Query on Climate Change is returned, Conference declares the church is not of one mind on the issue

Photo by Glenn Riegel

Timekeeper Stafford Frederick raises a yellow paddle to signal that a speaker's time is nearly up. As it became clear Saturday that the Conference would not be able to deal with all the business in the time still available, the Conference suspended rules in order to shorten a speaker's time at the microphone.

The response to the query on Guidance for Responding to the Changing of Earth’s Climate was defeated in a close vote, and the query was returned to the district and congregation where it originated. The response had been formulated by staff of the Office of Public Witness working with a study committee appointed by that office.

This query originally was adopted by the 2011 Annual Conference and referred to the Advocacy Office of the Global Mission Partnerships--now the Office of Public Witness--for a response. In 2012, the Conference received a report from the working group formed by the Advocacy Office and additional time to prepare a thorough answer was granted.

By 2013, a congregational study resource was developed and additional feedback was being collected from those using it. The Annual Conference received an interim report and granted another year to revise the study resource and prepare a statement on climate change to present to the 2014 Annual Conference for adoption.

On the business floor during this Annual Conference, much debate was heard, both for and against the statement. Some of those who spoke to the document doubted the validity of scientific conclusions on climate change, or expressed the opinion that global warming is not caused by human activity. Others said solutions such as restricting use of fossil fuels are harmful to those who earn their living through the coal and oil industries, and may harm the poor who cannot afford more expensive forms of energy. Other speakers were concerned about the church calling for support for political legislation for this kind of issue.

On the other side of the debate, a number of speakers supported the scientific consensus on climate change and expressed concerns about the detrimental effects of global warming on the worldwide human population, saying that it inevitably will lead to starvation and loss of land in poorer regions of the globe as sea levels rise. Speaking as a scientist herself, one speaker said that caring for the earth is a faith issue and biblical mandate.

An amendment that would have added fossil fuel production to the list of Socially Responsible Investing concerns for the denomination was turned down by the delegates.

After the motion to adopt the answer to the query failed, the moderator declared that the query had become a new item of business and turned to the delegate body for a motion to answer it.

The delegates adopted a motion to return the query to the originating district and congregation with gratitude, declaring that the church is not of one mind at this time.

-- Frances Townsend and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford provided this report.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Resolution supports Nigerian Brethren, invites worldwide community of Brethren to a week of fasting and prayer

A note to Conference attendees: The Office of the General Secretary has clarified that it is appropriate to identify Rebecca Dali and her association with the Brethren, and encourages the sharing of any photos and reports about her that appear in official Church of the Brethren publications such as the website Brethren.org, Newsline, and the denominational Facebook page.

“Messenger” editor Randy Miller provided this report

Annual Conference delegates voted Saturday in favor of a resolution indicating solidarity with Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The resolution comes as the Nigerian Brethren endure turmoil in their country.

Among other things, it commits to a week of fasting and prayer on Aug. 17-24, and invites the worldwide community of the Brethren to join in that commitment.

The resolution was adopted by the Mission and Ministry Board on Wednesday, July 2, and was passed on to the Standing Committee of district delegates, which recommended its approval.

Photo by Glenn Riegel

Annual Conference moderator Nancy S. Heishman (left) greets EYN representative Rebecca Dali (right), with Roy Winter of Brethren Disaster Ministries.

The Saturday afternoon business session began with the reading of a letter from EYN president Samuel Dante Dali by his wife Rebecca Dali. “On behalf of EYN, I wish to express our appreciation for your concern over our situation here,” the letter read in part. “We have been struck down by the enemy, but not destroyed. We are hard pressed and persecuted, yet we still have Christ and are doing our Father’s business. Your prayers of support have been a source of encouragement for us, and show us that we are not alone in our suffering.”

Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer provided further detail about the conditions faced by Brethren in Nigeria. He and Roy Winter, associate executive director for Global Mission and Service and director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, are planning a visit to Nigeria in August to explore ways in which further assistance can be provided.

“This is going to be a long journey,” Winter said. “We can’t fix it all, but we can work and pray with our brothers and sisters there.”

While the resolution was before the delegates for consideration, an amendment was presented suggesting that, in addition to supporting EYN through prayer and fasting, individuals willing to present themselves as stand-ins in exchange for the abducted Chibok schoolgirls should be allowed to do so. Church of the Brethren member Cliff Kindy, who presented the amendment on behalf of himself and Christian Peacemaker Teams, said several persons already had expressed their willingness to do this.

Although they expressed appreciation for the courage and sacrifice evident in the offer, delegates voted down the amendment. With no further modifications, the resolution was accepted. Delegates and observers rose in a standing ovation in an expression of support for EYN.

Following is the full text of the resolution:

A Resolute Fast and Fervent Prayer: A Resolution Responding to Violence in Nigeria

“Christ is just like the human body--a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body.... If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other” (1 Corinthians 1:12a, 26-27, CEB).

I. Biblical vision of the church

The Apostle Paul wrote frequently of the bonds between communities of faith that bridge the miles between them. Our shared confession of Jesus Christ as Lord unites us, through the Holy Spirit, in a way unparalleled even by family or national ties (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12). This same Spirit, Paul reminds us, intercedes on our behalf when our own prayers become sighs too deep for words (Romans 8).

For the Brethren, the church as community is central to our life and faith. In testaments to mutuality, we have walked alongside one another in joy and loss, taking to heart the words of the letter to the Hebrews: “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured” (13:3).

II. The struggle of our sisters and brothers

The circumstances in Nigeria have come to the attention of the world, and to our attention as Brethren. Sisters and brothers of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) suffer kidnappings, bombings, mass killings, and burning of churches and homes. Despite the global awareness, the violence has continued at an alarming rate.

EYN leaders have asked for fasting and prayer for the plight of the church and the people of Nigeria.

Aware that sisters and brothers in Nigeria are not the only ones facing violence on a daily basis, we include in our prayers those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Syria, and other places where people face threats that few in the United States have known in their lifetime.

III. The resolve of the church

Grieving with each new word from Nigeria, we as the Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren resolve to walk with our sisters and brothers in Christ by entering a season of fasting and prayer. We commit ourselves to the practices of lament, prayer, fasting, and bearing witness.

In lament we turn to the rich tradition of our faith witnessed to by the Psalms. We bring to God the realities of evil and violence, knowing that they bear no resemblance to the ways of God.

In prayer we intercede for our sisters and brothers, asking God for protection, justice, and peace. We give thanks for their profound witness as they strive for the well-being of their families and communities, seeking to embody the peace so graciously given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the one who calls us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Thus, we pray also for the perpetrators of violence, for the softening of hearts and for right relationships among neighbors.

In fasting we let go of a little in order to accompany those who are losing so much, and stand before God with them. We name our longing for the day when life overcomes death, justice and peace meet, and love drives out fear.

In bearing witness we share the stories of our sisters and brothers, bringing atrocities to light, confident in our faith that the Good News of Jesus Christ is indeed light in a world covered in darkness.

We commit a week of the summer to spend significant amounts of time in fasting and prayer, beginning Sunday, August 17, through Sunday, August 24. We invite the worldwide community of the Church of the Brethren and our sister churches in Nigeria, India, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Brazil, and Spain, as well as Brethren groups with which we are in conversation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other friends and believers, to join in this commitment. May we be the body of Christ together as we pray and fast for peace and reconciliation.

We further resolve to partner with EYN and ecumenical international relief and development agencies to offer support as requested and directed by the leadership of the Nigerian Brethren.

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b, NRSV).

References and resources

A history and timeline of the Church of the Brethren Mission in Nigeria, out of which EYN has grown, are posted online at www.brethren.org/nigeriahistory.

