills Reimer at 1988 General Board meeting, in a photo by Kermon Thomasson

Judy Mills Reimer, 73, who filled a number of key leadership roles in the Church of the Brethren including service as a former general secretary and Annual Conference moderator, died the morning of Nov. 13 in a hospital in Charlottesville, Va. She had suffered a series of strokes over the past few weeks.

“Her death is a loss to the whole Church of the Brethren, to which she gave so much of her life, energy, commitment, and passion,” said a statement from Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger.

Reimer became executive director of the denomination in 1998 and served in the position until she retired in July 2003, with the job title changing to general secretary in 2001. She was moderator of the Annual Conference in 1995. She served on the denomination’s General Board (now the Mission and Ministry Board) from 1985-90, and was board chair from 1988-90.

She was born Sept. 5, 1940, the daughter of Gladys and Mike Mills, and was nurtured in the faith as a child by her parents and Hollins Road Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va. She felt a call to the ministry in the late 1950s, according to a remembrance from Virlina District, but it was not until 1991 that she was licensed to the ministry. She was ordained in 1994, following graduation from Bethany Theological Seminary where she earned a master of divinity degree.

Her ministry in Virlina District included at least 11 years as a member of the district board where she served as chair of the Nurture Commission and chair of Outdoor Ministry, co-chaired or was vice chair of two district financial campaigns, and chaired the Virlina District Restructuring Committees in the 1970s and 1980s, among other positions.

On the denominational level, she also was field staff for Passing on the Promise in Atlantic Northeast and Middle Pennsylvania Districts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was on the board of the Association of Brethren Caregivers and served a term as chair elect for the ABC board, chaired the Health and Welfare Council and the denomination’s Deacon Cabinet in the early 1990s, chaired the Pension Board Restructuring Committee in 1986-87, was in a group studying South African Divestiture in 1985-86, was worship coordinator for the 1994 National Youth Conference as well as an advisor for the National Youth Cabinet, was a member of the Brethren Business Network, served a term as delegate to the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches, and on behalf of the NCC was an official observer at the Nicaraguan election in 1990.

Earlier in life, she did a term of Brethren Volunteer Service at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and at Hessish Lichtenau in Germany. After two years in BVS, she became an elementary school teacher in Canada and then in Roanoke, Va. Later, she and her husband, George, were the owners of Harris Office Furniture Co. Inc. in Roanoke.

Her life was “miraculous and exemplary,” said the Virlina District obituary, which noted that she suffered heart damage from an infection in 1967 “that would have diminished a lesser person. Judy chose to use every day as a gift from God.”

“I dream of the day when members of the Church of the Brethren are focused on the ‘bigger’ picture of Jesus Christ,” she wrote in a Messenger article in October 1994, during the year she served as moderator of Annual Conference, “seeking to discern through scripture, prayer, and community life how God would have us live our days as a denomination. Issues and questions will always be with us. Answers will come as we forthrightly communicate with each other in love and respect.... The joy of our faith is to shine through in all we do and say. To live each moment to the fullest. To live for God’s honor and glory.”

Judy Mills Reimer is survived by her husband of 49 years, George Reimer, and son Troy (Kristen), and two grandsons. She was predeceased by her parents and son Todd.

The family will receive friends from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, at Oakey’s North Chapel with a memorial service on Monday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. at Williamson Road Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va. Pastor Connie Burkholder will officiate. Entombment will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum at 2:30 p.m. Memorial gifts are received to the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; or to Camp Bethel, 328 Bethel Rd., Fincastle, VA 24090.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Great Multitude Symposium considers the intercultural vision of church

photo by Mandy Garcia

The Intercultural Ministries Advisory Committee, October 2013: (from left) Robert Jackson, Barbara Daté, Dennis Webb, and Gilbert Romero. Thomas Dowdy was honored in absentia.

By Gimbiya Kettering

The 50 participants at the “Great Multitude Symposium” Oct. 25-27 in Virlina District ranged from retired pastors to young adults. They traveled from California, and just a few miles down the mountain from the conference center. They spoke Hausa, German, Spanish, and English.

It seems possible, then, to say that the symposium brought together people truly representative of the many tribes, peoples, and languages in the Church of the Brethren. They were diverse, yet unified in the desire to make a biblically based vision of an intercultural church a reality. (Find a link to a photo album of The Great Multitude Symposium at www.brethren.org/album .)

The vision was articulated and affirmed in the “Separate No More” paper adopted by the 2007 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren. The paper provides a foundational framework that is at once scriptural and communal.

To start off, Barbara Daté led a session that helped symposium participants get to know one another and share about their cultural roots.

Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman reminded attendees that Annual Conference papers start with queries from congregations and then return to congregations to be implemented--meaning that everyone has a role in achieving the goal of being a denomination with vibrant intercultural ministries.

Dennis Webb and Jonathan Shively led a creative session about the meaning of the word “intercultural” and how to be more effective in relating across cultures.

Then, with the “Separate No More” paper in front of them, participants engaged in small group conversations about how to implement the vision. Each group reported urgency and excitement for becoming more active in intercultural ministries at all levels of the church.

The excitement and new perspectives carried over to a panel discussion about Hispanic congregations that featured Daniel D’Oleo, Lidia Gonzales, Gilbert Romero, and Carol Yeazell. The day closed with a tradition from past intercultural gatherings--a concert by the Bittersweet Gospel Band.

After a hearty Southern-style brunch, Sunday morning services were held at Roanoke (Va.) First Church of the Brethren. A bilingual worship time was co-hosted by the Roanoke First and Roanoke Renacer congregations.

