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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      May 9, 1998
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline                                          May 9 , 1998
News
1) This year's Health Promotion Sunday, May 17, focuses on
     domestic abuse and violence.
2) National Youth Conference 1998 closes its registration with
     record numbers.
3) The annual Mid-Atlantic District Disaster Auction raised
     nearly $50,000 on May 2.
4) The annual West Marva District Disaster Auction raised nearly
     $4,700 on May 2.
5) The Second Annual Disaster Relief Auction of Middle
     Pennsylvania District is scheduled for this weekend.
6) The Second Annual Brethren Homes Forum on Collaboration was
     held May 1-3.
7) The June Source resource packet has been mailed to Brethren
     congregations.
8) Eighteen students will be awarded degrees today by Bethany
     Theological Seminary.
9) The Eighth Annual International Festival will be held today in
     New Windsor, Md.
10) Bridgewater (Va.) College will hold its commencement on
     Sunday for 194 graduates.
11) Brethren Press releases its summertime curriculum.
12) "Hymns and Songs of the Bible," a forthcoming title in the
     Covenant Bible Studies series, will be available from
     Brethren Press in June.
13) Brethren patients of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., are
     invited to call on the pastoral services of two Northern
     Plains District pastors.
14) The Atlantic Northeast District Brethren Peace Fellowship
     names Cliff Kindy Peacemaker of the Year.
15) The next issue Newsline will be May 21.

Feature
15) Three Brethren offer their perspectives of the Church of the
Brethren Washington Office and Capitol Hill -- a Washington
Office staff member, a college professor who occasionally travels
to Washington to lobby, and a legislative aide to a U.S.
representative.

1) In Long Beach, Calif, last summer, Church of the Brethren
Annual Conference delegates asked Association of Brethren
Caregivers (ABC) to compile resources that could be used to
address domestic abuse and violence.

According to the Los Angeles Times, 22 percent of all Americans
were sexually molested as children. A 1997 study by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation estimated that one out of every four
females will be sexually abused or raped before age 20. A youth
questionnaire sponsored by the Baptist Sunday School Board
indicated that 27 percent of the respondents had been involved in
a physical attack on another person. Twenty-two percent have seen
violence in their homes. Fifty-eight percent feel that violence,
to some degree, is acceptable.

It is with this background that ABC decided to use this year's
Health Promotion Sunday to focus on domestic abuse and violence
using materials it assembled at Annual Conference's request. In
April, ABC mailed a packet of the materials to each Brethren
church in preparation for the May 17 observance. The materials,
said Steve Mason, ABC executive director, "represent some of the
best resources available for congregations wanting effective
tools to prevent and respond to abuse and violence as well as
resources to build healthy family relationships."

The packet includes 10 groups of resources:
     * a violence statistics sheet reprinted from "Violence: The
          Desensitized Generation."
     * a "Making your church a safe place to be" flier, produced
          by ABC.
     * A list of ABC-sponsored events at Annual Conference,
          including support groups for victims of sexual abuse.
     * worship resources that include sermon themes, calls to
          worship, prayers, litanies, benedictions and hymns.
     * three Sunday school lessons.
     * a Child Protection Guide, produced by Survivors and
          Victims Empowered.
     * four resources from Families Against Violence Advocacy.
     * a resources packet for 1998 Family Week by the National
          Council of Churches.
     * an annotated bibliography produced by ABC
     * a Family Ministries booklet, produced by the Church of the
          Brethren General Board.

"Occurances of domestic abuse and violence are not limited to one
day of the year, and we should not respond on only one day of the
year," Mason said. For more information, write ABC@Brethren.Org
or call 800 323-8039.

2) A record turnout of 4,455 youth and advisers is expected this
summer when National Youth Conference 1998 begins in Fort
Collins, Colo. Registration forms needed to be postmarked May 1.
When NYC coordinators officially closed the registration process
on Friday, they had the largest group of registrants in the
conference's history. NYC 1994 attracted 4,120 participants.

NYC 1998 is scheduled from July 28 to Aug. 2 at Colorado State
University.