The EYN website www.eynchurchonline.org offers information about the ministries of the Nigerian Brethren.

Current Church of the Brethren news from Nigeria is updated regularly at www.brethren.org/partners/nigeria/news.html.

Just peace and just policing: An Annual Conference resolution of 2003, “Call for a Living Peace Church,” calls the whole church to be a peace church that serves Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace; www.brethren.org/ac/statements/2003livingpeace.html. An Annual Conference statement of 1996, “Nonviolence and Humanitarian Intervention,” offers a Brethren point of view on international intervention in situations of violence; www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1996nonviolence.html. Documents on just peace from the World Council of Churches include “Statement on the Way of Just Peace” at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/assembly/2013-busan/adopted-documents-statements/the-way-of-just-peace and “An Ecumenical Call to Just Peace” at www.overcomingviolence.org/fileadmin/dov/files/iepc/resources/ECJustPeace_English.pdf.

Sex trafficking and slavery: An Annual Conference “Resolution on Slavery in the 21st Century” was adopted in 2008; www.brethren.org/ac/statements/2008-resolution-on-slavery.html. A related Study and Action Guide is at www.brethren.org/advocacy/moderndayslavery.html.

Nigeria and peacemaking in Africa: Are There Limits to Pacifism? by Musa Mambula outlines challenges for peacemaking in Nigeria. Seeking Peace in Africa (ed. Donald Miller et al) collects presentations from a peace church meeting in Africa in 2004. The DVD of that meeting, Watu Wa Amani, is available from Brethren Press. Life Among the Chibok of Nigeria by former Brethren mission teachers Gerald and Lois Neher, is a detailed history and anthropological study of the Chibok people, also available from Brethren Press.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Delegates maintain current structure of Mission and Ministry Board; defer to 2015 other decisions on board bylaws, BBT articles, agency financial reports

Photo by Glenn Riegel

Becky Ball-Miller, chair of the Mission and Ministry Board, speaks to the delegate body

This year's recommendation by the Mission and Ministry Board responding to a query about equitable representation on the board, was adopted. The content of the recommendation was unusually simple--to maintain the current structure of the Mission and Ministry Board with no changes to how members are chosen.

At the close of business on Saturday afternoon, July 5, three business items having to do with agency bylaws and articles of organization as well as financial reporting had not yet been dealt with. The three items were deferred for inclusion on the 2015 Conference agenda: Amendments to the Bylaws of the Church of the Brethren Inc., Amendments to Brethren Benefit Trust Articles of Organization, and Interpretation of Polity Regarding Agency Financial Reports, which was an item added to the Conference agenda by Standing Committee.

Current structure of Mission and Ministry Board is maintained

The original query was formulated in 2011, expressing a concern that parts of the country with low populations of Brethren were over-represented on the board, and that higher population areas were under-represented. The 2012 Conference adopted a recommendation to send the issue to the Mission and Ministry Board to formulate a change.

In 2013, Annual Conference was presented with a new plan of board member selection, but after reflection and discussion the delegate body decided not to adopt it. Instead, the query was returned to the Mission and Ministry Board.

Table talk among the delegates last year garnered many written suggestions and opinions. The Mission and Ministry Board used that important delegate feedback, as well as the speeches from the microphones, as they developed the recommendation to make no changes to the selection process for board members.

However, during discussion on the Conference floor this year the same concerns for proportional representation which prompted the original query continued to be raised. Mission and Ministry Board chair Becky Ball-Miller showed charts illustrating how the current composition of the board compares to percentages of population in the different areas of the denomination, and also percentages of giving and of giving per capita.

She reiterated that every board member, no matter where they are from or how they are elected, represents the entire denomination, not just their own geographical area or district.

Ball-Miller also pointed out that the delegate body of Annual Conference as well as Standing Committee are more directly representational of population and it is those bodies that make policy, while the Mission and Ministry Board’s task is to implement Annual Conference decisions and see that the work of the denomination is carried out.

She reported to the Conference that the Mission and Ministry Board has done its best to answer the concerns of the query and sincerely believes the current structure works.

-- Frances Townsend provided this report.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Andy Murray chosen as moderator-elect, among other election results and appointments

Andy Murray has been chosen as moderator-elect of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, in an election of new denominational leadership. He will serve as moderator-elect for next year’s Annual Conference, and as moderator for the 2016 Conference.

Murray is a member of Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pa. He is a retired minister, chaplain, college professor and administrator. He was founding director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College. His involvements in peace and conflict studies have included service on the United Nations/International Association of University Presidents’ Commission on Arms Control and Disarmament Education, service as director of the International Seminar on Arms Control and Disarmament, service on the UNESCO/IAUP Planning Team “The Role of Higher Education in Promoting a Culture of Peace” roundtable for UNESCO World Conference on High Education, and more.

However, Murray is best known to Brethren as a singer and songwriter who along with his wife Terry performs songs such as “Sister Anna Beauty Queen” and the National Youth Conference theme song “Goodbye Still Night.” Their album “Summertime Children” recently was re-released.

Photo by Regina Holmes
 

Table 67 poses for a group photo

Other election results

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich of Minneapolis, Minn., was elected to the Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee.

Eric Bishop of Pomona, Calif., was chosen as a Bethany Theological Seminary trustee, colleges.

Carla Gillespie of Dayton, Ohio, was elected to the On Earth Peace board.

Dennis Kingery of Centennial, Colo., was elected to the Brethren Benefit Trust board.

David K. Shumate of Roanoke, Va., was elected to the Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee.

Agency appointments confirmed by Conference

A number of appointments to agency boards were confirmed by the Annual Conference. The appointments were made to the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board, and to the boards of Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace.

Mission and Ministry Board:

Susan Liller of New Carlisle, Ohio, was elected by the board to a five-year term ending in 2019.

Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees:

Brian T. Flory of Fort Wayne, Ind., was elected by the seminary’s Alumni/ae Association to a five-year term;

S. Philip Stover of Quinter, Kan., was elected by the board of trustees to a five-year term at-large; and

Lowell David Witkovsky of Huntingdon, Pa.,  was elected by the board of trustees to a five-year term at-large.

Brethren Benefit Trust Board:

Timothy A. McElwee of North Manchester, Ind., was elected by the Pension Plan members to a four-year term; and

Wayne T. Scott of Harrisburg, Pa., was elected by the board to a four-year term.

On Earth Peace Board:

Barbara Avent of Denver, Colo., was elected to fill an unexpired four-year term by the On Earth Peace constituents; and

Caitlin Rebecca Haynes of Baltimore, Md., was elected to a five-year term by the On Earth Peace constituents.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Rebecca Dali interviewed by Columbus' NBC4, leads insight sessions on Nigeria

A note to Conference attendees: The Office of the General Secretary has clarified that it is appropriate to identify Rebecca Dali and her association with the Brethren, and encourages the sharing of any photos and reports about her that appear in official Church of the Brethren publications such as the website Brethren.org, Newsline, and the denominational Facebook page.

Rebecca Dali was interviewed by Columbus’ NBC Channel 4. Reporter Ted Hart interviewed her just prior to a special insight session on Nigeria that Dali led over the lunch hour on Friday, July 4. She also presented an insight session on Nigeria the following Saturday evening.

Hart reported that Dali regularly travels to Chibok, the place where hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents, to meet with the parents at considerable risk to herself. “A lot of people are afraid to go to Chibok to see them,” Dali told the reporter, “but I took it upon myself that at least every two weeks, I will go and visit them.”

Find the NBC4 interview at www.nbc4i.com/story/25944040/church-has-ties-to-nigerian-kidnap-victims.