Daniel D’Oleo of Roanoke Renacer and Dava Hensley of Roanoke First, along with Virlina District executive minister David Shumate, worked closely with Congregational Life Ministries staff to make the conference possible.

Revelation 7:9 Award announced

When Barbara Daté, Thomas Dowdy (in absentia), Robert Jackson, Gilbert Romero, and Dennis Webb were called to the front of the room, they thought it was going to be a routine introduction of the Intercultural Ministries Advisory Committee. Instead, to their surprise, they were honored with the Revelation 7:9 Award.

Since 2008, the Revelation 7:9 Award has recognized individuals who have been passionate advocates for intercultural ministries in the Church of the Brethren. Few people have been more involved than this committee, whose cumulative involvement can be counted in terms of decades. The honorees were quick to name former members of the committee who were not present, and to call up others present who had worked with them in the past and helped bring the movement to where it is today.

-- Gimbiya Kettering is coordinator of intercultural ministries for the Church of the Brethren. Find a link to a photo album of The Great Multitude Symposium by Mandy Garcia at www.brethren.org/album.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 begins service

Courtesy of Brethren Volunteer Service

Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 303 has completed orientation and the volunteers have been sent across the US and into Europe and Latin America to begin a term of service. The volunteers, who met Sept. 22 to Oct. 11 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., have been assigned to the following placements:
Emily Davis of Columbia, Mo., to Midwives for Haiti, Hinche, Haiti.

Tracie Doi of Granger, Ind., and David Mueller of Kassel, Germany, to Project PLASE, Baltimore, Md.

Erin Duffy of Hempfield Church of the Brethren, Manheim, Pa., to Highland Park Elementary School, Roanoke, Va.

Grace Elkins of Hollidaysburg, Pa., to CooperRiis, Mill Spring, N.C.

Theresa Ford of Green Tree Church of the Brethren, Oaks, Pa., and Olivia Haddad of Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren to Family Abuse Center, Waco, Texas.

Verena Goetz of Furth, Germany, to New Community Project, Harrisonburg, Va.

Tyler Goss of West Richmond Church of the Brethren, Richmond, Va., to Capstone, New Orleans, La.

Brandon Gumm of Midland (Va.) Church of the Brethren and Evelinia Husser of Speyer, Germany, to Cincinnati (Ohio) Church of the Brethren.

Becky Harness of North Liberty (Ind.) Church of the Brethren and Svenja Koenig of Dortmund, Germany, to Abode Services, Fremont, Calif.

Michael Himlie of Root River Church of the Brethren, Preston, Minn., to Brethren Disaster Ministries, New Windsor, Md.

Nate and Angela I. of Olympic View Church of the Brethren, Seattle, Wash., to CPR Sierra Unión Victoria, in Unión Victoria, Guatemala.

Carson McFadden of Highland Ave Church of the Brethren, Elgin, Ill., to Boys Hope Girls Hope, Kansas City, Mo.

Craig Morphew of Bethany Church of the Brethren, New Paris, Ind., to L’Arche Cork, Cork, Ireland.

April Moyer of Perkiomenville, Pa., to Capital Area Food Bank, Washington, D.C.

Andreas Pielczyk of Troisdorf, Germany, to the Center on Conscience and War, Washington D.C.

Sean Smith of Saint Petersburg (Fla.) Church of the Brethren to Church of the Brethren Material Resources, New Windsor, Md.

Becky Snell of McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren to Quaker Cottage, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Jenna Stacy of Melvin Hill Church of the Brethren, Columbia, N.C., to Brethren Workcamps, Elgin, Ill.

David von Rueden of Wieseloch, Germany, to SnowCap, Portland, Ore.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

New Young Adult Steering Committee members announced

Three young adults will join the Young Adult Steering Committee of the Church of the Brethren this fall. Jess Hoffert is part of Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren in Northern Plains District. Heather Landram hails from Shenandoah District and Staunton Church of the Brethren. Laura Whitman comes to the team from Palmyra Church of the Brethren in Atlantic Northeast District.

Other members of the Young Adult Steering Committee are Joshua Bashore-Steury, Jon Bay, and Ashley Kern. The Young Adult Steering Committee met Nov. 8-10 to plan for Young Adult Conference, scheduled for May 23-25, 2014, at Camp Brethren Woods in Virginia.

Visit www.brethren.org/yac for more information, or contact Becky Ullom Naugle, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, at 847-404-0163 or bullomnaugle@brethren.org.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Church World Service issues update on Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts

Photo courtesy of ACT Alliance/Christian Aid

Devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in Iloilo, the Philippines

Church World Service (CWS) has issued an update on relief efforts following Typhoon Haiyan, which has devastated parts of the Philippines and also hit Vietnam. CWS is one of the ecumenical partners with which Brethren Disaster Ministries works to aid survivors of disasters.

Typhoon Haiyan, now being referred to as a “super typhoon,” made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 8, affecting most strongly the islands of Leyte and Samar.

CWS has revised its initial appeal for the relief effort, with a new goal of $750,000, expanded from $250,000. Typhoon Haiyan, which also is known with the local name Typhoon Yolanda, “may have been the strongest typhoon on record, with sustained winds of 234 kilometers per hour and gusts of 275 kilometers per hour,” the update says.

