wfn.org | CoB Newsline- ABC, OEPA, Youth/Young Adult

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      March 27, 1997
Contact:  Paula Wilding
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline         March 27, 1997  

This is Newsline for the week of March 27. In the news today:  

1) Association of Brethren Caregivers board vows to "remain
     Brethren" and to continue its ministries even though its 
     current partnership with the General Board will end this 
     year.  
2) Openings are still available for 1997 Youth and Young Adult 
     Workcamps. 
3) Eight young adults will serve on the 1997 Conflict Resolution 
     Team in Church of the Brethren camps this summer.  
4) Ministry of Reconciliation announces various events and 
     services it will host prior to and during Annual Conference.
5) An open search for the General Board's director of Ministry is
     announced. 
6) Church of the Brethren offices to be closed for Good Friday.  

1) Regret, appreciation and excitement about becoming an
independent organization was the reaction of the Association of
Brethren Caregivers board when it met March 21-23 and primarily
dealt with the General Boards recent decision to end its funding
of ABC ministries at the end of this year.  

Although ABC is incorporated and has its own board, it has been
closely affiliated with the General Board. ABC currently receives
$60,000 in ministry and personnel funding through the Boards
Parish Ministries Commission. As a result of the General Boards
redesign, formal organizational ties and funding to ABC will
conclude at the end of this year, although the General Board has
stated it will seek a new working relationship with ABC.   

In addition to this new relationship, the General Board will
honor a previous commitment that calls for a $60,000 grant from
its "Behold I make all things new" financial commitment program
to be given to ABC through 2000.  

According to a release, the ABC board during its meetings
expressed regret that the General Board's redesign process "did
not take up the opportunity for a closer contact with ABC and its
ministries." The board did express appreciation for its past and
current affiliation with the General Board, and excitement for
the possibilities that lie ahead as the organization becomes
independent.  

ABC's officers (Mary Sue Rosenberger, Bob Cain Jr., Jay Gibble)
will initiate dialog with Annual Conference and the General Board
"to establish cooperative working relationships." The ABC board
will also seek closer relationships with other Brethren agencies.

Though its relationships with denominational agencies will
change, the ABC board voted to maintain its current ministries,
which include:          
*Caring Ministries 2000 conference, Aug. 11-15, at Manchester
College, North  Manchester, Ind.         
*National Older Adult Conference, Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 1998        
*Lafiya: A Whole-Person Health Ministry         
*the Denominational Deacon Ministries         
*the Fellowship of Brethren Homes         
*the Chaplains Association         
*the VOICE task group, which encompasses the conditions of
children, addictions,  HIV/AIDS and mental health         
*the Church and Persons with Disabilities Network         
*loans and scholarships for Brethren students in health care
training         
*summer chaplaincy internships at Brethren homes        
*sponsorship of Bethany Theological Seminary's Masters level
courses in health and  caring.  

To assist in its transition to independence, ABC's officers,
board and staff will draft personnel policies, a 1998 budget and
bylaws, and will plan on recruiting a successor to Jay Gibble,
who plans to retire in 1998. The present contract with the
General Board for office space, accounting and  computers will
continue through 1997. And, in September, ABC will implement a
four-person staff structure: executive director, director of
Communication, director of Resources and an administrative
assistant.  

The 1997 ABC Annual Meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13 in North
Manchester, Ind. For more information on ABC, contact ABC at 800
323-8039 or at CoB.ABC.parti@Ecunet.Org.    

2) The opportunity to work for a week with other Brethren of the
same age in settings around the United States is still available
this summer for Brethren youth through workcamps. Twenty-one
workcamps are being offered this year by Youth and Young Adult
Ministries, from May through August, though some of the workcamps
has been filled.   

Six workcamps will be held for junior high youth. The July
30-Aug. 3 workcamp in Philadelphia has reached its capacity, but
five other workcamps are still available: New Windsor, Md., June
23-27; Harrisburg, Pa., June 25-29; Dayton, Ohio, July 16-20;
Indianapolis, July 30-Aug. 3; and Richmond, Va., Aug. 6-10.  

