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 From nobody@wfn.org  Fri Jan  5 00:00:00 2001
V: 847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
Contact: Walt Wiltschek
Date: Jan. 5, 2001
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

"...a word in season, how good it is!" Prov. 15:23b

NEWS
 1) A workcamp group prepares to head for Nigeria.
 2) McPherson College unveils a church leadership institute.
 3) RNS reports personnel reductions at Church Women United.
 4) Brethren bits: College news, regional youth conferences, New
Windsor, and more.

PERSONNEL
 5) Brethren Benefit Trust names three new employees.

COMING EVENTS
 6) Leadership is announced for BVS 2001 older adult unit.
 7) Plans take shape for 2001 Anabaptist Evangelism Council.

FEATURES
 8) A Brethren worker in Nigeria reflects on his move to Africa.

****************************************************************

 1) Another workcamp group sponsored by the General Board's Global
Mission Partnerships office is preparing for a trip to Nigeria.

Six Church of the Brethren participants, led by workcamp
coordinator Jeff Mummau, will be spending a month in the African
nation, from Jan. 13-Feb. 12. They will be joined by seven
participants from Mission 21 of Europe, formerly the Basel Mission,
for the annual event.

The group will visit a new church in the capital of Abuja, stop at
Brethren mission points in the country, and then spend two and a
half weeks working on an Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (Church of
the Brethren in Nigeria) secondary school in Mubi, next to EYN
headquarters.

Mummau, who is from Elizabethtown, Pa., says that this year's
Brethren contingent has a unique feature: all six have lived in
Nigeria for at least two years previously, as teachers, through the
Peace Corps, or as part of a missionary family. It is Mummau's
fifth year as coordinator.

 2) McPherson (Kan.) College has announced the formation of an
institute for church leadership development. It will aim to assist
in identifying and equipping leaders for church service, focusing
on individual leadership development.

The non-degree program "affirms the historic relationship of the
college with the Church of the Brethren and acknowledges the
college's important responsibility in leadership development as an
educational institution founded by leaders of the Church of the
Brethren," according to a release from the college. It will be open
to people from any denomination, however.

The Rev. Irven Stern has been named coordinator of the new program
and is working with a steering committee to set goals, objectives,
and plans. Steering committee members are: Duane Ramsey, Jim
Tomlonson, John Holderread, Keith Funk, Carolyn Schrock, Edwin
Switzer, Dale Minnich, Manny Diaz, and Bob Knechel.

 3) The following report is from Adelle M. Banks of Religion News
Service:

Church Women United is facing criticism -- and a potential
reduction in funding -- from some of its supporters after officers
of the board of the interdenominational Christian women's group
fired or demanded the resignation of almost half of its staff.

Kathleen Hurty, who served as executive director of Church Women
United, the New York-based organization, said she and four other
full-time employees as well as two part-time workers lost their
jobs Dec. 11. As of Dec. 31, there were eight staffers left on the
organization's payroll.

Hurty said the reason for the terminations was "really unclear."
She said she originally felt pressured to resign, but decided to
withdraw her resignation and considers herself fired.

At least two denominational women's organizations -- those
affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) -- are so upset about the turn of
events they have decided to temporarily withhold their funding of
Church Women United.

Founded in 1941, the racially and ethnically diverse organization
is a grass-roots movement that includes what leaders say is some
500,000 Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox women. Some Church
of the Brethren members are among that group. Those affiliated with
the organization meet regularly in local communities for prayer,
Bible study and discussions of advocacy issues, such as justice for
women and children.

Joyce Sohl, deputy general secretary of the women's division of the
United Methodist Church, said her organization will hold on to its
2001 contribution of $32,000 "until we see what the future
directions are going to be for the national organization and until
there is some justice resolution to the personnel issues." The Rev.
Ellen Frost, senior associate for Disciples Women, the women's
division of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said her
denomination also has decided to withhold its contributions "until
this situation is settled."

The Rev. Jerrye Champion, president of Church Women United,
confirmed three full-time and two part-time staffers were fired and
said two others resigned. "Our intent was to terminate," she said,
declining to explain the reason for the firings. "We were providing
an opportunity for resignation if persons desired to."

Church Women United issued a statement Dec. 21 declaring confidence
in the organization's future, but declining to discuss
"confidential personnel matters."

 4) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 *Manchester College (North Manchester, Ind.) reports that 98.3
percent of its 174 graduates from the class of 2000 are either
employed, attending graduate school, or performing volunteer work.
It is the second highest placement rate in the college's history
after the 98.8 percent reached by the class of 1998. 

 *Joe Buss, manager of the General Board’s New Windsor (Md.)
Conference Center, recently completed all requirements to become a
Certified Conference Center Professional from the International
Association of Conference Center Administrators.

 *The Regional Youth Conference for Midwest youth will be held on
the Manchester College campus (North Manchester, Ind.) April 20-22.
Jeff Carter, associate pastor at the Manassas (Va.) Church of the
Brethren, will be keynote speaker under the theme, "Be an example,"
based on 1 Timothy 4:12. Joseph Helfrich will provide music
leadership, and Ken Medema will share a Saturday evening concert
and be part of a Sunday morning conference-closing worship.
Registration information will be mailed in late January.

 *Volunteers at the Brethren Village Retirement Community
(Neffsville, Pa.) donated a total of 83,281 hours from July 1, 1999
to June 30, 2000.