Nigeria insight session

At the noon insight session on Nigeria, Dali spoke about her work and the work of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) to aid those affected by violence.

She gave updated figures on the suffering of the Nigerian Brethren, although she warned that these numbers may have grown even in the few days she has been away from Nigeria: since 2006 more than 1,500 EYN members have been killed including pastors and their family members, more than 100 churches have been burned, five district church councils in the Gwoza area have been closed because of the violence, more than 8,500 homes of church members have been burned, and more than 150,000 people have been displaced.

She added, “Many pastors have been killed and some are without jobs” because of the need to flee. Other pastors and their wives and children have been abducted.

Part of Dali’s work with the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) is to sit down with those who have lost family members to Boko Haram, record their stories, and collect photos of the losses they have suffered including photos of the dead bodies and burned homes and businesses.

Dali has spoken with schoolgirls who have escaped and returned home, still only a small number of the total number of girls kidnapped from Chibok. Those who have managed to escape told her about the abuses the abducted girls have suffered, including gang rape and mutilation.

Her PowerPoint presentation included graphic photos of human bodies killed in horrific ways--fathers, mothers, children. Along with her frank discussion of the suffering of the abducted schoolgirls, the pictures brought many in the room to tears. Dali herself broke down into tears at the end of her presentation.

A time of prayer and the laying on of hands for Rebecca Dali closed the insight session, led by general secretary Stan Noffsinger.

Dali spoke to the delegate body at the start of the business session, Saturday, July 5, when cards of encouragement were collected to send to the Nigerian Brethren from the US church. Find the report from the section of Saturday’s business focused on Nigeria at www.brethren.org/news/2014/delegates-adopt-nigeria-resolution.html.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Three new fellowships are welcomed into the denomination

Photo by Glenn Riegel

Hanging Rock Church in W. Marva District is one of three new fellowships

Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries, led the welcome of three new fellowships into the denomination as one of the first items of Annual Conference business.

Proclaiming it “a joy,” Shively began by introducing Roya Stern of Common Spirit, a house church in Grand Rapids, Mich. The church was founded after the Grand Rapids Annual Conference in 2011 when Joanna Willoughby took seriously the encouragement to “just do it.” Weekly potlucks were held to create “a substantial Brethren presence in the city.” By the second year a house church was founded on Sunday evenings, allowing members of the new fellowship to attend traditional worship at other churches in the morning. On Oct. 27, 2013, the church celebrated its first two baptisms. Thirteen more people joined a week later. There are now 15 members with 20 people regularly attending. The goal is to be “a progressive Christian presence in Grand Rapids.”

Hanging Rock Church of the Brethren in West Marva District began when Bob and Brenda Combs supported a community toy drive, and then realized that “this is a good place for a church.” The church had its Grand Opening in February of 2013 with more than 50 people in attendance. The fellowship is self-supporting, and actively supports a food pantry, helps poorer individuals pay bills, and also aided a family that suffered significant losses to a fire. The congregation supports a visitation ministry in the community and also does hospital visits. In June 2013, a baptism service was held at the Combs home at North River, W.Va., and 10 church members were baptized. They now have 58 active members. According to the church’s statement of faith, “We Speak the Word, Share His Grace, and Strive to Light the Way to Christ.”

Iglesia De Los Hermanos “Remanente de Salvación” in Morovis, Puerto Rico, in Atlantic Southeast District, was founded by a group that moved from Vega Baja Church of the Brethren including Maria Otero, Jose Calleja, Kathy Diaz, Judex Diaz, and Nancy Irizarry. The major challenge has been to help the community overcome poverty and witchcraft. The congregation has delivered several people from witchcraft and has connected people through baptism to the church. They run a small group for single mothers, many of whom are the victims of domestic violence and abuse, also providing them with group therapy. Mario Otero serves as pastor.

-- Frank Ramirez provided this report, with contributions from Jonathan Shively.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Standing Committee denies support to On Earth Peace ‘Statement of Inclusion’ but commits to ‘walk in love together’

The Standing Committee of delegates from the Church of the Brethren’s 23 districts has made a statement regarding the On Earth Peace “Statement of Inclusion.” The Standing Committee statement responded to the report of a second delegation that met with On Earth Peace leadership.

Two Standing Committee delegations have attempted to gain resolution of concerns that the “Statement of Inclusion” is inconsistent with Annual Conference decisions affirming the 1983 paper "Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective,” and denominational polity regarding ordination.

On Earth Peace is an agency of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. Its “Statement of Inclusion” dates back to 2011, and has been the subject of a series of interactions with Standing Committee for the past three years. The conversation in this year’s Standing Committee meetings included On Earth Peace representatives Bill Scheurer, executive director, and Jordan Bles, board chair.

The Standing Committee action came at the close of its first full day of meetings prior to the 2014 Annual Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Standing Committee was led by Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, assisted by moderator-elect David Steele, and Conference secretary James M. Beckwith.

photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman leads a conversation in Standing Committee, with representatives from On Earth Peace. Executive director Bill Scheurer and board chair Jordan Bles and a delegation of Standing Committee members reflected on recent meetings regarding the agency's "Statement of Inclusion."

Denial of support, affirmation of love

The Standing Committee statement was arrived at after much conversation and at times emotional debate, and the vote revealed a significant divide in the group. The following statement was adopted by a simple majority vote, with a minority of more than a quarter of members voting against it:

“Standing Committee does not support the 2011 Statement of Inclusion of On Earth Peace as an agency of the church, but we will continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

The “Statement of Inclusion” from the On Earth Peace board reads:

“We are troubled by attitudes and actions in the church, which exclude persons on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or any other aspect of human identity. We believe God calls the church to welcome all persons into full participation in the life of the faith community.”

Series of interactions between Standing Committee and On Earth Peace

Moderator Nancy Heishman introduced a time of sharing of feelings about the interaction between the Standing Committee delegation and On Earth Peace, offering information about the series of interactions between the two groups and reviewing other relevant information as well as the activities of the most recent delegation.

Interactions that led to this year’s statement included, among others, two Standing Committee delegations that both reported good conversations with the agency’s board and staff but that did not gain resolution of the conflict.

As part of its effort, the second delegation held a conference call with the executive committee of On Earth Peace and the two groups jointly proposed that On Earth Peace add the following additional sentence to the statement of inclusion, from which much of the language of today’s Standing Committee statement was derived:

“We continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together with the denomination in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

However, the sentence did not receive consensus support from the full board of On Earth Peace, which requested consultation about the sentence from several other groups in the denomination including the Open Table Cooperative, Womaen’s Caucus, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests, the Brethren Revival Fellowship, and the liaison to the Council of District Executives.

Other interactions over the three years included a specially called session with Scheurer during 2013’s Standing Committee meetings, reported by Newsline at www.brethren.org/news/2013/ac2013news/standing-committee-special-session-with-oep.html, and in 2012 the Standing Committee statement of concern titled “A Way Forward” that said, in part, “trust in leadership has been broken” by three events--one being the “Statement of Inclusion.”

At that time Standing Committee urged On Earth Peace “to re-examine its statement of inclusion regarding ‘full participation’ so that it will be consistent with Annual Conference decisions regarding Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective [the 1983 Conference statement] and the polity regarding ordination.” Find “A Way Forward” in full at www.brethren.org/news/2012/ac2012-onsite-news/a-way-forward.html.

In other business

Standing Committee also held elections for its Nominating Committee and Appeals Committee.

The Nominating Committee includes: from the class of 2015, Joel Kline of Illinois/Wisconsin District, John Shelly of Southern Pennsylvania District, John Moyers of West Marva District, chair Roy McVey of Virlina; and from the class of 2016, Duane Grady of Northern Indiana District, Ellen Wile of Mid-Atlantic District, Jim Myer of Atlantic Northeast District, and Lou Kensinger of Middle Pennsylvania District.

