NEWS

• Workcamp builds bridges in Guatemala.
  
• Womaen's Caucus steering committee works on women's concerns.
  
• Disaster Child Care staff, volunteers attend special trainings.
  
• Nigerian Brethren hold 59th annual church conference.
  
• Brethren bits: Correction, job opening, and much more.

PERSONNEL

• Dana Weaver is hired as Annual Conference assistant.
  
• Christina Bucher named dean of faculty at Elizabethtown College.

FEATURE

• International Brethren engage in conversation about a global church.

For more Church of the Brethren news, go to www.brethren.org, click on "News" to find a news feature, more "Brethren bits," links to Brethren in the news, and links to the General Board's photo albums and the Newsline archive. The page is updated as close to daily as possible.

Workcamp builds bridges in Guatemala.

"We were in Union Victoria after Hurricane Stan to build two kinds of bridges," said Tony Banout, coordinator of a workcamp held March 11-18 in the Guatemalan village. The delegation, co-sponsored by the Emergency Response network and Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board, was called together to work alongside villagers to rebuild the remote highlands community of Union Victoria.

Other workcampers were Ray Tritt of Boulder Hill Church of the Brethren, Montgomery, Ill.; Josiah Nell, Josh Yohe, and John Hilty of Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, Spring Grove, Pa; and Ken Gresh of Denton (Md.) Church of the Brethren. The trip was hosted by Rebecca Allen, Global Mission Partnerships staff and Brethren Volunteer Service worker in Union Victoria.

Banout had known Union Victoria before October when all crops were destroyed, over 60 mudslides occurred, and the community's only bridge was washed away by the hurricane. He had been a mission worker with Global Mission Partnerships and a Brethren Volunteer Service worker. "Fortunately, no one there was killed by the storm, although one seven-month pregnant woman was caught in the river and later delivered a stillborn child," said Banout. "One home was completely destroyed. Most of the damage, however, was clearly psychological," he added.

"We called our expression of solidarity with materially poor, disenfranchised, and largely voiceless Mayans the main bridge we would build," he emphasized. The workcampers "lived in the simple homes of the villagers, eating with families and sharing stories."

"We hoped to visit as fellow brothers and sisters concerned about their plight and history," Banout added. He explained some of the village's history. "Virtually every person in the community was profoundly affected during the war," he said, "from firsthand experiences of torture to having loved ones killed or disappeared. We were open to learning from them." There was also a profound need to speak of their recent trauma stemming from the hurricane, Banout said.

The physical bridge that the workcampers helped repair had been destroyed by Hurricane Stan. The village of Union Victoria is situated alongside a mountainous river. "Fed by incessant rains and the ensuing hurricane, the river grew to dramatic proportions and entirely wiped out a bridge that provided vital access to the two sides of the community, coffee plantations, crops, and even the children's school," Banout said. The workcampers "hauled wood boards out of the forest where they had been cut for the bridge, through the mountain terrain, and out to the site. We also worked with members of the community to prepare the foundations of the bridge by collecting and hauling sand from the river banks and digging the holes for the buttresses," he said.

"As if to emphasize our role as accompaniers in solidarity," Banout added, "on the day we were leaving the community, a shipment of additional supplies which we had expected earlier arrived for the bridge."

Workcamper Ray Tritt commented on the difficulties of making a "solidarity" visit to the village, rather than a visit focused on the construction work. "At first it was hard for me," Tritt said, describing himself as "a hands-on guy who has been in construction for 50 years.... The Mayans gained respect for us as individuals because we listened to them rather than told them what to do. It was educational and inspirational."

Ken Gresh, a veteran of Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, and denominational faith expeditions, said, "This workcamp hit home because it was not just a hands-on, doing-what-was-needed effort. It was moving beyond words to hear the stories of people who experience multiple injustices."

"Others will speak of our building bridges of identification and support with each other," Gresh said, "but I think more of the way the people of Union Victoria showed me resilience for living and enjoying life in spite of their difficulties. They had a grateful attitude for all we did and for our presence without judgment of our prosperity.... It was a good trip there and back which helped me to not desire fast food French fries and quick fix coffees from kiosks."

For more information about Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren General Board, go to http://www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/index.htm.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Womaen's Caucus steering committee works on women's concerns.

Audrey deCoursey, Jan Eller, Carla Kilgore, Lucy Loomis, and Deb Peterson gathered in Fort Wayne, Ind., March 24-26 as the Steering Committee for Womaen's Caucus. They worshiped, sang, and prayed together, and worked on the business of women's concerns in the Church of the Brethren. Members of Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren hosted the committee members.

During three days of meeting, the steering committee celebrated the positive comments they had received regarding the last issue of the Womaen's Caucus newsletter, "Femailings," which was on family planning, and planned future issues of "Femailings."

Meeting time also included planning for several activities at the 2006 Annual Conference: a luncheon with Mary Cline Detrick, pastor of Daleville (Va.) Church of the Brethren, as speaker; participation in an insight session on domestic violence sponsored by On Earth Peace; hosting a booth in the exhibit hall; and supporting a hospitality center sponsored by Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests (BMC) with Voices for an Open Spirit (VOS).

In addition to this practical work, steering committee members discussed how the role of women in the church has been changing, and held a carry-in dinner and discussion time with Womaen's Caucus supporters from six congregations in the region. The discussion included how people can be supportive of women in the set-apart ministries, as well as supportive of all women in the Church of the Brethren.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Disaster Child Care staff, volunteers attend special trainings.

In an update from Disaster Child Care (DCC), staff and volunteers have participated in special training events, and volunteer staff have assessed needs for child care following a recent tornado in Tennessee. Disaster Child Care is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

DCC staff and volunteers were invited to participate in a special one-day training event on April 14 titled "Managing the Mental Health Consequences of Disaster." Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MDVOAD) partnered with Sheppard Pratt Health System of Ellicott City, Md., to provide special training for disaster volunteers, educators, and health care workers. The training was designed for people who wish to be better prepared to address the psychological needs of disaster survivors and their families. Attending the event were Patricia Black of Virginia, Carol and Duane Strickler of West Virginia, Donna Uhig of Pennsylvania, and DCC coordinator Helen Stonesifer. Robert and Peggy Roach of Virginia attended the training on April 19.

On April 6, Stonesifer traveled to the National Transportation Safety Board Academy in Ashburn, Va., to share information about Disaster Child Care and its Critical Response Childcare Team with those participating in an American Red Cross Critical Response Team Training. The DCC Critical Response team is a component of the American Red Cross team that responds to mass casualty events.

Robert Roach, child care volunteer from Phenix, Va., traveled to Dyersburg, Tenn., to assess the need for child care services following an F3 tornado on April 7 that cut a path of destruction 24 miles long across 21 counties in western and central Tennessee. Roach made contact with local American Red Cross chapters and FEMA staff, as well as other disaster relief personnel. It was reported that the area was a small community and many people had family or churches taking care of immediate needs.

A DCC Level 1 Training Workshop will be held at Deer Park United Methodist Church in Westminster, Md., April 28-29. A registration form can be downloaded from www.disasterchildcare.org or call 800-451-4407 ext. 5.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Nigerian Brethren hold 59th annual church conference.

Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) held its 59th annual "majalisa" or assembly meeting of its legislative body on March 28-April 1, with some 1,000 church delegates in attendance. The theme of this year's majalisa was "Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus," which was also the theme for the 2005 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. Guest speaker for each evening worship session was Robert Krouse, Nigeria mission coordinator for the Global Mission Partnerships office of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Krouse also supplied this report from the majalisa.

Messages for worship focused on the first three groups to first fix their eyes on Jesus (the angels, shepherds, and wise men); the foot washing passage in John 13; and fixing our eyes on the cross from 1 Corinthians 2:2. "Sharing the good news, and an attitude of worship will continue to be the experience of those who fix their eyes on Jesus," Krouse said. "Jesus washed...feet to illustrate four important activities in the life of a believer: walk humbly, live as a servant, love your enemies (Jesus wash Judas' feet knowing that he would betray him), continue the work of Jesus.... The power of God is conferred upon those who deny themselves, take us the cross and follow Jesus," he said.

Business at the majalisa included reports from the president, general secretary, Executive Committee, Office of Evangelism, external and internal auditors, director of Finance, Ministers Council, District Church Council, and Integrated Community Based Development Program, which includes the Rural Health Department with its dispensaries and Rural Health Posts. The meeting also received a report on a new Conference Center, a report on a new HIV/AIDS project, and heard from a new Peace Committee.

Delegates passed a 2006 budget of 59,261,500 Naira ($440,000). The group also approved a new pension plan proposal, a project that was carried out with help from Tom and Janet Crago, short-term mission staff of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Delegates took up a love offering of about 40,000 Naira ($300) to express their support to the churches in Maiduguri that were damaged and destroyed in inter-religious violence in March. The majalisa received with gratitude the letter of support and solidarity penned during the March meeting of the Church of the Brethren General Board. Filibus Gwama, EYN president, read the letter to the delegate body.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Brethren bits: Correction, job opening, and much more.