The update notes that the “estimated number of fatalities from Typhoon Haiyan continues to fluctuate between 2,000 and 10,000. Whatever the final numbers, Typhoon Haiyan's effects have been devastating, with aid channels slowed due to severe damage to infrastructure and officials urging residents of decimated cities such as Tacloban to leave and relocate.” At least 982,252 families, or 4,459,468 individuals were affected, and an estimated 101,762 families or 477,736 individuals have been displaced, in numbers provided by the ACT Alliance.

CWS is supporting response and recovery efforts of fellow members of the ACT Alliance that have significant operations in the Philippines including the United Methodist Committee on Relief, Lutheran World Relief, Christian Aid, and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. CWS-supported efforts include providing immediate assistance to more than 200,000 people: emergency food to 259,000 people, non-food items (plastic sheeting, etc.) to 192,000, water/sanitation repair to 205,000, programs of cash for work for 63,400, shelter assistance for 90,000, and disaster risk reduction programs for 2,500.

ACT Alliance member organizations are targeting their aid to subsistence farmers, small fishermen, poor urban dwellers, and female-headed households among the most affected by the typhoon, as people who have limited capacity, finances, and resources of their own to recover, CWS says. The total amount being sought for the entire ACT Alliance effort is $15,418,584.

Among what CWS and others know based on assessments by partners in the Philippines:

• There are affected areas that government and non-governmental agencies have not yet reached. Urgent needs include food, sleeping materials, water, blankets, tarpaulins, tents, medicines, mosquito nets, generators, hygiene kits, and kitchen utensils.

• The massive destruction of houses prevents families from returning home. As a result, there is an immediate and increasing need for plastic sheets for temporary cover and enclosed tents for families with vulnerable members.

• Among the most urgent needs are safe drinking water and hygiene kits as water pipelines may have been damaged and accessible water is not potable. There is acute lack of clean water and food for the population in all nine provinces where more than 9 million people are affected.

Contributions to support the relief effort for Typhoon Haiyan survivors may be made at www.brethren.org/typhoonaid.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

World Hunger Auction completes its 30th year

By Lynn Myers 

The 30th World Hunger Auction, sponsored by a number of Churches of the Brethren in Franklin County and Roanoke, Va., was held in August. Beginning with one congregation in 1984, the auction has grown steadily to a point that 10 congregations currently are involved.

The results of the 2013 auction and associated activities were announced by the steering committee in early October. Of the $54,000 that was raised this year, $32,850 will be given to Heifer International; $13,687 to Roanoke Area Ministries; $5,475 to the Church of the Brethren Global Food Crisis Fund; and $2,737 to Heavenly Manna, a food bank in Franklin County.

Since 1984, more than $1,150,000 has been donated to these and other agencies that address hunger related issues.

While numerous auxiliary events such as meals, musical programs, a golf tournament, walk, and bike ride are scheduled through the year, the auction was the major fund raiser. This year, sale items included fried apple pies and baked goods, quilts and craft items, a walnut bowl and a bookcase, original art work and a blue bird carved from wood. In commemoration of the early auctions when cattle were sold, a Holstein heifer was auctioned.

Community support has been strong through the years and is vital to the event’s success. Many people make items specifically for the purpose of donating them to the sale, and literally hundreds of people are present on auction day.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Progressive Brethren Gathering to be webcast live this weekend

By Enten Eller

The Progressive Brethren Gathering happening this weekend, Nov. 15-17, in Fort Wayne, Ind., will be webcast live. Connect through either www.progressivebrethren.org or www.livingstreamcob.org.

Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne is hosting the gathering, and will be sharing its facility with participants who are attending the event on the theme, "Holy Longing: This Is My Body." Sharon Groves, director of the Religion and Faith Program for Human Rights Campaign, will be the featured presenter.

To make the event available to any who wish to participate yet cannot make it to Fort Wayne in person, Living Stream Church of the Brethren will share its online facility to host participants who desire to attend from a distance. All major sessions of the gathering will be webcast, and all are invited to participate either live, or through viewing recordings at any later time.

For more information about the gathering, including the conference brochure, see www.progressivebrethren.org.

-- Enten Eller, pastor of Ambler (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and director of Electronic Communication for Bethany Theological Seminary, is helping provide the webcasting from the Progressive Brethren Gathering.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

National Youth Conference speakers announced, registration opens January 3

The National Youth Conference Office has announced its list of 10 speakers for NYC 2014, to be held July 19-24, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. The NYC Office also is encouraging all congregations to plan NYC registration parties for the evening of Jan. 3 when online registration opens at 7 p.m. (central time). Youth groups are encouraged to plan a fun evening of food and games, and register together when the clock strikes seven. Party ideas are available on the registration page of the NYC website at www.brethren.org/yya/nyc/registration-info.html.

NYC 2014 speakers

Here is a brief introduction to each of the speakers who will share with National Youth Conference 2014 during worship:

• Jeff Carter is president of Bethany Theological Seminary, and up until recently served as pastor of Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren
• Kathy Escobar is co-pastor of the Refuge, a church community in north Denver, Colo., and also a spiritual director, writer, and retreat and workshop leader
• Leah Hileman is an indie recording artist, freelance writer, and licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren
• Jarrod McKenna is the national advisor for Youth, Faith, and Activism for World Vision Australia as well as founder of EPYC--Empowering Peacemakers in Your Community
• Rodger Nishioka is professor of Christian Education at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., and previously served as denominational staff for youth and young adult ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Jenn Quijano from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a student at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind.
• Samuel Sarpiya is pastor of Rockford (Ill.) Community Church, a Church of the Brethren fellowship
• Ted Swartz of “Ted and Company” is a playwright and actor from Harrisonburg, Va., who brings the Bible to life through storytelling and humor
• Katie Shaw Thompson is pastor of Ivester Church of the Brethren in Iowa
• The Youth Speech Contest Winners are yet to be named. Youth may still apply for the contest. Submissions are due by Feb. 16, 2014.

