National Council of Churches governing board issues statement from Ferguson

As Missouri governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency yesterday in anticipation of the imminent indictment, or lack thereof, of officer Darren Wilson, the National Council of Churches (NCC) gathered in St. Louis for a meeting of its governing board. The atmosphere was tense in the room as the governor's order to ready the National Guard came during a panel discussion featuring four pastors and community leaders from Ferguson, Mo.

Photo courtesy of Stan Noffsinger

General secretary Stan Noffsinger (second from left) was among National Council of Churches leaders in Ferguson, Mo., for meetings this week. Here he is shown with other NCC governing board members joining the line of demonstrators as Ferguson awaited word from grand jury proceedings on the possible indictment of a police officer in a shooting last summer.

Today members of the NCC board including Stanley J. Noffsinger, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren, stood on the line with demonstrators in Ferguson as they awaited news from the grand jury proceedings. Also today, the NCC issued a statement from Ferguson, which was read publicly before a media audience at Wellspring United Methodist Church.

Quoting from Isaiah 58:12, the statement said, in part: “We are in partnership with pastors and congregations who are preaching, seeking justice, and providing pastoral care in Ferguson's churches in the midst of the current tensions. We celebrate the long-standing presence of members and leaders of this community that care for, and have cared for, the welfare of their congregations and the community at large....

“Love of God and neighbor motivates us to seek justice and fairness for everyone. We wish to see a society in which young people ‘not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character’ (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). This vision is jeopardized by issues that revolve around mass incarceration. The trend toward privatization of prisons creates monetary incentives for incarcerating people for minor crimes, the vast majority of which are young black men. The national militarization of local policing increases the likelihood of grave injustice. Time and time again we are witnessing the use of lethal force against unarmed persons....” (See the full text of the NCC statement below.)

Noffsinger comments on experience in Ferguson

The media imagery of violent protest “is not what I experienced today,” Noffsinger reported this afternoon by telephone. “There is a real high level of anxiety whether the officer is indicted or not, but it looks like any of our cities at the moment. But listening to church leaders and talking with demonstrators the tensions are real and the potential for violence is just under the surface.”

He said his experience in Ferguson has enhanced the call of scripture for the church to move outside of its walls and be active in the neighborhood. “This event has drawn the churches in Ferguson out into the neighborhood,” he said. “Why aren’t we out there listening to the youth in our cities, about the abuse of force and the militarization of police? The church is called out of its four walls into the neighborhood.

“No matter what the outcome is,” Noffsinger said, referring to the grand jury case, “the way forward for us is to accompany the oppressed.”

NCC board hears from Ferguson church leaders

The speakers at the NCC governing board meeting yesterday were Traci Blackmon, pastor of Christ the King United Church of Christ, Florissant, Mo.; James Clark of Better Family Life; David Greenhaw, president of Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis; and Willis Johnson, pastor of Wellspring Church, Ferguson, Mo.

Each of these leaders has played a key role in the unfolding events in Ferguson, and all have affiliations with the National Council of Churches (NCC) and its member denominations. The panelists gave a variety of perspectives on the role of the church in Ferguson and other places where systemic injustice occurs.

Roy Medley of the American Baptist Churches in the USA, and chair of the NCC governing board, introduced the speakers. “Regardless of the color of our skin, we all have skin in this game,” he said.

Blackmon welcomed the out-of-town visitors. “There are no outsiders in the pursuit of justice,” she said. As she reflected on the violence many fear if officer Darren Wilson is not indicted by the grand jury, she said, “My prayer is that there is no violence, because violence never wins.”

Clark, a key leader working to build peaceful relations, gave the most alarming assessment. He spoke of a “new era,” one in which injustices in the “urban core” will be responded to differently than in the past. “The new era started on August 9th. And young men are armed to the teeth,” he warned the church leaders. “And their mentality is very anti-establishment.”

Johnson joined Greenhaw in calling the church to be active in communities at risk for violence and injustice.

The NCC meeting reconvened today, Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. at Wellspring United Methodist Church in Ferguson where the NCC statement was presented to the media. The full text of the statement follows:

NCC Statement on Ferguson

We live in the hope expressed by the prophet Isaiah:

Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
   you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
   the restorer of streets to live in (Isaiah 58:12).

The National Council of Churches is a fellowship of Christian communions that seeks justice for all and stands with all those who are oppressed. We are in partnership with pastors and congregations who are preaching, seeking justice, and providing pastoral care in Ferguson's churches in the midst of the current tensions. We celebrate the long-standing presence of members and leaders of this community that care for, and have cared for, the welfare of their congregations and the community at large. We are led by their love and by their stories and counsel. We are also inspired by the young people who, in their quest for justice, are embodying a faith and courage that we find to be an example to our churches.

We join the community of Ferguson, and all of those who seek justice and fairness for all people. We applaud those who practice the very best in Christian tradition by responding through prayer and nonviolent, peaceful action, and we join with other faith traditions who urge the same. It is our hope that the city and its citizens, churches, law enforcement officials, justice-seekers, and media, will all be shepherded by the teaching of Jesus to love God and to “love your neighbor as yourself."

Love of God and neighbor motivates us to seek justice and fairness for everyone. We wish to see a society in which young people “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). This vision is jeopardized by issues that revolve around mass incarceration. The trend toward privatization of prisons creates monetary incentives for incarcerating people for minor crimes, the vast majority of which are young black men. The national militarization of local policing increases the likelihood of grave injustice. Time and time again we are witnessing the use of lethal force against unarmed persons.

Loving neighbor does not include exploiting others. We call those who exploit emotions surrounding this grand jury action in ways that bring further division to consider their motivations and act compassionately. We urge all parties, in all things, to be guided by the words of the apostle Paul, that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:22-23). Where the Spirit of God is, God motivates us to live this way.

Peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is also the presence of justice. Peace is found in the ability to dialogue, to see each others’ side, and to come to a point where relationships are transformed from those of conflict to conversation. The bridge between justice and peace is mercy and grace, and as people of faith, we affirm this bridge, and that the Church, its pastors, and its members, must be those who proclaim it.

In the weeks that will follow these days of anger, indignation, and accusation, we call for peace--one full of robust love that utilizes our best qualities as human beings. We call on the member communions of the National Council of Churches in Ferguson to stand in solidarity with the community to stand in solidarity with the community to seek liberty and justice for all.

-- A release from Steven D. Martin, director of Communications and Development for the National Council of Churches, contributed to this report.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

In addition to constant prayer, funds are needed in Nigeria

Photo by David Sollenberger

A crowd of displaced people gather to receive bags of maize (corn) and other relief goods in a distribution at an EYN church in Jos, Nigeria. Help for funding this food distribution came from the Church of the Brethren in the United States. Staff of Rebecca Dali's nonprofit aid group CCEPI purchased and prepared the sacks of grain and other materials that included buckets, mats, and blankets.

By David Sollenberger

The following is the script from a short video report on the Nigeria crisis by Church of the Brethren videographer David Sollenberger. He returned last week from a reporting trip to Nigeria on behalf of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service. In the video, this script is interspersed with brief interviews not quoted here. View the video at www.brethren.org or on YouTube at http://youtu.be/T_Y9hlxuBfo:

The women’s choir at one of the EYN churches in Jos, one of the relatively few congregations in the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria still holding regular worship services. Two months ago, there were an estimated 96,000 EYN members who had fled their homes, and become essentially refugees in their own country. With the attack in late October by the terrorist group Boko Haram on Kwari, the community where the EYN headquarters and Kulp Bible College are located, that number increased dramatically. The attack began early in the morning and people left everything behind, dodging bullets and fleeing into the bush….

Many people ended up walking some 20 miles through the mountains to safety in Cameroon, many others are staying with relatives and friends in the Yola area, and others in large resettlement camps. Many of them have found their way to the relatively safe regions of Abuja and Jos but are homeless, bringing only the clothes they had on when they fled.

Photo by David Sollenberger

This woman and her baby were two of the people who received sacks of grain distributed to the crowd of displaced people who gathered at an EYN church in Jos, Nigeria

EYN staff liaison Markus Gamache and his wife opened their home in Jos to almost 50 people, who had nowhere else to go. Other EYN members in the Yola, Jos, and Abuja areas are doing the same….