• Correction: Mary Hooker Weybright, one of the recipients of the Ripples Society award from Bridgewater (Va.) College, attends Nokesville Church of the Brethren in Virginia, rather than in Maryland as was incorrectly reported in the Newsline of April 12.
  
  
• Pacific Southwest District of the Church of the Brethren seeks a director of Missions. The district is looking for a visionary leader who has a passionate desire to plant and revitalize Church of the Brethren congregations. The preferred candidate will be an entrepreneur who can recruit, coach, mentor, train, and provide support for church planters, and continue the development and oversight of a comprehensive church planting and revitalization program. This individual must be a person of faith who is knowledgeable and accepting of denominational polity and authority, values the principles of the Church of the Brethren, and is skillful at adapting to the needs of the district and local situations. The candidate must have strong communication skills in both English and Spanish. A minimum of a bachelor's degree and additional ministry training is required. The position may be fulltime, or divided into two half-time positions. The position is not housed in the district office in La Verne, Calif., but the individual must reside within the district and is reportable to the district executive minister. Contact the Pacific Southwest District Office with a cover letter and resume testifying to personal faith, history, and competency in church planting and revitalization. Pacific Southwest District, P.O. Box 219, La Verne, CA 91750-0219; 909-392-4049; districtexecutive@pswdcob.org.
  
  
• The upcoming week marks "Cover the Uninsured Week," an national campaign of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that has been promoted by the Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) to raise awareness of the nearly 46 million American who lack healthcare insurance. ABC encourages Church of the Brethren congregations to participate in events planned for their areas during the week of May 1-7. This year, the campaign has plans for 2,240 events coast-to-coast, and offers many resources including information for people without health insurance at its website, www.covertheuninsured.org. Activities include press conferences, health and enrollment fairs, business leader summits, interfaith activities, small business seminars, campus outreach, and more. ABC has posted a "Call to Prayer" at http://www.brethren.org/abc/advocacy/uninsured.html.
  
  
• On Earth Peace has started a new blog, "Nonviolence News," at http://nonviolencenews.blogspot.com. It includes all current postings from On Earth Peace's Peace Witness Action List, and links to devotions and resources for Christians exploring radical discipleship and Jesus' call to peacemaking. "For those seeking examples and inspiration for creative and spiritually-rooted peacemaking, this is it," said Matt Guynn, coordinator of peace witness for On Earth Peace. For more information go to www.onearthpeace.org.
  
  
• Antioch Church of the Brethren in Woodstock, Va., collected about $10,000 worth of donated garden seeds from many different companies and individuals this past winter to send to families in Haiti. The seeds were counted, bagged, labeled, and packaged with 18 vegetable varieties in each packet to provide seeds for a garden for the average size Haitian family. Some 1,200 packets of the seeds were assembled and mailed to a pastor in Haiti, for distribution in Haitian churches this spring. "There were 38 boxes of seeds in all," reported Antioch pastor George Bowers, "and many, many folks in the congregation helped including children's church, youth Bible study, older folks." With the seeds, planting instructions were included and a Haitian Creole Bible verse.
  
  
• West Goshen (Ind.) Church of the Brethren will celebrate 175 years in ministry with an Anniversary Sunday on June 4 beginning at 10 a.m. In 1830, the congregation became the first organized church in northern Indiana, according to an invitation letter from the church, which has "given life" to 31 Church of the Brethren congregations in five northern Indiana counties. The Anniversary Sunday will include a "plain dress" worship service. Please RSVP to Jerry Miller at 574-831-6522.
  
  
• Members of Oakley Brick Church of the Brethren in Cerro Gordo, Ill., "were among those helping get roads cleared and debris picked up" following tornados and storms on Easter Sunday in central Illinois, according to the "Herald and Review Newspaper" of Decatur, Ill. Severe weather damaged several homes and outbuildings and flooded roads, according to the newspaper report, as well as knocked down power lines and trees, and dropped large hail and heavy downpours of rain. The worst damage occurred near Oakley, the paper said.
  
  
• A women's group at Downsville Church of the Brethren in Williamsport, Md., have finished a quilt described as "exquisite" by Williamsport's "Herald Mail" newspaper. The quilt will be sold at the Mid-Atlantic Resource Auction May 6 at Westminster (Md.) Ag Center. Proceeds will help provide disaster relief. The piece is called "The Baltimore Quilt" and is hand-appliqued. It will be on display at the church along with other pieces during morning worship on Sunday, April 30, at 10:35 a.m. The newspaper reported that the mission of the women's group is "Hands to Quilt, Hearts to God!"
  
  
• Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in Port Republic, Va., is one of the stops on the annual Home and Garden Tour of the Spotswood Garden Club today, April 26, according to the "Daily News-Record" of Shenandoah Valley. The church, which is on the tour list with four historic homes, will host refreshments and musical entertainment. "Visitors may also enjoy touring the historic church, which was organized in 1840 and was used as a hospital during the Battle of Cross Keys in June 1862," the newspaper said.
  
  
• Regional Youth Conference at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., will be held April 29-30. Chris Douglas, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Church of the Brethren General Board, is the keynote speaker. The weekend includes worship, workshops, a coffee house, free time for recreation, and opportunities for fellowship. Cost is $50 for youth, $30 for advisors. For more information contact Wendi Hutchinson at wahutchinson@manchester.edu or 260-982-5232.
  
  
• Anabaptist spirituality will be the topic of this year's Durnbaugh Lectures April 27 at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. C. Arnold Snyder, professor of history at Conrad Grebel University College in Ontario, Canada, will discuss "The 'Catholic' Roots of Anabaptist Spirituality" at 7:30 p.m. in Myer Hall's Susquehanna Room. Snyder's talk is open to the public free of charge and is presented as part of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies' annual banquet. A reception for Snyder begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6 p.m. Snyder will also present a seminar titled "Contemporary Anabaptist Spirituality" 9 a.m.-3 p.m., April 28, at the Young Center. For more information call 717-361-1470 or go to www.etown.edu.
  
  
• Juniata College dedicated its new Marlene and Barry Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on April 21 in Huntingdon, Pa. The center is an $8.3 million renovation and construction project that has renovated the college's performance hall, Rosenberger Auditorium, and added a new theater space and classroom facilities. For more information go to www.juniata.edu.
  
  
• The 7th annual C.A.R.S. (College Automotive Restoration Students) Club Car Show takes place at McPherson College 9 a.m.-4 p.m. May 6. More than 150 cars are expected to be on display. There is no charge to attend the show. "Two cars will be featured on display for this year's show: a 1911 Stanley Steamer race car, and a 1950 Ford Woody Wagon," according to Ross Barton, president of C.A.R.S. There will also be three Lamborghinis and a 1922 Stanley Steamer on display. According to Jonathan Klinger, director of automotive restoration development, "A tremendous amount of work goes into the annual car show. The students work very hard and do a great job of putting on a first-class show." Tours of Templeton Hall, the home of the automotive restoration program, will be open to the public from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more go to www.mcpherson.edu.
  
  
• Two teams of Manchester College students spent spring break in the sunny South--but they were not tanning on the beaches or partying hearty through the night. The students worked in Mississippi and New Orleans, helping with Hurricane Katrina cleanup, joining an estimated 10,000 college students who mucked out houses and helped the area rebuild. The college Habitat for Humanity chapter has spent its last 19 spring breaks in the South, building homes. This year, 17 Manchester students and two faculty members were in Meridian, Miss., building two to four homes. At the same time, 17 Manchester students, four staff members, and a spouse were helping New Orleans residents clear muck and mold, gutting houses for restoration and picking up neighborhoods. The team worked with Operation Helping Hands, a volunteer program of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. For more go to www.manchester.edu.
  
  
• Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va., is holding its annual Sounds of the Mountains Festival on April 28-29 featuring Syd Lieberman, Barbara McBryde-Smith, Willy Claflin, Joseph Helfrich, and Marshall Brothers. Performance schedule, performer biographies, and ticket information is at www.soundsofthemountains.org. The camp also has announced the theme for its summer camping program, "Peace by Peace" from Colossians 3:15.
  
  
• Art Gish, a Church of the Brethren member from Athens, Ohio, who has been working with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in the Middle Eastern city of Hebron, called in to the Rush Limbaugh show on March 23 to offer his perspective. In an e-mail from the "Peace Witness Action List" of On Earth Peace giving the transcript of Gish's call, it was noted that "Limbaugh has been quite critical of CPT through the captivity of CPTers in Iraq." The call included the following exchange: Gish: "...If we want peace and are opposed to war, then we ought to be willing to take the same risks that soldiers take and go into violent situations and be a nonviolent presence in the middle of...." Limbaugh: "Yeah, but, you know, peacemakers have never won wars with peace. They do it with guns and soldiers and...." Gish: "Well, we have another idea...." Limbaugh: "You win wars by killing people and breaking things, and then you institute the peace." Gish: "We believe that the only way to overcome evil is through nonviolent suffering love, the way of the cross...." A full transcript can be obtained from On Earth peace, contact mattguynn@earthlink.net. For more about On Earth Peace go to www.brethren.org/oepa.
  