Registration information

The registration webpage for NYC 2014 offers previews in PDF format of what the registration form will look like when it opens on Jan. 3. These are intended to help youth groups prepare and know exactly what information they will need in order to register. Stay tuned for a video tutorial on how to register. For more information visit www.brethren.org/NYC or contact cobyouth@brethren.org or 800-323-3039 ext. 385.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

New video series asks, ‘Why NYC?’

The National Youth Conference Office has launched a weekly video series called "Why NYC Wednesdays." It features young adults from around the denomination reflecting on what their NYC experience meant to them, and sharing reasons why current youth should make NYC a priority next summer.

A new video will be released each Wednesday, available on the National Youth Conference YouTube channel and also on the NYC 2014 Facebook page. The first video featured Christy Crouse, from the Missouri/Arkansas District, who first attended NYC in 2010. You can view her reflections at www.brethren.org/news/2013/new-video-series-asks-why.html.

The NYC office invites others who have attended past youth conferences to submit their own reflections for consideration. How did attending NYC affect you? And why should youth make NYC a priority over any other possible summer activities? Videos can be up to 60 seconds long.

To inquire about submissions, contact the NYC office at cobyouth@brethren.org or 847-429-4363. For more information about National Youth Conference 2014, visit www.brethren.org/yya/nyc.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Bethany Seminary offers course on Dietrich Bonhoeffer

By Jenny Williams

In spring 2014, Bethany Theological Seminary will make one of its popular peace studies courses available through the Susquehanna Valley Ministries Center of Elizabethtown, Pa. Interested persons are invited to enroll in “Bonhoeffer, War, and Peace,” taught by Scott Holland, professor of theology and culture and director of peace studies and cross-cultural studies at the seminary in Richmond, Ind.

The application deadline for new students to enroll in spring semester classes is Dec. 1. Held at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., the class will be offered as a weekend intensive on Feb. 21-22, March 7-8, and March 21-22. Class times will run from 2-10 p.m. on Fridays and 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Drawing upon the disciplines of peace studies, theology, and ethics, participants will explore the life and thought of German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyred during World War II. “His story is the struggle of a pacifist living under the influence of a tyrant who murdered millions of Jews and other citizens,” says Holland. “Bonhoeffer’s response was to join the active resistance movement to overthrow Hitler. Students value the blending of theology with biography, the concrete, real-life story of a renowned theologian. This is useful in peace studies because so often we study the abstract.”

To enroll or for more information, contact Tracy Primozich, director of admissions, at primotr@bethanyseminary.edu or 800-287-8822.

-- Jenny Williams is director of Communications and Alumni/ae Relations for Bethany Theological Seminary.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Brethren bits.

Image courtesy of Frederick Church of the Brethren

On Dec. 14, Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren hosts a special Christmas event called “Search for the Christ Child,” a journey to find the true meaning of Christmas, said an invitation. “Over 100 volunteers transform the entire church building into first century Bethlehem. Visitors are led through the story of the first Christmas and brought to the feet of a live baby representing the Christ child. The event is free for the whole family with guests being asked to donate a non-perishable food item to our Deacon Pantry,” the announcement said. The 30-minute guided tours will be held from 12 noon through 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. For special accommodations, please e-mail search@fcob.net . For more information visit, www.fcob.net .

• Remembrance: J. Henry Long, 89, a former executive secretary of the Church of the Brethren’s Foreign Mission Commission, passed away Oct. 19. He was a life-long member of the Church of the Brethren and served the denomination in many capacities throughout his long career. Born in Lebanon, Pa., to the late Henry F. and Frances Horst Long, he earned degrees from Hershey (Pa.) Junior College, Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, Bethany Theological Seminary, and Temple University. He also studied at the University of Chicago. He was licensed to the ministry in 1941 and in 1947 with his wife Millie served in post-WWII Holland, Poland, and Austria under the Brethren Service Committee. Thereafter, he directed Audio Visual Education for the denomination beginning in 1949, before becoming an associate executive secretary in the Foreign Mission Commission, and then assuming the executive secretary position in 1957. In all, he spent some 15 years in world missions work. During his work for the former General Board of the Church of the Brethren, he stressed the indigenous development of overseas churches and urged their move toward cooperative relationships with national boards in the United States. He also served on several specialized committees of the National Council of Churches, and on behalf of the NCC was part of a special delegation meeting with Christians in conflict areas of Asia during a time of crisis between India and Pakistan. In 1969 he joined the faculty of Elizabethtown College, where he was associate professor of Sociology and associate dean for Continuing Education. During his time at the college, he was elected chair of the American Leprosy Missions in 1974. He had been a member of the organization’s board of directors since 1967. Following retirement, he gave full time service as a volunteer Facilities Manager for Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren. Throughout his life, he was an ardent photographer and wood worker. He is survived by his wife Millie Fogelsanger Long, to whom he had been married for 69 years; daughter Nancy and her husband Michael Elder; son Scott and his wife Valerie Long; daughter Barbara Brubaker and her husband Henry Smith; grandchildren and great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on Nov. 30 at 11 a.m. Memorial gifts are received to the Elizabethtown Child Care Center Benevolence Fund and the Alzheimer’s Association.

