- A large group prepares for licensing to the ministry in Haiti.
- Church staff involved in ecumenical prayer service for peace in Syria.
- BVS director participates in conference call with Selective Service.
- Grants are given to start new Brethren disaster project sites.
- Nigerian Brethren are among those killed, injured in Sunday attacks.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Newsline: June 14, 2012
NEWS
A large group prepares for licensing to the ministry in Haiti.
In late May, Church of the Brethren leaders from the US and Haiti interviewed
a large group of people preparing for licensing to the ministry, to serve in
Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
Nineteen men and women were interviewed by Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren; Mary Jo Flory-Steury, executive director of Ministry and the denomination’s associate general secretary; Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Haiti mission and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; and members of the National Committee of the Haitian Church of the Brethren including pastors Ives Jean, Jean Bily Telfort, and Freny Elie.
The interviews took place in Croix des Bouquets, a neighborhood of the capital city Port-au-Prince, at the Ministry Center of the Haitian Church of the Brethren. Ilexene Alphonse, who helps staff the Ministry Center, served as translator.
Interview questions related to the candidates’ family and background, education, spiritual journey, role in the local church, and understanding of Brethren beliefs and practices, reported Wittmeyer. Each of the 19 individuals interviewed identifies with a specific member of the National Committee as a mentor and spiritual leader and came with a recommendation for licensing from that member of the National Committee.
“Each was deemed to be uniquely prepared to receive the set apart status that licensing denotes and to be empowered to serve the denomination in this capacity,” Wittmeyer said. “Each individual has demonstrated a strong commitment to the local church and to the denomination. They have been very active in local churches and serving as the backbone of the denomination.”
Those interviewed are already active in leading worship, starting preaching points, ministry with children, outreach activities, and other ministries in their communities. The group is now expected to examine their calling and work toward ordination. Some are already qualified for ordination according to national requirements, and one of the candidates is ordained in a different denomination.
In 2009, a similar process occurred, when 10 people were interviewed for licensing in Haiti. Of that group, seven have served the Haitian church on its National Committee since then.
The 19 people interviewed in May include 4 women and 15 men, and come from congregations located in various areas of Haiti including Bohoc, Cap Haitian, Gonaíves, Grand Bois, Leogâne, Mont Boulage, as well as the Croix des Bouquets and Delmas neighborhoods in the Port-au-Prince area, and other smaller towns and villages.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Nineteen men and women were interviewed by Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren; Mary Jo Flory-Steury, executive director of Ministry and the denomination’s associate general secretary; Ludovic St. Fleur, coordinator of the Haiti mission and pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; and members of the National Committee of the Haitian Church of the Brethren including pastors Ives Jean, Jean Bily Telfort, and Freny Elie.
The interviews took place in Croix des Bouquets, a neighborhood of the capital city Port-au-Prince, at the Ministry Center of the Haitian Church of the Brethren. Ilexene Alphonse, who helps staff the Ministry Center, served as translator.
Interview questions related to the candidates’ family and background, education, spiritual journey, role in the local church, and understanding of Brethren beliefs and practices, reported Wittmeyer. Each of the 19 individuals interviewed identifies with a specific member of the National Committee as a mentor and spiritual leader and came with a recommendation for licensing from that member of the National Committee.
“Each was deemed to be uniquely prepared to receive the set apart status that licensing denotes and to be empowered to serve the denomination in this capacity,” Wittmeyer said. “Each individual has demonstrated a strong commitment to the local church and to the denomination. They have been very active in local churches and serving as the backbone of the denomination.”
Those interviewed are already active in leading worship, starting preaching points, ministry with children, outreach activities, and other ministries in their communities. The group is now expected to examine their calling and work toward ordination. Some are already qualified for ordination according to national requirements, and one of the candidates is ordained in a different denomination.
In 2009, a similar process occurred, when 10 people were interviewed for licensing in Haiti. Of that group, seven have served the Haitian church on its National Committee since then.
The 19 people interviewed in May include 4 women and 15 men, and come from congregations located in various areas of Haiti including Bohoc, Cap Haitian, Gonaíves, Grand Bois, Leogâne, Mont Boulage, as well as the Croix des Bouquets and Delmas neighborhoods in the Port-au-Prince area, and other smaller towns and villages.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Church staff involved in ecumenical prayer service for peace in Syria.
 |
| Photo by Jonathan Stauffer |
| His Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim speaks at the ecumenical prayer service for peace in Syria. The special worship service was held in Alexandria, Va., at Saint Aphraim Church of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. |
About 70 people met at Saint Aphraim Church of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch to pray and fellowship together. His Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim planned the order of worship and led in prayers and a sermon. The joint service was organized in response to the ongoing and intensifying violence in Syria. While the leaders of the church wished to avoid a particular political stand, it was agreed that the group should come together in prayer.
Sermons by the Archbishop and Hosler focused on the need to pray and our call as Christians to work for peace. Emphasis was placed on the call to end violence and standing in solidarity across church or religious lines. In addition to a number of chanted prayers and songs in Syriac, Arabic, and English, Gwen Miller from Washington City Church of the Brethren led a hymn, “Move in Our Midst.”
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
BVS director participates in conference call with Selective Service.
Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) director Dan McFadden yesterday participated
in a telephone conference call with the Selective Service System. The Selective
Service System hosted the call to update participants about Alternative Service
plans in the event that a military draft is ever called for by the US
Congress.
The call was hosted by Cassandra Costley, manager of the Alternative Service Program for SSS.
At this point the SSS does not anticipate a draft, McFadden said. The Selective Service office hosts calls such as this a couple of times a year to stay in touch with the various groups that have interest in Alternative Service options in the event of a draft.
During the call, Costley announced that another memorandum of understanding with the SSS has been signed by the Church of God in Christ Mennonite. This is the eleventh group or denomination to sign an MOU. The Church of the Brethren signed an MOU with Selective Service in June 2010.
Yesterday’s call focused on becoming an alternative service employer. In the event of a draft the SSS will look to faith groups such as the Church of the Brethren and BVS to host alternative service workers for two-year placements. During the Korea and Vietnam wars BVS hosted alternative service workers and would do so again.
McFadden asked about the numbers Selective Service anticipates during any given year. Based on a 1984 study, Costley reported an estimated 30,000 young men a year would be looking for alternative service placements in the event of a military draft. She added that it is possible the numbers might have doubled since then.
BVS also participates in a conference call twice a year with Anabaptist groups and the Center on Conscience and War to stay in contact in the event that there is a draft.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
The call was hosted by Cassandra Costley, manager of the Alternative Service Program for SSS.
At this point the SSS does not anticipate a draft, McFadden said. The Selective Service office hosts calls such as this a couple of times a year to stay in touch with the various groups that have interest in Alternative Service options in the event of a draft.
During the call, Costley announced that another memorandum of understanding with the SSS has been signed by the Church of God in Christ Mennonite. This is the eleventh group or denomination to sign an MOU. The Church of the Brethren signed an MOU with Selective Service in June 2010.
Yesterday’s call focused on becoming an alternative service employer. In the event of a draft the SSS will look to faith groups such as the Church of the Brethren and BVS to host alternative service workers for two-year placements. During the Korea and Vietnam wars BVS hosted alternative service workers and would do so again.
McFadden asked about the numbers Selective Service anticipates during any given year. Based on a 1984 study, Costley reported an estimated 30,000 young men a year would be looking for alternative service placements in the event of a military draft. She added that it is possible the numbers might have doubled since then.