  
• A reunion of graduates of Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria, is planned for July 1-4 in Westlake, Texas, in the Dallas area. Hillcrest is an ecumenical international school that originally was begun by the Church of the Brethren. Reunion planners are in search of contact information for Hillcrest graduates and former teachers, staff, and house parents from the Church of the Brethren. Contact Holly (Strauss) Plank at dudebub@comcast.net. For more about the reunion go to www.hillcrest.myevent.com.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Dana Weaver is hired as Annual Conference assistant.

Dana Weaver has accepted the position of Annual Conference assistant. She brings to the position a background in office management, administration, and computers in her 20 years with Maryland Public Television and Cranberry Graphics.

She begins her work in the Annual Conference Office on June 5, and will be present at the 2006 Annual Conference. She will spend several weeks at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., for training before the end of August when the Annual Conference Office moves to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Weaver and her family live in Westminster, Md.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Christina Bucher named dean of faculty at Elizabethtown College.

Christina Bucher has been named dean of the faculty at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. She is a 1975 graduate of Elizabethtown who has served as a member of the religious studies department faculty for nearly 20 years. She is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and teaches in the field of biblical studies.

The Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Bucher served as chair of the Department of Religious Studies from 1995-2005. She also has edited the Church of the Brethren quarterly journal "Brethren Life and Thought" from 1991-1997, and is on the editorial board. Bucher has been active in the Society of Biblical Literature and is former chair of the society's "Study of Peace in Scripture" research group.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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International Brethren engage in conversation about a global church.

By Merv Keeney

Leaders from the Churches of the Brethren in Brazil, Nigeria, and the United States gathered in Campinas, Brazil, Feb. 27-28 to learn about each other's churches and to discuss what it means to be globally interconnected. It was the second such gathering of the global Church of the Brethren from several countries, with the first being in Elgin, Ill., in 2002.

The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Brazil brought together leadership of the Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) and the Church of the Brethren in the US, and placed them in proximity to easily engage the leadership of Igreja da Irmandade-Brasil (Church of the Brethren in Brazil).

Leaders who were present included Filibus Gwama, president of EYN; Marcos Inhauser, president of Igreja da Irmandade-Brasil; Ron Beachley, 2006 Annual Conference moderator of the Church of the Brethren in the US; and Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board. Suely Inhauser, co-national director of the Brazil mission, and Greg Davidson Laszakovits, Brazil representative of the General Board, also were present along with several other Brazilian church leaders.

Each church introduced itself to the others through a brief overview of its history, structure, and current joys and challenges. The Brazilian church was given the largest portion of time and attention, as participants pressed to learn more about this emerging church.

Marcos Inhauser recounted the history of the Brazilian church beginning with the first effort in the 1980s, and the new start in 2001. The list of fellowships now includes Campinas, Campo Limpo, Hortolandia, Indiatuba, and Rio Verde. He reflected on the theological context and highly competitive Christian environment that affect the effort to start a church in Brazil. A theme used by the Brazilian Brethren has been "a different church, making a difference." Brazilian leaders who have come from a variety of church backgrounds commented that, "parts of me were Anabaptist, but I did not know it," recognizing that as they learned to know Brethren theology and practice, it resonated with some of their core understandings of faith. Minimal membership growth during the past year and transitions of leadership have been discouraging, yet new leadership is arising and new ministries are emerging. The annual conference held in November was the church's fifth, and some said it was the best.

Gwama reported on EYN, with nearly 160,000 members and over 200,000 people attending worship in 43 districts, 404 congregations, and some 800 fellowships. He gave an explanation of the church's structure and long history, and listed the many church programs and ecumenical linkages. Gwama asserted that the church continues to grow because members talk about their faith, and all the church groups help to share the Good News with others. He reported mission efforts active in the neighboring countries of Togo, Niger, and Cameroon. He also reported a new office for peace and reconciliation headed by Toma Ragnjiya, who has completed a degree in conflict transformation at Eastern Mennonite University. Violence and destruction of church buildings at Maiduguri, a city of northeastern Nigeria, had just been reported in the media when the global church meeting took place, and Gwama voiced concern for the people of EYN and all of Nigeria.

John 17:20-25, Jesus' prayer for his disciples and the world, began the report from the Church of the Brethren in the US. Noffsinger gave an overview of the church in statistics, noting challenges of pastoral leadership, aging membership, and membership decline. He observed that a question among young people is whether or not the church is relevant, and mentioned "Together: Conversations on Being the Church." Beachley noted the theme for Annual Conference from 1 Timothy 4:6-8, "Together: Exercise Daily in God," and reported that he has been encouraging reading scripture aloud, fasting one day each month, and praying daily for someone who needs Christ. Participants from the other church bodies expressed amazement at the number of church programs and structures in the US church. Presentation of a statement from leaders of the US churches that are members of the World Council of Churches, apologizing "that we have failed to raise a prophetic voice loud enough and persistent enough to deter our leaders from this path of preemptive war," prompted discussion and encouragement for this courageous message by the US churches.

Noffsinger also asked the counsel of the group about his participation in the World Council of Churches, saying that "it is presumptive for the US church to take this seat without consultation with Brethren in other places." Participants were reluctant to make any other recommendation, noting the absence of the Church of the Brethren in the Dominican Republic. They encouraged the US church to continue to represent the global Brethren.

As the conversation turned to the question of what does it mean to be a global church, Marcos Inhauser noted that for Brethren, gathering together in worship, fellowship, and service are central to our identity. "So," he asserted, "we must gather to be the church." The group observed that valuing our gathered community of faith is built into our church structures in the annual conference or assembly. There was encouragement to visit each other's annual conference when possible. Several voices emphasized that each church has something to give as well as to receive through our deeper relationship with each other. Hope was expressed for a regularized global meeting of the Church of the Brethren at some point in the future.

Gwama observed that "the possibility to visit each other has long been a dream of EYN. This meeting was really a blessing for me." The Inhausers reported that members of the Brazilian church, who have been feeling discouraged by transitions, "felt valued" and honored to be visited by Brethren from other countries.

--Merv Keeney is executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the General Board, and is the staff responsible for relationships with Church of the Brethren bodies in other countries. He facilitated and hosted both meetings of the global Brethren.

Source: 4/26/2006 Newsline
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Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org or 800-323-8039 ext. 260. Janice England, Carla Kilgore, Jeri Kornegay, Robert Krouse, Janis Pyle, and John Wall contributed to this report.

NEWS

• Brethren invited to take part in love offering for Nigerian churches.
  
• Grants from Global Food Crisis Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund total $158,500.
  
• Emergency Response program plans additional projects along Gulf Coast.
  
• Winners of National Youth Conference Speech Contest are announced.
  
• Brethren bits: Correction, remembrance, job opening, and more.

PERSONNEL

• Will Thomas resigns from Brethren Benefit Trust.
  
• Jeff Boshart resigns from the Sudan initiative of the General Board.
  
• Zachary Wolgemuth hired as associate director for Emergency Response.
  
• Enten Eller appointed director of distributed education at Bethany Seminary.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• List of Gather 'Round trainings grows.
  
• Church planting conference welcomes Brazilian speakers.
  
• Counter-recruitment calls are scheduled for late April.
  
• Wild Rose Song and Story Fest to focus on theme, 'Blossom into Wholeness.'
  
• Amana Colonies seminar offers continuing education credits.

For more Church of the Brethren news, go to www.brethren.org, click on "News" to find a news feature, more "Brethren bits," links to Brethren in the news, and links to the General Board's photo albums and the Newsline archive. The page is updated as close to daily as possible. The next regularly scheduled Newsline is planned for April 26.

Brethren invited to take part in love offering for Nigerian churches.

Violence in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri in February left three church buildings of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) completely destroyed and two more severely damaged. The General Board is inviting the denomination to join in a love offering for EYN to assist in reconstructing church buildings in Maiduguri and to support the Nigerian church's peace and reconciliation efforts to heal the divisions in its communities.

"As we walk with Christ toward the cross, we are aware of the empty tomb and the hope that is promised. Let us walk with the churches in Nigeria, reminding ourselves of our common faith and hope in Christ while renewing our bonds as sister churches on different continents," said Merv Keeney, executive director of Global Mission Partnerships for the General Board.

The offering was initiatied by the General Board at its March meeting, where an offering received $7,723, including $5,000 from Western Pennsylvania District, brought to the meeting by district minister and Annual Conference moderator Ron Beachley. The board and other participants in the meeting also signed a letter to EYN expressing the desire to stand with them during this crisis. The letter read, in part:

"We pray for God's healing of persons and families where there has been loss of life and injury. We pray for healing of the divisions in Nigerian society at this critical time. We pray for God's strengthening and guidance of the Nigerian leadership and members as the church faces these serious threats. We pray that Christ's message of peace and reconciliation, reclaimed anew by the Nigerian church at the Nairobi gathering of historic peace churches in 2004, might enliven and empower all within EYN to be instruments of Christ's peace."