• Joe A. Detrick has been appointed interim district executive minister for the Church of the Brethren’s Pacific Southwest District. The interim position is fulltime beginning Dec. 1, for a period of nine to twelve months. Detrick is an ordained minister who retired in 2011 as district executive of Southern Pennsylvania District. In previous positions he has served as coordinator of Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) orientation from 1984-88, and has pastored congregations in Indiana and Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., and holds a master of divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary. The Pacific Southwest District office will continue to be located at 2705 Mountain View Dr., P.O. Box 219, La Verne, CA 91750-0219; frontdesk@pswdcob.org .

• Fumio Sugihara has been named vice president for enrollment at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., effective Feb. 1, 2014. He has been director of admissions at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., since 2007. He will oversee Juniata’s enrollment office and provide leadership to grow the college’s enrollment, identify new markets for recruitment, and strengthen existing markets, nurture alumni connections to Juniata’s enrollment program, play a key role in retention efforts, and enhance communication and enrollment-related efforts throughout the campus community, said a release from the school. Sugihara started his career in higher education in 1998 at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, where he was director for multicultural recruitment and associate director of admission. Bowdoin also is Sugihara’s alma mater, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1996 in women’s studies and environmental studies. He went on to earn a master’s degree in higher education in 2007 from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. He also has worked extensively with children, working as a vocational coordinator and case manager for developmentally disabled residential students at the New England Center for Children in Southborough, Mass., from 1996-98.

• “The Gospel of John and the Anabaptist Tradition,” a one-day continuing education event sponsored by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) was held Nov. 4 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Presenters were John David Bowman, Greg David Laszakovits, David Leiter, John Yeatts, Christina Bucher, Frank Ramirez, and Jeff Bach. A key resource was the Believers’ Church Bible Commentary on John by Willard M. Swartley. Approximately 70 participants listened to lectures and engaged in group discussion at round tables. SVMC is planning more such events in 2014: “What Every Christian Should Know about Islam” will be taught by Messiah College professor of Theology and Mission George Pickens at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren on March 15; “Leadership for the Emerging Church” will be taught by pastor and district executive Randy Yoder at the Village at Morrison’s Cove in Martinsburg, Pa., on March 22. Contact the SVMC office at 717-361-1450 or svmc@etown.edu .

• Information about the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs is now linked at the Church of the Brethren Ministry Office web page www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/sustaining.html . Also available is more information about other continuing education opportunities for ministers. Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs provide funds to congregations to support renewal leaves for pastors. Congregations may apply for grants of up to $50,000 to underwrite a renewal program for a pastor and family, with up to $15,000 of those funds available to the congregation to help cover expenses while the pastor is away. The link on the Ministry Office page will direct visitors to the Clergy Renewal Programs’ website with application materials and other content.

• McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren is sponsoring its ninth annual Alternative Christmas Gift Market this Saturday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., hosted at the Cedars Conference Center. “The purpose of the market is to feature 21 charitable organizations that help persons in need and encourage market-goers to ‘Give Hope at Christmas’ by making donations to or purchasing items from these agencies,” said an announcement from Western Plains District. “This year's new booth is MacCare, a local organization which provides backpacks for children who are removed from their homes in emergency situations. Get in the true spirit of Christmas with live music, refreshments, and something for everyone on your hard-to-buy- for list.” For more information, contact the McPherson Church office at 620-241-1109 or maccob@macbrethren.org .

• The Iowa Peace Network Open House will be hosted by Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 24 from 2-4 p.m. “Jeffrey Weiss will be speaking about Syria, and Zach Heffernen will speak about The Great March for Climate Action scheduled for next summer,” said an announcement. “As always, alternative gifts will be available for sale to benefit nonprofit organizations.”

• Virlina District held its 43rd conference on Nov. 8-9. Among newsworthy decisions, the conference approved a resolution to reprint “The Brethren in Virginia” and create a companion volume, and designated the entire amount of the offerings received of $5,078.37 for the Compassion Fund of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Also premiering at the conference was a new district study resource on stewardship titled, “Give of the First Fruits: A Study of Stewardship for the 21st Century Church.” Clyde E. Hylton was honored for 50-plus years of ministerial service.

• Shenandoah District Conference was a "Living the Gospel" weekend, according to a newsletter report. The event included feetwashing and a remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice through communion. A Milestones in Ministry banquet brought together 27 pastors with a combined total of 1,292 years of ordained ministry. “Nineteen of those were ordained more than 50 years ago; Sam Flora, with 70 years of service, was the most senior pastor in attendance,” the newsletter said. The Friday offering for global mission projects in Haiti and Nigeria totaled $2,274.36.

• Illinois and Wisconsin District held its conference on the theme “Renew.” “One sad item of business this year was the dissolving of the Douglas Park congregation” located in Douglas Park neighborhood of Chicago, reported the district newsletter. Among highlights of the district conference, the newsletter report recognized one of the elders present, that “Sister Esther Frey spoke on Renewal in her 95.5 years, plus three days.”

• South Central Indiana District has announced dates for a court case regarding ownership of the property of Roann Church of the Brethren, after a group from the congregation decided to leave the district and denomination. “Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 19 and 20) are the days scheduled for the court case regarding the Roann Church of the Brethren property,” said the communication from district executive minister Beth Sollenberger. “Please be in prayer for the process and all who will be a part of the trial.... We are grateful for your expressions of care and concern. We especially value your prayers.”

• A Heritage Day at Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va., raised $34,374. “Over 1,800 guests enjoyed our 29th annual Brethren Heritage Day Festival on a beautiful (and hot!) October 5,” said a report from the camp. “Big, big, big THANKS to everyone who attended, supported, or gave a special offering.” Groups and congregations supporting the event numbered at least 32, including some area businesses. More information is at www.campbethelvirginia.org/hday.htm .

