wfn.org | Newsline - Church of the Brethren weekly news update

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      April 1, 1998
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline                                          April 1, 1999
News
1) Association of Brethren Caregivers endorses the NCC's statement
     on disabilities.
2) Remembered -- Ken Morse.
3) Eighty-five youth advisers gather together with the assistance
     of anonymous donors.
4) A Disaster Child Care training workshop is scheduled for 
     April 16-17 in Ashland, Ohio.
5) Two districts prepare for their 19th annual meat canning
     project.
6) Judy Mills Reimer sends President Clinton a letter urging debt
     forgiveness to "HIPCs."
7) A $10,000 GFCF grant is allocated to assist people and families
     moving from welfare to self-sustainability 
8) A Brethren farmer will be featured in an upcoming three-part PBS
     series.
9) The NCC begins its Black Family Parenting consultant training.
10) SueZann Bosler takes her anti-death penalty crusade to
     Elizabethtown (Pa.) College.
11) A one-man play on the Gospel of Mark will be presented April 13
     at Elizabethtown (Pa.)   College."
12) Six La Verne, Calif.-area churches revive Steve Engle's "St.
     Judas Passion."
13) Editor's note -- Newsline production schedule for April.

Personnel notices
14) Stanley Dueck to join the General Board's Area One
     Congregational Life Team.
15) Jennifer Leo resigns as Brethren Press marketing manager.
16) The Church of the Brethren General Board seeks a manager of
     office operations.

Feature
17) Logansport (Ind.) Church of the Brethren is on the path toward
     revitalization.

1) The National Council of Churches statement on the rights of
people with disabilities has been endorsed by the Association of
Brethren Caregivers board. By taking this stance during its March
19-20 meetings, the ABC board is encouraging Brethren congregations
and other organizations to do the same.

The statement, written by the NCC's Committee on Disabilities, was
approved by the NCC in November. After reviewing the statement,
members of the Church and Persons with Disability Network (CPDN),
an ABC ministry, endorsed the statement and requested that the ABC
board do the same. As part of CPDN's recommendation, it asked the
ABC board to encourage other Brethren agencies, organizations, and
congregations to review, study, and endorse the statement.

Based on four theological principles, the statement calls for a
refocusing of how people with disabilities are viewed in the church
-- all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26); all
people are called by God (Ephesians 2:10); all people have special
gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4); and all people are invited to
participate in God's ministry (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The statement clarifies the implications of these principles by
stating, "it is the witness of the NCC that all human beings,
including those among us with disabilities, are entitled to rights
in church and society. … The church must exercise its leadership by
its public preaching and teaching but even more by its example as
an inclusive community of faith, using the gifts of all its
members." 

Copies of the statement are included in ABC's Health Promotion
Sunday packets, which are being sent to all Brethren congregations
this month. This year's Health Promotion Sunday, which will be
celebrated on May 16, will focus on disability awareness. For
additional copies, write abc@brethren.org or call 800 323-8039.
Health Promotion Sunday materials will be posted at
www.brethren.org/abc this month.

In other business, the board -- 
*welcomed Jim Tomlonson. Tomlonson, who has resigned as Southern
     Ohio District executive effective July 31, is filling the
     board term vacated by Milton Garcia.
* approved a new mission statement for ABC's Voice ministry group,
     which will broaden its ministry area from focusing on those
     with mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and substance                
     addictions to refocusing on increasing "the visibility and
     participation of those within the  Church of the Brethren who
     are hurting, afraid, silent, and left at the margins." 
* discussed the possibility of creating a program of scholarships
     for Brethren students who are pursuing a career in health care
     or healing arts, and who attend Bethany Theological Seminary
     or a Brethren college or university.
* learned of a new training opportunity for marriage enrichment
     leaders, scheduled for June 23-27 in Warrenville, Ill. Leaders
     for the training will be Don and Joyce Jordan of Fort Wayne,
     Ind., who serve on the Family Life Ministry Cabinet.
* learned that ABC's 57 Deacon Workshop Tour training events were
     attended by 3,653 Brethren from 578 congregations across the
     United States and in Puerto Rico.
* heard a report on how the General Board's ministerial leadership
     paper, which is being submitted to Annual Conference delegates
     this summer, addresses concerns for how chaplains are linked
     to the denomination and the perception that chaplains are not
     in the ministry profession because chaplaincy falls outside of
     congregational ministry.

2) Kenneth Morse, journalist, poet, hymnwriter, and for 35 years
editor with the Church of the Brethren General Board, died on March
23. He was 85.