3) The Annual Mid-Atlantic District Disaster Auction, which was
held Saturday in Westminster, Md, raised nearly $50,000 for
disaster response, nearly $6,000 more than in 1997.

4) The fourth annual West Marva District spring disaster auction,
held Saturday between Philippi and Belington, W.Va., was attended
by about 200 people and raised about $4,700.

5) The Second Annual Middle Pennsylvania District Disaster
Auction is scheduled for this weekend at Morrison's Cove Memorial
Park, Martinsburg, Pa. Twenty-three quilts were scheduled to be
auctioned, as well as crafts, heifers, steers, goats, sheep and
pigs. Organizers hope 3,500 people will attend. Last year's event
raised $53,000. 

Morrison's Cove Home is also scheduled to auction 12 quilts;
proceeds will go to the home.

6) New ways of working together was the focus representatives of
many Church of the Brethren organizations discussed at the Second
Brethren Homes Forum on Collaboration May 1-3. The conference,
which included representatives from 18 retirement communities,
three districts, Brethren Benefit Trust, Congregational Life
Teams of the General Board and the Association of Brethren
Caregivers (ABC), was held at the New Windsor (Md.) Conference
Center. 

Sponsored by the Fellowship of Brethren Homes, an ABC ministry
group, this year's event was the next step in creating a new
model of collaboration for bringing innovative services to
participating Brethren retirement communities, said Mary
Dulabaum, ABC's Communications director. Last year's forum, held
in May, was the first time members of the Fellowship of Brethren
Homes and agencies of the Church of the Brethren met to explore
collaborative possibilities.

Michael Winer, consultant for the American Association of Homes
and Services to the Aging, again served as leader.

 
7) Eighteen students will be awarded graduate degrees today
during the 93rd commencement of Bethany Theological Seminary,
Richmond, Ind.

Thirteen will receive Master of Divinity degrees; four will
receive Master of Arts in Theology. One student will be awarded a
graduate-level Certificate of Achievement in Theological Studies.
Three individuals have completed a degree with a peace studies
emphasis. 

The graduation will be marked by two observances. A 10:30 a.m.
ceremony for conferring degrees will be held at Bethany's Nicarry
Chapel. A 2 p.m. public worship celebration is scheduled in
Carpenter Hall on the adjacent Earlham College Campus.

Earle Fike Jr. of Bridgewater, Va., and chair of the Bethany
Board of Trustees, will speak during the morning ceremony. Jo
Young Switzer, vice president and academic dean at Manchester
College, North Manchester, Ind., will deliver the keynote address
at the worship service.

8) The lively beat of steel drums will be heard once again at the
Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., today, at the Eighth
Annual International Festival from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The
Baltimore Islander's Steel Band will headline the entertainment;
other local and international entertainment will also perform.

More than 30 booths offering ethnic foods and crafts will be set
up. Children's activities involving crafts, musical instruments
from different countries, story telling by a Masai tribal member,
wagon rides and a special international collection of books from
the Carroll County Public Library will be offered.

The festival is sponsored by Brethren Service Center-based
organizations -- the New Windsor Conference Center, Emergency
Response/Service Ministries, SERRV International, On Earth Peace
Assembly and Interchurch Medical Assistance. 

9) One hundred ninety four seniors will receive degrees from
Bridgewater (Va.) College on Sunday. Bachelor of Science degrees
will be awarded to 135 students; 58 will receive Bachelor of Arts
degrees. One student will receive a Bachelor of General Studies
degree.

Andrew Murray, director of the Baker Institute for Peace and
Conflict Studies at Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa., will
deliver the commencement address, "The Fires of Peace." He is a
member of Stone Church of the Brethren, Huntingdon. Murray will
also be awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.
Murray is a 1964 Bridgewater graduate.

10) New summer curriculum for congregations is now available from
Brethren Press.