BVS also participates in a conference call twice a year with Anabaptist groups and the Center on Conscience and War to stay in contact in the event that there is a draft.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Grants are given to start new Brethren disaster project sites.
Two
grants have been given from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to start new
Brethren Disaster Ministries project sites in New York State and Alabama. Other
recent EDF grants also have been announced in response to Church World Service
(CWS) appeals for Pakistan and northern Africa.In related news, the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) also has announced a grant to a Rural Development Program in Nigeria.
An allocation of $30,000 from the EDF will aid recovery efforts in Prattsville, N.Y., following flash flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in Aug. 2011. On July 1, Brethren Disaster Ministries will open a repair and rebuilding project in Prattsville, in one of the lowest income regions of New York State. Many residents of the nearly 300 flooded homes were uninsured or elderly. This grant will provide the opportunity for volunteers to assist in repairing and rebuilding homes for qualified individuals and families. Funds will underwrite expenses related to volunteer support including housing, food, travel expenses incurred onsite, training, tools, and equipment.
An EDF grant of $30,000 for tornado recovery work in Town Creek, Ala., follows the April 2011 “Super Outbreak” of tornadoes that claimed 346 lives in 21 states. Brethren Disaster Ministries has been present in Alabama since Nov. 2011, and will move its operations from the town of Arab to Town Creek on July 1. Working closely with a long-term recovery group in the area, the ministry will continue to repair and rebuild homes for qualifying families still in need of permanent housing. The grant will be used for expenses related to volunteer support including housing, food, travel expenses incurred onsite, training, tools, and equipment.
In other recent grants, the EDF has given $27,000 to a Church World Service (CWS) appeal for the Sahel region of northern Africa. The appeal follows unusually low rainfall, low crop production, food insecurity, and political strife and violence, which have resulted in a complex humanitarian crisis affecting more that 15 million people. The initial EDF grant toward this appeal--$8,000 given in May--was based on the relatively small size of the initial CWS appeal. Since then, CWS has indicated a much greater need. The grant supports the work of CWS and partner agency Christian Aid in providing food, seeds, and other emergency assistance to more than 83,000 people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal.
An EDF grant of $20,000 responds to a CWS appeal follows increasing military operations against militants in tribal regions and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northern Pakistan. The situation has resulted in the evacuation of residents to safer regions. A needs assessment by CWS indicates poor living conditions, low food intake, and vulnerability to a number of communicable and non-communicable diseases. In addition, displaced people in the host communities of Peshawar and Nowshehra do not have easy access to emergency and primary health care. Without assistance, the humanitarian crisis could spread to a larger region. The grant supports the provision of emergency food assistance, household supplies, and medical care for families who have been repeatedly displaced over the last several years.
The GFCF has given a grant of $10,000 (or 1.5 million Nigerian Naira) to support the Rural Development Program of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The head of the program requested the grant to help purchase improved seed.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Nigerian Brethren are among those killed, injured in Sunday attacks.
A congregation of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria) was one of those attacked on Sunday by Islamist extremists.
At least one EYN member was killed and several more injured. Nigerian church
leaders have been requesting prayer for the situation in their country, where
the Boko Haram sect has been targeting churches as well as government facilities
and police stations with terrorist-type violence.
Media reports indicate that two attacks were made against churches this past Sunday, June 10. In Biu, a city in northeast Nigeria, gunmen opened fire at the Church of the Brethren killing at least one person, and injuring others. Also attacked the same day was Christ Chosen Church of God in Jos, a city in central Nigeria. The second attack was carried out by a suicide car bomber who was killed along with four other people. Some 40 people were injured in the Jos incident.
EYN leadership reports that the attack in Biu was carried out by five gunmen who came and surrounded the church, and started shooting indiscriminately. An alert watchman closed the gate to the church, but the gunmen then began shooting into the church through the walls. At the time there were about 400 people in the church service, including children. One woman was killed and a number of people were injured, but of the injured only two church members sustained major injuries.
An e-mail from EYN leadership noted the relatively few serious injuries as a matter for thanksgiving, given the circumstances. “So, continue to pray for us and for Nigerian Christians,” it said.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Media reports indicate that two attacks were made against churches this past Sunday, June 10. In Biu, a city in northeast Nigeria, gunmen opened fire at the Church of the Brethren killing at least one person, and injuring others. Also attacked the same day was Christ Chosen Church of God in Jos, a city in central Nigeria. The second attack was carried out by a suicide car bomber who was killed along with four other people. Some 40 people were injured in the Jos incident.
EYN leadership reports that the attack in Biu was carried out by five gunmen who came and surrounded the church, and started shooting indiscriminately. An alert watchman closed the gate to the church, but the gunmen then began shooting into the church through the walls. At the time there were about 400 people in the church service, including children. One woman was killed and a number of people were injured, but of the injured only two church members sustained major injuries.
An e-mail from EYN leadership noted the relatively few serious injuries as a matter for thanksgiving, given the circumstances. “So, continue to pray for us and for Nigerian Christians,” it said.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Webcasts offer opportunity to worship with Conference, from a distance.
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| Photo by Glenn Riegel |
| The webcasting of worship services and business sessions from Annual Conference is made possible by a group of dedicated people including Enten Eller (shown here, working at webcasting from the 2011 Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich.), David Sollenberger and a team of videographers, and Church of the Brethren communications staff who are responsible for the denominational website at www.brethren.org. |
While each worship and business session of the Conference from July 7-11 will be webcast, and will be available to view either live or as a recording, congregations are particularly encouraged to stream the live webcast of the Sunday morning worship service.
The webcast on July 8 will be webcast live beginning at 9 a.m. central time (10 a.m. eastern). Congregations with a projector and Internet service should be able to participate. Because the webcast also is being posted as a DVR, congregations will be able to start the broadcast of the worship service at any time after the live webcast begins.
Moderator Tim Harvey will bring the message on July 8, with moderator-elect Bob Krouse as worship leader. The message is titled, "Continuing the Work of Jesus. Peacefully. Simply. Together."
Find a link to the webcasts at www.brethren.org/ac2012, the index page for online coverage of the 2012 Conference where a variety of news reports, photo albums, worship bulletins, sermon texts, and more will be made available throughout the event. Or go directly to www.brethren.org/webcasts/ac2012. For technical questions or assistance with webcasts contact Enten Eller at enten@bethanyseminary.edu.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Conference blood drive is a way to reach out to host city.
The annual blood drive is being planned again for the 2012 Annual Conference
in St. Louis, as a way Brethren may give back to the host community.
“We Brethren have been quietly giving blood at Annual Conference for years, leaving over 220 pints in Pittsburgh and just over 140 in Grand Rapids,” said coordinator Bradley Bohrer, pastor of Crest Manor Church of the Brethren in South Bend, Ind.
Bohrer has been told by host locations that the Brethren who attend Annual Conference “always give far more blood than any other groups that come to the city, including other church groups!” he reported. “Last year, we outgave one of the local hospitals” which was having a blood drive at the same time as the Conference drive. “The Michigan Blood people had to shift staff from the hospital to us due to volume, even with our lower numbers,” he added.
The Annual Conference blood drive is carried out in cooperation with the American Red Cross and Brethren Disaster Ministries. A Red Cross release that has gone out to publicize the blood drive was titled, “Hop in the Pool this Summer, the Blood Donor Pool. Don’t Sweat it!”
