Annual Conference bits and pieces

Photo by Justin Hollenberg

Fishing was one of the 14 stations at the intergenerational activities

• The 2014 Conference, by the numbers: 2,524 total registration including 719 delegates and 1,805 nondelegates, 115 units of blood collected by the Conference Blood Drive from 123 presenting donors with the help of 26 volunteers, $5,100 raised for hunger at the Quilt Auction of the Association for the Arts in the Church of the Brethren (AACB), 514 downloads of the new Annual Conference app, and 20,875 diapers collected by the Witness to the Host City service project for a YMCA/YWCA shelter in Columbus. Also received in the offering of goods for the shelter: 1,750 hygiene kits and “more socks than we can count.” 

• Results of the Brethren Benefit Trust Fitness Challenge, an early morning five-kilometer walk/run at a park a few miles from the Greater Columbus Convention Center: in the runner category, male and female first participants over the finish line were Nathan Hosler and Christy Crouse; in the walker category, male and female first participants over the finish line were Don Shankster and Bev Anspaugh.

Photo by Keith Hollenberg




A cheeerful giver!

• Among groups choosing new leadership at this Annual Conference were the Council of District Executives (CODE) and the Ministers’ Association. CODE named an executive committee that includes Ron Beachley as chair, Kevin Kessler as vice chair, Emma Jean Woodard as secretary, and David Steele as treasurer. Serving on the Ministers’ Association executive committee are Erin Matteson as chair, Christina Singh as first vice chair, Eric Anspaugh as second vice chair, Stephen Hershberger as secretary, and Tim Sollenberger-Morphew as treasurer.

• International guests who attended the Conference were introduced as the first morning of work wound down for the delegates. Introducing the group was Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service. Alexandre Gonçalves and Gislaine Reginaldo were welcomed together. They are from Brazil and are a part of the community at Bethany Theological Seminary. Darryl Sankey was welcomed as a representative of First District of the Church of the Brethren in India. Also welcomed from India were Silvans S. Christian, Bishop of Gujarat, and Sanjiukuma Christian, from Valsad, both representing the Church of North India. In a time when the hearts and prayers of Brethren are centered upon Nigeria, the delegates warmly greeted Rebecca Dali from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Also from Nigeria, guests representing the Brethren Evangelism Support Trust (BEST) were Dr. Njidda Oadzama and Apagu Ali Abbas. The applause for all the international guests was warm and heartfelt.

Photo by Randy Miller

Dorothy Brandt Davis and Sarah Davis pose with Nell, a life-size version of the drawing of John Kline's horse from their children's book "Middle Man." The book, celebrating its 50th anniversary of publication, tells the story of Civil War era Brethren elder and martyr for peace John Kline.

• Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) gave its annual Partners in Service Award to Manchester University campus minister Walt Wiltschek, who also gave the presentation for the BVS luncheon on the topic, “Worth Remembering.”

• The 2014 Manchester Church-University Service Award was presented to leaving Manchester University president Jo Young Switzer at the university’s luncheon. “It felt important, as we reflect on Jo’s decade-long tenure as president and her work at Manchester before that, to honor her for the work she has done in helping to keep the connections between Manchester and the Church of the Brethren alive and vital,” said an announcement of the award, which listed hallmarks of her legacy as Manchester’s first female president: a 25 percent growth in enrollment, a new Doctor of Pharmacy program on a new campus in Fort Wayne, a $100 million “Students First!” campaign, several new buildings on the Manchester campus including a new Academic Center, Science Center, and Union that now bears her name. The award especially noted her “commitment to draw education and faith together.”

Photo courtesy of Alysson Wittmeyer

Youth enjoy a trip to the Columbus zoo

• The Outdoor Ministries Association honored two volunteers and two staff at its Annual Conference luncheon: Dean Dohner and Jim Oren, both from Camp Woodland Altars, received the Volunteer of the Year Award; Paul Witkovsky from Camp Blue Diamond, and Ann Cornell from Shepherd’s Spring Outdoor Ministry Center, were recognized as Staff of the Year.

• This year, 2014, marks the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Civil War-era Brethren elder and martyr for peace John Kline. It also is the 50th anniversary of the publication of “Middle Man,” the beloved Brethren Press illustrated children’s book about Kline by Dorothy Brandt Davis and her children. John Kline, portrayed by Nate Hosler of the Office of Public Witness, and Kline’s horse Nell, personified by a life size version of the colorful drawing of Nell from “Middle Man,” both were on stage for the Church of the Brethren live report to the delegates. Later that day, Nell was spotted in the Exhibit Hall posing for photos with Dorothy Brandt Davis and daughter Sarah Davis.

Source: 7/8/2014 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. The Annual Conference News Team included photographers Glenn Riegel, Regina Holmes, Keith Hollenberg, Justin Hollenberg, and Alysson Wittmeyer; writers Frank Ramirez, Frances Townsend, Karen Garrett, Eddie Edmonds, and Britnee Harbaugh; web staff Jan Fischer Bachman, Don Knieriem, and Russ Otto; communications staff Wendy McFadden, who is publisher of Brethren Press, Mandy Garcia of donor communications, “Messenger” editor Randy Miller, and Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services, who served as editor for the team.

Newsline: July 1, 2014

NEWS

• How to follow Annual Conference online
• Standing Committee denies support to On Earth Peace ‘Statement of Inclusion’ but commits to ‘walk in love together’
• EYN church among those attacked near Chibok on Sunday, as Annual Conference prepares to welcome Nigerian guests
• Annual Conference bits and pieces
• Church poultry project in Nigeria reports progress
• Over the top: Manchester elated with $108 million success

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Heifer International celebrates 70 years with ‘Beyond Hunger’ event at Camp Mack

BRETHREN BITS

• Robby May to manage Camp Galilee, ‘What Brethren Believe’ online course, Agape-Satyagraha training webinars, Enders church damaged by storms, and much much more.

How to follow Annual Conference online

Follow events at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, at www.brethren.org/ac2014 -- where you will find daily news pages, photo albums, webcasts of worship and business, and more.

Download the new Annual Conference app at www.brethren.org/ac/app.html.

Follow the Conference Twitter conversation via #cobac14.

Annual Conference begins tomorrow, Wednesday, July 2, and closes with Sunday morning worship July 6. Pre-Conference meetings include the Standing Committee of district delegates, the Ministers’ Association event with Dr. Thomas G. Long, the Council of District Executives, the Mission and Ministry Board, and Congregational Vitality Workshops.


Several other sessions also will be webcast (all times are eastern):
Sunday, July 6, starting at 8:30 a.m. (eastern) congregations across the denomination are invited to join in the Annual Conference Sunday worship by streaming it live from Columbus.

• Opening session of the Conference on Wednesday, July 2, starting at 6:50 p.m.
• Morning Bible study and business on Thursday and Friday, July 3-4, starting at 8:30 a.m.
• Afternoon business on Thursday and Friday, starting at 1:55 p.m.
• Evening worship on Thursday and Friday, starting at 6:50 p.m.
• Morning worship on Saturday, July 5, starting at 8:30 a.m.
• Morning business session on Saturday, starting at 10:15 a.m.
• Afternoon business on Saturday, starting at 1:55 p.m.
• Evening concert on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m.

Find links to webcasts and bulletins for worship at www.brethren.org/ac2014 .

Standing Committee denies support to On Earth Peace ‘Statement of Inclusion’ but commits to ‘walk in love together’

The Standing Committee of delegates from the Church of the Brethren’s 23 districts has made a statement regarding the On Earth Peace “Statement of Inclusion.” The Standing Committee statement follows on a second delegation that met with On Earth Peace. Two Standing Committee delegations have attempted to gain resolution of concerns that the “Statement of Inclusion” is inconsistent with Annual Conference decisions affirming the 1983 paper "Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective,” and polity regarding ordination.

photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman leads a conversation in Standing Committee, with representatives from On Earth Peace. Executive director Bill Scheurer and board chair Jordan Bles and a delegation of Standing Committee members reflected on recent meetings regarding the agency's "Statement of Inclusion."