Fourteen workcamps are geared for senior high youth. The
workcamps that are still accepting registrations are: Germantown,
Pa. (with Brethren Revival Fellowship), June 22-29; La Verne,
Calif., July 7-13; Sedalia, Colo., July 14-20; Ephrata, Pa.; July
21-27; Orlando, Fla., Aug. 4-10; Perryville, Ark., Aug. 10-16;
and Washington, D.C., Aug. 11-17. The senior high workcamps
already filled are: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, June 16-22;
San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 16-22; Orangesburg, S.C., July 7-13;
Chicago, July 14-20; Americus, Ga., July 21-27; Rosebud, S.D.,
July 21-27; and Lend-A-Hand, Ky., July 28-Aug. 3.   

The one workcamp for young adults, May 29-June 8 in Quito,
Ecuador, is full.  

For more information about the workcamps, contact Liz Bidgood and
Greg Enders, 1997 workcamp coordinators for Youth and Young Adult
Ministries, at 800 323-8039 or at CoB.Youth.parti@Ecunet.Org. The
entire workcamp brochure may be accessed on the World Wide Web at
www.tgx.com/cob/wcamp97.htm.   

3) Eight young adults this week were named to On Earth Peace
Assembly's 1997 Conflict Resolution Team. The team will be
divided into four groups, with each group serving this summer at
a Church of the Brethren camp. Their assignment will be to work
with camp staff, counselors and campers on conflict resolution
and mediation skills. Serving at Camp Mardela, Denton, Md., will
be Chris Power, member of Prairie City (Iowa) Church of the
Brethren; and Madylyn Metzger, member of Springfield (Ill.)
Church of the Brethren. Serving at Shepherd's Spring, Sharpsburg,
Md., will be Amanda Ash, member of Carmel (Ind.) Friends Meeting;
and Jessica Hunter, member of San Diego First (Calif.) Church of
the Brethren. Serving at Camp Swatara, Bethel, Pa., will be Jim
Lucas, member of Antioch (Va.) Church of the Brethren; and Erin
Gratz, member of La Verne (Calif.) Church of the Brethren.
Serving at Camp Eder, Fairfield, Pa., will be Brian Bucher,
member of North Manchester (Ind.) Church of the Brethren; and
Sara Stover, member of Quinter (Kan.) Church of the Brethren.   

4) Ministry of Reconciliation recently announced various events
it will host and services it will provide prior to and during
Annual Conference in Long Beach, Calif. Prior to Conference, MoR
will host two workshops -- Conflict Resolution Skills for Church
Leaders, June 30-July 1, and Group Facilitation Skills for
Decision-Making and Reconciliation, July 1. During Conference,
MoR will host the Discipleship and Reconciliation Committee
Luncheon on July 2 and an Insight Session on July 3. MoR will
offer assistance during business sessions, and mediation and
consultation services during Annual Conference week. For more
information, contact Bob Gross at 219 982-7511 or at
BGross@Igc.Org.   

5) An open search for the General Board's director of Ministry
position has been announced. The director will be a member of the
General Board's newly-created interim Leadership Team. The
director will be responsible for the development of a ministry
team; facilitate a leadership development ministry system for
calling, equipping and qualifying people to the ministry; and
work with districts and other denominational agencies on pastoral
ministry and set-apart leadership.  

Applicants should have five years experience in ministry,
administration or a related field, have a Masters of Divinity
degree, be ordained and an active member in the Church of the
Brethren, and be well-grounded in Brethren heritage, theology and
polity. Tentative start date is July 15; location at the General
Board's central offices is preferred. For more information,
contact Glenn Timmons, director of Congregational Life Ministries
for the interim Leadership Team, at 800 323-8039 by May 15.   

6) The Church of the Brethren General Offices, Elgin, Ill., and
the Brethren Service Center, New Windsor, Md., will be closed on
Friday in observance of Good Friday. The offices will reopen on
Monday.   

Newsline is archived with an index at
http://www.tgx.com/cob/news.htm and at www.wfn.org.  

This message can be heard by calling 410 635-8738. To receive
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