“Currently, only 38 percent of the United States population is eligible to donate blood,” the release said. “Of those eligible donors, only about eight percent actually give blood. . . . Someone in the US needs blood every two seconds and 44,000 units of blood are needed for transfusions daily. That’s why it’s important to attract new donors to the donor pool and encourage current donors to give blood every 56 days.”
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required. Donors must be in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be at least 17 years old (16 with completed Parental Consent Form). New height and weight restrictions apply to donors 18 and younger.
The best times to donate at the 2012 Annual Conference will be Monday, July 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or Tuesday, July 10, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the America’s Center Exhibit Hall 2. Everyone who attempts to donate will receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last, and a chance to win a Gibson guitar.
There will be a table for registration and to sign in to volunteer at the blood drive on Saturday and Sunday, July 7-8, in the Annual Conference registration area. “Look for us and sign up!” invites Bohrer.
To schedule an appointment to donate during the Conference, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: brethren. For more information about the blood drive call 574 291-3748 or e-mail bradleybohrer@sbcglobal.net.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
“We Brethren have been quietly giving blood at Annual Conference for years, leaving over 220 pints in Pittsburgh and just over 140 in Grand Rapids,” said coordinator Bradley Bohrer, pastor of Crest Manor Church of the Brethren in South Bend, Ind.
Bohrer has been told by host locations that the Brethren who attend Annual Conference “always give far more blood than any other groups that come to the city, including other church groups!” he reported. “Last year, we outgave one of the local hospitals” which was having a blood drive at the same time as the Conference drive. “The Michigan Blood people had to shift staff from the hospital to us due to volume, even with our lower numbers,” he added.
The Annual Conference blood drive is carried out in cooperation with the American Red Cross and Brethren Disaster Ministries. A Red Cross release that has gone out to publicize the blood drive was titled, “Hop in the Pool this Summer, the Blood Donor Pool. Don’t Sweat it!”
“Currently, only 38 percent of the United States population is eligible to donate blood,” the release said. “Of those eligible donors, only about eight percent actually give blood. . . . Someone in the US needs blood every two seconds and 44,000 units of blood are needed for transfusions daily. That’s why it’s important to attract new donors to the donor pool and encourage current donors to give blood every 56 days.”
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required. Donors must be in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be at least 17 years old (16 with completed Parental Consent Form). New height and weight restrictions apply to donors 18 and younger.
The best times to donate at the 2012 Annual Conference will be Monday, July 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or Tuesday, July 10, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the America’s Center Exhibit Hall 2. Everyone who attempts to donate will receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last, and a chance to win a Gibson guitar.
There will be a table for registration and to sign in to volunteer at the blood drive on Saturday and Sunday, July 7-8, in the Annual Conference registration area. “Look for us and sign up!” invites Bohrer.
To schedule an appointment to donate during the Conference, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: brethren. For more information about the blood drive call 574 291-3748 or e-mail bradleybohrer@sbcglobal.net.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
MSS interns begin a summer of service to the church. Ministry Summer Service (MSS) interns for 2012
The 2012
class of Ministry Summer Service interns have been holding orientation June 1-6
at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The mentors for
each intern joined the orientation for the last two days of the event.Below is a list of interns and mentors, as well as the ministry settings in which they will serve for the next 10 weeks:
Jamie Frye of McPherson, Kan., will be mentored by Ginny Haney, pastor of Mount Morris (Ill.) Church of the Brethren, and Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service for the Church of the Brethren.
Lucas Kauffman of Goshen, Ind., will be mentored by Larry Fourman, pastor of Union Center Church of the Brethren in Nappanee, Ind.
Sarah Neher of Rochester, Minn., will focus on workcamps and be mentored by Becky Ullom, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Church of the Brethren.
Laura Whitman of Ono, Pa., will be mentored by Dennis Lohr, lead pastor of Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.
The Youth Peace Travel Team of Katie Furrow of Boones Mill, Va.; Hunter Keith of Kokomo, Ind.; Kyle Riege of Wakarusa, Ind.; and Molly Walmer of Myerstown, Pa., will be mentored by a group of leaders including denominational staff. Their mentors include Ullom along with Dan McFadden, director of Brethren Volunteer Service; Marie Benner-Rhodes of the On Earth Peace staff; and Margo Royer Miller, Outdoor Ministries Association representative. The Youth Peace Travel Team provides peace education at Brethren camps and gatherings.
For more about the Church of the Brethren's Ministry Summer Service program go to www.brethren.org/yya/mss.
Source:6/14/2012 Newsline
Brethren bits.
- The Ministry Office has shared new contact information for Russell and Deborah Payne, who started as co-district executives in Southeastern District on June 1: Southeastern District Church of the Brethren, P.O. Box 8366, Gray, TN 37615; 423-753-3220; sedcob@centurylink.net.
- Webcasting from the Church of the Brethren’s National Young Adult Conference (NYAC) begins Monday evening, June 18, at www.brethren.org/webcasts/nyac.html. The daily worship services and the morning Bible studies will be webcast. The 2012 NYAC is meeting on the theme "Humble Yet Bold: Being the Church" (Matthew 5:13-18).
- The Church of the Brethren’s advocacy and peace witness office in Washington, D.C., has a new logo. The image is of a dove superimposed on the Church of the Brethren cross. “Thank you to Kay Guyer for the beautiful, inspiring design!” said a note on the “Brethren Advocacy” Facebook page.
- The John Kline Homestead is holding an open house and birthday party celebrating the 215th birthday of Civil War-era Brethren elder John Kline. The event takes place at 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, at the homestead in Broadway, Va. Festivities will include an open-house tour, a presentation depicting the significance of the life of Elder Kline and his many accomplishments, light refreshments including birthday cake and homemade ice cream. A free-will 215th Birthday offering will benefit the John Kline Homestead. For more information contact Linville Creek Church of the Brethren at 540-896-5001 or lccob@verizon.net.
- A date has been set for the next Powerhouse regional youth conference to be hosted by Manchester University. The weekend of worship, workshops, music, food, and fun is scheduled for Nov. 10-11 in North Manchester, Ind., for senior high youth and adult advisors. For more go to www.manchester.edu/powerhouse or call the Campus Ministry/Religious Life office at 260-982-5243.
- Virlina District is calling attention to the upcoming 75th anniversary of the disappearance of three Church of the Brethren missionaries in China. Dec. 2, 2012, marks 75 years since the three Brethren disappeared from their post in Shou Yang, Shansi Province, China: Minneva Neher from LaVerne, Calif.; Alva Harsh from Eglon, W.Va.; and Mary Hykes Harsh from Cearfoss, Md. Virlina is encouraging its churches to commemorate the fateful event on Sunday, Dec. 2. “Many Brethren entertain memories of the sad reports in ‘Messenger,’ two books, and other memorial reports,” the district newsletter said. Virlina has several connections with the former Brethren mission in China. A young Shou Yang native, Ruoxi Li, is a member of the district's Good Shepherd congregation, and has authored a 96-page report about the current state of the church in Shou Yang. Another district connection has been formed by a sibling of Alva Harsh, Norman, a current resident of Friendship Retirement Community in Roanoke, Va. The community has been asked to assist Friendship Hospital in Ping Ding, a former Brethren mission post in China, and helped host a delegation of three Chinese doctors in April this year.