On Earth Peace is an agency of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. Its “Statement of Inclusion” dates back to 2011, and has been the subject of a series of interactions with Standing Committee for the past three years. Today’s conversation in Standing Committee included On Earth Peace representatives Bill Scheurer, executive director, and Jordan Bles, board chair.

The Standing Committee action came at the close of its first full day of meetings prior to the 2014 Annual Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Standing Committee is led by Annual Conference moderator Nancy Sollenberger Heishman, assisted by moderator-elect David Steele, and Conference secretary James M. Beckwith.

Denial of support, affirmation of love

Today’s Standing Committee statement was arrived at after much conversation and at times emotional debate, and the vote revealed a significant divide in the group. The Standing Committee statement, adopted by a majority vote with a minority of more than a quarter of members voting against, reads:

“Standing Committee does not support the 2011 Statement of Inclusion of On Earth Peace as an agency of the church, but we will continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

The “Statement of Inclusion” from the On Earth Peace board reads:

“We are troubled by attitudes and actions in the church, which exclude persons on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or any other aspect of human identity. We believe God calls the church to welcome all persons into full participation in the life of the faith community.”

Series of interactions between Standing Committee and On Earth Peace

Moderator Nancy Heishman introduced a time of sharing of feelings about the interaction between the Standing Committee delegation and On Earth Peace, offering information about the series of interactions between the two groups and reviewing other relevant information as well as the activities of the most recent delegation.

Interactions that led to today’s statement included, among others, two Standing Committee delegations that both reported good conversations with the agency’s board and staff but that did not gain resolution of the conflict.

As part of its effort, the second delegation held a conference call with the executive committee of On Earth Peace and the two groups jointly proposed that On Earth Peace add the following additional sentence to the statement of inclusion, from which much of the language of today’s Standing Committee statement was derived:

“We continue to commit ourselves to walk in love together with the denomination in the face of differing interpretations of scripture and Annual Conference statements and decisions.”

However, the sentence did not receive consensus support from the full board of On Earth Peace, which requested consultation about the sentence from several other groups in the denomination including the Open Table Cooperative, Womaen’s Caucus, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests, the Brethren Revival Fellowship, and the liaison to the Council of District Executives.

Other interactions over the three years included a specially called session with Scheurer during 2013’s Standing Committee meetings, reported by Newsline at www.brethren.org/news/2013/ac2013news/standing-committee-special-session-with-oep.html, and in 2012 the Standing Committee statement of concern titled “A Way Forward” that said, in part, “trust in leadership has been broken” by three events--one being the “Statement of Inclusion.”

At that time Standing Committee urged On Earth Peace “to re-examine its statement of inclusion regarding ‘full participation’ so that it will be consistent with Annual Conference decisions regarding Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective [the 1983 Conference statement] and the polity regarding ordination.” Find “A Way Forward” in full at www.brethren.org/news/2012/ac2012-onsite-news/a-way-forward.html.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

The Annual Conference officers for 2014 at the head table at Standing Commitee: at center, moderator Nancy S. Heishman, with moderator elect David Steele at left, and secretary James Beckwith at right.

In other business

Standing Committee also has made recommendations on two items of new business coming to the Annual Conference:

Amendments to the Bylaws of the Church of the Brethren, Inc.: Standing Committee recommended approval of amendments to the denominational bylaws proposed by the Mission and Ministry Board. The amendments clarify the term of service for a member of the board who is chosen chair-elect, and clarify “that the full five-year term allowed for a director [board member] who serves less than half of an unexpired term is subsequent to that unexpired term, not in place of it.” The amendments also update the change of name of Oregon-Washington District to Pacific Northwest District. Find the full proposal at www.brethren.org/ac/2014/documents/business-items/2014-nb1-amendments-to-bylaws.pdf.

Amendments to Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust Articles of Organization: Standing Committee recommended approval of amendments to the BBT Articles of Organization. The most substantive amendment would allow for an incumbent member of the BBT board eligible for a second term to automatically become one of two nominees that Standing Committee recommends for Annual Conference election. Others include changes to conform to style, addition of a clause related to BBT’s socially responsible investing in a manner conforming to Brethren values, clarification that a financial report and annual report are submitted to the delegate body, among others. Find the full proposal at www.brethren.org/ac/2014/documents/business-items/2014-nb2-amendments-to-bbt-aticles-of-incorporation.pdf.

In addition, Standing Committee received an update and held table talk about the Ministerial Leadership polity revision and the item of unfinished business on equitable representation on the Mission and Ministry Board, received reports from the moderator and the denomination’s Leadership Team, and heard from the Council of District Executives.

Standing Committee meetings opened yesterday evening with a dinner and a time for sharing from the districts.

-- Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford is director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

EYN church among those attacked near Chibok on Sunday, as Annual Conference prepares to welcome Nigerian guests

As the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference prepares to welcome members of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), a Nigerian Brethren church is among those suffering fresh attacks near Chibok, in news from Nigeria on Sunday.

Rebecca Dali, a leading member of EYN and wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, will be attending Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, July 2-6, along with members of BEST, an EYN organization of business people.

“Suspected Islamic extremists sprayed gunfire at worshippers and torched four churches Sunday,” said a report from the Associated Press and ABC. The attacks on Kwada and Kautikari villages were just a few kilometers from Chibok, the place where Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in mid-April. Scores of people were killed and survivors are hiding in the bush, the report said. In addition to the EYN church, other churches that were destroyed included the Church of Christ in Nigeria and the Deeper Life Bible Church. The attackers also burned houses. See http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunmen-torch-churches-kill-scores-nigeria-24354330.

A news report posted on AllAfrica.com said that other attacks in recent days have occurred in Kaduna and Taraba areas, and there was a bombing in Bauchi. At least 52 people were killed and scores injured in these other incidents. “The executive secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency...lamented that the tense situation in the area was making distribution of relief materials to about 50,000 displaced persons almost impossible,” the report said. Read it at http://allafrica.com/stories/201406290009.html.

A list of speaking engagements by Rebecca Dali and by Carl and Roxane Hill, who recently completed a term of service at EYN’s Kulp Bible College, was included in last week’s Newsline. Find it at www.brethren.org/news/2014/rebecca-dali-to-visit-in-us.html.

In addition to these engagements, Dali and the Hills will be at an insight session at Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. in Room C213-215 of the Columbus Convention Center. Dali will be at the single adults’ lunch group on July 5. The evening of July 5, she is to host a station at the intergenerational activities.

Financial support for the work of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria and for EYN is being received. Donate to the work of Global Mission and Service in Nigeria at www.brethren.org/givegms . Donate to the EYN Compassion Fund at www.brethren.org/eyncompassion . Donate to the Emergency Disaster Fund to support disaster relief work in Nigeria at www.brethren.org.edf.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Annual Conference bits and pieces

Photo by Regina Holmes

One of the MoR observers on duty at the 2011 Annual Conference. For some years, the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) has provided observers as a resource for participants in the Conference business sessions. This year, the ministry also is helping to provide teams of trained volunteers who will be available to be called on as needed throughout the Annual Conference venue.

• Members of the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) at Annual Conference will be wearing yellow lanyards and identifying tags. The MoR volunteers are available to meet with anyone needing a listening ear during the Conference. Contact the Ministry of Reconciliation at the On Earth Peace booth or the Annual Conference Office or by calling 620-755-3940.