Beginning work with the denomination in 1943, Morse served seven
years as youth editor, 21 years as Messenger editor, seven years as
Brethren Press book editor, and eight years as a part-time
volunteer, for a total of 43 years. In 1988 he and his wife,
Marjorie, moved from Elgin, Ill., to Timbercrest Home, North
Manchester, Ind.

Among his cherished hymns are "Move in Our Midst," "For We Are
Strangers No More," "Brothers and Sisters of Mine," and the
translation of "Praise, I Will Praise You, Lord." Morse holds the
distinction of being the only person to have served on both the
1951 and 1992 Brethren hymnal committees.

3) Eighty-five youth advisers gathered in Southern Ohio March 12-14
for renewal and training in youth ministry, including worship,
workshops, and fellowship. With the assistance of anonymous donors,
the event was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Dayton, Ohio, and all
expenses except for $30 per person were covered. "Since most youth
advisers never go on youth ministry events without a sleeping bag,
the weekend was an unusual treat," said Chris Douglas, coordinator
of the Church of the Brethren General Board's Youth/Young Adult
Ministry. "I'm grateful to those in the district who had the vision
to organize this special training event and who encouraged the
Southern Ohio District to establish a special Youth Ministry Fund
to offer training events like this again."

4) A Disaster Child Care training workshop has been scheduled for
April 16-17 at Maple Grove Church of the Brethren, Ashland, Ohio,
by the Church of the Brethren General Board's Emergency
Response/Service Ministries. This ecumenical volunteer ministry
trains people 18 and over to work with children and families who
are traumatized by a disaster. This specific event is being
sponsored by the Northern Ohio District women's group. Contact
Marlene Shoup at 419 869-7136.

5) The 19th annual beef canning project of the Church of the
Brethren Southern Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic districts is
scheduled for April 5-10 at Christian Aid Ministries in Ephrata,
Pa. This year's goal is to process 50,000 pounds of beef. Half of
the meat will be distributed throughout the two districts; the
other half will be sent abroad. Last year's effort produced 26,974
cans -- 562 cases.

Two shifts of volunteers will be scheduled each day -- 6-11 a.m.
and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are still openings. Contact Georgia
Markey at gmarkey_ds@brethren.org or at 717 624-8636. 

6) A letter to President Clinton urging debt forgiveness for
so-called "Heavily Indebted Poor Countries" -- nations whose
enormous international debt repayments have caused cuts in social
services to their already-poor citizens -- was sent March 15 by
Judy Mills Reimer, executive director of the Church of the Brethren
General Board. Basing her letter on a resolution adopted by the
Board at its March meetings, she urged special consideration for
the countries of Honduras and Nicaragua, both struggling to recover
from the ravages of Hurricane Mitch. The letter coincided with
Clinton's recent visit to Central America.  

Congregations will also be urged to make their voices heard on this
issue. A petition supporting the interfaith Jubilee 2000 campaign
will be mailed this month to over 600 Congregational Peace
Coordinators by the Board's Brethren Witness office. The petitions
are to be returned to the Washington Office by May 15. Contact
Brethren Witness at witness_gb@brethren.org or at 800 323-8039.

7) A $10,000 grant from the Church of the Brethren General Board's
Global Food Crisis Fund was allocated March 10 to assist the
Hand-in-Hand project in Grand Junction, Colo., an ecumenical effort
to assist people and families moving from welfare to
self-sustainability. The funds will be used for health and
nutrition education, violence reduction, ongoing support for those
in new jobs, and assistance in problem resolution.

8) The delicate relationship between people and the world they
inhabit will be explored in a new three-part documentary
miniseries, "Journey to Planet Earth," premiering April 6 from 10
to 11 p.m. ET on PBS. Among the stories featured will be one of
Steve Groff, a Lancaster (Pa.) tomato farmer and member of ACTS
Covenant Fellowship, a Church of the Brethren fellowship in
Lancaster.

Groff will be featured on "Land of Plenty, Land of Want," (April
20, 10-11 p.m. ET) which visits diverse farming communities on four
continents to examine worldwide problems of feeding a growing
population. The first program, "Rivers of Destiny" (April 6, 10-11
p.m. ET), will look at the threat to the world's river system. "The
Urban Explosion" (April 13, 10-11 p.m. ET) explores the effects of
rapid, massive urbanization through journeys to four of the world's
megacities.

Free educational resources are available from PBS; some, including
a teacher's guide and brochure, are available at
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/science/planetearth. For more
information on the series, contact Michele Reap at 803 737-3394.

To learn more about Groff and his farming, visit
http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com.

