Committee envisions positive future for Brethren Service Center.

The Brethren Service Center Ministry Options Exploration Committee held its second meeting Nov. 10-12 at the center in New Windsor, Md. "We want the church and the New Windsor community to know that we envision a continued and very positive future for the Brethren Service Center," said chair Dale Minnich. "Numerous specific recommendations are under study--and all of these will need to be considered by the General Board when the committee makes its final report."

The group is a committee of the General Board, assigned the task of assessing options for ministry at the Brethren Service Center. The committee worshiped together, met with General Board staff and executive directors of three partner agencies located at the center, processed more than 30 reports from earlier assignments to staff and committee members, and discussed the emerging direction of its work.

In particular, the committee met with Roy Winter, executive director of the Brethren Service Center and director of Emergency Response, and LeAnn Wine, director of financial operations for the General Board, throughout its process, and interviewed Bob Gross, co-executive director of On Earth Peace, which has its main offices at the center; Bob Chase, co-executive director of a Greater Gift/SERRV, which has warehouse facilities and a retail store at the center; and Paul Derstine, executive director of Interchurch Medical Assistance, which houses its main offices at the center.

Regarding the center’s future, the report of the meeting stated, "We believe that the Brethren Service Center should be continued, strengthened, and undergirded with new vision." Minnich outlined some reasons for this preliminary recommendation: the center’s mission--which revolves around mounting creative efforts to address human need--continues to be urgently relevant; its history as an incubator of visionary and effective ministries to meet human need, and as a focus for motivating people to develop their witness in areas of service and peacemaking, provides a "reservoir of passion" that is a valued asset to be nurtured and developed; its current ministries and ministry partners are particularly strong in lifting up the vision for meeting human need, providing volunteer opportunities, and challenging people to develop Christian discipleship.

The New Windsor Conference Center as a resource that provides hospitality to support the work of center partners and other groups has potential for a greater educational and motivational function to undergird response to human need, Minnich said. While Service Ministries and the conference center face some management challenges, the committee believes each of the four ministry areas of the General Board at the Brethren Service Center (Service Ministries, Emergency Response, lease partnerships with other agencies, and the New Windsor Conference Center) can be financially viable for the foreseeable future, he said.

The committee plans to meet again Feb. 23-25 to work on more specific recommendations. Members are David R. Miller of Dayton, Va.; Dale Minnich of Moundridge, Kan.; Fran Nyce of Westminster, Md.; Dale Roth of State College, Pa.; Jim Stokes-Buckles of New York, N.Y.; Kim Stuckey Hissong of Westminster, Md.; and Jack Tevis of Westminster, Md.

Source: 12/06/2006 Newsline