• A video about the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., is posted online offering information in advance of a conversation to take place during an Annual Conference business session. At its March meeting the Mission and Ministry Board decided to provide the delegate body of Annual Conference with resources to prepare for “Table Talk” about the Brethren Service Center. There will not be any votes or decisions made, but delegates will have an opportunity to share feedback with the board. In addition to the video, delegates have received a fact sheet and a letter introducing the topic of conversation. Find the video at http://youtu.be/uYArm6-ikes .

• In preparation for the presentations on Nigeria at Annual Conference, a history and timeline of the Church of the Brethren mission there, which started in 1923, and the emergence of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has been posted at www.brethren.org/nigeriahistory .

• An insight session on Nigeria has been added to the Annual Conference schedule on Friday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. in room C213-215 in the Columbus Convention Center. Speakers may include Rebecca Dali, wife of Nigerian Brethren president Samuel Dante Dali and founder of the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) and Carl and Roxane Hill, who recently completed a term of service teaching at EYN’s Kulp Bible College in Nigeria. Additional opportunities to share with Rebecca Dali include the single adult lunch group on July 5, and intergenerational activities that evening.

• Young adults in the Church of the Brethren have received a special invitation to attend the General Secretary’s Dinner with Higher Education. Conrad L. Kanagy, professor of sociology at Elizabethtown College, will speak on the theme, “Tearing Down and Building Up: The Work of the Spirit and the Global Church.” The dinner takes place on Saturday, July 5, at 5 p.m. in Rooms C111-112 in the Columbus Convention Center.

• The Womaen's Caucus is holding a prayer gathering for women on the ballot on Thursday, July 3, at 1:20 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall. The gathering is timed to take place prior to the opening of the afternoon business session at which the Annual Conference delegates are to hold elections. “We recognize that it takes courage to put your name forward and would like to support the women who have done so,” said an announcement of the prayer gathering. “Come and join us for a prayer with them as we prepare to move into a time of voting.”

• “Courage Rising: Conversations of Challenge, Risk, Solidarity” will be part of a new booth configuration for the Open Table Cooperative, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests (BMC), Global Women’s Project, and Womaen’s Caucus. These booths will be together in the Exhibit Hall with a space in the center for sponsored conversations, according to an announcement from Open Table. Each group will host several conversations over the course of the Conference on topics ranging from “What's Queer on Brethren Campuses?” to “Inclusive Language” to “Shrinking Congregations: Dying with Grace or Radical Rebirth?” and more. The full list of conversations is available in the “Progressive Guide to Annual Conference” posted by Open Table at www.opentablecoop.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ACGuide141.pdf .

• Detailed information about the schedule and events at the 2014 Annual Conference, speakers and worship, insight session, concerts, age group events, meal events, and much more is at www.brethren.org/ac .

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Church poultry project in Nigeria reports progress

Photo by Jay Wittmeyer

An enclosure for raising chickens in Nigeria

By Jeff Boshart

A grant of $40,000 was awarded in 2013 from the Global Food Crisis Fund to the Integrated Community Based Development Programme (ICBDP) of the Rural Development Department of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), in order to expand its agricultural services. The centerpiece of this new effort has been a poultry project for egg production and to provide day-old chicks to farmers in northeastern Nigeria using half of the grant ($20,000).

After one year of operation, ICBDP reports total net monthly sales averaging N400,000 in the Nigerian currency the Naira ($2,500), with an anticipated accumulated net profit of N4,000,000 ($25,000) by the end of 2014.

Part two of ICBDP’s expansion has begun. Its objective is to supply quality fertilizer to its farming clients. ICBDP has entered into a contractual agreement with a well-known fertilizer company in Nigeria.

In recent correspondence received by Global Food Crisis Fund manager Jeff Boshart, head of the ICBDP department Markus Vashawa describes how eggs are purchased by the crate by many vendors or “hawkers” who then sell these eggs in rural villages. The majority of the customers are Muslims because they believe in the quality of Christian products.

In conclusion, Vashawa sends his appreciation for support from the Church of the Brethren and the Global Food Crisis Fund. He writes: “May the almighty God continue to strengthen our relationship in providing services to his people. We can’t do anything except God is by our side to inspire us in his direction.”

-- Jeff Boshart is manager of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Food Crisis Fund.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Over the top: Manchester elated with $108 million success

By Jeri S. Kornegay
Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., is concluding its $100 million Students First! campaign more than $8 million over goal and 18 months ahead of schedule, reports president Jo Young Switzer. The campaign is the largest in the history of the school, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Manchester already has spent a third of the funds on a new Academic Center as well as classrooms and athletic training additions to the Physical Education and Recreation Center (PERC). With a significant $35 million gift from the Lilly Endowment, the Manchester University College of Pharmacy is well-established on a new Fort Wayne campus with a third class enrolled to embark on the four-year professional doctorate degree.

The $108.4 million also provides endowed scholarships and programs, resources for faculty development, and the Manchester Fund, which supports the operating budget. Two other construction projects wait in the wings now that funding is secured:

• A stand-alone tower will house the historic 10-bell Chime in a visible location on the North Manchester campus. The bells currently atop the Administration Building, where twice daily during the school year and for special occasions, students have played them, a 92-year tradition.

• A modern, multi-use facility will replace the aged Administration Building on a much smaller footprint with an accessible, greener facility.

About 68 percent of the $108.4 million is available for use, with the remainder in bequests and other planned giving, said Switzer. More than 50,000 gifts came from alumni, corporations such as the Dow Chemical Company that match alumni donors, Steel Dynamics, and other area corporations, foundations, and churches.

“Without my Manchester experience, I don’t believe I would have been as successful,” said Dave Haist, retired Do It Best Corp. chief operating officer. Haist, a 1973 graduate, and his wife Sandy, a 1974 graduate, co-chair the Students First! Campaign Cabinet. “It’s our responsibility to give back to those that have helped us.“

Every initiative of Students First! is living up to the campaign promise, Switzer said. “Our student learning spaces have improved dramatically. The endowment is larger. There are 53 new endowed funds for student scholarships and programs and more resources for faculty development.”

About $10 million arrived in the past month, pointedly celebrating the successful leadership of President Switzer, who retires July 1. She also has served Manchester as a student leader in the 1960s, alumna, professor, department chair, and vice president and dean for academic affairs.

Putting the campaign over the top is the largest alumni gift in the history of Manchester: $5.1 million from Herb Chinworth to name the new multi-use administration building in honor of his parents, Lockie and Augustus Chinworth of Warsaw, Ind. The Academic Center will be named in honor of former trustee Mike Jarvis, a 1968 graduate, and his wife Sandy of Franklin, Ind., in gratitude for their $5 million gift.

Manchester offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study to almost 1,400 students in undergraduate, master’s degree, and professional pharmacy doctoral programs. Learn more at www.manchester.edu.

-- This release was provided by Jeri S. Kornegay, University Media Relations, Manchester University.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Heifer International celebrates 70 years with ‘Beyond Hunger’ event at Camp Mack

By Peggy Reiff Miller

This summer marks the 70th anniversary of Heifer International, the award-winning development organization based in Little Rock, Ark., that had its beginnings in the Church of the Brethren in northern Indiana.

The first shipment of 18 heifers (young cows that have not yet borne a calf) left Nappanee, Ind., June 12, 1944, on a four-day train trip to Mobile, Ala. Seventeen of those heifers (one got sick and had to stay behind) left Mobile on the William D. Bloxham on July 14 headed for Puerto Rico.

Heifer International is celebrating its 70 years of service all across the country this year with "Beyond Hunger" events. It is fitting that one of these events will take place at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Ind., the weekend of Sept. 12-14.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

A painting of Puerto Ricans receiving the gift of heifers through Heifer Project

The beginnings of Heifer

The Heifer Project, as it was originally known, was the brain child of Church of the Brethren leader Dan West. He and his family lived on a small farm between Goshen and Middlebury. In 1937, the Society of Friends (Quakers) invited the Church of the Brethren and Mennonites to assist them in a relief project in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The Brethren sent Dan West as their salaried representative. While watching limited supplies of reconstituted powdered milk being distributed to infants, with those not gaining weight being taken off the list to die, West thought, "Why not send cows to Spain so they’d have all the milk they need?"