The people standing here at the Jos church on Sunday are those who are displaced, who have fled the violence in their home communities, but wanted to worship with other EYN members on this Sunday.

EYN leadership has re-located to Jos, and is trying to provide housing for EYN leadership and for pastors whose churches have either been burned or whose communities have been evacuated. Eight pastors and over 3,000 EYN members so far have been killed by Boko Haram. EYN leadership is consulting with Carl and Roxane Hill, who had been the most recent American teachers at Kulp Bible College, who left this past May. They will be key figures in the assistance efforts of the Church of the Brethren in the US.

Many EYN members who don’t have relatives in the safe zones are staying in resettlement camps, like this one set up by a mission group in Jos called Stefanos Foundation. Others have been moved to relocation sites like this one near Abuja, which is one of the few open to both Muslims and Christians. Muslims who have not embraced the radical jihadist position of Boko Haram are also being killed, and many of them, like Ibriham Ali and the nine members of his family, have fled the towns now occupied by Boko Haram.

At this point, EYN leadership is considering building temporary housing in several areas, including this large piece of land owned by EYN near a school that closed several years ago. Already 20 families are staying in these classrooms, 8 to 10 to a room, with many more on their way here.

Photo by David Sollenberger

A man and child at one of the relocation sites for displaced people, sites that are being created with leadership from EYN staff liaison Markus Gamache as part of the cooperative relief effort of EYN, Brethren Disaster Ministries, and Global Mission and Service.

Food is another desperate need of the displaced people. Grants from the Nigeria Crisis Fund in the US helped provide food for many EYN members and assistance to displaced persons, but those initial grants are gone.

Rebecca Dali, the wife of EYN President Samuel Dali, and the woman who visited the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference last summer, turned almost $16,000 dollars worth of Brethren funds into food and emergency supplies, which were given out to families in some of the resettlement areas. A distribution at the EYN church in Jos resulted in far more people needing food and supplies than she was able to provide….

So far the Church of the Brethren in the US has provided more than $320,000 worth of relief for our sister church in Nigeria, including contributions from the EYN Compassion Fund, but much more is needed.

In addition to constant prayer for the safety of both EYN members and their Muslim neighbors who have also fled, funds are needed to build homes for displaced families, for clean water and sanitation, sleeping mats and mosquito nets, food for those displaced, and support for families who are housing the displaced people…

All money is being channeled through the Nigeria Crisis Fund…and all individual donations are being matched by the denominational funds ear marked by the Mission and Ministry Board at their October meeting.

The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria has been displaced by violence, but indeed they have not been abandoned.  Their deep faith in God and commitment to each other sustains them.  But now is clearly an opportunity for their brothers and sisters in the U.S. to walk with them, to share their burdens, for as it says in first Corinthians, when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer, and when one part is honored, we all rejoice.

Send contributions to: The Nigeria Crisis Fund, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; or donate at www.brethren.org.

-- David Sollenberger is a Church of the Brethren videographer. This script accompanies a short video report on the crisis in Nigeria, with footage from Sollenberger’s recent reporting trip to Nigeria on behalf of Brethren Disaster Ministries and Global Mission and Service. View the video at www.brethren.org or posted on YouTube at http://youtu.be/T_Y9hlxuBfo. Find an album of Sollenberger’s photographs of displaced people and the relief effort in Nigeria at www.bluemelon.com/churchofthebrethren/nigeriacrisisreliefeffort.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

Court rules to ‘vacate’ clergy housing allowance case

“We have good news to share!” said an update from Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) about a court case that had the potential to seriously affect the tax status of clergy housing allowances. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the clergy housing allowance case brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. is to be vacated (eliminated) and remanded (sent back) to the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin with instructions to dismiss the case. The court ruled that the plaintiffs have no standing to bring a complaint.

The case would have affected ministers in three states--Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana--but could have set precedent for the rest of the nation.

“While we celebrate the good news of the 7th Circuit Court’s ruling to dismiss the case brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., we do want to emphasize that the ruling to dismiss was based on the procedural ground of standing,” said a statement from Scott W. Douglas, BBT director of Employee Benefits.

The following excerpt from the court’s decision summarizes this point:

“The plaintiffs here argue that they have standing because they were denied a benefit (a tax exemption for their employer-provided housing allowance) that is conditioned on religious affiliation. This argument fails, however, for a simple reason: the plaintiffs were never denied the parsonage exemption because they never asked for it. Without a request, there can be no denial. And absent any personal denial of a benefit, the plaintiffs’ claim amounts to nothing more than a generalized grievance about § 107(2)’s unconstitutionality, which does not support standing.”

Douglas added, “We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you informed as long as there is a possibility that the FFRF will continue to bring legal challenges to the clergy housing allowance.”

An amicus curiae brief in the case had been filed by the Church Alliance--a coalition of the chief executive officers of 38 denominational benefit programs including BBT. Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger and associate general secretary Mary Jo Flory-Steury, who is executive of the denomination’s Ministry Office, had signed on in support of the brief. BBT president Nevin Dulabaum is the denomination’s representative on the Church Alliance.

The name of the case is Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., et al. v. Jacob Lew, et al. (FFRF v. Lew). The US government had appealed a decision by Judge Barbara Crabb, US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (November 2013), that Code §107(2) is unconstitutional. Code §107(2), commonly called “clergy housing exclusion” or “clergy housing allowance,” excludes from income taxation the cash compensation provided to “ministers of the gospel” (clergy) toward the cost of their housing.

This section of the IRS code essentially excludes the value of clergy-owned housing from income taxation. It is related to Code §107(1), which excludes from a minister’s taxable income the value of church-provided housing (commonly called a parsonage, vicarage, or manse).

The Church Alliance brief focused on the jurisprudential history of permitted legislative accommodations of religion arguing that Code §107(2) is a constitutionally permitted accommodation of religion when viewed in the context of Code §107(1), the parsonage exclusion, and Code §119, which excludes employer-provided housing from employees’ incomes in numerous secular circumstances.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

Communication informs about new IRS rule on pre-tax health insurance premium contributions for pastors, church workers

A communication with important information about how churches report their pastors’ (and lay employees’) income with regard to health insurance premiums is being sent to each Church of the Brethren congregation. The joint letter is from Mary Jo Flory-Steury, associate general secretary of the Church of the Brethren and executive of the Ministry Office, and Scott W. Douglas, BBT director of Employee Benefits. An additional letter from Douglas gives information about IRS rules for Section 105 HRA pre-tax insurance contributions.

Pastors and church workers who have their premium paid at least in part by the church but who are not in a bona fide church group health plan no longer can claim a pre-tax benefit on those payments, explained BBT president Nevin Dulabaum. “The IRS quietly changed the ruling for 2014 and we don’t believe that many pastors are aware of it,” Dulabaum said. “We fear that they’re going to prepare their taxes in April and find that they have several thousand dollars tax liability.”

To tax or not to tax

The joint communication from the Ministry Office and BBT began with the question, “To tax or not to tax--how should premiums for a pastor’s individual medical insurance be handled?”

“If your church is purchasing medical insurance for any of its employees, please read this letter carefully,” the communication said, in part. “Starting in 2014 the new healthcare legislation known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), now requires employers, in certain situations, to report the cost of providing medical insurance for employees as regular income to those employees.

“Who is impacted by this change? Those employers who purchase an individual medical insurance policy directly for their employee(s) or reimburse their employee(s) for the cost of an individual medical insurance policy must now report the money spent for this coverage as regular income paid to the employee(s). Please note: If your church provides medical insurance through a group plan, there is no change to the way that expense is treated for tax purposes.”

HRA not a solution for pre-tax insurance premium purchase

“We have received several inquiries regarding the possibility of purchasing individual health insurance policies through a Section 105 HRA, creating a pre-tax status for this income,” Douglas added in his letter. “Please be aware that unless an employer provides group medical insurance, the money used to purchase individual medical insurance must be reported as earned (taxable) income to the employee.”

An HRA is not a solution for avoiding the tax consequences of the Affordable Care Act market reforms, and using this method could result in heavy fines, the letter warns.