- West Marva District held its Women’s Spring Rally on May 9 at Oak Park Church of the Brethren. Attendance was 89, with 23 churches represented, according to the district newsletter. A Love Offering received during the event is sending $2,472 to Church World Service to assist in preparing clean-up buckets for areas affected by disasters. The group also sent 374 hygiene kits, 21 school kits, and 1 baby layette to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., for disaster relief, and collected $110 to purchase blankets for those in need. Another $678 was donated for shipping expenses.
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has issued an urgent prayer request for the Palestinian village of Susiya, which received demolition orders from the Israeli military on June 12. “The demolition, to be completed by June 15, will destroy 18 tents and make 160 people homeless,” said the prayer request. For more about CPT’s work in Israel and Palestine go to www.cpt.org.
- David and Joan Young, who lead the Springs of Living Water initiative in church renewal, will present a seminar titled “Servant Leadership and the Life Cycle of the Church, the Gift of Hope” at the 22nd Annual International Conference on Servant Leadership in Indianapolis on June 20-21. The Greenleaf Center has just published an essay David wrote on the communication pattern their family uses, which also is being taught in churches. At the conference, the Youngs have been invited to tell their story of a lifetime involvement in servant leadership that has impacted their family, and the spiritually oriented Springs Initiative in church renewal in the Church of the Brethren and beyond. For more information contact davidyoung@churchrenewalservant.org.
- A new name and a new Leadership Board have been announced by the former Feast of Love. The movement--led in large part by young adults and introduced at the Progressive Brethren Gathering last fall--has chosen the new name Open Table Cooperative. The new Leadership Board includes Kathy Fry-Miller of North Manchester, Ind.; Josih Hostettler of La Verne, Calif.; Aaron Ross of Bethel, Pa.; Katy Rother of Alexandria, Va.; Ken Kline Smeltzer of Boalsburg, Pa.; and Elizabeth Ullery of Olympia, Wash. One position still remains to be filled on the seven-member board. The new website address for Open Table Cooperative is www.opentablecoop.org.
- McPherson (Kan.) College is offering an “adventure in Greece” travel experience on Jan. 15-23, 2013. “It will be a feast for the palate, the eyes, and the spirit,” said an announcement. “In one of the most gorgeous countries on earth, we will travel to the land where the Apostle Paul spread the good news. As we travel we will enjoy the intriguing stories, rituals, and mythologies of the Greco-Roman world, which set the stage for the coming of Christianity.” If interested in joining this McPherson College tour with students, alumni, and friends, contact Herb Smith at smithh@mcpherson.edu or at the following address: 26 Mt. Lebanon Dr., Lebanon, PA; 717-273-1089.
- Pinecrest Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Mount Morris, Ill., has announced the achievement of a “Five-Star” ranking by its nursing home, Pinecrest Manor. The achievement was made known in ratings released in May by Medicare. It is a tribute to the dedicated nursing staff of Pinecrest Manor, and its diligence on health inspections and quality measures, said CEO Ferol Labash in a release. “Jolene LeClere, administrator of health services, and our team of administrative staff, lead the way in providing quality, compassionate care.” A five-star rating is the highest rating a nursing home can be given by Medicare, the release said, adding that this star rating is for overall staffing hours, which includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and certified nursing assistants. Pinecrest Community recommends that those considering nursing homes for their loved ones consult the information made available at the www.medicare.gov website.
- The New Community Project has announced grants and assistance to partner organizations in South Sudan in support of education for girls. A grant of $12,000 has been given to the Girlchild Education and Development Association in Nimule, South Sudan, following on an $18,000 grant made earlier this year for school tuition and materials for girls. The project also plans another grant later this year to support education for girls in Narus, South Sudan. “Ongoing support for our efforts to educate girls in South Sudan comes through the Amanda O'Donnell fund--a fund set up to honor a young woman whose life was cut tragically short,” the release said. More information is at www.newcommunityproject.org.
- A webinar from the National Council of Churches’ Eco-Justice Program will address the theme “All God’s Children are Sacred” on June 19 at 1 p.m. (eastern). Pediatric physician Jerry Paulson will discuss why children are vulnerable to environmental health triggers, and Hester Paul from the Children’s Environmental Health Network's Eco-Healthy Child Care Program will offer tips to make homes and churches safer. Sign up at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1845/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=74105.
- Korean churches are developing plans for a “peace train” that would travel from Berlin through Moscow and Beijing to Busan, South Korea, in time for the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) global assembly in Oct. 2013. “The plan is to draw attention to the need for peace and reunification in the Korean peninsula,” a release said, “and North Korea also would be on the route of the train, which would carry church and civil society representatives.” Peace Together 2013, a committee of the National Council of Churches of Korea, is working with the governments on the plan. The council also is in early phases of discussion about how to work with the governments of North and South Korea to prepare a peace treaty to be signed in 2013 that marks the 60th anniversary of the ceasefire treaty that ended the Korean War.
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, Enten Eller, Nathan Hosler, Dan McFadden, Nancy Miner, David Radcliff, Diana Roemer, Becky Ullom, Jay Wittmeyer, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.
Friday, June 01, 2012
General Secretary Announces Decision Regarding BMC Project With Brethren Volunteer Service
Church of the Brethren general
secretary Stan Noffsinger today made an announcement concerning the BMC
Kaleidoscope Coordinator as a Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) project.
The decision was shared in a letter addressed to Carol Wise, executive
of BMC--the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Interests.
“After conversations with the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board Executive Committee and a conference call with members of the board, I have withdrawn the BMC Kaleidoscope Coordinator as a BVS project as it is currently defined,” the letter said.
“As General Secretary, I will hold in trusting tension the possibility for a BMC project until such time as delegations from the MMB and the BMC board can meet face-to-face in the spirit of Matthew 18.”
In January, BMC had been accepted as a placement site for BVS volunteers after applying on a regular basis for some years (find a report of the original decision at www.brethren.org/news/2012/bmc-is-bvs-project-site.html).
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. It is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 125,000 members across the US and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, the DR, Brazil, Haiti, and India.
Source: 6/1/2012 Newsline
“After conversations with the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board Executive Committee and a conference call with members of the board, I have withdrawn the BMC Kaleidoscope Coordinator as a BVS project as it is currently defined,” the letter said.
“As General Secretary, I will hold in trusting tension the possibility for a BMC project until such time as delegations from the MMB and the BMC board can meet face-to-face in the spirit of Matthew 18.”
In January, BMC had been accepted as a placement site for BVS volunteers after applying on a regular basis for some years (find a report of the original decision at www.brethren.org/news/2012/bmc-is-bvs-project-site.html).
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. It is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts about 125,000 members across the US and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, the DR, Brazil, Haiti, and India.
Source: 6/1/2012 Newsline
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Newsline: May 31, 2012
NEWS
- New Church Planting Conference emphasizes love for God, and others.
- BBT Board approves new funds for BFI clients and charts a course for Pension Plan.
- June 4 is the last day of operation of New Windsor Conference Center.
- Gather ’Round co-sponsors conference on children and youth.
- Global Food Crisis Fund gives first round of grants for 2012.
New Church Planting Conference emphasizes love for God, and others.
 |
| Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford |
| Throughout the New Church Planting Conference, artist and church planter Dave Weiss illustrated the themes for worship. Shown here, his painting made during the opening worship service, which also illustrates the overall theme of the conference: "Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully." |
With the theme “Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully,” the conference was a training event for church planters and district leaders, while also offering a chance to celebrate the wide variety of new church plants across the denomination.