"Shepherd King: Stories of David" is this year's five-session
Vacation Bible School curriculum from the StoryTeller Series. A
starter kit, including director's guide, storyteller's guide,
leader's guides, songbook, activity posters, audiocassette,
storytelling video and promotional and support material packaged
in a woven bag is $49.99 ($39.99 without the video).

Jubilee: God's Good News has a flexible summer format to adapt to
fluctuating attendance levels. Primary, Middler and Junior Youth
all use a combined teacher's guide in a combined class or
separate age-level groupings. These materials are new Cycle D
curriculum, not a repeat. Interested churches can order one
combined teacher's guide ($16.45) for each classroom plus a
student pack ($4.95) for each student. Early Childhood summer
materials include a teacher's guide, a student pack and a
resource box.

This summer's Generation Why Bible Studies for youth are "Fight
Right: A Christian Approach to Conflict Resolution" (5 sessions,
$12.95) and "Dating: The Art of Respect" (6 sessions, $14.95).
Generation Why can be used in camp, retreat and youth group
settings as well as in the classroom.

For more information, contact Brethren Press at
BPress_GB@Brethren.Org or 800-441-3712. 

11) Some of the most stirring passages of scripture are the
songs, poems, psalms, hymns and laments found throughout the
Bible. How these texts were used by the early church and how they
connect with the songs and hymns of today is examined in "Hymns
and Songs of the Bible" by Mary Ann Parrott, a forthcoming title
in the Covenant Bible Studies series.

Parrott, a musician specializing in organ and composition, lives
in Pomona, California.

"Hymns and Songs of the Bible" will be available in June for
$5.95 plus postage and handling. Contact Brethren Press at
BPress_GB@Brethren.Org or 800-441-3712. 

12) The June mailing of the Source resource packet has been
mailed. This issue includes an album jacket from the "Keep the
Faith" video, which is being sent out to all Church of the
Brethren congregations; "Will you go with us?" the annual report
from Emergency Response/Service Ministries; a folder describing
the Peace to the City Campaign of the World Council of Churches;
the 1998 Brethren Volunteer Service Project Book; and a flier on
LIFE (Living in Faithful Evangelism), a new two-year process for
congregations interested in church vitality, evangelism, church
growth and congregational outreach.

Also included is a worship resource for National Youth Conference
Prayer Day (July 12); the new edition of "What's Happening in
Youth Ministry"; and "Peace Papers," a weekly lectionary-based
resource for children ages six to nine by Parenting for Peace and
Justice Network.

For more information, contact Howard Royer at
HRoyer_GB@Brethren.Org or 800 323-8039.

13) Knowing that people from all over the U.S. are referred to
the Mayo Clinic and connecting hospitals in Rochester, Minn., the
Church of the Brethren Northern Plains District is offering
pastoral contact for Brethren patients and their families while
at one of the medical facilities. 

The clinic is within the district's boundaries and is within easy
driving distance for two pastors -- Gordon Hoffert, pastor of
Lewiston (Minn.) Church of the Brethren, and Frances Townsend,
pastor of Root River (Minn.) Church of the Brethren.

Hoffert and Townsend are making themselves available because most
Brethren patients at Mayo are too far away for care from their
own pastors. The district will pay for the pastors' expenses out
of its "Rochester Ministry" fund.

Pastors who have parishioners at Mayo are encouraged to contact
the district at 515 964-4816 or CBurkholder_DS@Brethren.Org. Or
call Hoffert (507 523-3117) or Townsend (507 765-4772).

14) The 32nd Annual dinner meeting of the Atlantic Northeast
District Brethren Peace Fellowship was held April 30 at Brethren
Village, Lancaster, Pa.

Cliff Kindy of North Manchester, Ind., was named 1998 Peacemaker
of the Year. His citation read in part, "He puts his body where
his mouth is -- both in dangerous and public ways and quietly in
private, personal ways."

Kindy, who for nine years has served on the Christian Peacemaker
Teams Steering Committee, was a member of the first long-term
team sent to the refugee camps of Gaza Strip in the Middle East.
He also has traveled to Israel and Palestine on several
occasions. Kindy and his family have intentionally chosen to keep
their income below the level at which they would be required to
pay war taxes. They affirm that simplicity in living is an
important first step in justice-building for those of developed
countries.