 *The Atlantic Northeast District Witness Commission is sponsoring
two summer workcamps and a tour group to Nigeria. The workcamps
will be May 31-June 27 (in Lagos) and June 14-July 11 (in Kwarhi);
the tour group will be June 14-27. All will attend the dedication
of the new Abuja church of the Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (Church
of the Brethren in Nigeria) on June 17 and visit major Brethren
sites in the country. Call 717-367-4730 for more details.

 *The Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns is
sponsoring a "Connecting Families Weekend" April 20-22 at
Antiochian Village, Ligonier, Pa. Guest speaker is Nancy Bieber of
Lancaster, Pa. For more information, e-mail
Lshorts13@earthlink.net.

 5) Several new employees are beginning work with Brethren Benefit
Trust this month.

Karla Hignite, who served as an editorial assistant for Messenger
through Brethren Volunteer Service in 1990-91, became interim
senior writer for BBT's Communications and Information Services
Department on Jan. 3. Hignite will prepare reports, special
projects, press releases, and other materials. She is a graduate of
Bethany Theological Seminary and lives in Richmond, Ind., where her
office will be located.

Loyce Swartz Borgman, former interim director of the Church of the
Brethren Washington Office, became interim marketer/sales
representative for BBT's eMountain Communications area on Jan. 2.
She will implement eMountain's 2001 marketing campaign, supervise
its presence at Annual Conference, and work on other leads. She
will work from her home in Oakton, Va.

Eric Thompson, who also served in the General Offices previously as
a Brethren Volunteer Service worker, accepted the position of
information services/eMountain support technician effective Jan. 2.
His main responsibilities will include Web updates, maintenance,
and troubleshooting, as well as working with technological
advancements.

 6) Brethren Volunteer Service has announced that Alice and Larry
Petry of Lakemore, Ohio, will again serve as guest leadership for
the BVS older adult orientation unit.

The Petrys were guest leaders for last year's older adult unit and
have a long history of serving through the church. They have been
BVSers at the World Friendship Center in Hiroshima, Japan, have led
workcamps, and frequently volunteer with Emergency Response/Service
Ministries projects. They are members of the Eastwood Church of the
Brethren, Akron, Ohio.

The orientation, to be held April 30-May 11 in New Windsor, Md., is
a special unit for people 50 years of age and older interested in
serving through BVS.

"Volunteer organizations are expecting older adults to become the
new face of volunteerism in the next century," says Dan McFadden,
director of BVS. He adds that potential volunteers need not make a
commitment to take an assignment but can come to the unit to simply
"test the waters."

The application process for this unit must be completed by March
20. BVS is a program of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Call 800-323-8039 for more information.

 7) Stuart Murray, an Anabaptist scholar and church planter from
England, will be the keynote speaker for the fourth annual
Anabaptist Evangelism Council, to be held Feb. 16-18 at the Church
of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.

Murray will have three major addresses at the three-day event
around the theme "Church Planting: The Spirit at Work Through our
Systems." He will open the event with an after-dinner address Feb.
16. 

Steve Clapp, a religious researcher and board member of the
ecumenical New Life Ministries, will discuss the results of a
recent survey among Anabaptist churches. The research project,
managed by Clapp's co-worker, Angela Zizak, will highlight
"Practical Implications of the 2000 Anabaptist Planting Survey."

Focus groups will interact with Murray, Clapp, and Zizak during
Saturday morning and afternoon sessions. Church-planting stories
will be told after dinner on Saturday evening. After a presentation
Sunday morning by Murray, council participants and a listening
committee will then discuss the input of the weekend, closing with
lunch.

The council, sponsored and planned by New Life Ministries, is an
annual meeting of Anabaptist scholars and practitioners who share
questions of evangelization, church growth and planting, and
congregational vitality. It brings together representatives from
The Brethren Church, Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Church USA,
the Church of the Brethren, and two parachurch organizations:
Christian Community and Shalom Foundation. Beth Sollenberger
Morphew of the General Board's Area 2 Congregational Life Team
represents the Church of the Brethren. Several other Brethren are
also involved with New Life Ministries as staff or board members.

Registration is open to anyone, with a fee of $75 before Jan. 10 or
$100 at the door. Lodging is additional. Contact Joan Hershey of
New Life Ministries at 800-774-3360 for more details.

 
 8) This past summer, Matthew Messick began a two-year term
teaching at the Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria) Comprehensive Secondary School in Jos. He is
serving through the General Board's Global Mission Partnerships and
recently sent an update of his work there. An excerpt follows:

"I've found the students a pleasure to teach. From their general
curiosity to their thirst for knowledge, these students have made
my first three months (and will make the next 21) a pleasure.

"I live in a small community of adult students and their families
who are attending Kulp Bible College. There is no shortage of kids
or soccer games, and since I enjoy both, I often indulge in these
small but loved activities.

"When I came to realize that I had the opportunity to teach in
Nigeria, it didn't seem real. Even now on a Saturday evening
sitting in my house, it does not feel so different from an August
evening in Pennsylvania. But most days while I am working or riding
my bike the quarter-mile to school, I have a surreal feeling. Is
this actually happening to me? Am I really in Africa? Have I
followed where God has led me? And a hundred other questions to try
and verify the reality of my current situation.

"Would I change my choice? Do I regret coming? No! and No! What an
opportunity to explore my faith, God's church, and the world. So to
all the would-be adventurers on the edge of a decision, go ahead
and give it a try. The worst (or best) that will happen is that
you'll never look at life the same again."

Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, manager of news services
for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third
and fifth Friday of each month. Newsline stories may be reprinted
provided that Newsline is cited as the source.

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