Congregations are invited to be in prayer for the church in Nigeria and to take a love offering during this Lent and Easter season. Checks may be made out to "Church of the Brethren General Board" designated on the memo line for "Love Offering--Nigeria Church." It would be helpful if all funds could be mailed to the General Board by the first week of May, so the monies may be promptly made available in Nigeria. For more information contact Global Mission Partnerships at 800-323-8039.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Grants from Global Food Crisis Fund and Emergency Disaster Fund total $158,500.

Two funds administered by the Church of the Brethren General Board have given a total of $158,500 in seven recent grants for hunger and disaster relief around the world. The Global Food Crisis program also has directed funds from the Foods Resource Bank to a food security program in Serbia.

The Global Food Crisis Fund has given $50,000 for the Agglobe Mission to provide seed and plastic film supplies to farms in North Korea. The funds not only help boost food production, but also improve the living environment and civil society of the North Korean people. A similar grant was issued in 2005.

In another grant related to the Global Food Crisis program, $3,000 has been given to a Church World Service (CWS) project in Serbia from the Church of the Brethren Foods Resource Bank account. The money will help provide food security for displaced people.

The Emergency Disaster Fund has given an allocation of $40,000 for vital medical supplies for the Christian Hospital Association of Liberia, which is recovering from years of civil war. The grant is given in response to an appeal from Interchurch Medical Assistance Inc., and follows a previous grant to help resettle 500,000 refugees and displaced persons in Liberia. Some of the medical supplies will be shipped from the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

A grant of $25,000 has been sent from the EDF to fund medical treatment for Palestinian people at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem. The Israeli government has suddenly stopped funding for the only cancer treatment facility available for Palestinians. The funds will help provide dialysis, radiation, chemotherapy, endoscopy, and head and neck treatments. The grant supports a CWS appeal.

The sum of $20,000 from the EDF supports recovery work and provides material aid following heavy rains and flooding in Angola. The disaster has left over 41,000 people homeless. The funds will help provide food, blankets, plastic sheeting, medical kits, and hospital beds. The grant is given in support of a CWS appeal.

An EDF allocation of $15,000 continues support of a Brethren Disaster Response project in Ohio doing flood recovery work. The project began in June 2005 and has recently been moved to the city of Caldwell. The work is expected to continue through the spring, and possibly into the summer. Previous allocations to this project total $35,000.

The EDF has given $5,000 after recent spring storms brought tornados, hail, and destruction to eight states in the US. These funds support the work of the Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons from CWS, as well as provide material resources and seed grants.

An EDF allocation of $3,500 after a massive landslide buried a Philippine village. The funds will help provide emergency assistance to 500 families, including food, medicine, seeds, farm tools, and reconstruction materials.in response to a Church World Service appeal

For more about the Emergency Disaster Fund see http://www.brethren.org/genbd/ersm/EDF.htm. For more about the Global Food Crisis Fund see http://www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/gfcf.htm.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Emergency Response program plans additional projects along Gulf Coast.

"Given the tremendous need resulting from this past hurricane season, one thing became clear--the greater church wants to do more," said a recent communication from the General Board's Emergency Response office. Emergency Response staff have been brainstorming, praying, dreaming, and discerning how to expand the Gulf Coast hurricane response of the Church of the Brethren.

After briefing the General Board meeting in March about prospects for new work in the Gulf Coast area, staff are moving forward with plans that include establishing additional projects along the Gulf Coast, and exploring the possibility of building modular homes for disaster survivors. "This initiative will require longterm project managers, ongoing volunteer work teams, a modular home 'factory' site, and additional vehicles and tools," the program said. Volunteer disaster project director Mike Walker has made an assessment trip in southern Mississippi to locate potential additional project sites.

Currently, Brethren Disaster Response volunteers are working at building homes, roofing, and major remodeling jobs in the area of Lucedale, Miss. Building codes in Mississippi allow out-of-state electricians and plumbers to work, so the program is able to use volunteers with those skills.

The two other ongoing Brethren Disaster Response projects continue in Pensacola, Fla., rebuilding following Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, with volunteers doing major repair of wind- and water-damaged homes; and in Ohio, where a flood recovery project following three severe floods in the fall and winter of 2004-05 was moved in March from Belmont County to Caldwell, in Noble County. The Ohio project will close at the end of April.

In other disaster relief news, the Service Ministries program of the General Board continues to make shipments of relief supplies to the Gulf Coast. Recent shipments to the Gulf area include 17 cartons of Gift of the Heart School Kits (weight 1,190 pounds) shipped to New Orleans; and blankets, Gift of the Heart Baby Kits, School Kits, and Health Kits, emergency cleanup buckets, and antibacterial hand and face wipes (weight 2,669 pounds) to Baton Rouge.

Other recent Service Ministries shipments have gone to North Dakota for spring flood survivors (50 emergency cleanup buckets weighing 950 pounds), to Missouri following spring storms (20 cartons of blankets and 34 bales of blankets weighing 4,168 pounds), and to Zimbabwe (32 pallets of donated medical supplies weighing 19,277 pounds).

To volunteer for Brethren Disaster Response or for more information about openings for longterm disaster project directors, the new modular home project, and other volunteer opportunities related to the Gulf Coast efforts, contact the Emergency Response office at 800-451-4407 or e-mail ersm_gb@brethren.org.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Winners of National Youth Conference Speech Contest are announced.

The National Youth Cabinet has announced the three winners of the 2006 National Youth Conference (NYC) Youth Speech Contest: Allen Bowers, Jamie Frye, and Chrissy Sollenberger. All three youth will deliver their speeches during the Monday morning worship celebration at NYC, on July 24 in Fort Collins, Colo.

Allen Bowers was born and raised in Woodstock, Va. He was baptized on Aug. 8, 1996, and will be 17 in May. He attends Antioch Church of the Brethren in Woodstock, Va., and is president of the congregation's youth group. Bowers has spoken at numerous churches in the past few years.

Jamie Frye lives in McPherson, Kan., where she is a member of Monitor Church of the Brethren. Next fall she will be a high school sophomore. She likes to participate in service projects, including a workcamp in Honduras with New Community Project and a Brethren Disaster Response project in Mississippi.

Chrissy Sollenberger is from Annville, Pa., and attends Mount Wilson Church of the Brethren in Lebanon, Pa. She is a high school junior and editor of the school newspaper. Sollenberger was the grand prize winner of "Messenger" magazine's 2005 youth essay contest.

For more information about National Youth Conference, including full biographies of the speakers, visit www.nyc2006.org.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Brethren bits: Correction, remembrance, job opening, and more.

• Correction: The correct date for Earth Day 2006 is Saturday, April 22. The Brethren Witness/Washington Office is encouraging local congregations to celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 23, or on any Sunday near that date.
  
  
• Charles Luther Baldwin, age 87, died on his birthday, Jan. 30, at Grace Village Retirement Home in Winona Lake, Ind. He and his wife, Naomi, served as Church of the Brethren missionaries in Nigeria from 1953-55 and 1957-61. They served in the remote village of Chibuk, where Charles worked with a group of churches and preaching points, as well as schools. Baldwin was an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. He was born in 1919 in Wenatchee, Wash., and married Naomi Nora Roller in 1940. In addition to his mission service, he worked for Timbercrest Church of the Brethren Home, Inc., in North Manchester, Ind.; as a Girl Scout ranger and counselor at Camp Ella J. Logan near Syracuse, Ind.; and as a school bus driver for Wawasee Community Schools. He also served as a volunteer church visitor for Syracuse Church of the Brethren and did pulpit supply for several congregations. Surviving in addition to his wife are sons Charles F. Baldwin of Winona Lake, Ind., and Terry Lee Baldwin, pastor of Silver Creek Church of the Brethren in Pioneer, Ohio; sister Alice Newcomer; four grandchildren; and one great grandchild. Memorials are designated for Evangelism Explosion International or the Chibuk Bible School in Nigeria, care of Silver Creek Church of the Brethren.
  
  
• The Church of the Brethren General Board seeks a Mission Alive conference coordinator to fill a fulltime, temporary position starting May or June 2006 to May 2007. This is a "program volunteer," Brethren Volunteer Service, or intern position based in Elgin, Ill. Responsibilities include planning and coordinating the next Mission Alive conference in April, 2007, in consultation with the planning committee; utilization of database software; coordinating speakers, events, and logistics for the conference; serving as contact person for registration; and general office tasks. Skills and knowledge required include basic computer skills, an effective and pleasant communication style, knowledge of Church of the Brethren belief and practice, and skill in working independently and taking initiative. Required experience and education includes planning and organizing events within work or volunteer situations, and a minimum of an associate degree or equivalent training or experience. Send a cover letter and resume by May 5 to the Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; 800-323-8039 ext. 259; mgarrison_gb@brethren.org.
  