The Appeals Committee for 2014-2015 includes David Crumrine of Middle Pennsylvania District, Larry O’Neill of Atlantic Northeast District, Ron Nicodemus of Northern Indiana District. First alternate is Edith Kieffaber of Northern Ohio District. Second alternate is Jim Benedict of Mid-Atlantic District.

-- Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services, provided this report.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Mission and Ministry Board hears update on Nigeria, discusses finances, celebrates Open Roof Award and Ministry Summer Service

Photo by Randy Miller

International guests at the 2014 Annual Conference were introduced to the Mission and Ministry Board

At their Annual Conference meeting on Wednesday, July 2, Mission and Ministry Board members got acquainted with international visitors and received an update from Global Mission and Service director Jay Wittmeyer on conditions facing Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

They also celebrated this year’s Open Roof Award to congregations that are making strides in welcoming people with disabilities, were briefed on the denomination’s financial status, and heard a report on the Ministry Summer Service program.

Report on Nigeria

Wittmeyer, who visited Nigeria in April with general secretary Stan Noffsinger, said conditions there were going from bad to worse in many areas where EYN members reside, citing reports of fresh attacks near Chibok over the weekend.

“When I first came on board in 2009, there had been attacks on churches in Nigeria,” Wittmeyer told board members. “There’s a long history of violence in Nigeria. But when Stan and I were there in April, it looked like an armed insurgency, even the beginnings of a civil war. The situation has shifted dramatically during my time in this office. In three states in northeast Nigeria, where EYN has most of its churches, 250,000 people have been displaced.”

Rebecca Dali, a leading member of EYN and wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, was among the international visitors who spent time sharing their stories around tables with board members. Dali will be speaking about how EYN is coping with the surge of violence in Nigeria with various groups during and after Conference.

In addition to Dali, representatives from the Church of the Brethren in Brazil, as well as the Church of North India and the First District Church of the Brethren in India were in attendance.

“As we go forward, I feel the need for Brethren Disaster Ministries to be involved, because Nigeria is in crisis mode,” said Wittmeyer, who plans to return to Nigeria in August, along with Roy Winter, associate executive director for Global Mission and Service and director of Brethren Disaster Ministries.

Financial report

Leanne Harnist, treasurer for the Church of the Brethren, briefed the board on the denomination’s finances. She reported that total giving was ahead of where the church was a year ago by 8 percent, but that giving to Core Ministries lagged behind, and that congregational giving had decreased in 2013 by about 3 percent. However, she said that she expected there to be an increase in individual contributions as the year progressed. Nevertheless, expectations are for a 2 percent decrease in 2015. She added that projections for the future indicate that expenses will outpace income.

“We need to be looking at this,” said board chair Becky Ball-Miller. “We can’t continue operating like this for much longer.”

Ministry Summer Service

Board member Pam Reist presented an overview of the Ministry Summer Service program, in which young Brethren are offered opportunities to try their hand at church leadership. After showing a short video, Reist introduced intern Lauren Seganos, who currently is serving at Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, where Reist is a pastor.

“I’m really grateful for this program,” Seganos told the board. “The thing I love most about it is the intentional mentorship of us workers by church leaders. It draws upon our Brethren heritage in that regard. Young people who have come through this program before are now serving as leaders in the Church of the Brethren. So please continue to support MSS!”

Photo by Randy Miller

The 2014 Open Roof Award was presented to three congregations: South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren, Lone Star Church of the Brethren in Lawrence, Kan., and Clover Creek Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, Va.

Open Roof Award

Three congregations were acknowledged for their extra efforts to welcome persons with special needs into their congregations. Jonathan Shively, executive director of Congregational Life Ministries, presented the 2014 Open Roof Award to South Waterloo (Iowa) Church of the Brethren, Lone Star Church of the Brethren in Lawrence, Kan., and Clover Creek Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, Pa.

In addition, Shively acknowledged and thanked Donna Kline, director of the Deacon Ministry, for her years of service to the denomination. Kline is retiring this summer.

South Waterloo Church of the Brethren has developed a relationship with Harmony House, a brain injury care facility in Waterloo, Iowa, providing gift bags to some of the residents, and space for outings and the annual fall dance. The church also “says yes” to its own members who live with disabilities, offering ways for them to serve in spite of their challenges, learning how to incorporate them into church activities. An elevator has been installed in the church building, and restrooms are ADA compliant. A pew in the sanctuary was removed to make room for those in wheelchairs, and ushers help those who use walkers.

Lone Star Church of the Brethren is a congregation that has struggled to achieve progress and is committed to keep moving forward. The conversation about physical improvements to make buildings accessible began there 40 years ago, and although over the four decades not all the things that were tried were that helpful, the church persisted. The church has been able to install an elevator. A child with Down Syndrome lights candles for morning worship. A young adult with cerebral palsy provides leadership in vacation bible school, leads prayer in church, and gives testimony. The congregation understands that providing opportunities for all to serve is often the best way to be of service.

At Clover Creek Church of the Brethren, offering physical accessibility is a work in progress, but the church provides large print bulletins and hearing enhancement devices, and has a new concrete front entrance ramp that eliminates steps. In 2009, the church started the John’s Way Medical Equipment Ministry to help people with disabilities and/or medical equipment needs. They take in used medical equipment, clean and repair it as necessary, and then give it away. A total of more than 2000 items have been provided for people in need, facilitated by a large warehouse space. This May on the 10-year anniversary of John’s Way, which was named after 19-year church member John Scott Baird who was born with a rare genetic disorder which made walking or speaking impossible, the church dedicated a new warehouse building for the ministry.

-- Randy Miller, Donna Kline, and Jonathan Shively contributed to this report.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Annual Conference bits and pieces

Photo by Justin Hollenberg

Fishing was one of the 14 stations at the intergenerational activities

• The 2014 Conference, by the numbers: 2,524 total registration including 719 delegates and 1,805 nondelegates, 115 units of blood collected by the Conference Blood Drive from 123 presenting donors with the help of 26 volunteers, $5,100 raised for hunger at the Quilt Auction of the Association for the Arts in the Church of the Brethren (AACB), 514 downloads of the new Annual Conference app, and 20,875 diapers collected by the Witness to the Host City service project for a YMCA/YWCA shelter in Columbus. Also received in the offering of goods for the shelter: 1,750 hygiene kits and “more socks than we can count.” 

• Results of the Brethren Benefit Trust Fitness Challenge, an early morning five-kilometer walk/run at a park a few miles from the Greater Columbus Convention Center: in the runner category, male and female first participants over the finish line were Nathan Hosler and Christy Crouse; in the walker category, male and female first participants over the finish line were Don Shankster and Bev Anspaugh.

Photo by Keith Hollenberg




A cheeerful giver!

• Among groups choosing new leadership at this Annual Conference were the Council of District Executives (CODE) and the Ministers’ Association. CODE named an executive committee that includes Ron Beachley as chair, Kevin Kessler as vice chair, Emma Jean Woodard as secretary, and David Steele as treasurer. Serving on the Ministers’ Association executive committee are Erin Matteson as chair, Christina Singh as first vice chair, Eric Anspaugh as second vice chair, Stephen Hershberger as secretary, and Tim Sollenberger-Morphew as treasurer.