Henry Long, former executive of the Foreign Missions Commission
for the Church of the Brethren General Board and former professor
of Sociology at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, delivered the
keynote address. Stewart Kauffman, former General Board staff
member and former pastor at Stone Church of the Brethren,
Huntingdon, Pa., entertained with his classical guitar. Wayne
Zunkel, editor of the Peace Fellowship newsletter, served as
master of ceremonies.

16) The Church of the Brethren Washington Office and Capitol
Hill: What is the relationship? What should it be, if there is
one at all? Three Brethren offer their varying perspectives of
the Office and the Hill -- Heather Nolen, a Washington Office
staff member; Steve Longenecker, a professor at Bridgewater (Va.)
College who occasionally travels to Washington to lobby; and
Rodney Whitlock, a legislative aide to a U.S. Rep. Charlie
Norwood (R-Ga.)

Heather Nolen --
For the first time since I began my Brethren Volunteer Service
project in the Washington Office last fall, Brethren seem to be
converging on Capitol Hill. In the past month, Steve Longenecker,
professor of History from Bridgewater (Va.) College; Shelly
Ungemach, a Brethren student at Eastern Mennonite University,
Harrisonburg, Va.; and Velma Shearer from West Milton (Ohio)
Church of the Brethren have met with with congressional staffers
to discuss federal policy. 

Steve voiced opposition to the proposed Istook amendment to the
Constitution that would end the high wall of separation between
church and state and would allow for government-endorsed school
prayer. Shelly urged legislators from Pennsylvania and Virginia
to restore food stamps to legal immigrants and to increase the
minimum wage. And just Wednesday, Shearer met with senate office
staff whom she encouraged to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty. The Washington Office coordinated Steve and Shelly's
appointments, and was pleasantly surprised when Shearer appeared
at our offices and reported on the visits she'd already
conducted.

As I accompanied Steve and Shelly on their appointments, we knew
that our motivation for visiting the Hill was unique. "(As)
Christ's disciples, (we) strive for a standard higher than that
of the world," said Steve. "While I hoped to be a competent
spokesperson on the legislation, I thought it more important to
witness Brethren faith effectively." 

In discussing the need to create a living wage for all Americans,
Shelly found that she and the legislative offices had opposing
perspectives. "Time and time again when we broached the issue of
raising the minimum wage, we were told that to mess with the
invisible hand of the market would only harm the people we were
trying to help," she said. The standard argument was that an
increase in the minimum wage would prevent businesses from
increasing their staff size or not allow them to maintain their
current staff size due to labor expenditures." 

Nevertheless, the visits were successful. They brought us closer
to legislative process and the legislators who wield tremendous
power. Steve's visit caused one legislative director to seek our
advice on a possible bill related to conscientious objection.

As a BVSer, it's exciting to be a part of this process. Growing
up I did not perceive lobbying/advocacy to be an integral part of
living out my faith. We Brethren are in our element when we
serve. I would argue, however, that taking the time to study
Brethren Annual Conference statements, researching an issue, and
then presenting our views to legislators is truly a form of
service. Brethren are typically "in the field" in our efforts to
serve others -- we'd be lost without that heritage, but we should
also embrace Christ's witness of love, compassion and justice as
part of our Christian citizenship.

The Washington Office is not filling campaign coffers, although
congressional staffers recognize us as "Washington Office" staff
when we go to the Hill. Legislators would rather listen to
informed voters from their district/state who have the power to
energize the grassroots than to Washingtonian types. I see the
Washington Office as being able to help facilitate this dialogue
between Brethren and legislators. The legislative process is
complex, information on any given issue abounds, and the
desire/energy to be politically engaged is often overshadowed by
our busy work schedules. But part of our service role here is to
keep Brethren informed and to help them to be effective
advocates. I know that when my BVS service comes to an end, I
will be a changed person. Some Brethren steer clear of social
activism, but for me, it's at the heart of my Christian witness.

