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Date: May 31, 2002
Contact: Walt Wiltschek
V: 847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

NEWS
 1) Brethren member Nathan Musselman released from Israeli prison.
 2) Michigan ordination decision draws strong response.
 3) Church planting conference brings large group to Indiana.
 4) Bethany honors 11 graduates at its 97th commencement.
 5) Grants send assistance to Sudan, East Timor, Palestine.
 6) Young Adult Conference takes an urban plunge.
 7) Long-running disaster project closes, new work begins.
 8) Latest BVS Older Adult unit completes orientation.
 9) Brethren bits: Nigeria workcamp, meat canning, and more.

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

 1) Nathan Musselman arrived home in Roanoke, Va., on May 27 after
more than three weeks of imprisonment by Israeli authorities. A
member of the Oak Grove Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, he had
been detained May 2 following his participation in a nonviolent
witness outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.

Musselman had been studying Arabic at a West Bank university in
Ramallah prior to his detention. He was also a participant in the
December Church of the Brethren General Board delegation to Iraq,
and before that was a member of the Child Exploitation Study
Committee of Annual Conference and the Youth Peace Travel Team.

In a letter sent to friends and family, Musselman wrote, "I can't
possibly thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers and
letters and phone calls and support and solidarity." The Church of
the Brethren Washington Office and others had urged such support
and advocacy for Musselman in recent weeks.

Barred from re-entering the Palestinian areas, Musselman is as yet
uncertain about his immediate future. He says he is very interested
in sharing his story and his feelings about the Israeli occupation
of Palestine with congregations. Writings from his experiences are
on a special section of the Brethren Witness website
(www.brethren.org/genbd/witness), where there is also contact
information to arrange speaking engagements.

 2) A significant decision came out of a small district recently as
Michigan's district board voted to approve an openly gay man for
ordination. The board's approval of Skyridge Church of the Brethren
member Matthew Smucker on April 27 marked the first known time that
a Church of the Brethren district has taken such an action.

Reaction--much of it in opposition--has come quickly both within
the district and beyond, with many calling for restraint and
Christ-like attitudes in responding. The action came just months
before Annual Conference delegates are to consider a Northern Ohio
District query on the ordination and licensing of homosexual
persons, fueling the controversy. District officials, however, say
that the timing of the board decision was not intentional.

"We are not trying to be 'in your face' with Annual Conference,"
Michigan District ministry commission chair Doug Reichenbach said.
"We're trying to follow a process as carefully as we can and with
as much compassion as we can, and this is what came. . . . His or
anyone else's sexual orientation is in our mind second to his
commitment to Christ and the church and to his gifts."

Smucker was initially approved for licensing in the district in May
1999 and relicensed in 2000, then, after graduating from Bethany
Theological Seminary, had a pre-ordination interview in July 2001.
Smucker says he was open about his sexuality through the process.
The ministry commission held off recommending him for ordination
until he received a call, which came from the development office of
Chicago Theological Seminary. With that in place, the board voted
in April. After lengthy discernment and a closed ballot, a majority
voted in favor.

District executive Marie Willoughby sent a letter to all the
district's pastors, stating that "the whole process was covered
with much prayer." She reported the decision to a regularly
scheduled meeting of the Council of District Executives soon
afterward, and that group decided to let districts "respond in
whatever manner they felt was appropriate," according to council
chair Tom Zuercher.

Zuercher says he has stressed the importance of prayer within his
district and urged "the importance of maintaining Christ-like
behavior and attitudes" while disagreeing "with love and respect."
He suggested that those with comments and concerns contact their
Standing Committee delegates or Annual Conference officers. Several
other district executives have made similar calls for respectful
disagreement as concerns are raised.

Among those expressing concerns is Brethren Revival Fellowship,
which sent an update to its mailing list saying, "Many believe the
action by the Michigan District board was to pre-empt Conference
with an accomplished fact which would be difficult to reverse or
overrule." It called the decision "troubling."

A number of voices have also asked the Skyridge congregation to
postpone the ordination service, scheduled for June 9, until after
Annual Conference. A special district board meeting is planned this
weekend. Skyridge pastor Debbie Eisenbise says, however, that the
congregation plans to proceed in keeping with the normal process of
holding the service as soon as possible after the ordination vote.
She says that Skyridge, one of 11 "Open and Affirming"
congregations in the denomination, has been supportive of Smucker
throughout his journey.

Smucker, meanwhile, says he is grieved by the controversy and by
people afraid to "speak their heart," but he also says he feels he
is being faithful to God's call. He does not plan to be at Annual
Conference, but hopes that "healthy dialog" can come out of the
Michigan District's decision.

"I never would have chosen this path or even imagined this path,"
Smucker says, "but I faithfully took whatever the next step was. .
. . I hope that we can dialog together (as a church), because if
that doesn't happen then there's not much hope for the denomination
at all."

