Brethren bits: correction, Annual Conference, and much more.

• In a correction to Newsline June 18, Tex Sample is the featured speaker at the Association of Brethren Caregivers' "A Seminar on Effective Ministry for, by, and with Older Adults."
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference begins tomorrow evening July 3 in Charleston, W.Va., with dinner programs and opening worship. Gatherings preceding Annual Conference this year include meetings of those planning and leading the Conference--Annual Conference officers, Program and Arrangements Committee, and Annual Conference coordinators--as well as Standing Committee meetings of district delegates June 30-July 3, the Ministers' Association Conference July 2-3, the Council of District Executives July 1-3, General Board meetings July 2-3, and the Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists the afternoon of July 3.
  
  
• Middle Pennsylvania District seeks a district minister to fill a full-time position beginning Jan. 1, 2005. The district is looking for a visionary leader who has experience and training in the area of congregational ministry. The preferred candidate will be an innovative person who is knowledgeable and supportive of denominational polity and skillful at adapting procedures to meet the unique needs of the district. The candidate will have an ability to work with diverse biblical and theological perspectives, and a passion for evangelism and leadership development. Qualifications include an M.Div. or related masters degree, ordination, and a minimum of seven years of pastoral or related experience. Apply by sending a letter of interest and resume via email to DistrictMinistries_gb@Brethren.org. Applicants are requested to contact three or four people to provide letters of reference. Upon receipt of resume, the candidate will be sent a Candidate Profile that must be completed and returned before the application is considered complete. The application deadline is Aug. 31.
  
  
• Join seasoned Sudan workers Phil and Louise Baldwin Rieman in a Sudan Workcamp Jan. 9-22, 2005. The workcamp is a tangible effort to rebuild in one community of this war-torn nation, and bring hope to its people. The General Board's Global Mission Partnerships office is sponsoring the event with longtime partner, the New Sudan Council of Churches. Estimated cost is $2,200. For more information contact the Riemans at plbrieman@mw.net, or call 317-546-9675.
  
  
• Disaster Child Care projects in Cortland, Neb., and Chapmansville, Lenore, and Delbarton, W.Va., have closed. In Nebraska, six child care volunteers made contact with 34 children after an F-4 tornado with 207-260 mile-per-hour winds touched down in Hallam, in Lancaster County near Lincoln, on May 22. The storms destroyed 158 homes and caused significant damage to more than 150 others in several counties. In West Virginia, nine child care volunteers served 42 children after four inches of rain in the southern section of the state. Four counties--Mingo, Raleigh, Wyoming, and Logan--repeatedly have had major flood damage and mud slides due to heavy rains. Emergency management officials estimate some 300 homes sustained major damage.
  
  
• The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) website has featured an article about the General Board's Disaster Child Care program, complete with photos from the recent child care project in West Virginia. "Well-deserved recognition for our unsung heroes!" commented Liz Monahan-Gibson of FEMA. "The Disaster Child Care program is very fortunate to have such dedicated and supportive child care volunteers and partner agencies in our network." The article, written by FEMA public information officer Rose Marie Armstrong, explained how the program offers activities that provide emotional comfort to children affected by disasters, and makes it possible for parents to complete the application process for federal aid. The photos feature child care workers Pearl Cormany, Esther Bittinger, and Patricia A. Black. Find the article and photos at www.FEMA.gov.
  
  
• The General Board's Emergency Response program welcomed district executives Joe Detrick of Southern Pennsylvania, Stephen Abe of West Marva, and Marie Willoughby of Michigan as disaster response volunteers the week of May 31 at the Poquoson, Va., project. District executives combined skills with local Virginia volunteers, a group from Bedford, Pa., and Roy Winter, executive director of Emergency Response/Service Ministries. Maurice Curry and Ken Imhoff provided leadership as work continued on two homes that had been raised five to six feet to avoid future floods. "Thank you district executives and all volunteers for making time to help," said Winter.
  
  
• Pacific Southwest District is sponsoring a disaster response project near Julian, Calif., east of San Diego, Aug. 1-14. The wildfire clean-up project is in cooperation with Mennonite Disaster Service. The work includes clearing burned trees and cutting, stacking, and chipping wood. Volunteers must be able-bodied. Hard hats, masks to filter dust, earplugs, goggles, and chain saws are provided. District disaster coordinator Milton H. Ewert is seeking congregations and individuals who would be interested in volunteering for the project. Contact him at 209-523-9490 or e-mail mjemod@juno.com.
  
  
• "God, Democracy, and US Power: Believers Church Perspectives" is the title of a Sept. 23-25 conference hosted by Bridgewater (Va.) College and Eastern Mennonite University, with assistance from the Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the General Board, Mennonite Central Committee, and Baptist Joint Committee. This is the 15th in a series of Believers Church Conferences. Presenters representing Church of the Brethren perspectives include 2005 Annual Conference moderator Jim Hardenbrook on "Second Order of Business: Prayer by the Chaplain"; Bridgewater professor of Religion Carol Scheppard on "Yahweh's People: Covenant and Exile"; Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh on "The Church of the Brethren Office in Washington, D.C.: Advocacy or Listening Post?"; New Community Project director David Radcliff on "There Goes the Neighborhood: Christian Engagement with a Suddenly Near World"; and Bethany Theological Seminary professor Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, who will preach. National Council of Churches general secretary Robert W. Edgar will speak at the conference banquet. For more information and to register go to www.emu.edu/churchandpolitics.
  
  
• Bentley Peters has resigned as senior vice president of MII Management Group and Mutual Aid eXchange (MAX) effective Dec. 31. His work for the insurance and management organizations, which are related to the Church of the Brethren, included envisioning, development, and implementation of MAX since 1993. He plans to return to consulting in the Chicago area.
  
  
• Church of the Brethren environmental and peace advocate David Radcliff was a featured speaker at "H2oly Water," a training event for clergy and lay leaders in the Baltimore-Washington area, sponsored by the National Council of Churches. The June 25-28 event was one in a series based on a theological framework for understanding the importance of preserving water resources. Radcliff also spoke for the March event in the series, held in Arizona. He is director of the New Community Project, a Brethren-related nonprofit organization.