Steve Longenecker--

I recently accompanied Heather Nolen and Costa Nickolaidus,
BVSers in the Washington Office, to Capitol Hill to oppose a
proposed Constitutional Amendment that would lower the barriers
of separation between church and state. 
 
In our conversations with staff members in Congressional offices,
Costa, Heather and I did our best to present a brief, persuasive
argument. We stressed that Brethren support the current balance
between church and state under the Constitution and that attempts
to alter the first Amendment would at best be redundant and at
worst confusing or damaging. Annual Conference, which clearly
opposes any change in the current high wall of separation of
church and state, bound our position. I also pointed to the
Brethren heritage of persecution, not just in Europe but in North
America, as a source of the denomination's fear of government
involvement in religion. I mentioned that my workplace,
Bridgewater College, has a building, the John Kline Campus
Center, named for a martyr who suffered persecution for his
religious beliefs. 
 
But in requesting appointments with Congressional offices, I had
motives besides mere lobbying: I wanted to use the proposed
amendment as an opportunity to tell the Brethren story to anyone
on the Hill who would listen. Thus, because Christ's disciples
strive for a standard higher than that of the world, we violated
several conventional lobbying techniques; We wanted to witness
first and be effective lobbyists second. Heather, for example,
worked the "peacefully, simply, together" line into each
conversation. 
 
In this spirit, I included free will conversion in the
presentation. Because Brethren adhere to believers' baptism and
claim that salvation is freely available to anyone, government
can do little to help religion except to stay away. I cited a
Scripture popular with early Brethren -- "I give water without
price from the fountain of the water life" (Rev. 21:6) -- to
emphasize attainability of salvation without third party
intervention. Scripture may not be commonplace among the movers
and shakers on the Hill, but we included it anyway.
 
Similarly, at the conclusion of each conversation I asked each
staffer to "tell us a little bit about their personal religious
life." I doubt that this question is asked very often on the
Hill, but I wanted staff members to know that their spiritual
life interested us as much as their boss's vote. Moreover, the
question was a nonthreatening reminder that we were spiritually
based; it also represented an attempt to establish a personal
connection with those we visited. Most responded enthusiastically
to the inquiry and provided interesting information. 
 
Finally, in several conversations, I mentioned that Costa,
Heather, and I were all were volunteers. Some in the
hyper-machismo world of the Hill might have taken this as an
indication of weakness, but it seemed part of our identity and
our witness

I became interested in attempts to amend the Constitution several
years ago when I concluded that my religious life lacked
involvement in social action. Once I had been heavily active; I
have always believed that God wants us to contribute to social
justice. However, over the years, for a variety of reasons, that
part of my life disappeared. So I contacted Tim McElwee, then the
director of the Washington Office, and volunteered. Tim used me
to cover a field hearing of the House Subcommittee on
Constitutional Amendments in my hometown of Harrisonburg, Va.,
and I drafted a release for the press table. The press release
emphasized the John Kline story, who lived and was murdered just
a few miles from the site of the hearing. I saw the Committee's
lawyer pick it up and read it, so I guess it was worth the
effort.

As the staff at the Washington Office changed, I stayed on the
issue and drafted a statement for the Office to use as it saw
fit. Eventually, we decided to share the document face to face in
Congressional offices. 

As trips to the Hill go, this one was successful. We had good
exchanges with several staffers. One actually asked us for advice
on another proposed bill, and we enjoyed a thoughtful dialog with
the office of one of the amendment's prime movers. Offices
associated with the evangelical right received us especially
well. As the Washington Office moves into its post-redesign era,
I hope that occasionally it continues to carry the brethren
witness in person to the Hill.  

Rodney Whitlock--
My connection to the Brethren Church began when I met my future
wife in 1989. Lynn and I were married in 1992 at Mill Creek
Church of the Brethren, Tryon, N.C. We were both Ph.D. candidates
in political science at the University of Georgia in 1994 when I
met Charlie Norwood. I worked on Charlie's U.S. representative
campaign, he was elected, and Lynn and I moved to Washington just
before Christmas. The district for which we continue to serve
includes Augusta. 