Church planters were recognized and received laying on of hands and prayer for their ministries. At the same time, the conference also included members of house churches as well as people who are simply interested in a movement for new congregations of Brethren.
Speakers emphasize knowing the heart of God
Keynote speakers Tom Johnston and Mike Chong Perkinson of the Praxis Center for Church Development, are successful church planters and pastors as well as consultants and coaches for denominations doing church and leadership development.
 |
| Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford |
| The two keynote speakers for the conference (from left)--Mike Chong Perkinson and Tom Johnston--are founders and senior developer and executive director, respectively, of the Praxis Center for Church Development. Their work entails training and coaching church planters and serving as consultants for church revitalization. |
The highlight of church should be Christ, not great music or scintillating preaching, Perkinson said. This leads away from assessing the health and wellbeing of churches through statistics like attendance, to assessing the church’s identity in relationship with God. “Church planters, be released from the numbers game!” Johnston said.
It also leads away from an emphasis on right belief to discipleship as a way of life, and makes family relationships a priority alongside personal relationships with Christ. Perkinson told how he includes his daughters in his ministry, even at elementary school ages inviting them to help pray for a neighbor in need of healing, for example. The end result is that children and spouses of church leaders and other families in the church, are discipled and become devoted followers of Jesus too.
Among other basic principles for church, Perkinson and Johnston presented what they call the “Irreducible Core” from Matthew 22 and 28: 1. Love God. 2. Love others. 3. As you go make disciples. As pastors seek to replicate Jesus’ understanding of church, and how best to express God’s love in the community, the church grows in the way families grow--through personal relationships, in which faith is shared. The process is longterm, the speakers said, but in story after story they told of seeing groups welcome new disciples through the sharing of God’s love.
Brethren are using a variety of models for new churches
The range of workshops at the New Church Planting Conference illustrate the variety of approaches Brethren are taking to plant new churches.
“Retro Yet Relevant” was the title of Kim Hill Smith’s workshop on house churches, for example. She is a founding member of Common Spirit Fellowship, a house church in Minneapolis. The house church movement harks back to a model familiar to Brethren since their beginnings 300 years ago, she said. Two more Common Spirit house churches have been started on the same model, one in North Manchester, Ind., and one in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Daniel D’Oleo gave a workshop on Renacer, a movement creating new Hispanic congregations in the Church of the Brethren. Renacer began in Leola, Pa. Over three years, two more Renacer churches have been planted in Roanoke and Floyd, Va.
Another model is campus ministry-based. Primarily occurring in Michigan, churches are emerging out of ministries with college and university students. Michigan District executive Nate Polzin is leading one of these, the Church in Drive in Saginaw.
Energy and a structure for new church planting is centered in districts with active New Church Development committees. including but not limited to Atlantic Northeast, Virlina, Shenandoah, and Northern Plains. In Atlantic Northeast District, for example, the styles and models for the current group of 12 new church plants is wide and various including Brethren Revival Fellowship groups, Spanish- and Arabic-speaking congregations, and an arts-based model for missional churches.
In the Church of the Brethren, districts are responsible to develop new congregations, while denominational staff take a supporting role. Congregational Life Ministries executive Jonathan Shively and his staff, with guidance from the denomination’s New Church Development Advisory Committee, offer support and encouragement for church planting and facilitate training opportunities and coaching for the districts. Recently the denomination’s Mission and Ministry Board affirmed church planting as one of six directional goals for the Church of the Brethren.
During one of his workshops, Shively discussed the problems and possibilities inherent in a structure that decentralizes the work and places most responsibility at the local level. Issues include how Brethren can give recognition and support to new church plants across district lines, the fact that opportunities for planting may be greatest in districts with less resources, and related funding questions for the denomination as a whole.
Facilitating access to effective assessment, training, and coaching for church planters has become a focus for the denominational support to districts where church planting is becoming most successful. Denominational staff also are providing opportunities to celebrate the hard work and struggle that goes into new church planting.
For more about church planting
For more information about the Praxis Center for Church Development go to www.praxiscenter.org and www.praxismedia.org. For more about church planting in the Church of the Brethren go to www.brethren.org/churchplanting or contact churchplanting@brethren.org. A photo album from the New Church Planting Conference is at www.brethren.org/album/new-church-planting-conference-2012.
The conference received an offering of $829 to the Emerging Global Missions Fund to support church planting. More about the fund and an opportunity to give online is at www.brethren.org/egmf.
Opportunities to celebrate and learn more about church planting are coming up in July at Annual Conference in St. Louis, Mo. New fellowships and congregations will be welcomed at the beginning of the first business session on July 8. Later that afternoon, a reception for new fellowships and congregations will be held from 4-6 p.m., and a 9 p.m. insight session will address "New Churches: Stories and Strategies.” On July 9 a church planter networking session will be held at 9 p.m. On July 10 another 9 p.m. networking session will discuss the emergent and missional church. Go to www.brethren.org/ac.
The July/August issue of “Messenger” magazine will include a cluster of articles on new church planting. To subscribe, go to www.brethren.org/messenger.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
BBT Board approves new funds for BFI clients and charts a course for Pension Plan.
Returning the Brethren Pension Plan’s Retirement Benefits Fund to
fully funded status and approving five new tactical fund options for
Brethren Foundation’s organizational clients were the primary focuses of
the Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) Board of Directors meeting on April
21-22 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
The board also spent time approving lists of defense-related companies that will be kept out of BBT investments, evaluating the performance of the board, receiving an unqualified opinion from the organization’s auditor, and recognizing departing and nominated board members during the weekend-long meeting. But the Pension Plan’s Retirement Benefits Fund (RBF) was the primary focus of the board’s attention.
“Many pension plans across the country have experienced hardships in recent years,” said Nevin Dulabaum, president of BBT. “We’re not immune to those challenges. But we are steadfastly working to strengthen the RBF so that it can meet its obligations for the lifetimes of all current and future annuitants.”
The two-day assembly was preceded by several meetings of the board and its committees. A board conference call was held on Feb. 26, which allowed BBT board and staff members to review departmental reports and routine business. The Governance Committee met with Dulabaum in Lancaster, Pa., on April 12; the Property and Compliance task team met in Elgin on April 19; and the board’s Investment, Budget and Audit Review, and Governance Committees each met in Elgin on April 20.
Three studies offer insight and possible paths for the RBF
Since the recent economic crisis of 2008 and 2009 left the Pension Plan’s RBF at 68.5 percent funded as of Dec. 31, 2008, BBT’s highest priority has been to return that fund--which pays out all Pension Plan annuitants’ monthly benefits--to fully funded status.
Scott Douglas, director of Employee Benefits, led the board through reports from three studies that analyzed key components of Brethren Pension Plan. Although they were separate studies, their goals were the same--to provide information that will help safeguard the Brethren Pension Plan and the RBF for years to come.
One study was reviewed ahead of the full board meeting by the Investment Committee; prepared by investment consulting firm Marquette Associates, the study examined different economic and investment scenarios for returning the RBF to fully funded status. Based on these projections, it could take a decade or more to achieve this goal. Factors that contribute to the RBF’s funding status include the fluctuations of the investment markets, the number of new annuitants, the mortality experience of Pension Plan members, the spousal options that are selected, and the conversion rate used to determine how much money each annuitant will receive as a lifetime benefit.