9) On March 24-27, the National Council of Churches concluded its
first step at trying to strengthen Black families for the new
millennium as it "graduated" 25 Black Family Parenting consultants
in Atlanta. The first training segment for this group was Feb.
24-27 in Atlanta, which drew on faith resources and on the history
and strengths of the Black family.

These consultants are committed to recruiting at least two churches
to provide at least two Parenting Seminars apiece during the coming
year. Meanwhile, a second group of 25 consultants will begin
training May 19-22 and complete it June 16-19 in Nashville.

The Effective Black Parenting initiative is made possible by a
$134,760 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. It is being conducted by
the NCC's Office of Family Ministries and Human Sexuality in
cooperation with 10 denominations, including historic African
American churches and other denominations with significant African
American memberships.

10) SueZann Bosler will share her story about how she became a
vocal opponent of the death penalty, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. April 9
at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. The lecture will be held at the
Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. Admission is free
and open to the public.

Bosler and her father, Bill, former pastor of First Miami (Fla.)
Church of the Brethren, were brutally attacked in their home in
1986. Bill died from his wounds and James Campbell, the attacker,
received the death penalty. For about a decade, Bosler worked at
trying to get Campbell's sentence commuted to life in prison; that
verdict was finally rendered in June 1997 following a hearing in
which only Bosler appeared and spoke on Campbell's behalf.

Bosler's story has been told on "48 Hours," in People Magazine, and
in other national TV and print media.

11) "Afraid: The Gospel of Mark," a one-man play that translates
the Gospel into a contemporary setting using audience interaction,
humor, and dramatic suspense, will be presented at 7 p.m. April 13
at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. Television and film performer Frank
Runyeon will give the performance, which will be followed by a
discussion about his life as a Christian in Hollywood. Call 717
361-1260.

12) "St. Judas Passion," a contemporary opera that explores the
relationship between Jesus and Judas, was presented in a condensed
concert version March 28 at La Verne (Calif.) Church of the
Brethren. The performance, attended by over 800 people, was
sponsored by six La Verne/San Dimas community churches.  

The three-act opera was composed by Steve Engle in 1972 in three
weeks, after he was denied permission to produce "Jesus Christ
Superstar." Engle was the music director of the La Verne Church of
the Brethren from 1973 until 1986. He now resides in Pennsylvania
and works as a professional ventriloquist.

Engle returned to La Verne to direct the March 28 performance that
included soloists, a choir, and a 28-piece orchestra. Three of the
soloists repeated their roles they had performed in the 1972
premiere and on the 1973 RCA recording -- John Gingrich as Caiphas,
Susan Welch as Claudia, and Craig Suttle as Judas.

13) Newslines this month will be sent on the first, eighth, and
23rd. This change in schedule is necessary as I will be on
assignment during part of this month. -- nld

14) Stanley Dueck has accepted the call to serve as part-time Area
One Congregational Life Team member for the Church of the Brethren
General Board, effective June 14. Dueck has a bachelor's degree
from Fresno Pacific University and a Master of Divinity degree from
Lancaster Theological Seminary. He has served as associate pastor
at Coventry Church of the Brethren, Pottstown, Pa., since 1995 and
will continue in that role.

15) Jennifer Leo has announced her resignation as marketing manager
of Brethren Press after more than five years of service, effective
April 16. She will be joining Northern Illinois University Press as
marketing director.

16) The Church of the Brethren General Board seeks a manager of
office operations. This full-time, Elgin, Ill.-based staff will
work directly with the executive director. Contact Elsie Holderread
at eholderread_gb@brethren.org or at 800 323-8039 by May 21.

17) Jeff Graham and Aaron Gross were licensed into the ministry
five years ago. The two had assisted in pastoral leadership with
their own congregation, Mexico (Ind.) Church of the Brethren, and
felt called to serve actively in the larger church. About a year
ago their opportunity came knocking.

The small Logansport (Ind.) Church of the Brethren was suffering
from a declining membership; budgetary woes; and the lack of a
centered, spiritual focus. With the involvement of South/Central
Indiana District executives Harriet Finney and Ron Finney, and
Duane Grady, staff of the General Board's Area 2 Congregational
Life Team, the Mexico and Roann (Ind.) churches decided to assist.
Mexico offered to lend Jeff and Aaron to Logansport and pay their
salaries for one year. The district agreed to pay mileage, and the
Roann church offered people to assist at Logansport in worship,
Sunday school, on the church board, and elsewhere where needed.