After arriving home in early 1938, West relentlessly promoted the "cow, not a cup" idea. It took four years, but in April 1942, the Northern Indiana Men’s Work of the Church of the Brethren adopted his plan for "Cattle for Europe." A committee was formed which became the core of a national Heifer Project Committee when the denomination’s Brethren Service Committee adopted the plan months later. Other denominations were invited to participate, making it an ecumenical program practically from the start.

Local committees were formed, heifers were raised and donated, but World War II was raging and the animals couldn’t be shipped across the Atlantic. The Church of the Brethren had a Civilian Public Service (CPS) project in Puerto Rico at the time, CPS being the arm of the Selective Service System set up for conscientious objectors in World War II. So the first shipment of 17 heifers was sent to Puerto Rico in July 1944 to help struggling farmers around the island. Another shipment of 50 heifers to Puerto Rico followed in May 1945.

When World War II ended in Europe in May 1945, the Brethren Service Committee teamed up with the newly-formed United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA, not to be confused with today’s United Nations). They agreed that UNRRA would ship Heifer Project animals free of charge and the Brethren Service Committee would recruit all the cattle tenders needed for UNRRA’s own livestock shipments to countries devastated by the war.

Over UNRRA’s short two-year active life span, around 7,000 men and boys served as "seagoing cowboys" on UNRRA’s 360 livestock shipments.

The Heifer Project continued, developing into today’s Heifer International, which today provides all types of livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to families in more than 40 countries including the United States.

Beyond Hunger at Camp Mack

The Sept. 12-14 Beyond Hunger event at Camp Mack will honor Heifer’s work through the years. After a Friday evening hog roast, two of Dan West’s children will tell stories of their father and the Heifer Project around a campfire.

Saturday will be filled with events celebrating Heifer International’s past, present, and future, including a noon luncheon with Heifer’s CEO Pierre Ferrari speaking, presentations by local Church of the Brethren author and researcher Peggy Reiff Miller, and former Heifer Midwest director Dave Boothby, and workshops with Heifer staff.

Children’s activities and a petting zoo are being planned. A number of seagoing cowboys will be present from around the country to share their stories and be recognized. On Sunday, several area participating churches will honor Heifer International in their services and host guest speakers from Heifer.

Early registration for this Beyond Hunger event is required, as registration will be closed when the maximum of 300 participants is reached. The day’s activities and luncheon on Saturday are free. There is a charge for the Friday and Saturday evening meals and lodging.

For more information and to register, contact Peggy Miller at prmiller@bnin.net or 574-658-4147. To find other Beyond Hunger events, go to www.heifer.org/communities.

-- Peggy Reiff Miller is a writer and musician who has researched and written many of the stories of Heifer’s “sea-going cowboys.” She is working on a nonfiction book about the history of the seagoing cowboys and has produced a DVD documentary photo story, “A Tribute to the Seagoing Cowboys,” available for $12.95 from Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1408.  Her website about the sea-going cowboys is at www.seagoingcowboys.com.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Brethren bits

Robby May

• Robby May has been called by West Marva District and trustees of Camp Galilee as camp manager for Camp Galilee. This position was vacant following the retirement of Phyllis Marsh, long-time manager of over 30 years. Originally from Westernport, Md., May attends Westernport Church of the Brethren and has been involved at Camp Galilee since he was five years old. He has been at the camp as a camper, counselor, director, member of the Camp Planning and Promoting Committee, and a member of the Trustees. He also has served several summers on program staff at Camp Swatara in Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Social Science Secondary Education from Frostburg State University and a master of science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Drexel University, and is a Nationally Board Certified Social Studies Teacher. Additionally, he has been volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician with LaVale Volunteer Rescue Squad for over 10 years. Find the camp website at www.camp-galilee.org .

• Brethren Volunteer Service is announcing the start of the summer orientation to be held July 20-Aug. 8 at Camp Mardela in Denton, Md. This will be the 305th unit of BVS and will include 13 volunteers--7 Americans and 6 Germans. They will spend three weeks exploring project possibilities and topics of community building, peace and social justice, faith sharing, vocation, and more. Washington City Church of the Brethren will host the unit for their middle weekend of service. For more about BVS go to www.brethren.org/bvs .

• The online course “What Brethren Believe” will be offered by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and taught by Denise Kettering-Lane, beginning Aug. 4 through Sept. 26. Participating pastors will earn 2 continuing education credits. The registration deadline has been extended to July 14. The course fee is $275. This course is open to Brethren Academy students (TRIM and EFSM), lay persons, and pastors. Contact 800-287-8822 ext. 1824 or academy@bethanyseminary.edu or academy@brethren.org .

• On Earth Peace is offering a series of Agape-Satyagraha training webinars on topics including recruiting youth and mentors, an introduction to using the curriculum, understanding and using communication skills, and Kingian nonviolence. The first webinar, "Preparing for the School Year: Recruiting Youth and Mentors," will be held on July 14, at 8 p.m. (eastern). Gerald Rhoades and Marie Benner-Rhoades will lead the session. For more information about this series, contact Marie Benner-Rhoades at mrhoades@onearthpeace.org .

Enders (Neb.) Church of the Brethren has suffered heavy damage from wind and rain, in storms that hit the area beginning June 18. “The Imperial Republican” newspaper reported that the fate of the building is not yet known. “The fate of an Enders landmark rests in the balance after wind ripped the roof covering off the Enders Church of the Brethren Wednesday night, June 18,” the news report said. “High winds during a thunderstorm...tore all of the tar-based roof covering from the roof deck of the church. The rain that accompanied the storm left behind significant water damage to the upper floor of the building where the sanctuary was located.” After an attempt was made to cover the building with heavy plastic, another storm ripped that covering off the church, leaving standing water in the building. Read the news story at www.imperialrepublican.com. Above: a view of water damage at the church. Below: volunteers gather to help out. Photo by Ken Frantz

• A children’s garden at Middlebury (Ind.) Church of the Brethren has been covered by the Goshen (Ind.) News on June 27. “The children of the Middlebury Church of the Brethren’s garden are yielding vegetables that are being used for salads in a local outreach and at the local food bank,” the newspaper reported. “In the spring, the children planted a garden that contained a multitude of vegetables, including asparagus, carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers.... Once a month, the church takes a meal to a local retirement community as a way to share food and fellowship. The remainder of the lettuce is given to the local food bank.” Find the full article at www.goshennews.com/local/x1927825646/Community-childrens-garden-an-outreach-ministry .

• Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., on the evening of July 10 will be assembling hygiene kits for Iraqi citizens displaced by the conflict in their country. A note in the congregation’s newsletter listed items needed including adult-size toothbrushes, large bar bath soap, fingernail clippers, hand towels in dark colors, and bags sewn to fit the items. Monetary donations are also accepted.

• On Saturday, July 12, from 9:30-11:30 a.m., Virlina District will hold an “Introduction to the Shine Curriculum” event at Peters Creek Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, Va. The Virlina District Resource Center has the Shine Start-Up Kit for congregations to review the new curriculum. Register for the “Introduction to the Shine Curriculum” by contacting Emma Jean Woodard at 800-847-5462 or virlina2@aol.com .

• Disaster relief coordinators in Illinois and Wisconsin District and Missouri and Arkansas District are offering Brethren a change to volunteer to rebuild Gifford, Ill., which was hit by a tornado on Nov. 17 last year. Gifford is located near Champaign. The tornado destroyed 80 homes and 40 more received damage, said an announcement from Gary Gahm, Missouri and Arkansas District disaster coordinator. He is seeking help to fill the week of July 14-18, with the week of July 21-25 also available for volunteers. Lodging is in a former retreat center at a cost of $5 per night. Contact Gahm at gahmgb@comcast.net or 816-313-5065 or 816-315-7256.