  
• Brazil mission workers Greg and Karin Davidson Laszakovits are available to share their experiences with congregations. The couple have completed a term of service with the Church of the Brethren General Board, working with the fellowships of Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil). Serving as Brazil representatives for the Global Mission Partnerships office, they lived for two-and-a-half years in the Sao Paulo area. During their stay in Brazil, they also learned Portuguese and began their family of two girls. The family are currently living in Lebanon, Pa. They will speak at Midland (Va.) Church of the Brethren on May 7. To schedule a Sunday visit on April 23 or 30 or May 21, or to schedule a mid-week visit, contact them at 717-867-1806 or kdlaszakovits@juno.com.
  
  
• At its March meeting, the Association of Brethren Caregivers board approved expanding the scope of the nursing scholarship program it administers to include providing continuing education grants for member facilities of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes. Grants in the amount of $1,000 will be made available to the Brethren retirement centers on an every-other-year basis. Each facility must request consideration for the program. Contact the Association of Brethren Caregivers at 800-323-8039 for more information.
  
  
• Flowing Faith Project, a new church development near Greensboro, N.C., celebrated its first love feast on April 11.
  
  
• A meat canning project of Southern Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic Districts is planned for April 17-20 and April 24-27, according to the Southern Pennsylvania District newsletter. This year's goal is to process 85,000 pounds of chicken for distribution through local charitable agencies, Christian Aid Ministries, and the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.
  
  
• Two Church of the Brethren members are among six Bridgewater (Va.) College alumni to be honored at an annual Alumni Weekend April 21-22. Mary Hooker Weybright, a member of Nokesville (Md.) Church of the Brethren and a board member of the Brethren Housing Corporation, will receive a Ripples Society Medal. Anne Haynes Price, who in 1980 assisted in founding Disaster Child Care, will receive the West-Whitelow Award for Humanitarian Service. Price also serves as vice president of the Hillcrest Homes Auxiliary Board in La Verne, Calif., is a member of the Christian Education Commission at La Verne Church of the Brethren, and is a practitioner in the Ministry of Reconciliation program of On Earth Peace. For more information contact the Alumni Office at 540-828-5451.
  
  
• Manchester College will dig into spring ground for its new College Union in an April 20 groundbreaking beginning at 3:30 p.m. The college in North Manchester, Ind., will break ground on a $7.5 million transformation of its East Street structure. As with other major construction projects of the school's $72 million "Next Step!" fundraising campaign, the college is paying for the new union without debt, a press release said. The general contractor is Michael Kinder and Son of Fort Wayne. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with the building completed for fall 2007 classes. For more see www.manchester.edu.
  
  
• Groundbreaking for the new Pinecrest Grove at the Pinecrest Community, a Church of the Brethren retirement center in Mount Morris, Ill., will take place April 19 at 9 a.m. The ceremony will include speakers such as Illinois Congressman Don Manzullo and State Representative Jerry Mitchell, along with city and county officials and Pinecrest leaders. Pinecrest Grove is a 22-acre site for 42 single and duplex living units for retirees age 55 "and better," Pinecrest said in a press release. The community is invited to the groundbreaking, and the center plans to take pictures from the air of the crowd that gathers. For more information call 815-734-4103.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Will Thomas resigns from Brethren Benefit Trust.

Will Thomas has resigned from the Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) staff after serving nearly seven years with the agency in a number of roles. His resignation takes effect July 31. He has accepted a faculty position in accounting at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn.

Thomas has served as director of customer service operations for the Brethren Foundation, working with asset management and deferred gift clients, and has written the monthly "Investment Perspective" newsletter. He has been responsible for supervising and maintaining relationships with BBT's eight investment managers, scheduling quarterly and annual reviews, and examining each manager's results against established industry benchmarks.

In addition, he has served as BBT's primary voice for socially responsible investing initiatives including BBT shareholder resolutions in 2002, 2003, and 2004 that asked Yum! Brands to ban smoking in its corporately owned restaurants. Although those resolutions were not approved by shareholders, having the issue presented to the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's, A&W All American, and KFC prompted the firm in 2005 to announce that it was banning smoking in its own restaurants and would work to eliminate smoking in the restaurants of its franchisees. He has been BBT's representative to the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, for the past five years serving on the governing board with one year as chair, currently serving as vice-chair.

Thomas also helped establish BBT's Community Development Investment Fund, an investment choice for Foundation and Pension Plan members that helps infuse development funds into low-income areas of large cities; and has been a contributor to BBT's Communication Team as a senior writer and editor.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Jeff Boshart resigns from the Sudan initiative of the General Board.

Jeff Boshart has resigned his position as director for the new Sudan Initiative of the Church of the Brethren General Board, in order to pursue other opportunities. He plans to complete his work by the middle of May.

Boshart has served in this new role since Jan. 30 of this year. He and his wife, Peggy, previously served as economic community development coordinators in the Dominican Republic from 2001-04 through the General Board. He also has worked for the Educational Concern for Hunger Organization Inc. in Nigeria and in agricultural community development in Haiti.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Zachary Wolgemuth hired as associate director for Emergency Response.

Zachary Wolgemuth has accepted the position of associate director of Emergency Response, a program of the Church of the Brethren General Board. He will begin the work on April 24.

Wolgemuth brings a background in overseas mission relief work, coordinating construction projects in Guatemala, and rebuilding experience in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He is currently a site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity. Combined with a degree in Technology Education from Millersville University, his skills incorporate teaching and leading volunteer groups.

Currently he and his wife, Annie, live in Manheim, Pa., and will be planning to move to the New Windsor (Md.) area. He will work from the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor. The family belongs to Chiques Church of the Brethren in Manheim

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Enten Eller appointed director of distributed education at Bethany Seminary.

Bethany Theological Seminary has appointed Enten Eller as director of Distributed Education and Electronic Communications, effective July 1.

A 1991 graduate of Bethany and a 1983 graduate of Bridgewater (Va.) College, Eller has been employed as a pastor, teacher, and in various information technology positions including training and computer support for the New Sudan Council of Churches and the All Africa Council of Churches. He recently served as an American Red Cross volunteer for Hurricane Katrina response in telecommunications and computer operations, and has been a member of the On Earth Peace Board and the Ministry of Reconciliation.

Eller will move to the seminary in Richmond, Ind., from La Verne, Calif., where he is owner and senior consultant of Eller Computer Services, and owner and resident manager of Gidan Salama International House, a residence for international students.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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List of Gather 'Round trainings grows.

A lengthy and growing list of local training events for the new Sunday school curriculum Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God's Good News, is available at www.gatherround.org (click on "Training Events"). The website also offers a list of downloadable resources for trainers such as bookmarks, posters, and promotional fliers.

Training events for the curriculum jointly published by Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network are being held across the US and Canada. All are open to both Brethren and Mennonite members, regardless of the denomination that is sponsoring the particular events.

At the website, training events are listed by state or province. Some 100 events are already listed, and more are expected to be added as further events are planned. For more information call the Gather 'Round project office at 800-323-8039.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Church planting conference welcomes Brazilian speakers.

Additional leadership has been announced for the church planting conference "Scissors, Paper, Rock: Tools, Textures, and Testimonies in Church Planting," May 20-23 at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind. Marcos Inhauser from Igreja da Irmandade (Church of the Brethren in Brazil) and another Brazilian church representative will provide leadership.

Inhauser will bring his perspective on leading a new church into existence, seeking to fulfill Brethren and Anabaptist values through mission, witness, and practice. He will relate the theological and biblical foundations for the emerging church in Brazil, as well as the successes and struggles of embodying the priesthood of all believers in a culture largely unfriendly toward such a reality.

"The US churches have much to learn from the emerging church in Brazil in terms of what it means to follow Jesus and plant churches in a challenging cultural context," said Jonathan Shively, director of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, who has visited the churches in Brazil.

Registration for the conference has been extended through May 1; information is at www.brethren.org or www.bethanyseminary.edu. The conference is sponsored by the New Church Development Committee of the Church of the Brethren General Board in partnership with the Brethren Academy and Bethany Seminary.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Counter-recruitment calls are scheduled for late April.

On Earth Peace has scheduled networking calls for those working on countering military recruitment for April 20 and 26.

"For those who haven't participated previously, the call is a great place to share what's been happening in your encounters with recruiters or work with youth around issues of militarism," said Matt Guynn, coordinator of peace witness for On Earth Peace. "We usually have eight to twelve participants from all around the country--California to Nebraska to Michigan to Maryland. Each gets a chance to share and request input or counsel. Whether or not you are currently active, it's a good place to hear how different groups are approaching the situation and get a little boost."

The calls will be offered on Thursday, April 20, at 7:30-9 p.m. eastern time, and on Wednesday, April 26, at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. eastern time. Respond to mattguynn@earthlink.net. If responding, please indicate any specific focus or question for conversation.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Wild Rose Song and Story Fest to focus on theme, 'Blossom into Wholeness.'