Another study examined the mortality assumptions that BBT uses in its calculations of annuity payments. Human resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt put together a review of BBT’s current mortality assumptions and concluded that while the mortality table BBT uses is on target, it would be appropriate to switch to a different table in the future. The report made several other suggestions that the board’s Pension Plan task force will review at its next meeting.
A study commissioned each year by BBT examined the funded status of the RBF. The report indicated that as of Dec. 31, 2011, the RBF was 78 percent funded--meaning that for each dollar it must pay out to annuitants, it has 78 cents available. This is a 10 percent increase over its low, but it indicates that the task force’s work is not complete.
Tactical investments added to Foundation’s fund options
In response to requests from several current and prospective organizational clients, Brethren Foundation staff members have worked with the BFI Board and investment and client service counsel to develop a way to offer five goal-oriented investment choices. These new funds are composed of multiple BFI funds and are monitored by an investment adviser.
The five tactical funds are named after the purpose each is intended to serve--Aggressive Growth, Growth, Income and Growth, Income, and Conservative. The asset allocation of each of these funds will be evaluated on a regular basis, and changes will be made within an asset range defined by the BBT board. These changes will be made based on perceived opportunities within the capital markets. These funds will be available to all organizational clients for an additional fee.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer Foundation clients a way to simplify their allocation process,” said Steve Mason, director of BFI. “These five tactical funds will allow our clients greater ease in directing their investments toward specific goals.”
The board approved the addition of these five new funds to BFI’s 16 existing funds.
Lists of Defense-related companies used to screen investments approved by the Board
To honor the Church of the Brethren’s historic peace stance, BBT creates two lists each year of US Department of Defense contractors that either earned 10 percent or more of their income from defense contracts or hold one of the top 25 defense contracts issued to publicly traded companies. Companies that fall into these categories in the Department of Defense’s previous fiscal year are then prohibited from being included in any of BBT’s or BFI’s actively managed portfolios. The board approved the lists created for use in 2012 during Saturday’s session. These lists are available for review at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/screening.
IR+M retained for another three years of investment management
Representatives of Income Research and Management (IR+M) presented a report to the Investment Committee during its meeting on Friday. IR+M is an investment management firm based in Boston that has been serving BBT as a fixed income manager since June 1995. After hearing the Committee’s recommendation to retain IR+M, the BBT board voted to retain the firm for another term. For the three-year period ending March 31, IR+M had a return of 10.2 percent for its Brethren Pension Plan portfolio, compared with the benchmark, Barclays Capital US Government/Credit Bond Index, which returned 7.1 percent in that same period. Each manager is reviewed every three years by the Investment Committee.
Orientation and governance session helped undergird the Board’s mission
To strengthen the performance and focus of the BBT board, Saturday’s morning session was dedicated to a time of board evaluation. The members discussed what it means to serve on the BBT board, and it reviewed an updated orientation and resource guide for new board members. This exercise was led by the Governance Committee, which has recently expanded its focus to include selecting BBT board nominees, orienting new members, pairing those new members with mentors from the board, and evaluating board members individually and collectively.
“We have an important mission--to provide BBT with solid leadership and support,” said Karen O. Crim, BBT board chairwoman. “As a board, we need to ensure that we are performing our duty to BBT’s members and clients effectively.”
In other news
An unqualified audit opinion of BBT’s financial reports, including Brethren Benefit Trust Inc. and Brethren Foundation Inc., was reviewed by the Budget and Audit Review Committee. Craig Resch, a partner at auditing firm Legacy Professionals, presented an overview of the audited financial statements. Board members then met with Resch in closed session. The audited financials were approved by the committee and the board.
Three positions on the BBT board are up for election or appointment this year, and the Governance Committee reviewed for the board the status of all three positions. One will be filled by Annual Conference election; the nominees for this slot are Eric Kabler of Johnstown, Pa., and Karen Pacheco of North Miami Beach, Fla. Pension Plan members have elected Tom McCracken of York, Pa., to represent the Fellowship of Brethren Homes for a four-year term. The BBT board in November had indicated it would appoint Ann Quay Davis of Covina, Calif., to serve another term on the board. Both appointments will be submitted for affirmation by Annual Conference delegates this summer.
The board and staff bid farewell and offered thanks to two departing board members--Jack Grim of East Berlin, Pa., who was previously elected by Annual Conference, and Michael Leiter of Boonsboro, Md., who was chosen to replace Carol Davis as the representative of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes in April 2010.
Upcoming BBT board meetings in 2012 will take place at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill., on Aug. 4-5 and at the General Offices and Pinecrest Community, a Brethren-affiliated retirement center in Mount Morris, Ill., on Nov. 17-18.
-- Brian Solem is coordinator of publications for Brethren Benefit Trust.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
The board also spent time approving lists of defense-related companies that will be kept out of BBT investments, evaluating the performance of the board, receiving an unqualified opinion from the organization’s auditor, and recognizing departing and nominated board members during the weekend-long meeting. But the Pension Plan’s Retirement Benefits Fund (RBF) was the primary focus of the board’s attention.
“Many pension plans across the country have experienced hardships in recent years,” said Nevin Dulabaum, president of BBT. “We’re not immune to those challenges. But we are steadfastly working to strengthen the RBF so that it can meet its obligations for the lifetimes of all current and future annuitants.”
The two-day assembly was preceded by several meetings of the board and its committees. A board conference call was held on Feb. 26, which allowed BBT board and staff members to review departmental reports and routine business. The Governance Committee met with Dulabaum in Lancaster, Pa., on April 12; the Property and Compliance task team met in Elgin on April 19; and the board’s Investment, Budget and Audit Review, and Governance Committees each met in Elgin on April 20.
Three studies offer insight and possible paths for the RBF
Since the recent economic crisis of 2008 and 2009 left the Pension Plan’s RBF at 68.5 percent funded as of Dec. 31, 2008, BBT’s highest priority has been to return that fund--which pays out all Pension Plan annuitants’ monthly benefits--to fully funded status.
Scott Douglas, director of Employee Benefits, led the board through reports from three studies that analyzed key components of Brethren Pension Plan. Although they were separate studies, their goals were the same--to provide information that will help safeguard the Brethren Pension Plan and the RBF for years to come.
One study was reviewed ahead of the full board meeting by the Investment Committee; prepared by investment consulting firm Marquette Associates, the study examined different economic and investment scenarios for returning the RBF to fully funded status. Based on these projections, it could take a decade or more to achieve this goal. Factors that contribute to the RBF’s funding status include the fluctuations of the investment markets, the number of new annuitants, the mortality experience of Pension Plan members, the spousal options that are selected, and the conversion rate used to determine how much money each annuitant will receive as a lifetime benefit.
Another study examined the mortality assumptions that BBT uses in its calculations of annuity payments. Human resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt put together a review of BBT’s current mortality assumptions and concluded that while the mortality table BBT uses is on target, it would be appropriate to switch to a different table in the future. The report made several other suggestions that the board’s Pension Plan task force will review at its next meeting.
A study commissioned each year by BBT examined the funded status of the RBF. The report indicated that as of Dec. 31, 2011, the RBF was 78 percent funded--meaning that for each dollar it must pay out to annuitants, it has 78 cents available. This is a 10 percent increase over its low, but it indicates that the task force’s work is not complete.