• International guests who attended the Conference were introduced as the first morning of work wound down for the delegates. Introducing the group was Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service. Alexandre Gonçalves and Gislaine Reginaldo were welcomed together. They are from Brazil and are a part of the community at Bethany Theological Seminary. Darryl Sankey was welcomed as a representative of First District of the Church of the Brethren in India. Also welcomed from India were Silvans S. Christian, Bishop of Gujarat, and Sanjiukuma Christian, from Valsad, both representing the Church of North India. In a time when the hearts and prayers of Brethren are centered upon Nigeria, the delegates warmly greeted Rebecca Dali from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Also from Nigeria, guests representing the Brethren Evangelism Support Trust (BEST) were Dr. Njidda Oadzama and Apagu Ali Abbas. The applause for all the international guests was warm and heartfelt.

Photo by Randy Miller

Dorothy Brandt Davis and Sarah Davis pose with Nell, a life-size version of the drawing of John Kline's horse from their children's book "Middle Man." The book, celebrating its 50th anniversary of publication, tells the story of Civil War era Brethren elder and martyr for peace John Kline.

• Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) gave its annual Partners in Service Award to Manchester University campus minister Walt Wiltschek, who also gave the presentation for the BVS luncheon on the topic, “Worth Remembering.”

• The 2014 Manchester Church-University Service Award was presented to leaving Manchester University president Jo Young Switzer at the university’s luncheon. “It felt important, as we reflect on Jo’s decade-long tenure as president and her work at Manchester before that, to honor her for the work she has done in helping to keep the connections between Manchester and the Church of the Brethren alive and vital,” said an announcement of the award, which listed hallmarks of her legacy as Manchester’s first female president: a 25 percent growth in enrollment, a new Doctor of Pharmacy program on a new campus in Fort Wayne, a $100 million “Students First!” campaign, several new buildings on the Manchester campus including a new Academic Center, Science Center, and Union that now bears her name. The award especially noted her “commitment to draw education and faith together.”

Photo courtesy of Alysson Wittmeyer

Youth enjoy a trip to the Columbus zoo

• The Outdoor Ministries Association honored two volunteers and two staff at its Annual Conference luncheon: Dean Dohner and Jim Oren, both from Camp Woodland Altars, received the Volunteer of the Year Award; Paul Witkovsky from Camp Blue Diamond, and Ann Cornell from Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministry Center, were recognized as Staff of the Year.

• This year, 2014, marks the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Civil War-era Brethren elder and martyr for peace John Kline. It also is the 50th anniversary of the publication of “Middle Man,” the beloved Brethren Press illustrated children’s book about Kline by Dorothy Brandt Davis and her children. John Kline, portrayed by Nate Hosler of the Office of Public Witness, and Kline’s horse Nell, personified by a life size version of the colorful drawing of Nell from “Middle Man,” both were on stage for the Church of the Brethren live report to the delegates. Later that day, Nell was spotted in the Exhibit Hall posing for photos with Dorothy Brandt Davis and daughter Sarah Davis.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. The Annual Conference News Team included photographers Glenn Riegel, Regina Holmes, Keith Hollenberg, Justin Hollenberg, and Alysson Wittmeyer; writers Frank Ramirez, Frances Townsend, Karen Garrett, Eddie Edmonds, and Britnee Harbaugh; web staff Jan Fischer Bachman, Don Knieriem, and Russ Otto; communications staff Wendy McFadden, who is publisher of Brethren Press, Mandy Garcia of donor communications, “Messenger” editor Randy Miller, and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services, who served as editor for the team.

Newsline: July 1, 2014

NEWS

• How to follow Annual Conference online
• Standing Committee denies support to On Earth Peace ‘Statement of Inclusion’ but commits to ‘walk in love together’
• EYN church among those attacked near Chibok on Sunday, as Annual Conference prepares to welcome Nigerian guests
• Annual Conference bits and pieces
• Church poultry project in Nigeria reports progress
• Over the top: Manchester elated with $108 million success

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Heifer International celebrates 70 years with ‘Beyond Hunger’ event at Camp Mack

BRETHREN BITS

• Robby May to manage Camp Galilee, ‘What Brethren Believe’ online course, Agape-Satyagraha training webinars, Enders church damaged by storms, and much much more.

How to follow Annual Conference online

Follow events at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, at www.brethren.org/ac2014 -- where you will find daily news pages, photo albums, webcasts of worship and business, and more.

Download the new Annual Conference app at www.brethren.org/ac/app.html.

Follow the Conference Twitter conversation via #cobac14.

Annual Conference begins tomorrow, Wednesday, July 2, and closes with Sunday morning worship July 6. Pre-Conference meetings include the Standing Committee of district delegates, the Ministers’ Association event with Dr. Thomas G. Long, the Council of District Executives, the Mission and Ministry Board, and Congregational Vitality Workshops.


Several other sessions also will be webcast (all times are eastern):
Sunday, July 6, starting at 8:30 a.m. (eastern) congregations across the denomination are invited to join in the Annual Conference Sunday worship by streaming it live from Columbus.

• Opening session of the Conference on Wednesday, July 2, starting at 6:50 p.m.
• Morning Bible study and business on Thursday and Friday, July 3-4, starting at 8:30 a.m.
• Afternoon business on Thursday and Friday, starting at 1:55 p.m.
• Evening worship on Thursday and Friday, starting at 6:50 p.m.
• Morning worship on Saturday, July 5, starting at 8:30 a.m.
• Morning business session on Saturday, starting at 10:15 a.m.
• Afternoon business on Saturday, starting at 1:55 p.m.
• Evening concert on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m.

Find links to webcasts and bulletins for worship at www.brethren.org/ac2014 .

Standing Committee denies support to On Earth Peace ‘Statement of Inclusion’ but commits to ‘walk in love together’

The Standing Committee of delegates from the Church of the Brethren’s 23 districts has made a statement regarding the On Earth Peace “Statement of Inclusion.” The Standing Committee statement follows on a second delegation that met with On Earth Peace. Two Standing Committee delegations have attempted to gain resolution of concerns that the “Statement of Inclusion” is inconsistent with Annual Conference decisions affirming the 1983 paper "Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective,” and polity regarding ordination.

photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman leads a conversation in Standing Committee, with representatives from On Earth Peace. Executive director Bill Scheurer and board chair Jordan Bles and a delegation of Standing Committee members reflected on recent meetings regarding the agency's "Statement of Inclusion."

On Earth Peace is an agency of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. Its “Statement of Inclusion” dates back to 2011, and has been the subject of a series of interactions with Standing Committee for the past three years. Today’s conversation in Standing Committee included On Earth Peace representatives Bill Scheurer, executive director, and Jordan Bles, board chair.

The Standing Committee action came at the close of its first full day of meetings prior to the 2014 Annual Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Standing Committee is led by Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, assisted by moderator-elect David Steele, and Conference secretary James M. Beckwith.

Denial of support, affirmation of love

Today’s Standing Committee statement was arrived at after much conversation and at times emotional debate, and the vote revealed a significant divide in the group. The Standing Committee statement, adopted by a majority vote with a minority of more than a quarter of members voting against, reads:

“Standing Committee does not support the 2011 Statement of Inclusion of On Earth Peace as an agency of the church, but we will continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

The “Statement of Inclusion” from the On Earth Peace board reads:

“We are troubled by attitudes and actions in the church, which exclude persons on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or any other aspect of human identity. We believe God calls the church to welcome all persons into full participation in the life of the faith community.”

Series of interactions between Standing Committee and On Earth Peace

Moderator Nancy Heishman introduced a time of sharing of feelings about the interaction between the Standing Committee delegation and On Earth Peace, offering information about the series of interactions between the two groups and reviewing other relevant information as well as the activities of the most recent delegation.

Interactions that led to today’s statement included, among others, two Standing Committee delegations that both reported good conversations with the agency’s board and staff but that did not gain resolution of the conflict.