The annual family camp co-sponsored by On Earth Peace will take place July 5-11 at Camp Pine Lake near Eldora, Iowa, following the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. "Wild Rose Song and Story Fest: Blossom into Wholeness!" will start the day that the Conference ends, July 5, and end on Tuesday morning, July 11, at the camp about 70 miles northeast of Des Moines.

The camp for families and people of all ages features Brethren musicians and storytellers leading campfires, workshops, concerts, intergenerational gatherings, story telling, folk dancing, and worship. This is the tenth summer for the camp. On Earth Peace is providing leadership and administrative support.

Participation will be limited to the first 125 people who register. "Get your registration in soon," said director Ken Kline Smeltzer. "I'm looking forward to another great Fest," he added. "Mike Stern will be back, the Button-Harrisons are working up a concert, newcomers LuAnne Harley and Brian Kruschwitz will be back, as well as our regulars Jim and Peg Lehman, Bill Jolliff, Jonathan Hunter, Debbie Eisenbise, Sue Overman, Kathy Guisewite, Barb Sayler, Bob Gross.... Plus a local bluegrass band will help us get stompin' in an opening night square dance."

Registration and fees are adults $160, with discounted fees for children and teens, maximum fee per family $500. An online brochure and registration information is available at www.brethren.org/oepa/SongandStoryFest2006.html.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Amana Colonies seminar offers continuing education credits.

"The Other Stream: Alternative Forms of Radical Pietism" is a continuing education opportunity for clergy, ministry students, and others. The seminar July 5-6 in Amana, Iowa, follows the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Des Moines. It is offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

Participants will study the influence of radical pietism on the Brethren through a study of the Amana Colonies, home of the Community of True Inspiration which co-existed and interacted with the early Brethren in Europe. The community came to America much later than the Brethren and settled in Iowa, where it developed several villages operated as a communal society until the mid-twentieth century.

The seminar will begin at 3 p.m. on July 5 with a tour of the Amana Heritage Museum. On July 6 participants will meet at the Amana Church. Leaders will include David Eller, Wally Landes, Jim Benedict, and Jeff Bach from the Church of the Brethren, and Lanny Haldy and Peter Hoehnle from the Amana Church Society.

Cost is $80, and covers entrance into the Amana Heritage Museum, a bus tour, "Amana People: History of a Religious Community" by Peter Hoehnle, some meals, and continuing education credit. Participants are responsible for their own lodging.

To register or for more information, contact the Young Center at youngctr@etown.edu. Training in Ministry students who wish to create a course for credit should contact their advisors. Registration deadline is May 15.

Source: 4/12/2006 Newsline
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Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on every other Wednesday with other editions as needed. Jane Bankert, Mary Lou Garrison, Matt Guynn, Mary Kay Heatwole, Merv Keeney, Jon Kobel, Jeri S. Kornegay, Janis Pyle, Marcia Shetler, and Jane Yount contributed to this report.

NEWS

• Bethany Theological Seminary president Eugene F. Roop announces retirement at Board of Trustees meeting.
  
• Association of Brethren Caregivers Board approves new ADA resolution.
  
• Brethren from all districts trained to facilitate 'Together' conversations.
  
• Disaster Child Care celebrates training experience.
  
• Survey will help Education for Shared Ministry evaluate its work.
  
• Brethren bits: Job opening, Annual Conference, and more.

FEATURE

• Jesus Jubilee program refreshes Nigerian congregations and pastors.

For more Church of the Brethren news, go to www.brethren.org, click on "News" to find a news feature, more "Brethren bits," links to Brethren in the news, and links to the General Board's photo albums and the Newsline archive. The page is updated as close to daily as possible.

Bethany Theological Seminary president Eugene F. Roop announces retirement at Board of Trustees meeting.

Bethany Theological Seminary President Eugene F. Roop announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2007, at the March 24-26 meeting of the seminary's Board of Trustees. Roop has served as Bethany's president since 1992.

Board chair Anne Murray Reid of Roanoke, Va., shared the announcement with the Bethany community. "The board accepts Dr. Roop's announcement with regret, and with deep appreciation for the 15 years of dedicated service he has given to this Brethren institution," she said.

Roop led the seminary through several major transitions and accomplishments, including a move from Oak Brook, Ill., to Richmond, Ind., in 1994, and an affiliation with Earlham School of Religion. With the sale of Bethany's Illinois property and the establishment of prudent financial practices, the seminary retired all debt and built a significant endowment. The current $15.5 million financial campaign, "Inspired by the Spirit--Educating for Ministry," has added additional financial strength. Bethany met the initial goal of the campaign in Sept. 2005, and projections indicate that by the campaign's conclusion on June 30, the total may top $17 million.

All of the current fulltime teaching and administrative faculty members joined Bethany's staff during Roop's tenure. Among the programs developed during his years as president were an educational partnership with Earlham School of Religion; Connections, a distributed education program; the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a non-graduate level ministry training program administered in partnership with the Church of the Brethren General Board; Bethany's Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults; Ministry Formation, a distinctive design to the Master of Divinity program in partnership with church congregations and agencies; Cross-Cultural Bank, a program to help finance a cross-cultural study for Bethany students; and off-site graduate courses hosted at the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center in Pennsylvania.

Roop is a graduate of Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind.; Bethany Theological Seminary; and Claremont (Calif.) Graduate University. In 2001 he was awarded a D.D. "honora causa" from Manchester College. Roop began his theological teaching at Earlham School of Religion in 1970. His career at Bethany began in 1977 as associate professor of Biblical Studies. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including "Living the Biblical Story" and two commentaries in the Believer's Church Commentary series: "Genesis" and "Ruth, Jonah and Esther." He was a significant contributor to "Bethany Theological Seminary: A Centennial History," published in 2005.

Board of Trustees member Carol Scheppard of Bridgewater, Va., will chair the search committee for a new president. The committee will open a search in late spring, reviewing candidates until an appointment is made, with the hope of bringing a candidate for board approval in March 2007. The committee anticipates that the new president will take office July 1, 2007. Other search committee members are board members Jim Dodson, Connie Rutt, and Philip Stone, Jr.; Ed Poling, pastor of Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the Brethren; Elizabeth Keller, Bethany student; and Bethany faculty members Stephen Breck Reid and Russell Haitch.

In other business:

• The board expressed appreciation to people who are retiring or completing their service to the seminary including board member Ron Wyrick of Harrisonburg, Va., who completes his service on June 30; Theresa Eshbach, who retires June 30 having served as executive director of Institutional Advancement from 1993-2004 and part-time advancement associate 2004-06; Becky Muhl, accounting specialist, who joined the staff in 1994 and retires Aug. 31; and Warren Eshbach, retiring as director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center this summer.
  
  
• The board unveiled the seminary's new logo. This is the first design change since 1963, when the previous logo was created to mark the seminary's move to its former location in Oak Brook, Ill. "Consistent with Bethany's mission to educate witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross is prominent at the center of the logo, arising from baptismal waters and rehearsed in the practice of foot washing," said a release from the seminary. "The bottom perimeter of the symbol suggests a circle, not closed but open to light from above and new voices from beyond. At the bottom of the waters is a fish, the symbol early Christians used to express their commitment to Jesus Christ, the son of God. Atop the waters is a form which...as a book, denotes both Bethany's biblical foundation and striving for academic excellence. As a dove, the lines lift up both the dove of divine presence at baptism and the dove of peace." Creation of the logo was a part of the seminary's institutional identity project, developed under the direction of Hafenbrack Marketing of Miamisburg, Ohio.
  
  
• The board called leadership for the 2006-07 academic year: Anne Reid will continue as chair and Ray Donadio as vice chair. Frances Beam of Concord, N.C., will serve as secretary. Ted Flory of Bridgewater, Va., will chair the Academic Affairs Committee; Connie Rutt of Quarryville, Pa., will chair the Institutional Advancement Committee; and Jim Dodson of Lexington, Ky., will chair the Student and Business Affairs Committee.
  
  
• The board approved a $2.15 million operating budget for 2006-07
  fiscal year and approved 11 candidates for graduation.

For more information go to www.bethanyseminary.edu.

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Association of Brethren Caregivers Board approves new ADA resolution.

The Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) Board has moved forward with plans to present a new resolution regarding the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) to Annual Conference delegates. The decision took place during board meetings March 24-26 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The ABC Board approved a statement calling for congregations to recommit themselves to the goals of the ADA.

The resolution, titled "Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion Resolution," urges congregations, agencies, and gatherings of the Church of the Brethren to enable all activities to be accessible so that "all may worship, serve, be served, learn, and grow in the presence of God as valued members of the Christian community."

The resolution encourages these same groups to examine physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully; to make a commitment that all existing and future denominational offices be modified or designed to follow the guidelines of the ADA; and to request that ABC continue to make resources available to assist in fulfilling these commitments.