At a time when many Church of the Brethren congregations are
struggling in myriad ways, this is a story of renewal, of
partnership, of fresh ways of handling old problems. According to
Grady, this is a story of successful risk taking because of the
willingness to approach mission work from a spirit of cooperation.
This is Logansport's story, as told by Aaron Gross and Ron Finney
--

Aaron
Many congregations within the Church of the Brethren are struggling
to keep their heads above water -- in attendance, in finances, and
in spiritual focus. This situation is not new to me. I grew up in
a small church and remember the congregation trying to call a
pastor while struggling to pay the bills. We didn't come together
to worship, we came together to try to keep the church doors open.
But this is not God's intent for His church. I know God wants His
church to thrive. So how can the church of Christ go from surviving
to thriving? 

Ron
In the fall of 1997, Harriet and I held a number of consultations
with the Logansport Church board, which were prompted by their
sense of impending closure of the church if something dramatic did
not happen. In January 1997, church members voted to end their
six-year yoked pastorate arrangement with the nearby Pittsburg
Church of the Brethren and trust in God for a new life-giving
vision. They indicated they were ready to set aside their church as
they've known it for 25 years to re-start their congregation.

With Logansport's blessing, the District board assumed
responsibility for the church and drafted a plan. The unique
solution called for Logansport to enter into a sister church
relationship with the neighboring Roann and Mexico congregations,
a proposal affirmed by those churches. A new leadership team was to
be formed, including pastoral, administrative, and evangelistic
leadership. Early on the oversight role of the district was
clarified, and the assistance of the General Board's Congregational
Life Team staff was sought. The partnership has worked well, in
large part, because of the trust among those involved. Nearly a
year ago, Aaron and Jeff were appointed by the District Board and
by members of a new joint leadership team to serve as Logansport's
pastors.

Aaron
To prepare for its new beginning, the Logansport church was closed
for two weeks in late July with members worshiping at Roann and
Mexico. This gave Logansport members the chance to meet their
sister congregations. 

The mission began on Aug. 1. Jeff and I brought with us a mission
statement -- "Showing the love of Jesus in our community." We also
brought goals of evangelism and growth. "If we want this church to
grow," we said, "we need to show the love that Jesus Christ has for
the world. We need to give of ourselves, of our time, of our money,
and of our love." We told of our belief that God wanted to bring
100 newly converted Christians into this church in the next year.
This evangelizing the unsaved was a new concept for some. How do we
go about evangelizing the unsaved? Part of our task at Logansport
has been working with the congregation at answering that question.

We asked God to bring five strong Christian families to help us
minister to the people. Church members needed to be discipled. They
needed to be taught. And most of all, they needed to believe that
they and their church could grow. 

We first saw growth in fellowship. Members began welcoming and
loving visitors and each other in a Godly way. If we wanted to
bring people into the kingdom, we needed to show them that we
cared. If we didn't show them Christian love, they wouldn't have
returned.

Spiritual growth was next. Many Logansport members began attending
Sunday school and reading their Bibles. Those who did not own
Bibles bought them. Members began coming to the alter for prayer.
They were hungry for the word of God, wanting more of Jesus Christ
in their life and seeking the Holy Spirit's presence in worship
services. 

Revival is breaking out at Logansport and we are riding the wave of
the Spirit of God. Jeff and I know that God wants numerical growth,
that is a given. But is the congregation willing to continue its
spiritual growth? If so, God will move in our midst -- the Holy
Spirit will lead people to Jesus. 

The average worship attendance for the first six months of 1998 was
49. In November and December, the church baptized 10 people,
received two by transfer of membership, and experienced an average
worship attendance of 95. In April we will baptize at least six
more. Praise God! We are not into outdoing the past, but we aren't
looking back -- We are into doing God's work. We are about people.
We are about our two-year plan. And it is about Jesus. 

Small groups, kindness evangelism, back-yard ministries, and many
more activities are all part of the plan. Though we are not sure of
the length of our stay at Logansport, it truly doesn't matter. We
know that God has orchestrated this process from the beginning --
God prepared the hearts of the Logansport congregation; God gave
direction to the district on how to begin this process; God worked
in the General Board's Congregational Life Teams to document this
process for other congregations; God allowed Mexico and Roann to
see Logansport as a mission field; God sent missionaries from the
two churches; God gave Jeff and me the vision and energy to begin
the process. 

God is in control! There is no way this mission could have come
together without Him. We will give God the Glory for what He has
done.

(An Insight Session at this summer's Annual Conference in
Milwaukee, will focus on the renewal of the Logansport church.)

Newsline is produced by Nevin Dulabaum, manager of the Church of
the Brethren General Board's News Services. Newsline stories may be
reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source and the
publication date is included.

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