As part of its effort, the second delegation held a conference call with the executive committee of On Earth Peace and the two groups jointly proposed that On Earth Peace add the following additional sentence to the statement of inclusion, from which much of the language of today’s Standing Committee statement was derived:

“We continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together with the denomination in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

However, the sentence did not receive consensus support from the full board of On Earth Peace, which requested consultation about the sentence from several other groups in the denomination including the Open Table Cooperative, Womaen’s Caucus, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests, the Brethren Revival Fellowship, and the liaison to the Council of District Executives.

Other interactions over the three years included a specially called session with Scheurer during 2013’s Standing Committee meetings, reported by Newsline at www.brethren.org/news/2013/ac2013news/standing-committee-special-session-with-oep.html, and in 2012 the Standing Committee statement of concern titled “A Way Forward” that said, in part, “trust in leadership has been broken” by three events--one being the “Statement of Inclusion.”

At that time Standing Committee urged On Earth Peace “to re-examine its statement of inclusion regarding ‘full participation’ so that it will be consistent with Annual Conference decisions regarding Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective [the 1983 Conference statement] and the polity regarding ordination.” Find “A Way Forward” in full at www.brethren.org/news/2012/ac2012-onsite-news/a-way-forward.html.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

The Annual Conference officers for 2014 at the head table at Standing Commitee: at center, moderator Nancy S. Heishman, with moderator elect David Steele at left, and secretary James Beckwith at right.

In other business

Standing Committee also has made recommendations on two items of new business coming to the Annual Conference:

Amendments to the Bylaws of the Church of the Brethren, Inc.: Standing Committee recommended approval of amendments to the denominational bylaws proposed by the Mission and Ministry Board. The amendments clarify the term of service for a member of the board who is chosen chair-elect, and clarify “that the full five-year term allowed for a director [board member] who serves less than half of an unexpired term is subsequent to that unexpired term, not in place of it.” The amendments also update the change of name of Oregon-Washington District to Pacific Northwest District. Find the full proposal at www.brethren.org/ac/2014/documents/business-items/2014-nb1-amendments-to-bylaws.pdf.

Amendments to Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust Articles of Organization: Standing Committee recommended approval of amendments to the BBT Articles of Organization. The most substantive amendment would allow for an incumbent member of the BBT board eligible for a second term to automatically become one of two nominees that Standing Committee recommends for Annual Conference election. Others include changes to conform to style, addition of a clause related to BBT’s socially responsible investing in a manner conforming to Brethren values, clarification that a financial report and annual report are submitted to the delegate body, among others. Find the full proposal at www.brethren.org/ac/2014/documents/business-items/2014-nb2-amendments-to-bbt-aticles-of-incorporation.pdf.

In addition, Standing Committee received an update and held table talk about the Ministerial Leadership polity revision and the item of unfinished business on equitable representation on the Mission and Ministry Board, received reports from the moderator and the denomination’s Leadership Team, and heard from the Council of District Executives.

Standing Committee meetings opened yesterday evening with a dinner and a time for sharing from the districts.

-- Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford is director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

EYN church among those attacked near Chibok on Sunday, as Annual Conference prepares to welcome Nigerian guests

As the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference prepares to welcome members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), a Nigerian Brethren church is among those suffering fresh attacks near Chibok, in news from Nigeria on Sunday.

Rebecca Dali, a leading member of EYN and wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, will be attending Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, July 2-6, along with members of BEST, an EYN organization of business people.

“Suspected Islamic extremists sprayed gunfire at worshippers and torched four churches Sunday,” said a report from the Associated Press and ABC. The attacks on Kwada and Kautikari villages were just a few kilometers from Chibok, the place where Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in mid-April. Scores of people were killed and survivors are hiding in the bush, the report said. In addition to the EYN church, other churches that were destroyed included the Church of Christ in Nigeria and the Deeper Life Bible Church. The attackers also burned houses. See http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunmen-torch-churches-kill-scores-nigeria-24354330.

A news report posted on AllAfrica.com said that other attacks in recent days have occurred in Kaduna and Taraba areas, and there was a bombing in Bauchi. At least 52 people were killed and scores injured in these other incidents. “The executive secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency...lamented that the tense situation in the area was making distribution of relief materials to about 50,000 displaced persons almost impossible,” the report said. Read it at http://allafrica.com/stories/201406290009.html.

A list of speaking engagements by Rebecca Dali and by Carl and Roxane Hill, who recently completed a term of service at EYN’s Kulp Bible College, was included in last week’s Newsline. Find it at www.brethren.org/news/2014/rebecca-dali-to-visit-in-us.html.

In addition to these engagements, Dali and the Hills will be at an insight session at Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. in Room C213-215 of the Columbus Convention Center. Dali will be at the single adults’ lunch group on July 5. The evening of July 5, she is to host a station at the intergenerational activities.

Financial support for the work of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria and for EYN is being received. Donate to the work of Global Mission and Service in Nigeria at www.brethren.org/givegms . Donate to the EYN Compassion Fund at www.brethren.org/eyncompassion . Donate to the Emergency Disaster Fund to support disaster relief work in Nigeria at www.brethren.org.edf.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Annual Conference bits and pieces

Photo by Regina Holmes

One of the MoR observers on duty at the 2011 Annual Conference. For some years, the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) has provided observers as a resource for participants in the Conference business sessions. This year, the ministry also is helping to provide teams of trained volunteers who will be available to be called on as needed throughout the Annual Conference venue.

• Members of the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) at Annual Conference will be wearing yellow lanyards and identifying tags. The MoR volunteers are available to meet with anyone needing a listening ear during the Conference. Contact the Ministry of Reconciliation at the On Earth Peace booth or the Annual Conference Office or by calling 620-755-3940.

• A video about the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is posted online offering information in advance of a conversation to take place during an Annual Conference business session. At its March meeting the Mission and Ministry Board decided to provide the delegate body of Annual Conference with resources to prepare for “Table Talk” about the Brethren Service Center. There will not be any votes or decisions made, but delegates will have an opportunity to share feedback with the board. In addition to the video, delegates have received a fact sheet and a letter introducing the topic of conversation. Find the video at http://youtu.be/uYArm6-ikes .

• In preparation for the presentations on Nigeria at Annual Conference, a history and timeline of the Church of the Brethren mission there, which started in 1923, and the emergence of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has been posted at www.brethren.org/nigeriahistory .

• An insight session on Nigeria has been added to the Annual Conference schedule on Friday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. in room C213-215 in the Columbus Convention Center. Speakers may include Rebecca Dali, wife of Nigerian Brethren president Samuel Dante Dali and founder of the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) and Carl and Roxane Hill, who recently completed a term of service teaching at EYN’s Kulp Bible College in Nigeria. Additional opportunities to share with Rebecca Dali include the single adult lunch group on July 5, and intergenerational activities that evening.

• Young adults in the Church of the Brethren have received a special invitation to attend the General Secretary’s Dinner with Higher Education. Conrad L. Kanagy, professor of sociology at Elizabethtown College, will speak on the theme, “Tearing Down and Building Up: The Work of the Spirit and the Global Church.” The dinner takes place on Saturday, July 5, at 5 p.m. in Rooms C111-112 in the Columbus Convention Center.

• The Womaen's Caucus is holding a prayer gathering for women on the ballot on Thursday, July 3, at 1:20 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall. The gathering is timed to take place prior to the opening of the afternoon business session at which the Annual Conference delegates are to hold elections. “We recognize that it takes courage to put your name forward and would like to support the women who have done so,” said an announcement of the prayer gathering. “Come and join us for a prayer with them as we prepare to move into a time of voting.”