"Even though our denomination has worked intentionally to allow people with disabilities to more readily worship within our buildings, this newest resolution points out that more work is still needed to ensure that people with disabilities are incorporated into the fabric of our church," said Kathy Reid, ABC executive director and staff for the Disabilities Ministry. The Disabilities Ministry drafted the resolution and brought it to the ABC Board for approval.

The ABC Board also heard from three representatives it appointed to the Governing Council of Advocate Bethany, a Chicago hospital that began in conjunction with Bethany Theological Seminary when it was located in Chicago. Advocate Bethany plans to become a specialty hospital providing longterm acute care, a move that has been scrutinized in Chicago-area newspapers since it was announced in January.

John Cassel and Janine Katonah, both of York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., and Jan Lugibihl, executive director of Bethany Brethren Community Center based at First Church of the Brethren in Chicago, serve on the Governing Council since being appointed by ABC as representatives of the Church of the Brethren. Their presentation identified that Advocate Bethany has not been utilized fully by those in the neighborhood and that its move toward becoming a specialty hospital for longterm acute care is a needed by other area hospitals.

In other business, the board:

• Participated in a board development session led by Jeff Shireman, CEO of Lebanon Valley Brethren Home in Palmyra, Pa., that explored the "Green House" model of care offering de-institutionalized care where groups of 10-12 residents live in an independent home.
  
  
• Learned of several joint projects involving the Fellowship of Brethren Homes and the Peace Church Initiatives, a nonprofit corporation that is an outgrowth of the collaboration between ABC, Friends Services for the Aging, and Mennonite Health Services Alliance. The programs include a new venture in offering longterm care insurance for the denomination and anyone associated with the homes.
  
  
• Learned that some ABC staff members have been trained to lead a series of board development seminars, "Called to God's Work." These training modules are available to all boards of churches, districts, and agencies of the denomination.
  
  
• Heard reports about ABC ministries including upcoming events: National Older Adult Conference Sept. 4-8 at Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Assembly, and the Annual Forum for CEOs and staff of Brethren Retirement Centers on May 4-6 at the Cedars of McPherson, Kan.
  
  
• Recognized the contributions of Scott Douglas, who resigned as director of Older Adult Ministry effective June 1.

The March meetings were the first for new board members Tammy Kiser of Dayton, Va., Bill Cave of Palmyra, Pa., and Marilyn Bussey of Roanoke, Va. Another new board member, John Kinsel of Beavercreek, Ohio, was unable to attend.

For more information about the Association of Brethren Caregivers go to www.brethren.org/abc.

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Brethren from all districts trained to facilitate 'Together' conversations.

"It was the best of being church," said Kathy Reid of the training event for "Together: Conversations on Being the Church." Reid is executive director of the Association of Brethren Caregivers, and has been on the planning committee for the Together conversations. "This experience was everything I hoped for," she said.

The training Feb. 24-26 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., brought more than 140 people from across the denomination to talk about what it means to be the church, in preparation for facilitating and leading conversations in their own areas. Participants included representatives of all 23 Church of the Brethren districts, the district representatives to Standing Committee, district executives, and representatives of the five Annual Conference agencies.

The training was led by Lisa M. Hess and Brian D. Maguire. The married couple, who are ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), will serve as leaders for the Together conversations to take place at Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, July 1-5. Hess teaches practical theology (ecclesiology, ministry formation, leadership development, and Christian education) at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio; Maguire is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Xenia, Ohio.

A new Together study guide and DVD published by Brethren Press was used to help spark conversation in small groups at the training. The guide is the primary Together tool, providing a flexible plan for groups to worship, learn, listen, pray, and reflect, and includes background reading, conversation questions, and worship suggestions. The training schedule included a practice or run-through of what a Together conversation might look like in a congregational, district, or regional setting, using the guide written by James L. Benedict, pastor of Union Bridge (Md.) Church of the Brethren.

The study guide is available from Brethren Press for $4.95 each, and the accompanying DVD for $4.95 each, plus shipping and handling (order one guide for each group participant and leader; the companion DVD contains supplemental images for two of the sessions--order one DVD for each congregation or group). Call 800-441-3712.

In addition, participants also worshiped together and met for Bible study and to plan Together conversations in their own areas. "The design and details for continuing the process will be determined by the people from the individual districts present," said Julie Hostetter in a communication with participants before the event. Hostetter, a former member of the General Board's Congregational Life Teams, is on the planning team for Together and chaired the training event committee.

A "listening group" served as recorders of the conversations that took place. Three process observers from On Earth Peace offered feedback on the sessions.

Reid said that by the time the weekend was over, her small group representing widely different theological viewpoints and experiences of the church, had bonded. "We sang together, we laughed together, had way too much fun, and we cried together," she said. The group of seven people included two men and five women, all from different districts, and denominational and district staff. They connected so well that they took a group picture to help them remember the experience, exchanged e-mail addresses, and have kept in touch since the training, Reid said. The group plans to meet again at Annual Conference.

The Together conversation was initiated in 2003 by a statement from the district executives identifying fragmentation in the Church of the Brethren and calling for conversation "concerning who, whose, and what we are." Since then, a group of leaders and staff of Annual Conference agencies and representatives of the district executives have been planning a denomination-wide discussion. From its beginning, the broad intent of the work is to help bring about a renewal of the church.

The training event "was a good experience," said Lerry Fogle, executive director of Annual Conference, "but one that needs to go beyond discussion of what it means to be the church, to being the Church. Hopefully that will occur in greater measure in the months and years ahead."

The February training is the jumping-off point for Together conversations later this year and next at Annual Conference and in congregations, districts, and regional events. At the 2006 Conference, "the Annual Conference officers have provided four 30-minute sessions on Together that hold the possibility to broaden the discussion and spur us on to our God-ordained ministry," Fogle said. Conference participants also are invited to a Saturday evening dinner meeting about Together, and a Tuesday evening insight session.

The Together process will culminate at Annual Conference 2007. For more information go to www.togetherconversations.org or www.conversacionesjuntos.org.

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Disaster Child Care celebrates training experience.

Shenandoah District and Montezuma Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Va., co-sponsored a Level I Disaster Child Care (DCC) Training Workshop on March 10-11. "This training event, organized by Patricia Black, was a huge success with 21 persons participating," said Helen Stonesifer, coordinator of the program. DCC is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Leadership for the workshop was provided by Patricia Ronk of Roanoke, Va., and Donna Uhlig of New Enterprise, Pa. Both currently "wear several hats" with the DCC program, Stonesifer said. On Saturday, pairs of the trainees took turns standing on chairs and scolding their partners, who knelt on the floor. "We do that so they know how (the children) feel," said Ronk. "Always put yourself in the child's position."

Taking part in Disaster Child Care "is something I feel very personally and spiritually about," said Carol Yowell, a mother of three, who participated in the training. "I've been wanting to do this for some time now." Once the participants successfully complete the DCC certification process, they will be equipped to serve children affected by disaster.

Another Level I Disaster Child Care Training Workshop scheduled to take place at Indian Creek Church of the Brethren in Harleysville, Pa., March 17-18, has been postponed and may be rescheduled for next year.

Stonesifer and DCC volunteers Jean Myers and Donald and Barbara Weaver also participated in a Camp Noah training in Minneapolis, Minn., last week. Camp Noah is a week long, faith-based day camp offered for elementary-age children and youth who have experienced disaster. The curriculum is based upon the Old Testament story of Noah's Ark and the flood.

"Hearing this story and comparing themselves to it gives the children the platform to talk about the various phases and emotions of their own disaster experience," Stonesifer reported. "Camp Noah and the Disaster Child Care program have the same interests at heart when it comes to helping children cope with disaster."

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Survey will help Education for Shared Ministry evaluate its work.

Since 1977, Education for a Shared Ministry (EFSM) has been equipping congregations and training pastors in the Church of the Brethren. The program is part of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership, a ministry training partnership of the Church of the Brethren General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary.

"As the training and leadership needs of our pastors and congregations continue to change, it is important to evaluate our current work and adapt for the future," reported Brethren Academy director Jonathan Shively. "To that end the Brethren Academy is conducting an evaluation of the EFSM program."

All current and past EFSM students, LIT group members, supervisors, district executive ministers, current and past denominational EFSM staff, and others who have had direct connections with EFSM are invited to participate in a brief online survey to evaluate the structure and overall effectiveness of the ministry training program. The online survey will be available April 3-21 at http://scs.earlham.edu/survey/index.php?sid=4.

Responses will be collected by an independent party and forwarded to the Brethren Academy for use in the evaluation process. Selected individuals may be contacted for further conversation.

"If you have experience at any level with EFSM, your input and responses will be greatly appreciated," said Shively. Direct questions to the Brethren Academy at efsm@bethanyseminary.edu or 765-983-1824.–Jonathan Shively

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Brethren bits: Job opening, Annual Conference, and more.