Douglas noted that legal counsel has offered this information in regard to the subject of pre-tax insurance contributions:

On May 13, 2014, the IRS issued a Question and Answer “Q&A” document reiterating that employers are prohibited from reimbursing employees on a pre-tax basis for premiums employees pay for individual health insurance policies, either in or outside the Exchange/Marketplace. The Q&A cited IRS Notice 2013-54 and PPACA market reforms. The IRS Q&A does not prohibit employers from increasing employees’ compensation so they can purchase individual health insurance policies. For more information go to www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Employer-Health-Care-Arrangements.

IRS Notice 2013-54 states the following, clearly indicating that an HRA may not be used to purchase medical insurance for employees from the individual insurance market on a “pre-tax” basis: “...(a) for purposes of the annual dollar limit prohibition, an employer-sponsored HRA cannot be integrated with individual market coverage or with individual policies provided under an employer payment plan, and, therefore, an HRA used to purchase coverage on the individual market under these arrangements will fail to comply with the annual dollar limit prohibition....”

“While BBT does not advise clients, we strongly discourage you from using an HRA arrangement to purchase medical insurance for purposes of pre-tax benefits,” Douglas wrote.




Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

Congregational Life Ministries offers webinars on ‘Just Friendship’ and ‘Youth Work after Christendom’

Congregational Life Ministries is a co-sponsor of two webinars scheduled for this week: on Wednesday, Nov. 19, Anthony Grinnell will present a webinar related to ministry and evangelism and justice titled “Just Friendship”; and on Thursday, Nov. 20, Nigel Pimlott is the presenter of a webinar on the topic “Youth Work after Christendom-Revisited.” Both webinars start at 2:30 p.m. (eastern time). The latter webinar is one in a series by authors of published or forthcoming books in the popular “After Christendom” series, presented by the Church of the Brethren, the Center for Anabaptist Studies at Bristol Baptist College in the UK, the Anabaptist Network, and the Mennonite Trust.

“Youth Work after Christendom-Revisited” addresses the significant transformation undergone by ministry with young people, and the emergence of a post-Christendom, missional narrative, despite the fact that for many churches it is still about getting young people into church on a Sunday. This webinar will consider models of mission with young people based upon symbiosis, social justice and explorations of new uncharted waters. Nigel Pimlott is passionate about ministry with young people. He is author of youth ministry resources and a number of books, including ‘Youth Worker After Christendom and ‘Embracing the Passion.’

“Just Friendship” will discuss the nature of the relationships we seek to build with people in low-income areas and will explore how the virtues of justice and hope may be expressed within these relationships. Grinnell is involved in developing initiatives across the city of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, that seek to address poverty and inequality, is helping to establish Leeds Citizens, and is a project manager for the Leeds Poverty Truth Challenge.

The webinars are free, and ministers may earn 0.1 continuing education credit for attending the event. Register for webinars at www.brethren.org/webcasts. For more information contact Stan Dueck, director for Transforming Practices for the Church of the Brethren, at sdueck@brethren.org.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

On Earth Peace to host informational webinar on Anti-Racism Transformation Team

By Marie Benner-Rhoades

On Earth Peace invites interested individuals to participate in an informational webinar to learn more about the organization’s Anti-Racism Transformation Team.

The webinar, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. (eastern time), will provide a brief analysis of institutional racism, short history of the organization’s journey to eliminate racism, introduction to the purpose of the Anti-Racism Transformation Team, and opportunities for webinar participants to ask questions about the team’s upcoming formation and work. For login information, contact Marie Benner-Rhoades at MRhoades@OnEarthPeace.org.

On Earth Peace is currently accepting applications for a new institutional Anti-Racism Transformation Team, which will lead and hold On Earth Peace accountable for dismantling racism within the organization. Individuals who are deeply committed to the mission and ministry of On Earth Peace and its desire to become an anti-racist institution are encouraged to apply on or before Jan. 15, 2015. Applications and other information about the Anti-Racism Transformation Team are available at www.OnEarthPeace.org/ARTT. Additional questions may be directed by email to ARTT@onearthpeace.org.

This team is an outcome of On Earth Peace’s commitment to respond to personal and institutional manifestations of racism, by addressing racism within its own structure and culture. On Earth Peace recognizes the perpetuation of institutional racism and its ability to maintain unearned power and privilege through formal policies, practices, teachings, and decision-making--thereby excluding or limiting full participation in the organization by people of color. Through the creation of this team, On Earth Peace intends to effectively and credibly help its constituent peacebuilders end violence and war by addressing injustices and walking a path toward full ownership and participation by people of all racial identities.

On Earth Peace is a non-profit organization and agency of the Church of the Brethren, that helps individuals, congregations, communities, and other groups grow in peace through powerful programs of training and accompaniment. Its mission is to answer Jesus Christ’s call for peace and justice through its ministries; build thriving families, congregations and communities; and provide the skills, support, and spiritual foundation to face violence with active nonviolence. To learn more, visit www.onearthpeace.org.

-- Marie Benner-Rhoades is director of Youth and Emerging Adult Peace Formation for On Earth Peace.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

How a concern becomes a value

By Nevin Dulabaum, president of Brethren Benefit Trust

One of the characteristics that distinguishes most of the funds managed by the Brethren Pension Plan and Brethren Foundation is that they are socially screened for Church of the Brethren values. That means that we do not invest in companies that generate 10 percent or more of their revenues in abortion, alcohol, defense, gambling, pornography, or tobacco. We also do not invest in the top 25 publically traded defense contractors. These screens all come from statements approved by Church of the Brethren Annual Conference delegates.

So what would it take to add another concern to the list of investment screens? This past summer, Church of the Brethren Annual Conference delegates, meeting in Columbus, Ohio, considered an amendment to an unfinished business item pertaining to climate change. The amendment proposed that Church of the Brethren-related investments “should cultivate renewable energy production and use, and should screen out entities that prolong climate-threatening dependency on fossil fuels.”

There is growing momentum for this kind of a ban. According to the “New York Times,” 180 philanthropies, religious organizations, pension funds, local governments, and hundreds of wealthy individual investors have pledged to divest themselves of assets tied to fossil fuel companies in recent years.

When asked whether the amendment would be supported by Brethren Foundation (and BBT), Steve Mason, BBT and BFI’s director of socially responsible investing, reported that it would be best for the topic to be filtered through the Annual Conference query process as its own item of business, rather than being tacked on as an amendment to an existing item of business. This stand-alone process would allow the topic of the amendment to go through a seasoned process of discernment.

What is a seasoned process of discernment? Or to reframe the question, what is the proper course if one would like BBT/BFI to consider adopting a new investment screen?

A query for any topic needs to be submitted to the Annual Conference as a new business item. Queries can come in one of three ways: They can begin as a congregational concern that is approved and sent to the respective district conference, where it also is approved and is then sent on to Annual Conference; they can be drafted and sent to Annual Conference by one of the official Annual Conference agencies (Church of the Brethren, Bethany Theological Seminary, On Earth Peace, or Brethren Benefit Trust); or there can be a motion made to establish a new item of business from the Annual Conference floor. With regard to investment screens, BBT’s practice is to follow Annual Conference statements; we refuse to initiate investment screens on our own.

Once a new business item is discussed by Annual Conference delegates, the usual outcome of that initial dialogue is for a study committee to be created to discern the feasibility of the proposal.

Why this approach? The creation of a study committee means that a group of individuals who have various perspectives on the subject are able to collectively give the issue a seasoned response. When addressing divestiture of fossil fuel-related investments, such a process could shape the scope of the business item, making sure recommendations are practicable and could lead to meaningful implementation.

Investment screens can be a tool organizations use to effectively state their social convictions without hurting their long-term investments. Do you believe BBT/BFI should omit a certain kind of investment? If so, we welcome the conversation but encourage you to filter your concern through the query process. We believe the outcome will yield the best results for both conveying Brethren values and being a realistic investment screen.

-- Nevin Dulabaum is president of the Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust.

Source: 11/18/2014 Newsline

Brethren bits

• The Church of the Brethren is seeking a chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director of Organizational Resources. This full-time salaried position is located at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., and reports to the General Secretary. The chief financial officer oversees all aspects of the organization's finance and asset management, organizational resources, and acts as corporate treasurer as appointed by the Mission and Ministry Board. Additional responsibilities include supervision of the operations of Information Services, and property/asset management of the Brethren Service Center located in New Windsor, Md. Requirements include a commitment to operating out of the Church of the Brethren vision, mission, and core values; dedication to denominational and ecumenical objectives; an understanding and appreciation of Church of the Brethren heritage, theology, and polity; integrity; excellent financial management skills; and confidentiality. A bachelor's degree in economics/finance/accountancy with at least a second class honors degree and a master's degree in Business Administration or Accounting or CPA are required, as well as 10 years or more of significant proven financial and administrative experience in the areas of finance, accounting, management, planning, and supervision. Active membership in the Church of the Brethren is preferred. Applications will be accepted immediately and reviewed until the position is filled. Application packets are available by contacting Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60142; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org .