• Nobel laureate in physics, William (Bill) Phillips, is scheduled to return to his alma mater at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., on Nov. 21. A 1970 Juniata graduate and co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Physics, Phillips will speak to several physics classes and give a lecture on “Time, Einstein, and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, in the Brumbaugh Academic Center. The lecture is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Juniata Department of Physics. A release from the college noted that Phillips “was honored by the Nobel panel for his work in laser cooling, a technique used to slow the movement of gaseous atoms in order to study them,” and shared the Nobel Prize with Steven Chu, former Secretary of Energy and a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, a researcher at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. Phillips is an atomic physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md.

• Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is celebrating a recognition for the community of Las Pavas in Colombia. “Members from the community of Las Pavas stood in the national spotlight at the National Museum in Bogotá where they won the National Peace Prize,” said a release. CPT has provided accompaniment to Las Pavas since 2009. The community has experienced displacement, eviction, victimization, and continuing threats of violence from armed security guards of the palm oil company Aportes San Isisdro, because the 3,000 hectares of land on which the farm of Las Pavas is located has been in legal contention, the release said. CPT noted that on Nov. 12, the Colombian government body investigates claims of forced displacement affirmed the farmers from Las Pavas are in fact victims of forced displacement, and are included without reservation in the national registry of victims. “The Las Pavas case file now lies on the desk of the...highest court in the land that deals with government administrative disputes,” the CPT release said. “This ruling will be the final step to land ownership for each of the 123 families.”

• In Virginia elections, two members of Virlina District were elected to local school boards reports Tim Harvey of Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke. Tom Auker, pastor of Eden (N.C.) First Church of the Brethren was elected to Henry County (Va.) school board; and J.D. Morse, a member of New Hope Church of the Brethren in Patrick County, Va., was elected to Patrick County school board. “J.D.’s seat had been held by another Brethren from the Smith River Church of the Brethren, who chose not to run for reelection,” Harvey reports.

Source: 11/15/2013 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Jenn Dorsch, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Tim Harvey, Tim Heishman, Phil King, Wendy McFadden, Robert Saler, John Wall, Roy Winter, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: November 11, 2013

NEWS

• Brethren Disaster Ministries challenges church to raise $500,000 for Typhoon Haiyan response

WCC 10th ASSEMBLY

• Church of the Brethren general secretary takes part in plenary on peace
• World Council of Churches Assembly adopts statement on just peace
• Assembly documents address unity, politicization of religion and rights of religious minorities, peace on the Korean Peninsula, among other concerns.
• African moderator is historic choice for WCC, elections also name Noffsinger to Central Committee.
• Ecumenical conversation works at new definition of 'security'
• Leading EYN through its most difficult time: An interview with Samuel Dante Dali

Brethren Disaster Ministries challenges church to raise $500,000 for Typhoon Haiyan response

Photo courtesy of ACT/Christian Aid

Damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan in Northern Iloilo, Philippines.

By Roy Winter and Jane Yount of the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff

Please pause for a moment and pray for all impacted by the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and Vietnam. With extensive loss of life and destruction, our prayers are desperately needed for all who are left homeless, all who lost loved ones, and all whose lives have been terribly disrupted.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is intent on organizing a response that will focus Brethren resources on the areas of greatest need by working with partners already active in the Philippines and Vietnam. An initial grant of $35,000 already is being sent to support emergency operations and life saving support. Our goal is to raise at least $500,000 to expand this initial work into the long-term rebuilding of homes and lives.

This massive storm caused a path of destruction hundreds of miles wide with sustained winds reported at 195 miles per hour and gusts much higher. These winds are equivalent to a giant F4 tornado. While search and rescue efforts are still underway, the loss of life is reported to be in the thousands and may grow into the tens of thousands. The hardest hit city of Taclaban is reported to be totally flattened, while many other cities are heavily impacted and some reported still underwater. Less information is known about the destruction in Vietnam.

Please support the Brethren response to Typhoon Haiyan. Your support and prayers are needed.  Donations may be given online at www.brethren.org/typhoonaid or sent by mail to Emergency Disaster Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

-- Roy Winter is associate executive director of Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries. Jane Yount serves as coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries.

Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline

Church of the Brethren general secretary takes part in plenary on peace

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

“When Jesus said ‘Love your enemies,’ I think he probably meant don’t kill them,” said Stan Noffsinger at the plenary on peace at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly. He was quoting a popular Brethren bumper sticker written by San Diego-based peacemaker Linda Williams.

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger was asked by the WCC to present at the peace plenary on behalf of the peace churches. His part in the event followed a conversation between Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate and leader in the women’s movement that helped stop the war in Liberia, Korean theologian Chang Yoon Jae who is an advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear power, and South African church leader Thabo Makgoba who moderated the session.

The stage was set like an outdoor café, with a group of young adults observing from bleachers, raising up signs for peace and bringing the sounds of drums and songs to the event.

A powerful moment

Noffsinger invited forward two of the young adults--Agata Abrahamian from the Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran and Fabian Corrales, a scholar in disabilities studies in Costa Rica--to tell their stories.

It was a powerful moment as an American church leader stood with an Iranian Christian. Abrahamian talked about how the sanctions against Iran adversely affect people like her family. “Every day I see and I feel how ordinary people are struggling with problems...caused by the sanctions,” she said. “And I hope that the sanctions will be removed soon.”