• A World Hunger Auction Benefit Recital on July 13 at 4 p.m. at Antioch Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Va., will feature organist Jonathan Emmons performing some of the pieces he will be playing for Annual Conference. He will share standard organ pieces along with settings of familiar hymn tunes, according to an announcement. He also will share selections on the alto saxophone. “Don't miss it!” said the announcement.

• Craig Howard, pastor of Brake Church of the Brethren near Dorcas, W.Va., was awarded the Human Rights Award for 2014 by the Church Women United in Petersburg, W.Va. “This award recognizes persons who continually and faithfully work for the cause of human rights,” said an article in the West Marva District newsletter. Howard has been pastor of Brake Church of the Brethren for 33 years and has organized and led 13 youth mission trips taking youth and adults from his church to a number of sites around the world, as well as on disaster relief missions in the US, and with fellow mission trip leader Jerry Judy, also made a trip to Golmi, Niger, to minister to missionaries and help pro-cure textbooks for a local school, and to Niamey to work with the Sahel School for missionary children, and with a leper colony in West Niger.

Source: 7/1/2014 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Jeff Boshart, Kendra Harbeck, Jeri S. Kornegay, Fran Massie, Peggy Reiff Miller, Callie Surber, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.

Newsline: June 25, 2014

NEWS

• Situation in Nigeria is ‘awful,’ EYN continues effort to aid Chibok parents and refugees
• Rebecca Dali to visit and speak at several places in the US in July
• CWS international situation report: Nigeria displacement crisis
• NYC theme song is released, available online
• Observance of 150th anniversary of John Kline’s death
• Tour canceled for National Youth Orchestra of Iraq

ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE

• International guests to be welcomed at the 2014 Annual Conference
• Congregations are invited to bring cards for Nigeria to Annual Conference

PERSONNEL

• James Risser to serve as director of Brethren Disaster Ministries

BRETHREN BITS

• Youth Peace Travel Team blogs, On Earth Peace personnel and interns, bear sighting at Pine Crest, “Tears and Ashes” bus tour, peace retreat at Camp Bethel, Korean churches advance peace, Heeding God’s Call needs volunteers, more

Situation in Nigeria is ‘awful,’ EYN continues effort to aid Chibok parents and refugees

Photo by Zakariya Musa

Distribution of relief goods in Maiduguri, Nigeria, at a church of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

“It is awful,” wrote Rebecca Dali, a leading member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) in a text on Saturday. At the time she was in Chibok meeting with parents of the abducted schoolgirls, when the Boko Haram extremist insurgents began attacking nearby villages.

Dali, who is married to EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, has founded the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) to aid those affected by the violence in Nigeria. She and CCEPI have visited with and brought aid to the parents of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in mid-April, most of whom are from EYN.

Dali texted: “Right now CCEPI is in Chibox with 181 parents of the 189 registered Chibox girls. Pray for us because Boko Haram is attacking three villages less than five kilometers away from where we are. Parents from these villages are trapped. They [Boko Haram] killed more than 27 people. It is awful.”

In related news from EYN, the church at Maiduguri provided relief materials to 3,456 refugees last week, according to Zakariya Musa, who provided a picture of the crowd of refugees receiving help. He is secretary of “Sabon Haske,” an EYN publication.

Church of the Brethren mission worker Carol Smith reported by e-mail today that she is fine, following a bombing in the capital city of Abuja where she is serving with EYN. She lives in a different part of the city than the shopping mall that was bombed today.

Multiple incidents of violence since the weekend

Since last weekend, multiple incidents of violence have hit different parts of north and central Nigeria, in addition to the kidnappings and killings in the area near Chibok.

Today a bombing at an upscale shopping mall in Abuja, in central Nigeria, killed at least 21 people and injured 17, according to media reports. The Associated Press and ABC News reported that the explosion is blamed on the Boko Haram insurgents, and may have been timed during the World Cup match in Brazil in which Nigeria played Argentina. “Witnesses said body parts were scattered around the exit to Emab Plaza, in Abuja's upscale Wuse 2 suburb. One witness said he thought the bomb was dropped at the entrance to the mall by a motorcyclist.... Soldiers shot and killed one suspect as he tried to escape on a power bike and police detained a second suspect,” the report said. Read it at http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/explosion-rocks-mall-nigerian-capital-24298236.

Yesterday, at least 21 soldiers and 5 civilians were attacked and killed and other people abducted at a military checkpoint near Damboa, some 85 kilometers from the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the AP report added.

On Monday, a bombing at a medical school in the city of Kano killed at least 8 people and wounded at least 12, according to the Associated Press and ABC News.

Also on Monday night 38 people were killed in two villages in the Kaduna area, in an attack by gunmen, reported by the “Premium Times” and posted on AllAfrica.com. The newspaper noted that “the attack is believed be more out of ethno-communal crisis in the area, which borders Plateau State, than by terrorists.”

On Saturday the number of people kidnapped by Boko Haram was between 60 and 91 women, girls, and boys, according to media reports, which varied widely. The people were abducted from a village in Borno State in Damboa area, and some villages in the Askira/Uba area which shares a border with Chibok, said one report posted on AllAfrica.com. As few as 4 village men and as many as 33 were reported killed in the attack, and at least one village reportedly completely destroyed. Another media report said the abductions took place over a few days. A vigilante group fighting Boko Haram claimed to have killed some 25 of the attackers. However, Nigerian security forces and some politicians have denied or are unable to confirm the weekend attacks and kidnappings, reports added. A Voice of America report included a timeline of major incidents of Boko Haram violence in Nigeria beginning in 2009 to the present, find it at http://allafrica.com/stories/201406241618.html?viewall=1.

General secretary, Global Mission executive call for continued prayer

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger and Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service, sent an e-mail message to the district offices and denominational leaders sharing Rebecca Dali’s note and calling for continued prayer for Nigeria.

“Take time right now to pray for this situation,” the e-mail said. “Share this news of this situation and the ongoing violence in Nigeria with your congregation during worship tomorrow. The season of prayer and fasting has not come to an end. Encourage members of your congregations to send notes and cards of encouragement and support to sisters and brothers in Nigeria, with your Annual Conference delegates.  They will have a special time to gather this offering of words.”

The communication closed with Psalm 46, a scripture that had been shared at a gathering of church leaders in the Middle East to consider the violence in Syria and the situation of refugees from that conflict, and the phrase, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” from Matthew 5:9.

Contributions toward the relief effort and the continuing mission work in Nigeria are received to the Global Mission and Service Nigeria program https://secure2.convio.net/cob/site/Donation2?df_id=1660&1660.donation=form1, the EYN Compassion Fund www.brethren.org/eyncompassion, or the Emergency Disaster Fund www.brethren.org/edf.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Rebecca Dali to visit and speak at several places in the US in July

Photo by Stan Noffsinger

Dr. Rebecca Dali shows pictures of the violence going on in Nigeria; part of her work heading up CCEPI (Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives) is to collect the stories of survivors and pictures of the attacks that have occurred.

Rebecca Dali, a leading member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), will visit and speak at several venues in the United States in July, including the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6.

Also providing presentations on Nigeria are Carl and Roxane Hill, Church of the Brethren mission workers who in May completed a term serving with EYN in Nigeria.

Carol Smith, a Brethren mission worker placed with EYN in Abuja, Nigeria, is helping organize Dr. Dali's speaking engagements, working with Kendra Harbeck at the Global Mission and Service office.