• The Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADNet), a small non-profit, is hiring a half-time director. ADNet is dedicated to transforming faith communities and individuals with disabilities by full inclusion in the body of Christ. Roles include focusing on donor development, overseeing office and staff, guiding organizational communications, and relating to the board of directors. For more information and job description see the web site www.adnetonline.org . Send a resume to becky.gascho@gmail.com . The Church of the Brethren is a sponsoring partner of ADNet.

• Registration opens Dec. 1 for Christian Citizenship Seminar 2015, an event for senior high youth and their adult advisors sponsored by the Church of the Brethren Youth and Young Adult Ministry on April 18-23 in New York City and Washington, D.C. The seminar’s study of US immigration will be guided by the theme scripture from Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Space is limited to 100 people so early registration is advised. Cost is $400. For more information and a downloadable brochure, go to www.brethren.org/ccs .

• Youth at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., have started a Dunker Punks Café. “Don’t buy your morning coffee on the way to church. The Dunker Punk Café fills your caffeine needs!” said an announcement in the church newsletter. Staffed by the High School Youth group, freewill donations will be accepted, “but the coffee is still free!” said the announcement.

• The “Peace, Pies, and Prophets” event at Gettysburg (Pa.) Church of the Brethren was a great success, according to the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter. The event raised $3,555 to support Christian Peacemaker Teams and Gettysburg CARES.

• Mario Martinez from Rios de Agua Viva, a new fellowship in Asheville, N.C., in Southeastern District, will be the guest speaker for a Thanksgiving service at Iglesia Jesucristo El Camino/His Way Church of the Brethren on Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. A potluck meal will follow the service.

• The Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry of Southern Pennsylvania District received about $17,000 at its Fall Banquet hosted by New Fairview Church of the Brethren, according to a report from chaplain Dan Lehigh in the district newsletter. Drop off dates for donations of Christmas cookies for the ministry’s annual truck stop cookie give-away have been set: Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, and 15. The drop off location is the ministry’s trailer at the Petro Truck Stop, 1201 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, Pa.

• Dates for the 2015 Meat Canning Project of Southern Pennsylvania District and Mid-Atlantic District have been set: April 6-9, with labeling on April 10. A 10-minute DVD about the project is available from the Southern Pennsylvania District office, call 717-624-8636.

• In Jan. 2015, Elizabethtown (Pa.) College School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) will offer Health Care Administration, a new online bachelor of science degree program focusing on the health care industry's regulations, policies, and management, as well as the human and social issues impacting the industry. “The Health Care Administration curriculum, taught by working experts in the field, is delivered in a five-week accelerated online format, providing working adults with flexible options to fit education into their lives,” said a release from the college. “The program blends theory, design, management and practice of health care into a comprehensive learning program, emphasizing ethics, fiscal responsibility, technological solutions, critical thinking, and communication skills in the health care environment.” Prospective students interested in learning about the program can visit www.etowndegrees.com or call 800-877-2694.

• The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has warned in a release that thousands of Nigerians are escaping the deadly threat posed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and fleeing into neighboring Cameroon. The agency cites Cameroonian claims that some 13,000 Nigerian refugees crossed over from Nigeria after Boko Haram attacked and captured the town of Mubi in late October. However the UNHCR also reported that most of the recent 13,000 refugees had already returned to Nigeria with the city of Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, as their destination. "The vast majority of them are women and children," the press release observed. However, Cameroon has suffered repeated cross-border attacks by Boko Haram as well. The UN reported that “the Minawao refugee camp, for instance, is hosting 16,282 refugees, with the population having nearly tripled in size in the past two months.... The current camp capacity is estimated at 35,000 people and further expansions are underway to accommodate the refugees already registered for transfer from the border, as well as possible additional new arrivals.” The report added that more than 100,000 Nigerians have spilled over into Niger's Diffa region since the beginning of 2014, while Cameroon is currently hosting some 44,000 Nigerian refugees, and another 2,700 have fled to Chad. Meanwhile, an estimated 650,000 people remain internally displaced in Nigeria due to the insurgency. Read the UN News Service report on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/201411121221.html .

• The Legislative Initiative Against the Death Penalty (LIADP) based in Loysville, Pa., is sponsoring an essay contest for high school seniors, as announced in the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter. The grand prize is a $1,000 scholarship, with two $100 awards for runners up, to help pay college expenses in the coming year. The goal is to encourage students to learn about the death penalty and to write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper or a magazine published by a religious body. Letters and scholarship applications are due between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30, 2015. The students will be celebrated at a dinner in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on April 14. Find submission directions on page 8 of the Dec./Jan. issue of the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter at www.cob-net.org/church/sopa/newsletter.pdf .

• Each year Warren and Theresa Eshbach share their extensive model train display to benefit the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), a ministry of Southern Pennsylvania District. The CAS mission is to help children and their families build stronger, healthier lives through compassionate, professional services. It operates the Lehman Center in York County, Nicarry Center in Adams County, and Frances Leiter Center in Franklin County, Pa. “Bring your kids and grandkids and witness their expressions of wonderment, as this display comes to life!” said an announcement in the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter. The train schedule is Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Nov. 29 at 3 p.m.; Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.; and Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Call 717-292-4803 to schedule a visit to the display at the Eshbach home in Dover, Pa.

Source: 11/18/2014 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 Jean Bednar, Marie Benner-Rhoades, Loyce Swartz Borgmann, Deborah Brehm, Scott Douglas, Stan Dueck, Nevin Dulabaum, Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Elizabeth Harvey, M. Colette Nies, Jonathan Shively, David Sollenberger, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: November 12, 2014

NEWS

• Global Food Crisis-funded project in Nigeria is lost along with EYN headquarters compound
• WCC general secretary: Dismay over attacks on churches in Nigeria
• Reflections on the destruction of the Armenian church in Deir Zor

PERSONNEL

• LeAnn Harnist resigns as treasurer of the Church of the Brethren

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Office of Public Witness helps plan conference on drone warfare

RESOURCES

• Brethren Press offers Advent devotional, winter Guide for Biblical Studies, Yearbook on CD

BRETHREN BITS

• Retirement party honors Rex Miller, BDM interim staffing, jobs with the Church of the Brethren, EYN leader to speak at Young Center, W. Pennsylvania challenged to pray daily for Nigeria, Illinois/Wisconsin returns query, and more.

Quote of the Week

“Still many people in the bush and unaccounted for....”

-- Brethren videographer David Sollenberger, who returns this week from a reporting trip to Nigeria. Along with Carl and Roxane Hill, who have been mission workers and teachers at Kulp Bible College (KBC), and staff liaison Markus Gamache of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), Sollenberger has visited camps of displaced people and observed food distributions that are part of the crisis response effort of EYN, Global Mission and Service, and Brethren Disaster Ministries. In a brief e-mail to the Global Mission and Service Office, he reported there are “still many people in the bush and unaccounted for” since insurgents took the EYN headquarters and nearby city of Mubi in late October. More from his trip to Nigeria will be shared as it becomes available.

Sollenberger took the above photo at an inter-religious relocation site which is welcoming both Christians and Muslims, one of the relocation sites for internally displaced people organized with leadership from EYN staff and funding help from American Brethren.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

Global Food Crisis-funded project in Nigeria is lost along with EYN headquarters compound

An agriculture project of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) which has received funding from the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF), has been lost in the overtaking of EYN headquarters by Boko Haram insurgents.

The manager of the project reported the loss in an e-mail to Jeffrey S. Boshart, who manages the GFCF for the Church of the Brethren. His e-mail told the story of how he and his family fled from Boko Haram, taking with them Bible college students and children from other families. (See excerpts from his e-mail below. Identifying names and locations have been omitted as a measure of protection for the manager and his family).