After moving to Merrifield, Va. (just outside the beltway), Lynn
and I began attending Oakton Church of the Brethren, Vienna, Va.
I formally joined the church through baptism in 1996. I currently
serve on our church board and consider my service to our
congregation one of the highlights of my everyday life.

Being a Brethren, a conservative, and working on Capitol Hill can
seem to present a contradiction. It is not easy, because making
them fit together present some special challenges.

The hardest thing for me to deal with as a Brethren on the Hill
is intolerance. It is the we are right,you are wrong competition
of ideas. People are of the opinion that others who believe
differently than they are automatically wrong. The enmity between
the two parties bothers me. Some liberals and conservatives truly
despise each other. I just don't have it in me. As a Brethren, I
can't feel that anger with another person. I can disagree with
someone on just about every issue under the sun, but I'll still
wash their feet come lovefeast.

I find some conservatives exceptionally hard-headed on some
issues. A moderate conservative is someone who wants to win an
argument with a liberal. A real conservative is someone who'd
rather punch a liberal in the nose. As a Brethren, that attitude
is certainly not my cup of tea.

There is one issue where being a Brethren has changed my
political position. I used to be a supporter of capital
punishment. I felt certain behaviors required the ultimate
punishment. I have never accepted the point of view that the
death penalty is arbitrarily applied. However, I have changed my
view — it simply isn't our job to kill. My Christian conservative
friends will argue that the fifth commandment says "Thall shall
not murder." They argue that capital punishment is not murder. I
think their reasoning is flimsy. 

In our office, I handle health care, banking issues, tobacco,
transportation, taxes, budget issues and one or two other things.
We have a bill to reform the way managed health care does
business that is keeping me extremely busy. I do enjoy the work;
I feel I am making a difference.

One of the more interesting parts of my life as a Brethren on the
Hill is my relationship with the Washington Office. I have had
constant disagreements with the Washington Office over the past
few years. I have exchanged email arguments with the various
staffers. My arguments stem not from belief but from approach. We
all agree that there are certain problems in society that require
action – homelessness, education, crime and punishment, to name a
few. I would argue that the Washington Office too often looks to
government action for answers. My understanding of the Brethren
approach to government is that government should stay out of the
way and let us, the Church community, address problems in our
community. I would rather live in a world where Peacefully,
Simply, Together isn't constantly challenged by tax code changes
and building code regulations. I am bothered by how often the
Washington Office subscribes to the activist, liberal dogma in
dealing with societal problems. We should be concerned about the
economic viability of people at the low end of the income
spectrum. But should the activist position of a government
mandated increase in the minimum wage consistent with Brethren
principles? 

I think the role we as Brethren can play in the political process
is critical. I think Loyce Borgmann, the new Washington Office
manager, is going to do wonderful work and I will help her every
way I can to produce for the Church -- even when we disagree on
the issues. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important I
think the Washington Office is to the Church. We should make our
witness to our representatives at critical junctures in the
legislative process. Let them know how we, as Brethren, feel
about issues that are important to us. There are many issues
ahead that a Brethren perspective would be very appropriate,
including tobacco, military spending and immigration. Even if
your representative doesn't agree with you, if we acknowledge the
way government affects our ability to live out our lives in
Jesus' name, we should be engaged with our government.

For me, the Church serves an important role in my life. It helps
me remember that there is more to life than politics. Some people
in Washington forget that sometimes. The community of faith that
I serve helps me keep focused on the real issues in life. In
that, more than anything else, being a Brethren on the Hill is
easy.

(Heather Nolen can be reached at WashOfc@AOL.Com; Steve
Longenecker at SLongene@Bridgewater.Edu; Rodney Whitlock at
Rodney.Whitlock@mail.House.Gov)

Newsline is produced by Nevin Dulabaum, manager of the General
Board's News Services. Newsline stories may be reprinted provided
it is cited as the source with publication date.

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