Opportunities to hear Rebecca Dali speak

Rebecca Dali, wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, has founded a nonprofit organization to aid those affected by the violence in northeastern Nigeria. The Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) was begun in order to serve the most vulnerable victims of the violence--widows and orphans. In recent months as violence has escalated, CCEPI has begun providing aid to the thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring Cameroon or internally displaced within Nigeria.

Dali’s speaking engagements at Annual Conference as well as several Church of the Brethren congregations and other sites:

• South Bend, Ind., June 30: Dali is scheduled to be at a South Bend Peace Vigil at 5 p.m. in downtown South Bend, hosted by Lois Clark.

• Columbus, Ohio, July 3: Dali has been invited to share informally about the situation in Nigeria at the “conversation circle” in the Annual Conference Exhibit Hall hosted by Global Women’s Project. The Womaen’s Caucus, Brethren Mennonite Council, and the Open Table Cooperative also are sponsoring the “conversation circle.” The conversation with Rebecca Dali will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 3.

• Columbus, Ohio, July 5: Dali will address the delegate body of the Annual Conference at the start of the afternoon business session on Saturday, July 5, at 1:55 p.m. The church will be invited into a time of prayer for Nigeria, and congregations will be invited to bring forward their cards for EYN.

• Beavercreek, Ohio, July 6: Beavercreek Church of the Brethren will host a presentation at 6:30-8 p.m. The event is planned “to give us some insight to the struggles in Nigeria” an invitation said. “We welcome Dr. Rebecca Dali...who will share her experiences as founder of CCEPI in helping the families of northeastern Nigeria. At the Headquarters and Kulp Bible College of the EYN, Dr. Dali and the staff of the CCEPI, with the help of Church of the Brethren mission workers, distributed 4,292 articles of clothing, 2,000 kilograms of corn, and buckets and cups to 509 refugees who had lost at least one member of their family and were forced to leave their homes because of attacks by the Boko Haram. In May, Dr. Dali visited with the families of the abducted girls in Chibok, bringing relief supplies for those who lost homes, listening to their concerns and frustration and offering prayers and support.”

• North Manchester, Ind., July 7: Dali will be at the North Manchester Public Library at 7 p.m., hosted by Sally Rich. The event will take place in the Blocher Room. An invitation notes that Dali and CCEPI “were among the first to visit the families of the abducted girls. Dr. Dali will share stories of her work not only with the Chibok families, but with the many other victims whose stories are not as well known, but equally important.” The talk is open to the public and is free; however, donations will be accepted.

• South Bend, Ind., July 8: Crest Manor Church of the Brethren will host a presentation by Dali at 7 p.m.

• Adel, Iowa, July 12: Panther Creek Church of the Brethren will host a presentation by Dali at 12 noon.

• Chicago area, July 11: Tentative plans are being made for a speaking engagement at one of the Church of the Brethren congregations in the Chicago area.

Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

Roxane and Carl Hill at the church planting conference in Richmond, Ind., after their return from completing a term of service as mission workers and teachers at Kulp Bible College in Nigeria.

Opportunities to hear the Hills speak

Roxane and Carl Hill recently returned to the United States after completing a term of one-and-a-half years teaching at Kulp Bible College, a school of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria located in Kwarhi, near the EYN headquarters, in northeastern Nigeria.

The Hills have already begun a tour of presentations at Church of the Brethren congregations in the midwest, and they plan to be at Annual Conference. Most of their Sundays are booked through August, but congregations interested in hosting them for a mid-week event should contact Kendra Harbeck at kharbeck@brethren.org.

The Hills’ summer schedule:

• Beavercreek, Ohio, on June 29, hosted by Beavercreek Church of the Brethren.

• Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6, where the Hills will attend Annual Conference.

• Akron, Ohio, on July 13, hosted by Eastwood Church of the Brethren.

• Littleton, Ohio, on July 20, hosted by Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren.

• Online with Living Stream Church of the Brethren on July 27.

• Roanoke, Va., on Aug. 10, hosted by Peters Creek Church of the Brethren. Pastor Jack Lowe also hopes to host a Virlina District-wide event for the Hills that afternoon, in addition to welcoming them to the Sunday morning service.

• Manassas, Va., on Aug. 17, hosted by Manassas Church of the Brethren.

• McGaheysville, Va., on Aug. 20, hosted by Mountain View Fellowship.

• Johnstown, Pa., on Aug. 27, hosted by Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren.

• Mechanicsburg, Pa., on Aug. 31, hosted by Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren.

For more information contact Kendra Harbeck, manager, Global Mission and Service Office, Church of the Brethren, 847-429-4388 or kharbeck@brethren.org.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

CWS international situation report: Nigeria displacement crisis

While the global community has been watching Nigeria following the April kidnapping of 223 girls by the Boko Haram extremists, that event has to be seen in the context of an even larger humanitarian problem. Religious, ethnic, and land-based conflicts have uprooted 3.3 million people in Nigeria, according to a recent report by the Norwegian Refugee Council. That makes the number of displaced in Nigeria the largest in Africa and the third largest (after Syria and Colombia) in the world.

The militarized conflict between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government has made the humanitarian situation particularly dire in the states of Bomo, Yobe, and Adamawa, where more than 250,000 are displaced and where states of emergency have been imposed.

Unfortunately, churches have been targeted for violence. At the same time, churches are providing humanitarian support for uprooted communities.

Church World Service (CWS), members, and partners’ response

A number of CWS member communions and partner agencies that have churches and other ministry relationships in Nigeria are providing support and accompaniment to them and to their wider communities during this difficult time.

Among them:

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA’s partner in Nigeria is the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, and two global personnel are working with the Nigeria-based Mashian Foundation. The ELCA is in contact with these partners and personnel.

• Christian Reformed World Missions and sister agency World Renew, formerly the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, have historic and ongoing ministry relationships in Nigeria. The three closest Nigerian partner denominations are all members of the TEKAN fellowship, to which EYN--the Nigerian Brethren Church--also belongs. Most of the member congregations of these three denominations are located in the "middle-belt" states of Benue, Plateau, and Taraba.

While the three Reformed denominations have not come close to suffering the level of EYN's losses, they have lost members, pastors, and church buildings, according to reports. Many of the incidents in these middle-belt states have been attributed to "Fulani herdsmen" rather than to Boko Haram. Whether there is a link between the Fulani actions and Boko Haram is debated. Christian Reformed groups have North American personnel in Abuja and Jos, and both cities have been hit by Boko Haram bombings over the last three years.

• The Church of the Brethren has deep connections in Nigeria. The Nigerian Brethren Church comprises hundreds of thousands of members. The Church of the Brethren is aware of the many thousands of people who have been displaced from northern Nigeria. The Church of the Brethren in the United States has provided some small funds to the EYN Compassion Fund and would like to begin a much larger fundraising appeal and to encourage other communions to also join the effort. Current needs include food, housing, and schooling support.

Possible responses by CWS and its member communions and partners may be to collaborate on support to those who have been internally displaced. In addition, the CWS Immigration and Refugee Program may work with Nigerian refugees in Cameroon. This could include CWS assistance to urban refugees in Cameroon to become economically self-reliant.

An estimated 30,000 Nigerians have fled into neighboring Cameroon, with many living in camps and rural settlements. Limited access to rural livelihood opportunities is driving working age refugees to Cameroon's capital, in search of income to support their families.

The refugee arrivals from Nigeria are in addition to the more than 200,000 men, women, and children from Central African Republic (CAR) who have sought protection in Cameroon, many fleeing in 2013 after renewed violence in the CAR. According to UNHCR, malnutrition rates among refugees are alarming. There is a high level of family separation and an increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee children and single woman-headed households. There is also a noted infiltration of armed elements into the camps along with recruitment attempts.

Depending on the outcome of further discussions with the Church of the Brethren and others, CWS may issue an emergency appeal in support of response efforts such as the Church of the Brethren EYN Compassion Fund. In addition, CWS is considering how it might play a role in bringing those concerned from the ecumenical family in the United States to some common advocacy efforts around the Nigeria situation.