In more news from Nigeria, EYN president Samuel Dante Dali was one of the Nigerian Christian leaders who signed a joint statement on the Boko Haram insurgency. As reported by Nigerian news the statement said, in part, “The Christian leaders are worried over the recent takeover of six local governments in Adamawa State namely; Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, and parts of Hong and Maiha Local Governments by the insurgents. We are also worried that the Christians are been systematically eliminated by members of the Boko Haram Islamic extremists. We are forced to believe that the whole attack is a deliberate plan to exterminate Christians living in the affected areas.” Read the report on the statement from the “Premium Times” at www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/170999-boko-haram-suspend-all-political-activities-christian-leaders-tell-jonathan-others.html.

Photo by Jay Wittmeyer

The manager of the agriculture project poses with supplies, during a happier time at the headquarters of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

Agriculture project raised chickens

“Almost defying belief, right up until the EYN headquarters were overrun, and despite ever increasing violence in the area, the staff of EYN’s Rural Development Program (RDP) agriculture division continued to operate a successful poultry project supplying eggs to local vendors who would in turn sell eggs to villages across the region,” reported Boshart.

RDP's staff provided agricultural services such as the sale of fertilizers and seeds, and training for farmers in the region. The program, officially titled the EYN Integrated Community Based Development Programme (ICBDP) Rural Development Agriculture Department, had received GFCF grants totaling $50,000 in 2012-2014.

“They were known for the quality of their products and filled a niche in the region that in other parts of the world would be filled by either government agencies or private enterprise,” Boshart noted.

The manager of the RDP agricultural work shared in his e-mail how staff continued to return daily to care for the flock until the day of the attack on the EYN headquarters. Now the RDP staff are dispersed and consumed with caring for their own families. Under the current circumstances, the agriculture and community development work of RDP will be superseded by the need to feed and shelter displaced people.

“I know this is just one of many many stories,” Boshart said. “Speaking for the members of the GFCF Review Panel, I wish to extend my prayers and sympathy for the loss of loved ones, farms, personal property, as well as the loss of this service ministry within the life of the EYN church,” Boshart said. “We stand ready to respond to requests for assistance to rebuild and reshape this ministry when the time comes.”

Excerpts from the e-mail report:

Dear Bro. Jeff,

I really thank God almighty for hearing from you this difficult period, it is expected that I should be feeding you with information about our situation at EYN headquarters from time to time, but unfortunately it has became very difficult for me. Since first week of September, precisely since on the 8th we have not been stable in the office because we were also displaced from the headquarters, we can only came in and stay to feed our birds and attend to our clients in not more than one hour time, then we run to hide, we are coming from refugees in nearby villages. We tried by all means...to see that we worked well up to this moment where things became worst on the 28th of Oct.... We narrowly escaped death from gun shots. But never the less, the two projects (poultry egg production and fertilizer) we are working on were very successful, until this time where everything was captured by the insurgents and we lost everything except the amounts we have in our bank account.... I am now in tears as am writing you this message presently. Just as I told you we narrowly escaped gun shots and death, I was even separated from family that day. And it took the grace of God that I found them, I escaped and saved the lives of 36 people.... They are students from KBC and their village was also captured and therefore no place to go, they were forced with tears to follow me and I stayed with them for 13 good days...I could not run and leave them behind.... Yesterday I relocated my family to [another state]; my family size now is presently 10 in number including 3 children who were separated from their parents since September. Besides this entire situation my wife is seven months pregnant and she was now frightened from the gun shots. We are seriously in a difficult situation because we could not take anything to eat, the two vehicles I have were occupied with KBC students’ children. I could not force them to get down from the car but rather I have to escaped with them leaving everything behind. Then how do we feed and how do we survive? The children with me now are crying morning and evening thinking that they are finished. But God is really with us and shows us his mercies.... All my staff as well EYN headquarters staff were scattered everywhere, some are still in the bush with their families. My staff were scattered and have no help, all we have was spent on farms and now we leave the produce behind which are no longer ours.... Jeff, we desperately need your intensive prayers, because we Christians have no land to stay in the north or shall we relocate ourselves to the south? Could Nigerian government recapture back those areas from the terrorists for us to go back and have peace? God shall have mercy on us.... I will get back to you soon as to our next plan in regard to RDP projects. I will keep in touch with you. And looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks and Blessings to you and Bro. Jay [Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service].

Manager, Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria Integrated Community Based Development Programme-Rural Development Agriculture Department

For more about the ministry of the Global Food Crisis Fund go to www.brethren.org/gfcf.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

WCC general secretary: Dismay over attacks on churches in Nigeria

A release from the World Council of Churches

The recent attacks on the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN)--a World Council of Churches member church--and the Kulp Bible College, among other churches in Nigeria, have prompted an expression of profound dismay from the general secretary of the WCC, Olav Fykse Tveit.

The attacks in the last week of October in Nigeria are linked to the militant group Boko Haram, according to media reports.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

World Council of Churches general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit during a visit to the United States, when he was hosted at the Church of the Brethren General Offices.

“We want to offer our support and solidarity to the whole people of Nigeria, and its government,” Tveit said in a statement issued on Nov. 5 from the WCC headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“It is vital that the government take immediate and proactive steps to protect all the people of Nigeria and work strategically to defend them against such attacks, as well as supporting practically those who have recently experienced these atrocities,” said Tveit.

In his statement, the WCC general secretary appreciated efforts by the Christian Council of Nigeria in working with other organizations to provide aid to people fleeing the violence. A large number of the local population fled to the Cameroon border in order to escape the violence.

Tveit also drew attention to the plight of more than 200 school girls who were abducted six months ago and are still held captive. “We believe this to be totally unacceptable. We call upon the government to continue to work for their well-being and speedy release,” he said.

Tveit affirmed a statement from the EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, who said, “We need urgent help from the international community if the global community can have compassion on us.... The future of Nigeria is getting darker and darker day by day, but Nigerian political leadership do not seem to take the suffering of the people very seriously. The government of Nigeria with all its security seems very weak and helpless in handling the crisis.”

Tveit invited Christians and people of good will to hold Nigerian people in prayers.

The full statement from the WCC general secretary:

The WCC has learned with dismay that on October 29 the headquarters of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) and Kulp Bible College, which are located in the village of Kwarhi, as well as churches in the nearby town of Mubi in Borno State, north-east Nigeria, were attacked and seized by elements linked to Boko Haram. In the course of the attack there was substantial loss of life, and many local people have fled. We have heard that several thousands of people have travelled to the Cameroon border, seeking refuge from the violence. They have immediate needs for food, shelter, medication and clothes. Our partner organization, the Christian Council of Nigeria, is working with others to try and respond to this need.

We want to offer our support and solidarity to the whole people of Nigeria, and its government. It is vital that the government take immediate and proactive steps to protect all the people of Nigeria and work strategically to defend them against such attacks, as well as supporting practically those who have recently experienced these atrocities. We continue to draw the world’s attention to the fact that, in spite of some recent news reports, the 200 plus school girls who were abducted six months ago in northern Nigeria are still held captive. We believe this to be totally unacceptable. We call upon the government to continue to work for their well-being and speedy release.

We are aware that the forthcoming elections mean that there are many important issues to be addressed.  But at this time the security of the Nigerian people must continue to have the government’s full attention and highest priority.

I was particularly concerned and moved to read the statement made by Dr Samuel Dante Dali, the President of EYN, and I want to draw it to the attention of our member churches internationally: “We need urgent help from the international community if the global community can have compassion on us… The future of Nigeria is getting darker and darker day by day, but Nigerian political leadership do not seem to take the suffering of the people very seriously. The government of Nigeria with all its security seems very weak and helpless in handling the crisis.”

I invite my fellow Christians throughout the world and all people of good will to hold in prayer the people of Nigeria.

Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit
WCC general secretary

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

Reflections on the destruction of the Armenian church in Deir Zor

Photo © WCC/Gregg Brekke

A young girl near her family's tent in a camp for internally displaced persons in Iraq. Her family is among several others driven away from home by the ISIS offensive.

A release from the World Council of Churches

Amid the ongoing offensive by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which recently caused the destruction of the Armenian church and genocide memorial in Deir Zor, Syria--an incident condemned by the World Council of Churches (WCC)--staff members of the council reflect on what such incidents may mean for Christians and other faith communities in the region.