• “Courage Rising: Conversations of Challenge, Risk, Solidarity” will be part of a new booth configuration for the Open Table Cooperative, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests (BMC), Global Women’s Project, and Womaen’s Caucus. These booths will be together in the Exhibit Hall with a space in the center for sponsored conversations, according to an announcement from Open Table. Each group will host several conversations over the course of the Conference on topics ranging from “What's Queer on Brethren Campuses?” to “Inclusive Language” to “Shrinking Congregations: Dying with Grace or Radical Rebirth?” and more. The full list of conversations is available in the “Progressive Guide to Annual Conference” posted by Open Table at www.opentablecoop.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ACGuide141.pdf .

• Detailed information about the schedule and events at the 2014 Annual Conference, speakers and worship, insight session, concerts, age group events, meal events, and much more is at www.brethren.org/ac .

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Church poultry project in Nigeria reports progress

Photo by Jay Wittmeyer

An enclosure for raising chickens in Nigeria

By Jeff Boshart

A grant of $40,000 was awarded in 2013 from the Global Food Crisis Fund to the Integrated Community Based Development Programme (ICBDP) of the Rural Development Department of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), in order to expand its agricultural services. The centerpiece of this new effort has been a poultry project for egg production and to provide day-old chicks to farmers in northeastern Nigeria using half of the grant ($20,000).

After one year of operation, ICBDP reports total net monthly sales averaging N400,000 in the Nigerian currency the Naira ($2,500), with an anticipated accumulated net profit of N4,000,000 ($25,000) by the end of 2014.

Part two of ICBDP’s expansion has begun. Its objective is to supply quality fertilizer to its farming clients. ICBDP has entered into a contractual agreement with a well-known fertilizer company in Nigeria.

In recent correspondence received by Global Food Crisis Fund manager Jeff Boshart, head of the ICBDP department Markus Vashawa describes how eggs are purchased by the crate by many vendors or “hawkers” who then sell these eggs in rural villages. The majority of the customers are Muslims because they believe in the quality of Christian products.

In conclusion, Vashawa sends his appreciation for support from the Church of the Brethren and the Global Food Crisis Fund. He writes: “May the almighty God continue to strengthen our relationship in providing services to his people. We can’t do anything except God is by our side to inspire us in his direction.”

-- Jeff Boshart is manager of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Over the top: Manchester elated with $108 million success

By Jeri S. Kornegay
Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., is concluding its $100 million Students First! campaign more than $8 million over goal and 18 months ahead of schedule, reports president Jo Young Switzer. The campaign is the largest in the history of the school, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Manchester already has spent a third of the funds on a new Academic Center as well as classrooms and athletic training additions to the Physical Education and Recreation Center (PERC). With a significant $35 million gift from the Lilly Endowment, the Manchester University College of Pharmacy is well-established on a new Fort Wayne campus with a third class enrolled to embark on the four-year professional doctorate degree.

The $108.4 million also provides endowed scholarships and programs, resources for faculty development, and the Manchester Fund, which supports the operating budget. Two other construction projects wait in the wings now that funding is secured:

• A stand-alone tower will house the historic 10-bell Chime in a visible location on the North Manchester campus. The bells currently atop the Administration Building, where twice daily during the school year and for special occasions, students have played them, a 92-year tradition.

• A modern, multi-use facility will replace the aged Administration Building on a much smaller footprint with an accessible, greener facility.

About 68 percent of the $108.4 million is available for use, with the remainder in bequests and other planned giving, said Switzer. More than 50,000 gifts came from alumni, corporations such as the Dow Chemical Company that match alumni donors, Steel Dynamics, and other area corporations, foundations, and churches.

“Without my Manchester experience, I don’t believe I would have been as successful,” said Dave Haist, retired Do It Best Corp. chief operating officer. Haist, a 1973 graduate, and his wife Sandy, a 1974 graduate, co-chair the Students First! Campaign Cabinet. “It’s our responsibility to give back to those that have helped us.“

Every initiative of Students First! is living up to the campaign promise, Switzer said. “Our student learning spaces have improved dramatically. The endowment is larger. There are 53 new endowed funds for student scholarships and programs and more resources for faculty development.”

About $10 million arrived in the past month, pointedly celebrating the successful leadership of President Switzer, who retires July 1. She also has served Manchester as a student leader in the 1960s, alumna, professor, department chair, and vice president and dean for academic affairs.

Putting the campaign over the top is the largest alumni gift in the history of Manchester: $5.1 million from Herb Chinworth to name the new multi-use administration building in honor of his parents, Lockie and Augustus Chinworth of Warsaw, Ind. The Academic Center will be named in honor of former trustee Mike Jarvis, a 1968 graduate, and his wife Sandy of Franklin, Ind., in gratitude for their $5 million gift.

Manchester offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study to almost 1,400 students in undergraduate, master’s degree, and professional pharmacy doctoral programs. Learn more at www.manchester.edu.

-- This release was provided by Jeri S. Kornegay, University Media Relations, Manchester University.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Heifer International celebrates 70 years with ‘Beyond Hunger’ event at Camp Mack

By Peggy Reiff Miller

This summer marks the 70th anniversary of Heifer International, the award-winning development organization based in Little Rock, Ark., that had its beginnings in the Church of the Brethren in northern Indiana.

The first shipment of 18 heifers (young cows that have not yet borne a calf) left Nappanee, Ind., June 12, 1944, on a four-day train trip to Mobile, Ala. Seventeen of those heifers (one got sick and had to stay behind) left Mobile on the William D. Bloxham on July 14 headed for Puerto Rico.

Heifer International is celebrating its 70 years of service all across the country this year with "Beyond Hunger" events. It is fitting that one of these events will take place at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind., the weekend of Sept. 12-14.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

A painting of Puerto Ricans receiving the gift of heifers through Heifer Project

The beginnings of Heifer

The Heifer Project, as it was originally known, was the brain child of Church of the Brethren leader Dan West. He and his family lived on a small farm between Goshen and Middlebury. In 1937, the Society of Friends (Quakers) invited the Church of the Brethren and Mennonites to assist them in a relief project in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The Brethren sent Dan West as their salaried representative. While watching limited supplies of reconstituted powdered milk being distributed to infants, with those not gaining weight being taken off the list to die, West thought, "Why not send cows to Spain so they’d have all the milk they need?"

After arriving home in early 1938, West relentlessly promoted the "cow, not a cup" idea. It took four years, but in April 1942, the Northern Indiana Men’s Work of the Church of the Brethren adopted his plan for "Cattle for Europe." A committee was formed which became the core of a national Heifer Project Committee when the denomination’s Brethren Service Committee adopted the plan months later. Other denominations were invited to participate, making it an ecumenical program practically from the start.

Local committees were formed, heifers were raised and donated, but World War II was raging and the animals couldn’t be shipped across the Atlantic. The Church of the Brethren had a Civilian Public Service (CPS) project in Puerto Rico at the time, CPS being the arm of the Selective Service System set up for conscientious objectors in World War II. So the first shipment of 17 heifers was sent to Puerto Rico in July 1944 to help struggling farmers around the island. Another shipment of 50 heifers to Puerto Rico followed in May 1945.

When World War II ended in Europe in May 1945, the Brethren Service Committee teamed up with the newly-formed United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA, not to be confused with today’s United Nations). They agreed that UNRRA would ship Heifer Project animals free of charge and the Brethren Service Committee would recruit all the cattle tenders needed for UNRRA’s own livestock shipments to countries devastated by the war.

Over UNRRA’s short two-year active life span, around 7,000 men and boys served as "seagoing cowboys" on UNRRA’s 360 livestock shipments.