How to help

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding please visit www.cwsglobal.org or call CWS: 800-297-1516.

Contributions toward the Church of the Brethren relief effort and continuing mission work in Nigeria are received to the Global Mission and Service Nigeria program https://secure2.convio.net/cob/site/Donation2?df_id=1660&1660.donation=form1, the EYN Compassion Fund www.brethren.org/eyncompassion, or the Emergency Disaster Fund www.brethren.org/edf.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

NYC theme song is released, available online

Photo courtesy of the NYC office

Members of the NYC band recording at Andy Murray’s studio in Huntington, Pennsylvania, May 2-4.

“There are only 25 days until the opening worship service at NYC 2014, and we have big news!” reports the National Youth Conference office. “The NYC theme song has been released today!” The 2014 theme song was written by Brethren songwriter and musician Seth Hendricks, and was recorded last month by the NYC worship band at Andy Murray’s studio in Huntingdon, Pa. Download it from the NYC homepage: www.brethren.org/NYC.

“Download the song today and put it on your phone, mp3 player, or computer,” the NYC office invited in an e-mail message to youth. “Can you have it memorized by the time you arrive in Fort Collins?”

The NYC e-mail added: “We hope all of you are growing more and more excited for NYC. Each day here in the office is busier and more exciting than the one before. We have been praying for you every day and we can't wait to see you in Colorado. Blessings as you prepare for NYC over the next 25 days!”

National Youth Conference takes place in Fort Collins, Colo., on July 19-24. Coordinators for the conference are Katie Cummings, Tim Heishman, and Sarah Neher, working with the National Youth Cabinet and Becky Ullom Naugle, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Find out more at www.brethren.org/NYC. Follow the NYC Twitter stream via #cobnyc.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Observance of 150th anniversary of John Kline’s death

By Ron Keener

A play about the last few weeks in the life of martyr John Kline was an added feature in the 150th anniversary of the death of the Civil War-era Brethren leader, who was shot from ambush on June 15, 1864.

“Under the Shadow of the Almighty” was authored by Paul Roth, pastor of Linville Creek Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va., and was one of several events of the June 13-14 observance. Historical presentations, a vesper service at the gravesite marker of Kline, tours of the Homestead and other family houses, and the John Kline Riders on their heritage ride were among events of the weekend.

Photo provided by Ron Keener

The laying of a wreath on John Kline's grave took place during a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of his death. Kline was a Civil War-era Brethren elder and a martyr for peace.

Roth, president of the Homestead Foundation which purchased the site of the 1822 home four years ago, says he wrote the play to recount the final month and a half of John Kline’s life, gleaning information from local historical sources.

Roth will give a lecture on the reasons Kline was killed at the Annual Conference in Columbus in July, at an Insight session, and the Homestead will exhibit at the Conference.

“All the events mentioned in the play actually occurred,” Roth says, “and the characters were real people, cast in a conversation and settings to bring the story of John Kline to life.” Hymns of the period were sung throughout the play at intervals between scenes, adding to the dramatization.

John Kline is significant to the Brethren movement for several reasons, including his mentoring of the church during the Civil War. He has been one of the most beloved Brethren leaders. “Personally,” says Roth, “I have found Kline to be a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ who lived with courage and conviction during the troubling times of the Civil War. He engaged community, government and military leaders to explain the Brethren beliefs, requesting they honor the commitment of the Brethren to be faithful to their calling to not take up arms against another.”

Kline took the stance of nonresistance and, says Roth, “even amid the anxiety of war, he remained centered on his faith in Jesus, believing that nothing could shake him from his appointed task as a minister of the gospel of the Prince of Peace.”

Candlelight dinners will be offered at the John Kline Homestead on Nov. 21-22 and Dec. 19-20 and reservations can be made by calling the Linville Creek Church at 540-896-5001. The dinners are family-style and seating is limited to 32 each night.

The Foundation board has an opportunity to purchase an additional five acres of land adjacent to the home and will meet July 21 to consider a capital fund campaign.

-- Ron Keener of Chambersburg, Pa., is a fourth generation Kline through his grandfather William David Kline of Manassas, Va., and Palmyra, Pa., and his mother Helen Kline. Keener also is a former member of the communications staff of the Church of the Brethren.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Tour canceled for National Youth Orchestra of Iraq

The United States tour of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq has been canceled because of the instability and violence happening in that nation. This announcement was received through the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, which was to host the Iraqi group in what would have been its American debut.

“We regretfully announce that we have cancelled our US tour scheduled for this August,” said the announcement from the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Iraq. “Instability in Iraq has made it impossible for orchestra members to complete the visa process that would allow them to travel, though thankfully all NYOI musicians are currently safe.

“As we look toward the summer of 2015, we are so grateful for all the support shown to us in the US so far. We're looking forward to continuing our partnership with Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in the future, and we encourage everyone to stay up to date with both orchestras by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.”

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

International guests to be welcomed at the 2014 Annual Conference

A number of international guests are to be welcomed at this year’s Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren, which takes places July 2-6 in Columbus, Ohio. Guests are expected from Nigeria, Brazil, and India. Global Mission and Service workers also will be attending from Nigeria, South Sudan, Haiti, and Honduras.

• Rebecca Dali will be attending from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). She is the wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, and founder of a nonprofit organization that is aiding those affected by the violence in northeastern Nigeria, CCEPI, the Center for Compassion, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives.

• Also hoping to attend from EYN are several members of the BEST group of Nigerian Brethren business people: Apagu Ali Abbas, Njidda M. Gadzama, Dauda Madubu, Saratu Dauda Madubu, Esther Mangzha. Some of the BEST group’s attendance may depend on whether they receive visas to enter the United States in time for the Conference.

• Darryl Sankey will be at Annual Conference from the First District Church of the Brethren in India, accompanied by two Indian youth who also will attend this year’s National Youth Conference in Colorado later in July: Darryl’s son Hiren Sankey, and Supreet Makwan. 

• Attending from the Church of North India (CNI) are the Rt. Rev. Silvans S. Christian, Bishop of Gujarat; and Rev. Sanjivkumar Sunderlal Christian, Presbyter in charge of the CNI Church at Valsad.

•  Alexandre Goncalves and his wife Gislaine Reginaldo of Igreja da Irmandade-Brasil (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil). Alexandre is currently pursuing a master of divinity degree at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Ind., and has served as a pastor in Brazil.

Global Mission and Service workers also will be attending Annual Conference including:

• Carol Smith, who is serving in Abuja, Nigeria;

• Carl and Roxane Hill, who recently completed a term of service as teachers at Kulp Bible College in Nigeria;

• Athanasus Ungang, who is serving with the Church of the Brethren mission in South Sudan;

• Ilexene and Kayla Alphonse, who are mission workers in Haiti serving at the guesthouse and headquarters of the Haitian Church of the Brethren near Port-au-Prince.

Also at Conference will be Chet and Lizzeth Thomas, who serve with Proyecto Aldea Global (Project Global Village) in Honduras.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Congregations are invited to bring cards for Nigeria to Annual Conference

All congregations in the Church of the Brethren are invited to send with their Conference delegate to Annual Conference a card of encouragement and prayerful concern for Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

The Annual Conference takes place in Columbus, Ohio, on July 2-6. Find out more about the Conference schedule at www.brethren.org/ac.

The cards for Nigeria will be gathered on Saturday, July 5, at the beginning of the afternoon business session during a time of remembrance and prayer for EYN.  Rebecca Dali, a leading member of the Nigerian church and wife of EYN president Samuel Dante Dali, is expected to briefly address the Conference at the start of that business session.