The Armenian church attacked by ISIS on Sept. 21 was built in the late 1980s to house a memorial and a museum containing remains of the victims of the Armenian genocide. The memorial was visited by Armenians each year to commemorate the genocide.

WCC general secretary Olav Fykse Tveit condemned the ISIS attack on the Armenian church in his letter addressed to the heads of Armenian member churches, including Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, Armenian Apostolic Church Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia.

“We understand that the destruction in late September of this church building, museum, and compound took place not only in the year leading to commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide but also on the 23rd anniversary of Armenian independence. With you, we are convinced that perpetrators of this premeditated crime will never succeed in erasing from the minds of Armenians and the world the memory and meaning of the desert of Deir Zor,” Tveit said.

“The attack on the church is a difficult incident due to the awful stories of suffering faced by the Armenians linked to Deir Zor,” says Clare Amos, who works as the WCC's program executive for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. Amos was referring to thousands of refugees who as part of the Armenian genocide in the early 1900s were taken on forced marches in the Syrian desert towards Deir Zor.

“Not just in the minds of Armenians but in the minds of other Christians too, Deir Zor symbolizes the history of the Armenian genocide. When such an attack happens to a place which has historical and political significance, one cannot avoid thinking how this may deliberately be meant to send a certain signal to the Armenians,” Amos says.

Yet such an incident cannot be seen in isolation from the larger reality of war, says Michel Nseir, WCC’s program executive for special focus on the Middle East. Nseir says the attack on the Armenian church is among several attacks on buildings and monuments in Syria that are of historical and religious significance to people of faiths, including Christians.

Communities and religious extremism

Nseir says churches and Christians in Syria and Iraq have always considered themselves an integral part of the social fabric of their countries. He says Christians have expressed their suffering as part of the suffering of the entire population affected by military violence and religious extremism.

To put an end to religious extremism, Nseir says, a solution must be inclusive and encompassing enough to solve the crisis for Christians, as well as for everyone else. “Peace and justice are desired for all in the Middle East. When this vision is accomplished, Christians as well as other religious groups will be able to live with dignity and freedom in their homelands,” he said.

Nseir says this vision of the Middle Eastern churches has always been affirmed by the WCC. “Churches are calling for peace and justice for all and are working for reconciliation and healing.” He said that “churches are facilitating dialogue, coordinating humanitarian and relief efforts amidst the conflict, and relieving the pain of those suffering and affected by the war.”

As part of the WCC’s efforts to accompany its member churches in the region, WCC staff members visited the Kurdistan region of Iraq in August. The visitors, who brought back testimonies from Christian communities and displaced persons, also highlighted the human rights situation in the region at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking on “signs of hope” in the region, Amos recalls days from the “Arab Spring.” She said it was a period when there was talk about common citizenship in the Middle East for Christians and Muslims. “I think it’s still a vision to hold on to. Yet in such a situation where the sheer survival of Christian presence in Iraq and Syria is a grave concern, we know that the journey to accomplish such a vision is still a long one,” she said.

Nseir notes that several countries in the Middle East have been ruled by totalitarian regimes, military dictatorships or dynastic rulers. “A transformation that brings a positive change will take time,” he says. “My hope lies with young people. When they choose to stay in their countries and work for transformation, the vision for peace and justice becomes possible,” he concluded.

The WCC general secretary’s letter condemning attacks on Holy Martyrs Church of Deir Zor can be found online at www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/general-secretary/messages-and-letters/condemning-attacks-on-holy-martyrs-church-of-der-zor.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

LeAnn Harnist resigns as treasurer of the Church of the Brethren

LeAnn Harnist

LeAnn Harnist has resigned as executive director of Organizational Resources and treasurer of the Church of the Brethren, effective Jan. 16, 2015. She has served on the denominational staff for more than 10 years, since March 2004.

Harnist began her work for the Church of the Brethren in the position of director of Financial Operations and assistant treasurer. From Oct. 2008 through Oct. 2011 she served as executive director of Systems and Services and assistant treasurer before being promoted to her current role.

During her tenure, she has led the departments of Finance, Brethren Historical Library and Archives, Buildings and Grounds, and Information Technology for the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., and the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

Her major responsibilities have included property management and development, oversight of numerous funds, and maintenance of the financial stability and sustainability of denominational ministries. She has been a leading staff member in the work to maintain the functionality of facilities at the Brethren Service Center that were vacated when the New Windsor Conference Center closed. In a recent major project, she guided the design, staging, training, and implementation of the denomination’s new Raiser’s Edge database.

Among other additional services she has provided to the church, she has been a member of the Program Feasibility Committee of Annual Conference. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in accounting, finance, and management from McPherson (Kan.) College.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

Office of Public Witness helps plan conference on drone warfare

The Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness is helping to plan an upcoming conference on drone warfare. The event is scheduled for Jan. 23-25 at Princeton (N.J.) Theological Seminary. “We want to reach out to see if any Brethren would be interested in attending and also let Brethren know that the conference is happening to raise awareness about the issue,” reported Bryan Hanger, advocacy assistant at the Office of Public Witness.

“We are hoping to have people start registering right away,” he added.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Coalition for Peace Action. Speakers will include George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology; Richard E. Pates, Roman Catholic Bishop of Des Moines, Iowa; Jeremy Waldron, professor at the New York University School of Law; Hassan Abbas, professor and chair of the Department of Regional and Analytical Studies, CISA National Defense University, Washington D.C.; Rob Eshman, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal; Antti Pentikainen, Finn Church Aid’s executive director and chair for the Civil Society Advisory Committee for the United Nations Development Program; Marjorie Cohn, professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

The “three tasks” for those attending the conference, according to the website promotion for the event:

1. Clarify the nature of lethal drones. Policy recommendations will be made by the conference to the US government. Speakers with expertise in military strategy, international law, US law, and national security will make presentations followed by discussion by all participants.
   
2. Apply our various traditions to our understanding of drone warfare to more fully understand this issue. People of all faiths are invited to participate.
   
3. Recommendations will be developed for how the religious community will address this issue.

For more information and to register, go to www.peacecoalition.org/component/content/article/39-cfpa/233-interfaith-conference-on-drone-warfare.html . Download a flyer from www.peacecoalition.org/phocadownload/DronesNewflieronconference2.pdf . Find a recent “Huffington Post” op-ed piece written by conference organizer Richard Killmer at www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-richard-l-killmer/religious-community-skept_b_6036702.html.

For questions contact Nathan Hosler, director of the Office of Public Witness, at nhosler@brethren.org.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

Brethren Press offers Advent devotional, winter Guide for Biblical Studies, Yearbook on CD

Brethren Press has a number of new resources available including “Awake: Devotions for Advent Through Epiphany,” “Church of the Brethren Yearbook: 2014 Directory, 2013 Statistics” in CD format, and the winter quarter of “A Guide for Biblical Studies” on the theme “Acts of Worship.” Purchase from Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com or order by calling 800-441-3712.

“Awake: Devotions for Advent Through Epiphany” is written by Sandy Bosserman, a former district executive and an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. The Advent devotional is published in a pocket-sized paperback format suitable for individual use and for congregations to supply to their members. The theme “Awake” is inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 (NIV): “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” Purchase for $2.75 per copy, or $5.95 for large print.

Coming for Lent 2015: “Searching for the Kingdom of Heaven: Devotions for Ash Wednesday Through Easter” by Craig H. Smith. Order by Dec. 3 to receive the pre-production prices of $2.25 or $5 for large print.

The “Church of the Brethren Yearbook: 2014 Directory, 2013 Statistics” is available in CD format. Included are directories of denominational agencies and staff, districts, congregations, and ministers, and the 2013 statistical report. Cost is $21.50. One per user.

“Acts of Worship” is the theme for the winter quarter of A Guide for Biblical Studies, the Church of the Brethren Bible study curriculum for adult Sunday school classes and small groups. The book includes a weekly Bible study for December 2014 and January and February 2015. Ed Poling is the author of the lessons and study questions, and Frank Ramirez is the author of the “Out of Context” feature. Cost is $4.25 for regular size print, or $7.35 for large print. Purchase one book for each class member.

For more information go to www.brethrenpress.com.