PHoto by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Noffsinger showed his emotion as he responded. “What courage to speak truth to power,” he said. “May God have mercy on our souls.”

He then turned to Corrales, and explained that the two had met at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Jamaica. Corrales, who is hearing impaired, shared through spoken word and signing. “Brothers and sisters, hear me, as I cannot hear you,” he said. “It’s time to be a church of God, a church of action.... I want you to look beyond my disability, beyond my country and nation. I want you to look beyond what makes us different.... The message of God [is] love one another.”

A peace church witness

In his own remarks to the plenary, Noffsinger highlighted some of the understandings of the Church of the Brethren peace witness. But he also confessed there have been times when the church was tempted “to walk away from Jesus’ command to love.”

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

He lifted up the Church of the Brethren witness to the sinfulness of war, the witness of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) during a difficult time in Nigeria, and the church’s call to “live on the margins.” He also spoke of the “cost to our own souls” if Christians rely on weapons and violence.

Noffsinger cast the peace witness and the Christian commitment to nonviolence as a “movement toward the cross, a movement on the way of Jesus...a call to engage in radical, compassionate discipleship.”

A personal confession

In a Facebook post the night before, Noffsinger wrote about how he first heard the Iranian woman’s story during a rehearsal for the plenary. It became a moment of personal confession for him, he wrote. “She finished her story and I looked at her and said, ‘I cannot speak for my government, but as for me, I am so sorry that I have not spoken loudly enough over the voices of hatred and fear so that the sanctions might stop.’

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

“When the other is a sister or brother in Christ, how can we keep silent about violence imposed by those we elect?” Noffsinger wrote. “Being a peace church doesn't not mean [being] complacent or standing idly by while violence continues in our world, in our land, in our cities, and in our neighborhoods. Jesus calls us into the midst of this chaos to speak God's shalom and Christ's peace.

“Being followers of Jesus, it also means carrying the burden of our sin before our sister or brother, that we might be forgiven and the community of the people of the Cross might again be one.”

Find the WCC release about the peace plenary, “Busan assembly highlights significance of peace,” at http://wcc2013.info/en/news-media/all-news/busan-assembly-highlights-significance-of-peace. A recording of the webcast of the peace plenary may be available in the future.

Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline

World Council of Churches Assembly adopts statement on just peace

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Delegates hold up orange cards signifying their support for inclusion of conscientious objection in the statement on just peace

A “Statement on the Way of Just Peace” was adopted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) 10th Assembly on Friday, Nov. 8, with an expression of strong support from the delegate body.

“Just peace is a journey into God’s purpose for humanity and all creation,” the statement’s first paragraph asserts. “It is rooted in the self-understanding of the churches, the hope of spiritual transformation and the call to seek justice and peace for all. It is a journey that invites us all to testify with our lives.”

The statement follows on a series of conferences and documents focusing on the concept of “just peace,” undertaken in conjunction with the council’s Decade to Overcome Violence that ended in 2010. A main document, the Ecumenical Call to a Just Peace, has been adopted by the Central Committee of the WCC. The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation held in Jamaica produced a message on just peace that was received with appreciation in peace church circles.

Also informing the ecumenical conversation on just peace was an “economy of life” document highlighting economic issues as they affect life in the world today, as well as ecological problems and concerns about climate change.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Nate Hosler of the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness, who also served on the WCC Assembly's Public Issues Committee, reads the recommendations of the just peace statement to the delegate body

A series of conferences held by the Historic Peace Churches in several continents of the world helped contribute a peace church perspective to the overall ecumenical conversation.

The “Statement on the Way of Just Peace” includes sections titled “Together We Believe,” “Together We Call,” “Together We Commit,” and “Together We Recommend” with a number of recommendations to the World Council of Churches and its member bodies, and recommendations to governments.

Subtitles in the section on call pull on the four peacemaking emphases highlighted at the convocation in Jamaica and the message that emerged from that gathering: “For just peace in the community--so that all may live free from fear,” “For just peace with the earth--so that life is sustained,” “For just peace in the marketplace--so that all may live with dignity,” and “Just peace among nations--so that human lives are protected.”

Recommendations to the WCC and the churches

The recommendations start off with a call for the WCC and its member churches and specialized ministries to undertake “critical analysis of the ‘Responsibility to Prevent, React, and Rebuild’ and its relationship to just peace, and its misuse to justify armed interventions.”

Recommendations to the WCC and churches also call for support to just peace ministries, nonviolence prevention and nonviolence as a way of life, communication strategies that adovcate for justice and peace, advocacy with regard to international norms and laws, encouragement of interfaith programs to address conflicts in multi-religious societies, environmental efforts and the use of alternate sources of renewable and clean energy as a part of peacemaking, sharing of resources in line with the “economies of life” concept, work with international bodies on human rights protections, nuclear disarmament, and the Arms Trade treaty.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Two of the peace church leaders who were in the delegate body to support the statement on just peace: at left Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger, at right Fernando Enns of the Mennonite Church in Germany, who was one of those requesting conscientious objectiion to be explicity supported in the document coming out of the 10th Assembly. He reminded the assembly that Korea Mennonites and other conscientious objectors in South Korea are being imprisoned, with an estimate of some 700 COs in prison.

After repeated requests from the floor for the statement to include a reference to conscientious objection, the final revision reaffirmed support for the WCC’s existing policy that supports conscientious objection.

Recommendations to governments

Recommendations to governments started off with a strongly worded call for action on climate change. The recommendation to “adopt by 2015 and begin implementing binding regulations with targets for lowering greenhouse gas emissions” kicked off a list of recommendations on other issues that relate to the viability of life on the planet including nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, cluster munitions, drones and other robotic weapon systems.