• The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center (SVMC) is seeking applicants for the position of executive director. Applicants should have a deep commitment to Jesus Christ and be a member of the Church of the Brethren. The executive director is reportable and accountable to the Governing Board of SVMC and collaborates with the dean of Bethany Theological Seminary regarding Bethany's graduate program offerings at SVMC. This is a part-time position. The SVMC office is located at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Resumes are accepted until June 15. Applications and inquiries should be sent to Dr. Robert W. Neff, The Village at Morrison's Cove, 429 S. Market St., Martinsburg PA 16662.
  
  
• Planning continues for the move of the Annual Conference Office to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The move will take place the week of Aug. 21-25. The office will open for business in New Windsor on Monday, Aug. 28. Lerry Fogle, executive director of Annual Conference, reports that the address of the Annual Conference Office in New Windsor will be 500 Main Street, P. O. Box 720, New Windsor, MD, 21776-0720; 410-635-8740 (primary office number); 800-688-5186 (toll free); 410-635-8781 (executive director); fax 410-635-8742. All contact information will be published in the 2006 Church of the Brethren Yearbook.
  
  
• An action alert from the Brethren Witness/Washington Office this week calls Brethren to contact their congressional representatives regarding two current pieces of legislation: immigration legislation being debated by the Senate, and a budget resolution being worked on by the House Budget Committee. The alert listed significant issues in the immigration legislation including "the 11-12 million undocumented workers currently in the United States could apply for a work visa, after paying back taxes and a penalty; ...organizations and individuals providing humanitarian aid, such as food, clothing, shelter, and medical care, would be protected from prosecution; ...doubling of the number of Border Patrol agents over five years and expanding fencing, although only in Arizona." A bill passed by the Senate will have to be reconciled with the House's enforcement-only immigration bill, the alert said. About the budget resolution in the House, the alert said that "harmful cuts" are expected for federal budget items such as food aid for seniors, young children, and mothers; education for the disadvantaged; and subsidized child care. For more information and congressional contact information go to the Brethren Witness/Washington Office website www.brethren.org/genbd/WitnessWashOffice.html.
  
  
• The Brethren Witness/Washington Office is encouraging congregations to celebrate Earth Day 2006 on Sunday, April 19, or any Sunday near that date. Earth Day this year is Wednesday, April 22. "We are glad to introduce to Brethren congregations an excellent resource from the National Council of Churches (NCC) Eco-Justice Program," the office said. "We hope you will use this resource to celebrate our earth and to draw attention to our critical challenge of caring for God's creation." The NCC resource, "Through the Eye of a Hurricane: Rebuilding Just Communities," describes the devastation of the Gulf Coast region and issues of environmental justice and racism, toxic contamination, and consumer lifestyles. It provides background information, sermon notes, a bulletin insert, and study questions to plan a worship service dedicated to the Gulf Coast. Go to www.nccecojustice.org/Earth%20Day/index.html.
  
  
• Is your youth group looking for a great place to stop on the way back from National Youth Conference? Bethany Theological Seminary is offering TGIF (tours, games, information, and food) on July 29, from 2-9 p.m. Youth traveling home from NYC will be welcomed at Bethany's Richmond, Ind., campus. For more information or to let the seminary know that a youth group will attend, contact Kathy Royer at 756-983-1832 or royerka@bethanyseminary.edu.
  
  
• Youth from the central and plains states will be at McPherson (Kan.) College this weekend, March 31-April 2, for Regional Youth Conference on the theme "Come and See." Leadership includes the National Youth Conference coordinators Cindy Laprade, Beth Rhodes, and Emily Tyler as keynote speakers; and Seth Hendricks, a member of the band Mutual Kumquat, leading music. For more information contact 620-421-0742 ext. 1226 or replogles@mcpherson.edu.
  
  
• This year's theme for "Awakening Services" in the Roanoke and Botetourt areas of Virginia, in Virlina District, will be "Together: Envisioning the Body of Christ." The theme follows the Together: Being the Church conversations that have begun across the Church of the Brethren. The services will be held at Hollins Road Church of the Brethren in Roanoke each evening April 2-5, with the message brought by David K. Shumate, Virlina District executive. Bible studies on the same theme will be held by several other congregations.
  
  
• The spring tour of Bridgewater (Va.) College's 49-voice Concert Choir, 24-voice Chorale, and student-directed Handbell Choir include several stops at Church of the Brethren congregations and other Brethren venues. Upcoming concerts in Brethren venues are scheduled at Oakton (Va.) Church of the Brethren at 11 a.m. April 9; Elizabethtown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren at 7:30 p.m. April 21; Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa., at 2 p.m. on April 22; Lebanon Valley Brethren Home in Palmyra, Pa., at 7:30 p.m. April 22; Annville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren at 10:15 a.m. April 23; and the Carter Center at Bridgewater College at 7:30 p.m. April 23. The choir and chorale are conducted by Jesse E. Hopkins, Edwin L. Turner distinguished professor of music at Bridgewater. For more see www.bridgewater.edu.
  
  
• CrossRoads, the Valley Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center in Harrisonburg, Va., is sponsoring two events in April: an Open House for the Breneman-Turner Mill on April 15, 1-5 p.m.; and an annual Easter Sunrise Service on April 16, 6:30 a.m., on the CrossRoads hilltop. The 200-year-old mill, which will soon be on the National Historic Register, is the only remaining pre-Civil War mill in Rockingham County still fully equipped with grist mill equipment. The public is invited to hear plans to restore and preserve the mill at the open house, which also will feature tours. The Easter Sunrise Service will be held at 711 Garbers Church Rd., sponsored by Harrisonburg First Church of the Brethren and Weavers Mennonite Church. Bring a lawn chair. In case of rain go to Weavers Mennonite Church. For more information see www.vbmhc.org.
  
  
• A Greater Gift (SERRV) Shop at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., will hold its annual Seconds and Overstock Sale on March 30-April 8, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The sale will be held in the SERRV warehouse. Textiles, pottery, jewelry, furniture and more are 75 percent off original prices. Artisans have received a fair trade wage before any merchandise is sold. No children are used in the production of food or craft items. For more information go to www.agreatergift.org.
  
  
• Valeria Fike, a Church of the Brethren member and librarian at College of DuPage Library in Glen Ellyn, Ill., is featured on the cover of "Library Journal" as the "Paraprofessional of the Year." A lead article about her work as supervisor of reference support and College and Career Information Center services is written by John N. Berry III. Fike holds a master's degree in theology from Bethany Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister.

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Jesus Jubilee program refreshes Nigerian congregations and pastors.

Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has developed a congregational renewal program with the help of Robert Krouse, Nigeria mission coordinator for the Church of the Brethren General Board.

The program called Jesus Jubilee is a three-day event hosted by congregations on Friday through Sunday with the aim of stimulating the church's growth and maturity of Christian discipleship. The program emphasizes identifying obstacles to spiritual growth, identifying stages of development a disciple must go through on the way to maturity in Christ, and developing a dynamic personal and corporate prayer life in the faith community.

Nearly 10,000 people have participate in Jesus Jubilee, and many congregations have requested a visit from the congregational renewal team. A similar program is being developed for EYN's pastors and evangelists. An outgrowth of the effort has been the development of the EYN Office of Pastoral Development with Anthony Ndamsai serving as coordinator.

Krouse said that 66 pastors attended a first pastoral development seminar in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. Word spread and 258 pastors attended the second seminar held a month later. Since then, five seminars have been held in five different regions of EYN, giving every pastor an opportunity to attend. A second series of seminars is planned to run each month for five months, beginning in April and concluding in August.

Following is Krouse's report of the beginnings of Jesus Jubilee:

"This project began as a field work assignment for Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN) students. The students are required to do field work between the semester that ends in May and the next semester that begins in August. I had been meeting with EYN TCNN students every Tuesday for a time of prayer. Some EYN students who are concerned about EYN's drift away from Brethren teachings and practice were part of the impetus that lead to this weekly prayer meeting.

"After several months of praying together, it seemed that God was calling us to go out to local congregations with a message of renewal. The idea of Jubilee came from Leviticus 25 where God calls the people of Israel to have a kind of spiritual house cleaning and renew their commitment to God and recommit themselves to the original covenant every 50 years. It seems that God understands our human tendency to forget who we are and how we are called to live.

"We decided that we could take the message of Jubilee to 10 congregations during the semester break, and we chose meeting places that were central in their districts and large enough so that members from other churches in the district could be invited to attend. A total of about 11,000 people attended the 10 weekends.

"Filibus Gwama, EYN president, attended the Jesus Jubilee weekend that took place at Hildi No. 1 church. ...He ended up coming to all of the services. He said to me, 'Everyone in EYN needs to receive this message. Our pastors and people have become weary from the hard lives they live, and God will use this ministry to refresh them.'"

Source: 3/29/2006 Newsline
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Credits

Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on every other Wednesday with other editions as needed. J. Allen Brubaker, Mary Dulabaum, Mary Kay Heatwole, Janis Pyle, Kathy Royer, Mary Schiavoni, Marcia Shetler, Jonathan Shively, Deanna Shumaker, and Helen Stonesifer contributed to this report.