Source: 11/12/2014 Newsline

Brethren bits

On Nov. 7 Manchester University inaugurated Dave McFadden as president “in a spirit of abundance,” said a release from the university in North Manchester, Ind. McFadden is a member of the Church of the Brethren and will serve as the 15th president in the university’s 125-year-history. “Cordier Auditorium was full Friday--an abundant response to a man who has poured his heart and soul into Manchester University for decades, according to Board of Trustees chair D. Randall Brown, who presented the Presidential Medallion to Dave McFadden,” the release said. McFadden spoke about abundance and gratitude. “Going forward, we will be audacious in embracing opportunity,” he said. “We aim to grow our total enrollment by as many as a thousand students by the end of this decade, grounding new programs in our mission and infusing them with our values. Why? Because the world needs more Manchester graduates. We will be a source of hope and optimism, of promise and possibility, of ability and conviction.” Among events at the inauguration, an anthem titled “Only Now” was commissioned by McFadden and composed by Brethren musician and Manchester alumnus Shawn Kirchner, adapting excerpts from the Wendell Berry novel “Hannah Coulter.” McFadden also thanked Jo Young Switzer and Bill Robinson, former Manchester presidents who were honored for their years of service. See www.manchester.edu/news/McFaddeninauguration2014.htm .

• Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind., and the Indiana Camp Board are hosting a retirement party to honor Rex Miller. The event takes place at Camp Mack on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1-4 p.m. “All those who have a love for camp or have known Rex during his lifetime of involvement in outdoor ministries are invited to join us in celebrating this gift of service to the church and the wider community,” said an invitation. There will be a 30-minute program at 1:15 p.m. followed by a reception with cake and ice cream. A table will be set up for people to write or drop off comments, memories, or letters for Miller that will be made into a book. If you are not able to attend, tributes can be mailed to Peggy Miller at P.O. Box 117, Milford, IN 46542-0117 or e-mailed to prmiller@bnin.net.

• Brethren Disaster Ministries has announced some interim staffing during a time when the program is without a director. Jenn Dorsch has been hired as a temporary part-time program assistant to help out three days a week, starting Oct. 30. She will be the point of contact for the project leaders on rebuilding sites, and also is assisting with communications for the Nigeria Crisis Response, as well as providing other support to the Brethren Disaster Ministries staff.

• The Church of the Brethren is seeking an individual to fill a full-time salaried position of coordinator of Donor Communications. This position is based at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Major responsibilities are to create and maintain relationships with Church of the Brethren congregations and individuals through various mediums of communication, encouraging donor awareness and involvement in denominational ministries, leading to increased giving and support of the mission and ministries of the church. Required skills and knowledge include knowledge of Church of the Brethren heritage, theology, and polity; ability to articulate and operate out of the vision of the Mission and Ministry Board; high professional level of communication and well-crafted writing; collaborative working style; basic knowledge of financial planning tools and estate laws; proficiency with Blackbaud (Convio), all Microsoft Office programs, Adobe InDesign, Acrobat Pro, and Photoshop, and familiarity with basics of web design and HTML. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required, with experience in communications, fundraising, public relations, or marketing desired. Applications will be received beginning immediately and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Request the application form by contacting the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org . The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• The Church of the Brethren seeks two individuals to fill a temporary part-time kitchen assistant position at the Zigler Hospitality Center of the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The position works directly with the lead cook. The temporary part-time kitchen assistant assists in preparing food for guests of the Zigler Hospitality Center and works in the dish room following all sanitation and health department rules and regulations as prescribed by the lead cook. Responsibilities include assisting in proper handling of food; preparing and replenishing food for salad bar and desserts; cleaning and set up; snack preparation; operating and cleaning dishwashing machine; sorting, stacking, and putting away dishes; pre-soaking, rinsing, and cleaning silverware, glasses, and dishes; and other assignments. The preferred candidate will have experience assisting in a kitchen environment and must be able to lift a limit of 35 pounds and exercise care in handling sharp equipment and power-operated equipment. Applications will be received and reviewed beginning immediately until the position is filled. Request the application packet and complete job description by contacting the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 367; humanresources@brethren.org . The Church of the Brethren is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• There is a new registration address for the webinar “For We Are Co-Workers in God’s Service: The Relationship between Farm Workers and Gardens” on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). Through the Going to the Garden grant initiative of the Office of Public Witness and Global Food Crisis Fund, this webinar will focus on issues surrounding the national farm workers movement to create better work and living standards. The webinar will hear from individuals deeply involved with the National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM) and the NFWM's Youth and Young Adult network: Lindsay Andreolli-Comstock, an ordained Baptist minister and human-trafficking specialist, and executive director of the National Farm Worker Ministry; Nico Gumbs, the Florida state coordinator of the National Farm Worker Ministry’s youth-led program, YAYA; and Daniel McClain, director of Program Operations for Graduate Theological Programs at Loyola University Maryland whose areas of research and publishing include the doctrine of creation. To attend the webinar register at www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EB51D685814931 .

• Musa Mambula, a leader in Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), will be speaking on Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, in the Bucher Meetinghouse. He also is scheduled to speak on Dec. 30, at 6 p.m., at Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa. The topic will be “Religion and Terror in Northeastern Nigeria: Boko Haram, Christians, and Modern Muslims,” and he will share information about recent attacks by the insurgent group Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, and the takeover of the headquarters of EYN and Kulp Bible College. Brian Newsome, professor of history at Elizabethtown College, will respond. For more information call 717-361-1470 or visit www.etown.edu/youngctr .

• Western Pennsylvania District has received a challenge to continue praying for Nigeria, in a letter from district executive minister Ronald Beachley. “I would challenge congregations to invite members to join other brothers and sisters in a four (4) time daily prayer commitment,” he wrote, in part. “I would suggest taking two or three minutes each designated time to lift up our sisters and brothers facing persecution in Nigeria, pray God’s presence will surround and protect, pray their faith will remain strong, and pray for those who are persecuting them. The four designated times would be 8 a.m.; 12 noon; 4 p.m.; and 8 p.m. I believe if we join together with at least 2,000 individuals joining this effort from our district, our sisters and brothers in Nigeria will feel the power of the Holy Spirit surrounding, encouraging, and strengthening their faith during this time of persecution.”

• The Illinois and Wisconsin District Conference has returned a query asking, “How should districts respond to congregations and pastors who perform same-sex marriages?” The district conference on Nov. 8 returned the query to the originating congregation with thanks and an invitation to continue discussion. That action means the query will not be passed on to Annual Conference. The query was brought by Neighborhood Church of the Brethren in Montgomery, Ill., responding to a decision by Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in Elgin, Ill., to perform same-sex weddings. The Highland Avenue church had informed the district about its process of discernment, and also posted that information publicly on its website. A law legalizing same-sex marriage in the State of Illinois took effect on June 1 and a wedding was performed at the Highland Avenue church in early October.

• The Christmas Boutique at Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren on Nov. 14, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., will raise funds to benefit Blessings in a Backpack, a local charity that provides food on the weekends for low-income children who otherwise might not be fed. Shoppers and vendors are invited, said the church newsletter. Items available for sale will include jewelry, home décor, accessories, fair trade items, beauty products, books, and more. The evening also will include music, door prizes, free desserts, and hot drinks. Vendor spaces are still available. Contact women@fcob.net.

• Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., is hosting a presentation by Bernard Alter titled “US and Pakistan: Friends or Foes?” sponsored by the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace. The event is planned for Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Said an announcement: “Bernard Alter served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in India from 1967-1969. His 31-year career with the State Department included posts in Pakistan, India, Thailand, Canada, Hong Kong, and Korea. He speaks Hindi, Urdu, and Thai. He has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and served as Consul General in Islamabad, Seoul, and Chennai. In Washington, he was Bangladesh desk officer in the Near East/South Asia Bureau, and State Department legislative liaison officer, working with Congress on refugees, human rights, and immigration.” Alter and his wife, Pat, have written a book titled “Gather the Fruit One by One: Peace Corps at 50.”

• The November edition of “Brethren Voices” public television program from Portland (Ore.) Peace Church of the Brethren features the Meat Canning Project of Southern Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic Districts. “For the past 37 years the two districts have co-sponsored a Meat Canning Project as a way to serve those in need,” said a note from producer Ed Groff. “The goal of this year’s project was the canning of 45,000 pounds of chicken, in four days. The canned chicken was then distributed to local food banks as well as a special outreach program in Honduras. This effort like many of the Church of the Brethren projects requires many dedicated volunteers and some solid financial support.” Brethren Voice interviews coordinator Rick Shaffer and others who assist in the effort of canning 22 tons of chicken. The November program also features Lee Byrd, a resident of Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community, who tells the story of the integration of Maryville College in Tennessee. Find more Brethren Voices programs at www.Youtube.com/Brethrenvoices . To subscribe contact groffprod1@msn.com .