Governments are called to “reallocate national military budgets to humanitarian and developmental needs, conflict prevention, and civilian peace-building initiatives” and to “ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty by 2014 and on a voluntary basis include weapon types not covered by the ATT.”

The full text of the statement is at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/the-way-of-just-peace.

Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline

Assembly adopts documents addressing concerns for unity, politicization of religion and rights of religious minorities, peace on the Korean Peninsula, among others.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Two young Korean Christian volunteers pose with a banner of the WCC Assembly theme

The WCC Assembly adopted a number of documents addressing public issues, a statement on unity, and a “message” coming out of the experience of the assembly.

In addition to just peace (see the Newsline report at http://www.brethren.org/news/2013/wcc-assembly/world-council-of-churches-adoptts-just-peace-statement.html ), the documents addressed the politicization of religion and the rights of religious minorities, peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the human rights of stateless people, among several other situations of concern for the ecumenical movement.

A number of the documents were adopted in an extra business session on the last day of the assembly after it became clear the delegates did not have time to discuss all of the remaining business items. The delegate body agreed to the moderator’s suggestion to decide to adopt the documents by consensus, without discussion. However, one of the proposed documents on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy did not receive enough support, and was referred to the WCC Central Committee.

The most prominent statements adopted by this assembly had been initiated through an “intensive process, which involved the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, the WCC officers, and the WCC executive and central committees in 2012 and 2013,” said a WCC release.

The statement titled “Politicization of Religion and Rights of Religious Minorities” calls on the global ecumenical community to mediate with their respective governments “to develop policies of providing effective protection of persons and communities belonging to minority religions against threats or acts of violence from non-state actors.” It also calls for “concerted and coordinated efforts on the part of religious, civil society and state actors in order to address violations of rights of religious minorities and their freedom of religion and belief.” (Read the full statement at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/politicisation-of-religion-and-rights-of-religious-minorities .)

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

A creative expression of the WCC Assembly theme, using cut outs from cardboard boxes

The statement on “Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula” calls for “a creative process for building peace on the Korean peninsula” through measures such as halting military exercises and foreign intervention, and reducing military expenditures.  (Read the full statement at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/peace-and-reunification-of-the-korean-peninsula .)

A statement on the “Human Rights of Stateless People” calls on churches “to engage in dialogue with states to adopt policies which confer nationality to stateless people and provide proper documentation.” It encourages churches and other organizations and the United Nations to collaborate effectively to reduce and eradicate statelessness. Haitian Brethren in the Dominican Republic are among the people threatened by statelessness for whom this statement is pertinent. (Read the full statement at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/human-rights-of-stateless-people .)

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Members of a Korean Christian group promoting a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy

Other statements and minutes adopted by the assembly address:

• improved United States-Cuba relations and lifting of economic sanctions (go to http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/resolution-urging-improved-united-states-cuba-relations-and-lifting-of-economic-sanctions )

• Christian presence and witness in the Middle East (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/statement-affirming-the-christian-presence-and-witness-in-the-middle-east )

• the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/minute-on-the-situation-in-democratic-republic-of-congo )

• commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide of 1915 (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/minute-on-100th-anniversary-of-the-armenian-genocide ).

• the current critical situation of Abyei in South Sudan (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/statement-on-the-current-critical-situation-of-abyei-in-south-sudan )

• climate justice (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/minute-on-climate-justice )

• indigenous peoples (go to www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/minute-on-indigenous-peoples )

The message of the assembly titled “Join the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace” is at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/message-of-the-wcc-10th-assembly.

The assembly’s statement on unity is at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/unity-statement.

Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline

African moderator is historic choice for WCC, elections also name Noffsinger to Central Committee

The 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches has chosen a new Central Committee to serve for the period until the next assembly is held. Among the 150 delegates selected for the Central Committee is Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger.

According to a WCC release, three others from the historic peace churches also have been elected to the Central Committee: Fernando Enns of the Mennonite Church in Germany, Anne Mitchell of the Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Ann Riggs of the Friends General Conference..

In an historic choice, the Central Committee has chosen its first woman and African to serve as moderator, according to another WCC release. “In one of their first decisions as the Central Committee for the World Council of Churches, the newly installed 150-member committee made history Friday by electing Dr. Agnes Abuom of Nairobi, from the Anglican Church of Kenya, as the moderator of the highest WCC governing body,” the release said. “Abuom, who was elected unanimously to the position, is the first woman and the first African in the position in the 65-year history of the WCC.”

Eight new presidents also have been chosen to represent the major areas of the globe. WCC presidents promote ecumenism and interpret the work of the WCC, especially in their respective regions. They are ex-officio members of the WCC Central Committee:

• Africa: Mary Anne Plaatjies van Huffel, Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa

• Asia: Sang Chang, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea

• Europe: Anders Wejryd, archbishop in the Church of Sweden

• America and Caribbean: Gloria Nohemy Ulloa Alvarado, Presbyterian Church in Colombia

• North America: Mark MacDonald, bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada

• Pacific: Mele’ana Puloka, Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga

• Eastern Orthodox: H.B. John X Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East

• Oriental Orthodox: H.H. Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

-- This article includes information from World Council of Churches releases. Find the full list of elected Central Committee members at www.oikoumene.org/en/about-us/organizational-structure/central-committee/NC032FINALMembersoftheCentralCommitteeasElectedbythe10thAssembly.pdf.

Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline