Brethren participate in planning ‘The Gathering’ hunger conference.

Church of the Brethren leaders and General Board staff are taking part in preparations for a biennial hunger training event and rally in Washington, D.C., on June 9-12. "The Gathering" will be held on the theme, "Sowing Seeds: Growing a Movement." Bread for the World is coordinating planning for the event, which is supported by a wide range of hunger agencies.

A broad spectrum of religious groups will convene in the nation’s capital for training, information sharing, worship, and advocacy. Particular focus will be on reform of the Farm Bill currently before Congress, a legislative measure whose nutrition programs and trade policies affect the poor and hungry at home and abroad.

The event is receiving financial support from the Global Food Crisis Fund. A $5,000 grant has been given toward expenses of the conference.

Global Food Crisis Fund manager Howard Royer is among those working with Bread for the World staff in helping plan the conference, and is one of the group of Interfaith Anti-Hunger Coordinators. The Brethren Witness/Washington Office also is encouraging participation in the event. Belita Mitchell, Annual Conference moderator, and Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board, are slated to head the Brethren delegation.

Pastor Jeff Carter of Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren is representing the denomination on the Worship Planning Committee, and has been invited to help plan worship services and may be involved in plenary sessions as well as the interfaith convocation at the National Cathedral on Monday evening, June 11. Emily O'Donnell, legislative associate and Brethren Volunteer Service worker in the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, has been named to the Program/Mobilization Committee and is involved in promoting the event among Brethren young adults and the Washington area congregations.

"We rejoice in the direct ways the Church of the Brethren is engaged in hunger awareness and advocacy on the national scene," Royer said. "From its beginning the Global Food Crisis Fund has regarded hunger education and advocacy as integral to its work, along with fundraising and grantmaking on behalf of impoverished peoples."

The goal of the Gathering "is to formulate concrete steps to strengthen efforts to end hunger and poverty, in synch with the Millennium Development Goals," Royer said. "Participants are to emerge from the Gathering renewed, energized, equipped, and empowered."

In related Action Alerts, the Brethren Witness/Washington Office is calling for support of a letter regarding the Farm Bill to be sent to members of Congress; and support for the Feed America's Families Act (HR 2129) that it said would “build momentum for 2007 Farm Bill investments that strengthen the Food Stamp and emergency feeding programs.” The letter on the Farm Bill highlights its reauthorization as “a significant opportunity to improve farmworker safety and health, particularly as to toxic pesticides” (for a copy contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office at 800-785-3246 or washington_office_gb@brethren.org). “Time is of the essence” the alerts said, with Congressional action on the Farm Bill already beginning. At least one House Agriculture Subcommittee takes up its portion of the bill before the Memorial Day recess. Full House and Senate Agriculture Committee mark-ups are slated for June.

For more information about the Gathering, “Sowing Seeds: Growing a Movement” and to register to attend, go to www.bread.org/about-us/national-gathering.

Source: 5/23/2007 Newsline