• Stover Memorial Church of the Brethren in Des Moines, Iowa, will host the Iowa Peace Network annual Open House on Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m. “Please join us for an afternoon of fellowship and refreshments with IPN board member Darrell Mitchell, who has just published his memoirs and will have copies of his book,” said an invitation. Mitchell will speak on "How I Became a Peace Worker." He is a United Methodist minister and advocate for Palestinian and human rights. Network vice chair Patty Wengert of Des Moines Valley Friends will speak about STARPAC and the work of studying the costs of war. Tim Button-Harrison, district executive minister of Northern Plains District, will provide music. Northern Plains District of the Church of the Brethrenis one of the founding groups of the Iowa Peace Network along with the Quakers, Mennonites, and Methodists. The network offices are in the Stover Memorial Church and currently Myrna Frantz and her son Jon Overton, members of Ivester Church of the Brethren, are fulfilling staff responsibilities for the network, reported the district newsletter. 

• Virlina District is preparing for its 2014 District Conference on Nov. 14-15 in Roanoke, Va. Preachers are Jeffrey W. Carter, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, and David A. Steele, moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, according to the district newsletter. The theme of the event is “Taste and See that the Lord Is Good.”

• The New Church Development commission of Southern Ohio District is offering a Small Groups Discipleship Workshop on Nov. 22, at the Eaton Church, Barron Street location. “We invite you to come explore how a Small Group Ministry can benefit your congregation,” said an announcement. A fee of $15 per person includes lunch. Pre-register at www.sodcob.org/_forms/view/22411 and find more information at http://media1.razorplanet.com/share/511272-2452/resources/687951_SGDTraining11.22Flyer1.pdf.

• Shepherd's Spring, a camp and outdoor ministry center in Sharpsburg, Md., is offering something unique to mark a once-in-a-lifetime date: 10 special holiday activities beginning at 11 a.m. on 12-13-14 (Dec. 13, 2014). “Join us for 10 hours of fun for all ages,” said an invitation. “Join us for the entire day, or choose your time and activities.” As part of the event, participants may travel to Fahrney Keedy Home and Village, a Church of the Brethren retirement community, to see the Christmas wreath display and carol in the halls. “Your smiles will make the day complete!” said the announcement. Other activities include making your own pizza, building a gingerbread house, creating bird treats and tree ornaments, decorating cookies, a dinner, an evening campfire and s’mores, and a Christmas light tour. Cost is $40 per person for the full day, or $75 for a family all-inclusive package, or participants may pay a separate fee for each activity. Reservations are due by Dec. 6.

• Nov. 22 is the date for the Lighting of the Woods at Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa. The event takes place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and marks the official hanging of lights and decorating of the camp for the upcoming Christmas Tree Festival (Dec. 12-14). Breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP to Ljackson@campdeder.org or 717-642-8256.

• The John M. Reed Home, a retirement community in Southeastern District, has received a 5 Star rating from Medicare, according to a note from the district. “Congratulations to the staff, employees, and the board,” said the e-mail note from the district office.

Photo courtesy of Fahrney-Keedy

Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village chaplain Twyla Rowe (left) and board member Ellen Catlett (right) admire some of the entries that have arrived for the Festival of Wreaths on Dec. 13.

• Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village holds a Festival of Wreaths and a Luminaria Remembrance Display on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 3-7 p.m. The Church of the Brethren retirement community is located near Boonsboro, Md. Entertainment through the day will include holiday music, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and refreshments. The wreath event and a bake sale is from 3-5:30 p.m. Silent auction bidding on nearly 50 donated wreaths begins in mid-November and will conclude at the festival, and winners will be announced after 5 p.m. Proceeds from wreaths and the bake sale will support Pastoral Care Ministries, said a release. Potential buyers are encouraged to visit Fahrney-Keedy often during the four weeks the wreaths will be on display, and check the status of their bids, which are accepted in $5 increments. Twyla Rowe, chaplain, is committee chair for the event. Also at 5 p.m. on Dec. 13 is the lighting of the third annual luminaria display by the home’s auxiliary. The display is on walks and curbsides around the campus through 7 p.m. Donations of $5 are received for candles to be lit in honor or memory of friends or family members, and proceeds support the services the auxiliary provides to Fahrney-Keedy. Luminaria order forms are in the News and Announcements section of www.fkhv.org.

• Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa., holds its Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 29 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Nicarry Meetinghouse. “What better way to shop and what better place to find the perfect holiday gift?” said an announcement. Nearly two dozen vendors are expected, offering holiday-themed items like Christmas ornaments, Santas and snowmen, as well as jewelry, woodcrafts, ceramics, fiber art, and more. Many of the crafters are Cross Keys Village residents. The Bee Hive Gift Shop also will have items for sale. For more information, call 717-624-5203 or 717-624-5533.

• Robert C. Johansen, a Church of the Brethren member and 2014 Peace Fellow and professor emeritus of political science and peace studies at Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in Notre Dame, is visiting Elizabethtown (Pa.) College for two events this week. Johansen specializes in issues of international ethics and global governance, the United Nations, and the maintenance of peace and security, and peace and world order studies. The events are sponsored by the Elizabethtown College Alumni Peace Fellowship and Peace and Conflict Studies.

• Elizabethtown (Pa.) College has been awarded a $500,000 Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority grant to install a two-megawatt ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system and create opportunities for students and faculty members to study various aspects of solar energy. “There were 184 PEDA projects submitted to the governor's office, totaling more than $81 million. Only 28 were awarded grants to local governments, schools, and businesses for alternative and clean energy projects, along with projects deploying technologies such as solar energy, hydropower, biomass, and energy efficiency. Elizabethtown is the only one in Lancaster County,” said a release from the college. The solar array is planned for installation on 33.2 acres owned by the college in Mount Joy Township.

• Noted religion author Cathleen Falsani was the keynote speaker for Manchester University’s 2014 Focus on Faith Week convocation on Oct. 30. She is a former religion columnist for the “Chicago Sun-Times” and the “Orange County Register.” Using the theme “The Dude Abides,” a reference to the movie “The Big Lebowski,” Falsani looked at messages of faith and spirituality woven through a variety of films, reported a release. “Films tell stories of who we are,” Falsani said, “and part of that is how we relate to whatever it is that’s bigger than us, the ‘More.’” She said she often finds the most powerful portrayals of that in films that aren’t necessarily labeled as “religious” films, but instead in ones that advance those themes more subtly. The event was sponsored by the Campus Interfaith Board and the Campus Ministry/Religious Life office.

• The John Kline Homestead in Broadway, Va., is offering historical dinners looking back at the anguish of the Kline family after Civil War-era Brethren elder John Kline was killed for his work crossing the battle lines between North and South. “The Shenandoah Valley strains under the fourth year of the Civil War,” said an announcement. “Experience the anguish of John Kline's family since his death last spring. Listen to conversations of actors as they come around the table while you enjoy a home-style meal.” Dinner dates that are still available are Dec. 19 and 20 at 6 p.m. The homestead, which dates to 1822, is at 223 East Springbrook Road, Broadway, Va. Cost is $40 per plate. Groups are welcome, but seating is limited to 32. Contacat 540-421-5267 or proth@eagles.bridgewater.edu for reservations. All proceeds support the John Kline Homestead.

• The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs at Christian Theological Seminary provide funds to congregations to support renewal leaves for their 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 costs for ministerial supply while the pastor is away. There is no cost to apply. The grants represent the endowment’s continued investment in renewing the health and vitality of American Christian congregations, said a release. For more information go to www.cpx.cts.edu/renewal.

Source: 11/12/2014 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 Jeffrey S. Boshart, Deborah Brehm, Frank Buhrman, Jane Collins, Katie Furrow, Ed Groff, Bryan Hanger, Elizabeth Harvey, Glen Sargent, Callie Smith, Beth Sollenberger, David Sollenberger, Walt Wiltschek, Jay Wittmeyer, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.