The Heifer Project continued, developing into today’s Heifer International, which today provides all types of livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to families in more than 40 countries including the United States.

Beyond Hunger at Camp Mack

The Sept. 12-14 Beyond Hunger event at Camp Mack will honor Heifer’s work through the years. After a Friday evening hog roast, two of Dan West’s children will tell stories of their father and the Heifer Project around a campfire.

Saturday will be filled with events celebrating Heifer International’s past, present, and future, including a noon luncheon with Heifer’s CEO Pierre Ferrari speaking, presentations by local Church of the Brethren author and researcher Peggy Reiff Miller, and former Heifer Midwest director Dave Boothby, and workshops with Heifer staff.

Children’s activities and a petting zoo are being planned. A number of seagoing cowboys will be present from around the country to share their stories and be recognized. On Sunday, several area participating churches will honor Heifer International in their services and host guest speakers from Heifer.

Early registration for this Beyond Hunger event is required, as registration will be closed when the maximum of 300 participants is reached. The day’s activities and luncheon on Saturday are free. There is a charge for the Friday and Saturday evening meals and lodging.

For more information and to register, contact Peggy Miller at prmiller@bnin.net or 574-658-4147. To find other Beyond Hunger events, go to www.heifer.org/communities.

-- Peggy Reiff Miller is a writer and musician who has researched and written many of the stories of Heifer’s “sea-going cowboys.” She is working on a nonfiction book about the history of the seagoing cowboys and has produced a DVD documentary photo story, “A Tribute to the Seagoing Cowboys,” available for $12.95 from Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1408.  Her website about the sea-going cowboys is at www.seagoingcowboys.com.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Brethren bits

Robby May

• Robby May has been called by West Marva District and trustees of Camp Galilee as camp manager for Camp Galilee. This position was vacant following the retirement of Phyllis Marsh, long-time manager of over 30 years. Originally from Westernport, Md., May attends Westernport Church of the Brethren and has been involved at Camp Galilee since he was five years old. He has been at the camp as a camper, counselor, director, member of the Camp Planning and Promoting Committee, and a member of the Trustees. He also has served several summers on program staff at Camp Swatara in Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Social Science Secondary Education from Frostburg State University and a master of science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Drexel University, and is a Nationally Board Certified Social Studies Teacher. Additionally, he has been volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician with LaVale Volunteer Rescue Squad for over 10 years. Find the camp website at www.camp-galilee.org .

• Brethren Volunteer Service is announcing the start of the summer orientation to be held July 20-Aug. 8 at Camp Mardela in Denton, Md. This will be the 305th unit of BVS and will include 13 volunteers--7 Americans and 6 Germans. They will spend three weeks exploring project possibilities and topics of community building, peace and social justice, faith sharing, vocation, and more. Washington City Church of the Brethren will host the unit for their middle weekend of service. For more about BVS go to www.brethren.org/bvs .

• The online course “What Brethren Believe” will be offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and taught by Denise Kettering-Lane, beginning Aug. 4 through Sept. 26. Participating pastors will earn 2 continuing education credits. The registration deadline has been extended to July 14. The course fee is $275. This course is open to Brethren Academy students (TRIM and EFSM), lay persons, and pastors. Contact 800-287-8822 ext. 1824 or academy@bethanyseminary.edu or academy@brethren.org .

• On Earth Peace is offering a series of Agape-Satyagraha training webinars on topics including recruiting youth and mentors, an introduction to using the curriculum, understanding and using communication skills, and Kingian nonviolence. The first webinar, "Preparing for the School Year: Recruiting Youth and Mentors," will be held on July 14, at 8 p.m. (eastern). Gerald Rhoades and Marie Benner-Rhoades will lead the session. For more information about this series, contact Marie Benner-Rhoades at mrhoades@onearthpeace.org .

Enders (Neb.) Church of the Brethren has suffered heavy damage from wind and rain, in storms that hit the area beginning June 18. “The Imperial Republican” newspaper reported that the fate of the building is not yet known. “The fate of an Enders landmark rests in the balance after wind ripped the roof covering off the Enders Church of the Brethren Wednesday night, June 18,” the news report said. “High winds during a thunderstorm...tore all of the tar-based roof covering from the roof deck of the church. The rain that accompanied the storm left behind significant water damage to the upper floor of the building where the sanctuary was located.” After an attempt was made to cover the building with heavy plastic, another storm ripped that covering off the church, leaving standing water in the building. Read the news story at www.imperialrepublican.com. Above: a view of water damage at the church. Below: volunteers gather to help out. Photo by Ken Frantz

• A children’s garden at Middlebury (Ind.) Church of the Brethren has been covered by the Goshen (Ind.) News on June 27. “The children of the Middlebury Church of the Brethren’s garden are yielding vegetables that are being used for salads in a local outreach and at the local food bank,” the newspaper reported. “In the spring, the children planted a garden that contained a multitude of vegetables, including asparagus, carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers.... Once a month, the church takes a meal to a local retirement community as a way to share food and fellowship. The remainder of the lettuce is given to the local food bank.” Find the full article at www.goshennews.com/local/x1927825646/Community-childrens-garden-an-outreach-ministry .

• Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., on the evening of July 10 will be assembling hygiene kits for Iraqi citizens displaced by the conflict in their country. A note in the congregation’s newsletter listed items needed including adult-size toothbrushes, large bar bath soap, fingernail clippers, hand towels in dark colors, and bags sewn to fit the items. Monetary donations are also accepted.

• On Saturday, July 12, from 9:30-11:30 a.m., Virlina District will hold an “Introduction to the Shine Curriculum” event at Peters Creek Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va. The Virlina District Resource Center has the Shine Start-Up Kit for congregations to review the new curriculum. Register for the “Introduction to the Shine Curriculum” by contacting Emma Jean Woodard at 800-847-5462 or virlina2@aol.com .

• Disaster relief coordinators in Illinois and Wisconsin District and Missouri and Arkansas District are offering Brethren a change to volunteer to rebuild Gifford, Ill., which was hit by a tornado on Nov. 17 last year. Gifford is located near Champaign. The tornado destroyed 80 homes and 40 more received damage, said an announcement from Gary Gahm, Missouri and Arkansas District disaster coordinator. He is seeking help to fill the week of July 14-18, with the week of July 21-25 also available for volunteers. Lodging is in a former retreat center at a cost of $5 per night. Contact Gahm at gahmgb@comcast.net or 816-313-5065 or 816-315-7256.

• A World Hunger Auction Benefit Recital on July 13 at 4 p.m. at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va., will feature organist Jonathan Emmons performing some of the pieces he will be playing for Annual Conference. He will share standard organ pieces along with settings of familiar hymn tunes, according to an announcement. He also will share selections on the alto saxophone. “Don't miss it!” said the announcement.

• Craig Howard, pastor of Brake Church of the Brethren near Dorcas, W.Va., was awarded the Human Rights Award for 2014 by the Church Women United in Petersburg, W.Va. “This award recognizes persons who continually and faithfully work for the cause of human rights,” said an article in the West Marva District newsletter. Howard has been pastor of Brake Church of the Brethren for 33 years and has organized and led 13 youth mission trips taking youth and adults from his church to a number of sites around the world, as well as on disaster relief missions in the US, and with fellow mission trip leader Jerry Judy, also made a trip to Golmi, Niger, to minister to missionaries and help pro-cure textbooks for a local school, and to Niamey to work with the Sahel School for missionary children, and with a leper colony in West Niger.

Source: 7/1/2014 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 Jeff Boshart, Kendra Harbeck, Jeri S. Kornegay, Fran Massie, Peggy Reiff Miller, Callie Surber, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.