Tactical investments added to Foundation’s fund options
In response to requests from several current and prospective organizational clients, Brethren Foundation staff members have worked with the BFI Board and investment and client service counsel to develop a way to offer five goal-oriented investment choices. These new funds are composed of multiple BFI funds and are monitored by an investment adviser.
The five tactical funds are named after the purpose each is intended to serve--Aggressive Growth, Growth, Income and Growth, Income, and Conservative. The asset allocation of each of these funds will be evaluated on a regular basis, and changes will be made within an asset range defined by the BBT board. These changes will be made based on perceived opportunities within the capital markets. These funds will be available to all organizational clients for an additional fee.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer Foundation clients a way to simplify their allocation process,” said Steve Mason, director of BFI. “These five tactical funds will allow our clients greater ease in directing their investments toward specific goals.”
The board approved the addition of these five new funds to BFI’s 16 existing funds.
Lists of Defense-related companies used to screen investments approved by the Board
To honor the Church of the Brethren’s historic peace stance, BBT creates two lists each year of US Department of Defense contractors that either earned 10 percent or more of their income from defense contracts or hold one of the top 25 defense contracts issued to publicly traded companies. Companies that fall into these categories in the Department of Defense’s previous fiscal year are then prohibited from being included in any of BBT’s or BFI’s actively managed portfolios. The board approved the lists created for use in 2012 during Saturday’s session. These lists are available for review at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org/screening.
IR+M retained for another three years of investment management
Representatives of Income Research and Management (IR+M) presented a report to the Investment Committee during its meeting on Friday. IR+M is an investment management firm based in Boston that has been serving BBT as a fixed income manager since June 1995. After hearing the Committee’s recommendation to retain IR+M, the BBT board voted to retain the firm for another term. For the three-year period ending March 31, IR+M had a return of 10.2 percent for its Brethren Pension Plan portfolio, compared with the benchmark, Barclays Capital US Government/Credit Bond Index, which returned 7.1 percent in that same period. Each manager is reviewed every three years by the Investment Committee.
Orientation and governance session helped undergird the Board’s mission
To strengthen the performance and focus of the BBT board, Saturday’s morning session was dedicated to a time of board evaluation. The members discussed what it means to serve on the BBT board, and it reviewed an updated orientation and resource guide for new board members. This exercise was led by the Governance Committee, which has recently expanded its focus to include selecting BBT board nominees, orienting new members, pairing those new members with mentors from the board, and evaluating board members individually and collectively.
“We have an important mission--to provide BBT with solid leadership and support,” said Karen O. Crim, BBT board chairwoman. “As a board, we need to ensure that we are performing our duty to BBT’s members and clients effectively.”
In other news
An unqualified audit opinion of BBT’s financial reports, including Brethren Benefit Trust Inc. and Brethren Foundation Inc., was reviewed by the Budget and Audit Review Committee. Craig Resch, a partner at auditing firm Legacy Professionals, presented an overview of the audited financial statements. Board members then met with Resch in closed session. The audited financials were approved by the committee and the board.
Three positions on the BBT board are up for election or appointment this year, and the Governance Committee reviewed for the board the status of all three positions. One will be filled by Annual Conference election; the nominees for this slot are Eric Kabler of Johnstown, Pa., and Karen Pacheco of North Miami Beach, Fla. Pension Plan members have elected Tom McCracken of York, Pa., to represent the Fellowship of Brethren Homes for a four-year term. The BBT board in November had indicated it would appoint Ann Quay Davis of Covina, Calif., to serve another term on the board. Both appointments will be submitted for affirmation by Annual Conference delegates this summer.
The board and staff bid farewell and offered thanks to two departing board members--Jack Grim of East Berlin, Pa., who was previously elected by Annual Conference, and Michael Leiter of Boonsboro, Md., who was chosen to replace Carol Davis as the representative of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes in April 2010.
Upcoming BBT board meetings in 2012 will take place at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill., on Aug. 4-5 and at the General Offices and Pinecrest Community, a Brethren-affiliated retirement center in Mount Morris, Ill., on Nov. 17-18.
-- Brian Solem is coordinator of publications for Brethren Benefit Trust.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
June 4 is the last day of operation of New Windsor Conference Center.
Photo by Randy Miller
The three regular fulltime employees who conclude their service with the church once the Conference Center closes are Ella Patterson, Fay Reese, and Rita Taylor. Other employees who have been working at the Conference Center on a temporary and/or part-time basis are Sheila Becker, Kenneth Bryant, Janet Comings, Nathan Gibson, Vira Knights, Ridge Millberry, Virginia Ryan, Joseph Wade, Charlotte Willis, and David Zaruba.
The decision to cease Conference Center operations was made by the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board at its Fall 2011 meeting. The board determined that "operating the New Windsor Conference Center is not in alignment with the directional goals of our strategic plan and not financially sustainable" (find the original Newsline report, which includes financial background for the decision, at www.brethren.org/news/2011/board-decides-to-cease-conference-center-operation.html).
The board’s decision is not about the Brethren Service Center property as a whole nor the ministries that continue there including Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children’s Disaster Services, Material Resources, On Earth Peace, SERRV, IMA World Health, and the Mid-Atlantic District Office.
The center is making provisions to meet continuing needs to provide hospitality for volunteers who serve at the Material Resources program, IMA World Health, and SERRV. The center will transition Zigler Hall to become the Zigler Hospitality Center, initially keeping open several guest rooms and the kitchen and dining facilities to accommodate volunteer groups as needed. Cori Hahn will serve as hospitality coordinator and Walter Trail will manage the kitchen and dining facilities. Other possible uses for the buildings of Old Main and Windsor Hall are being explored.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
Gather ’Round co-sponsors conference on children and youth.
 |
| Photo by Wendy McFadden |
| Brethren Press's Jeff Lennard (right) chats with Brian McLaren about Gather 'Round at the conference on Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity. The conference was held in Washington, D.C., on May 7-10 with co-sponsorship from the Gather 'Round curriculum. |
“Whatever our faith tradition, wherever we live, we are united in shared convictions that the vitality of the church depends on children and youth and that young people are dear to God’s heart,” said Dave Csinos, founder and chief planner of the conference, called “Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity” (CYNKC).
The conference was held May 7-10 in Washington, D.C. Keynote speakers were Brian McLaren, John Westerhoff, Almeda Wright, and Ivy Beckwith. Some 55 others made short presentations and led workshops.
One of the co-sponsors was Gather ’Round, the Sunday school curriculum co-published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia. Staff members Anna Speicher and Rose Stutzman led a workshop on “Sunday School that Doesn’t Have All the Answers.” At the Gather ’Round booth, all preview packs were taken before the conference ended.
Speicher was gratified by the interest shown by participants. “People are hungry for the Anabaptist-Pietist message of our curriculum,” she observed.
Those attending represented a range of Christian churches and organizations, including the Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite Church USA.
"As the church increasingly finds itself on the margins of our culture, we must rethink what it means to do faith formation,” said Josh Brockway, director of spiritual life and discipleship for the Church of the Brethren. “A gathering like Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity gives ministers and leaders a chance to share their experiences, explore emerging trends, and seek ways to minister faithfully in changing times."
-- Wendy McFadden is publisher of Brethren Press.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
Global Food Crisis Fund gives first round of grants for 2012.