The cards will be delivered to EYN by denominational staff at the next available opportunity.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

James Risser to serve as director of Brethren Disaster Ministries

James K. (Jamie) Risser of Sterling, Va., will begin July 1 as director of Brethren Disaster Ministries, working with Roy Winter, associate executive director of Global Mission and Service. Risser will work out of offices at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

Coming from a farm background, he has worked in various aspects of home construction including carpentry, drywall, electrical, roofing, and siding. His construction experience includes volunteering with Habitat for Humanity starting in high school and continuing in college when he was a Habitat volunteer and chapter president as well as a local member of the board. He has served as a board member for the McPherson Area Habitat for Humanity.

An ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, he has training in clinical pastoral education. Most recently he pastored Dranesville Church of the Brethren in Herndon, Va. He also has served churches and chaplaincies in Pennsylvania and Minnesota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from McPherson (Kan.) College, and a master of divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary. He completed a year of Brethren Volunteer Service at Koinonia Partners in Americus, Ga.

His previous professional positions have included service as a residential supervisor with Multi Community Diversified Services in McPherson, working with individuals living with disabilities, and a position as chaplain with the Valley Hope Association in Moundridge, Kan. He is currently a staff chaplain at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma, Park, Md.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Brethren bits

• This summer's Youth Peace Travel Team includes Christopher Bache, Christy Crouse, Jake Frye, and Shelley West.  They will be traveling to Church of the Brethren camps and conferences to share peacemaking skills with youth. The first post to the team blog can be found at http://blog.brethren.org/2014/youth-peace-travel-team-2014-camp-mount-hermon-moments .

• On Earth Peace is welcoming Elizabeth Ullery as Peace Day campaign organizer. “Elizabeth brings social media, photography and graphic design skills to our team. Her position focuses on making social media connections to recruit congregations to hold prayers for peace on Sept. 21, and building deeper relationships with people working for peace and reconciliation,” said an announcement. Ullery has been serving as director of church operations for the United Churches of Olympia (Washington), and is convener of the board of directors for the Open Table Cooperative. Connect with the Peace Day planning for this year via Twitter at @PeaceDayPray.

• On Earth Peace is working with six summer interns this year, including two master of divinity students at Bethany Theological Seminary, and the four members of the Youth Peace Travel Team which is a shared ministry of the Church of the Brethren, On Earth Peace, and the Outdoor Ministry Association. The two seminary students are Samuel Sarpiya and Karen Duhai. Both will be working primarily with the Ministry of Reconciliation, and will Annual Conference and National Youth Conference. The agency also has announced a new three-month internship program for college students “to offer skill development and personal growth for emerging peacebuilders in a faith-based nonprofit setting, fulfilling our mission to develop leadership for peace in each generation.” For more information go to www.OnEarthPeace.org/internships .

• “Bear Sightings Provoke Frenzy in Ogle County” was the title of a Channel 5 NBC Chicago report on June 19, of “a black bear making its way through Illinois.” Among places where the bear was spotted: Pinecrest, a Church of the Brethren retirement community in Mount Morris, Ill. "Even though this is kind of exciting for our small town, a bear is not a normal occurrence. Leave it be and let it head where it is going to go. It is a wild animal. If provoked, it could turn against us," said one community leader quoted in the report. Find it at www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Bear-Sightings-Provoke-Frenzy-in-Ogle-County-263707791.html.

• The “Tears and Ashes Bus Tour” offered by CrossRoads Mennonite and Brethren Heritage Center in Harrisonburg, Va., will return later this summer with a day-long bus tour of Civil War sites important to Mennonites and Brethren on Saturday, Aug. 16. The tour will be led by Norman Wenger and David Rodes. Cost is $65, which includes a tour booklet and a box lunch. Seats are limited, make reservations by calling 540-438-1275.

• A peace retreat, “Let’s Get It Together: Conflict Transformation in the Congregation (and Beyond!)” will be held on Sept. 27 in the House of Pillars at Camp Bethel near Fincastle, Va. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. and the retreat will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.  The retreat will be presented by the Virlina District Peace Affairs Committee and the Ministry of Reconciliation of On Earth Peace. “A well-equipped Christian is able to deal with conflict as it arises,” said an announcement from the district. “In this highly interactive workshop, participants will be introduced to basic conflict transformation skills in the morning session. In the afternoon specialized sessions run concurrently for pastors, deacons, youth advisors, and other congregational leaders, and youth.” Cost is $25, and continuing education credit is available. Register by e-mailing virlina2@aol.com or call 540-362-1816. A retreat flier is available by request, e-mail nuchurch@aol.com and use PEACE RETREAT as the subject line.

• Church leaders have met and agreed to advance peace on Korean Peninsula, at a Korea consultation sponsored by the World Council of Churches. “In a first meeting since 2009 and since the 2013 appointment of a new leader for the Korea Christian Federation (KCF) of North Korea, an international group of church leaders from 34 countries, including North and South Korea, met near Geneva, Switzerland, to seek ways to advance reconciliation and peace on the peninsula,” said a WCC release. The group agreed to seek new initiatives to advance peace, such as increasing visits between churches in North and South Korea, inviting younger people around the world to become involved in working for peace on the peninsula, and calling for an annual day of prayer for peace on the peninsula. The group also recommends promoting annual ecumenical meetings and consultations involving Christians from both countries in conjunction with the day of prayer.

• Heeding God's Call, a gun violence prevention group that began at a meeting of the Historic Peace Churches, and based in Philadelphia, Pa., is calling for volunteers. “Volunteers are the backbone of our organization,” said the release. “They serve a variety of functions, from administrative and financial tasks to outreach and fundraising. Volunteering at Heeding is a life-changing and life affirming experience--we rely on the generosity of our volunteers to keep our programs going.” For more information, contact 267-519-5302 or info@heedinggodscall.org . The group also has started a new YouTube channel and posted its first video recently. Find it at www.youtube.com/channel/UCKAzT8utcOXq71Sa2_1IHTw .

• In more news from Heeding God’s Call, the group is joining with Delco United's Walk and Rally for Universal Background Checks, on Saturday, June 28, in Chester, Pa. The event is intended to let politicians know of the desire for every sale of a firearm to be accompanied by a background check. “Over 30,000 Americans die from gun violence every year, but we don’t even screen every person who tries to buy a gun to see if he or she is prohibited from owning one because of a history of domestic violence, criminal activity, or dangerous mental health problems,” said the announcement. “Requiring a background check on every gun sale is a simple change that is long overdue.” The walk begins at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Marker at Calvary Baptist Church in Chester. For more information see http://delcounited.net/2014/05/15/walk-rally-for-universal-background-checks-on-gun-sales .

• IMA World Health has made a campaign on domestic and sexual violence a priority in recent years, called WeWillSpeakOut. IMA World Health is a partner organization to the Church of the Brethren, which its offices on the Brethren Service Center campus in New Windsor, Md. In recent news, IMA World Health and Sojourners partnered to release a report detailing the attitudes of Protestant pastors in the US on the issue of sexual and domestic violence. “The results are compelling and in some instances, troubling,” said a release. “The telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors conducted by LifeWay Research found that an overwhelming majority of the faith leaders surveyed (75%) underestimate the level of sexual and domestic violence experienced within their congregations. Despite its prevalence in society, two out of three (66%) pastors speak one time a year or less about the issue, and when they do speak out, the poll suggests they may be providing support that does more harm than good.” The release added, “The good news is that 80 percent of pastors said they would take appropriate action to reduce sexual and domestic violence if they had the training and resources to do so--revealing a great opportunity to turn this uncertain and unprepared group into powerful advocates for prevention, intervention and healing.” More information is at WeWillSpeakOut.org.

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline

Credits

Newsline is produced by the news services of the Church of the Brethren. Contact the editor at cobnews@brethren.org. Contributors to this issue of Newsline include Deborah Brehm, Kendra Harbeck, Stan Noffsinger, Roy Winter, and editor Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.