A
first round of grants for 2012 has been announced by the Church of the
Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF). Totaling $23,500, the grants
have supported work toward food security in the Sahel region of northern
Africa, Haiti, and Honduras.The GFCF has given $5,000 this year for a total of $35,000 since 2009 for wells and food programs to NAGARTA, a nonprofit organization in Niger. Niger is in the Sahel region of Africa situated just south of the Sahara desert and continuing southward into the savanna regions that cross the entire continent, touching numerous countries. International aid agencies predict a coming famine as poor rainfall last year and this are endangering crop and livestock farmers. NAGARTA recently reported that since November they have completed 10 wells and trained community committees on proper installation and maintenance of wells.
Another grant of $3,000 was given to an initiative in Burkina Faso from the Church of the Brethren Foods Resource Bank (FRB) account. The church is involved in the FRB through the Global Food Crisis Fund. Along with other FRB partners, this project of the Office of Development of Evangelical Churches in Burkina Faso works with farmers involved with agroforestry, sesame production, and supplemental nutrition programs.
Also in April, a $3,000 grant was sent to L’Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) for a pond project in the village of Aux Plaines on the island of La Tortue. The pond is used for watering livestock in the dry season. This is a second grant toward an effort that includes many local Brethren. The plan is to stabilize the sides of the pond. Animals will still have access while allowing for other possible uses of the pond. Last spring, a group from McPherson (Kan.) College spent one week on the island.
In early April, a grant of $12,500 was given to Proyecto Aldea Global in Honduras. PAG’s executive director Chet Thomas shared the following: “The Church of the Brethren has provided financial support to set up more than 200 family businesses over the past several years, that has provided a small economic miracle to the lives of these families. Currently we have families which have started with one small female pig and today have over 80 pigs in different stages of growth.” Thomas’s home church is Maple Spring Church of the Brethren in Hollsopple, Pa.
A new GFCF Review Panel is named
Along with a new manager--Jeff Boshart, who served most recently as Haiti response coordinator for Brethren Disaster Ministries--the Global Food Crisis Fund also has a new Review Panel which helps make decisions about grants. The five members are:
- Merle Crouse of St. Cloud, Fla., who brings experience as a sea-going cowboy with Heifer Project, former district executive, and former denominational staff in Turkey, Germany, and Ecuador, and with the General Board’s World Ministries and Parish Ministries. He is on the ministerial team of New Covenant Church of the Brethren in Gotha, Fla.
- Jeff Graybill whose family farm is located near Manheim, Pa., works with Penn State Extension providing educational programming in Lancaster County with special interest in nutrient management and no-till cropping systems. He holds degrees in Agronomy from Penn State and Cornell University and has participated in workcamps in Nigeria and Kentucky.
- Beth Gunzel of York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., who previously worked in the Dominican Republic as consultant to the microfinance project funded by the GFCF. She holds degrees in Social Work and Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois and is an employment training manager at Growing Home, Inc., in Chicago.
- Gretchen Sarpiya, originally from Genadendal, South Africa, and currently a church planter in Rockford, Ill., alongside her husband Samuel. As a discipleship trainer director, she worked in many African countries during her 16 years with Youth With a Mission.
- Jim Schmidt, who farms over 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans near Polo, Ill., and attends Polo Church of the Brethren. He has a degree in Agronomy from the University of Illinois. Along with his wife Karen he has partnered with three other congregations and local business people who are now in their eighth year of having a Growing Project with the Foods Resource Bank.
For more about the Global Food Crisis Fund go to www.brethren.org/gfcf.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
On Earth Peace announces Bill Scheurer as new executive director.
Photo by: courtesy of On Earth Peace
"We are very pleased to announce this appointment," said Madalyn Metzger, On Earth Peace board chair. "Bill brings exceptional abilities and professional experiences to advance the mission and ministry of On Earth Peace in the years ahead."
Scheurer's resume includes over 35 years of experience and success in both the corporate and nonprofit arenas. Previously, he served as interim executive director of Beyond War, founded a number of successful start-up technology companies, and worked as an investment attorney. His peacebuilding activities include serving as a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation national council, running as a peace candidate for the United States Congress (establishing a new peace party ballot status), and serving as co-coordinator of the Peace Garden Project and as editor of the Peace Majority Report. He holds a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and a J.D. degree from the University at Buffalo. He resides in Lindenhurst, Ill.
"The Church of the Brethren and the other historic peace churches are longtime beacons in my life and calling, both as a peacebuilder and a follower of Jesus," said Scheurer. "I am deeply grateful for the call from On Earth Peace to become part of this vital ministry for advancing justice and building peace in our communities and around the world."
To the On Earth Peace community he said, "Words cannot say how much it means to me to receive this calling from On Earth Peace. As with faith, I hope to show my gratitude by my works. The entire arc of my life has bent toward such a ministry, and yet there is no calling without community. You have given me community, and with it the ministry that has been calling me for years. I rejoice and give thanks! Peace be with you."
(This report is taken from an On Earth Peace release.)
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
National Young Adult Conference takes place in mid-June.
Online
registration closes June 1 for the 2012 National Young Adult Conference
of the Church of the Brethren. NYAC will be held June 18-22 at the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville on the theme “Humble, Yet Bold:
Being the Church” (Matthew 5:13-18). Young adults ages 18-35 who attend
will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities
including daily worship and Bible studies, free time for fun activities
and good conversation, service projects, and more.The morning Bible studies and evening worship services will be webcast live and available to view online at www.brethren.org/yac.
“Talk Back Sessions” will give young adults an opportunity to meet leaders of the denomination including general secretary Stan Noffsinger and Annual Conference moderator Tim Harvey, as well as some of the NYAC speakers. “Coffee and Conversation” times will give participants a chance to learn more about specific organizations within the Church of the Brethren including Bethany Theological Seminary, Brethren Volunteer Service, the Office of Ministry, and On Earth Peace.
Service projects will be held with the Knoxville Area Rescue Mission and the Lost Sheep Ministry. Special offerings will support the Haiti Mobile Medical Clinic and “Christmas in July” at the John M. Reed Nursing Home, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Limestone, Tenn. Among the more informal evening activities are games including Frisbee, a movie night, praise and worship time, a campfire, and a talent show. The event also includes an opportunity for the whole conference to go rafting together.
The list of speakers and leaders includes Harvey and Noffsinger along with Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren pastor Greg Davidson Laszakovits, Bethany Seminary director of admission Tracy Stoddart Primozich, director of Spiritual Life and Discipleship Josh Brockway, Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren Minister for Youth Formation Dana Cassell, Nate and Jenn Hosler who recently returned from serving with the church in Nigeria, pastor Joel Peña of Alpha and Omega Church of the Brethren in Lancaster, Pa., recent high school graduate and Happy Corner Church of the Brethren member Shelley West, and Angie Lahman, a licensed minister at Circle of Peace Church of the Brethren in Peoria, Ariz. Due to unforeseen circumstances guest speaker Paul Alexander is no longer able to be at NYAC.
Webcasting starts with evening worship on Monday, June 18, at 7:30-9 p.m. On Tuesday through Thursday, June 19-21, both the morning Bible studies at 9:30-10:30 a.m., and the evening worship services at 7-8 p.m., will be webcast. On June 22, the closing worship service will be webcast at 10:15-11:15 a.m. Go to www.brethren.org/yac to view webcasts.
Online registration also is at www.brethren.org/yac. Cost is $375 which includes lodging, meals, and programming. A $100 deposit, non refundable, is due within two weeks of registering.
Source:5/31/2012 Newsline
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