 3) Nearly 100 people representing most of the denomination's 23
districts took part in the "Church Planting: The Next Step"
conference held May 20-24 at Bethany Theological Seminary in
Richmond, Ind. The group included pastors, district executives,
national staff, and others with an interest in starting new
churches.

Sponsored by Bethany and the Church of the Brethren General Board's
New Church Development Committee through the Brethren Academy for
Ministerial Leadership, it was the first event of its kind offered
by the Academy. Two previous General Board-sponsored events had
been held in cooperation with the Ashland (Ohio) Theological
Seminary program of The Brethren Church.

"The most important thing happening here is that we are together,"
said Jay Steele, pastor of the young Open Circle congregation in
Burnsville, Minn., and chair of the New Church Development
Committee. "We want to have a conversation this week . . . and talk
about what it means to plant churches in a Church of the Brethren
perspective."

Metaphors of planting and growth filled the week. An opening
worship service concluded with the planting of a tree in front of
the seminary, as people from the various districts poured soil
around its roots, and a "postmodern" worship service on another day
included planting flowers in pots, which were then added to the
conference's worship center. 

Those images set the stage for a series of keynote speakers and
workshops, each focusing on different aspects of new church
development. 

Presenters from ecumenical contexts included Jeff Wright of the
Center for Anabaptist Leadership, Steve Sjogren of Vineyard
Community Church, and Cynthia Hale of Ray of Hope Christian Church.
Bethany faculty, General Board Congregational Life Ministries
director Glenn Timmons, and New Church Development Committee
members also spoke.

Wright, a consultant who has overseen a major Mennonite church
planting effort in the Pacific Southwest, had a significant
presence. He spoke at two of the keynote sessions and also led six
workshops during the week. He outlined eight specific points for
church planters to consider, such as the need for team-building,
the foundation of God-inspired vision, the need for leaders to come
out of the churches that do the planting, and the role of church
planters as "irritants" in the church's administrative system.

"There is no longer time for business as usual," he said. "If
you're only planting one church every three to five years, I have
serious doubts that you're being faithful to the call of God."

Timmons spoke on developing a vision for church planting, noting
that the Church of the Brethren was originally born out of a church
planting movement. He expressed hopes that the denomination would
capture that spirit again. "My vision is that by 2008, church
planting will again have taken on the character of a movement,"
Timmons said.

Other highlights included sharing stories of church planting in the
denomination, several Taize'-style worship services coordinated by
Nancy Faus, a panel on multi-cultural and urban churches, and time
for discussion and networking.

 4) Bethany Theological Seminary celebrated its 97th commencement
with two observances May 11 in Richmond, Ind. A ceremony for
conferring degrees took place in Bethany's Nicarry Chapel, and a
public worship celebration was held in Goddard Auditorium's
Carpenter Hall on the adjacent Earlham College campus.

Carl Bowman, professor of sociology and department chair at
Bridgewater (Va.) College and a member of the seminary's board of
trustees, spoke at the conferring of degrees ceremony. He used the
topic "Boundaries, Bridges, Brethren," based on 1 Corinthians
1:10-15. Dan Ulrich, assistant professor of New Testament Studies
at Bethany, was the speaker for the afternoon worship service. 

Eight students received Master of Divinity degrees, one with an
emphasis in Peace Studies. One student received a Master of Arts in
Theology degree and two received Certificates in Theological
Studies. Those receiving degrees, and their home congregations, are:

Master of Divinity: James Brunk, Bradford (Ohio) Church of the
Brethren; Christopher J. Bunch, Anderson (Ind.) Church of the
Brethren; Wendy Noffsinger Erbaugh, Elkhart (Ind.) City Church of
the Brethren; Brandy Elizabeth Fix, New Enterprise (Pa.) Church of
the Brethren; Kenneth Manhamo, Jr., First Christian Church, Harare,
Zimbabwe; Terry G. Smith, Free Spring Church of the Brethren,
McAllisterville, Pa.; and Hannah D. Wilson, University Baptist/
Brethren Church, State College, Pa.

Master of Divinity, Peace Studies Emphasis: Thomas Coursen,
Richmond (Ind.) Church of the Brethren. Master of Arts in Theology:
David Sollenberger, Annville (Pa.)/Mt. Wilson Church of the
Brethren. Certificate in Theological Studies: Barbara Menke,
Oakland Church of the Brethren, Gettysburg, Ohio; and Rebekah A.
Whittaker, Trotwood (Ohio) Church of the Brethren.

Bunch and Erbaugh received distinction for their academic work in
Biblical studies. Brunk, Bunch, Manhamo, and Smith will receive
complimentary one-year subscriptions to the journal
"Interpretation" as graduating seniors who have distinguished
themselves in Biblical and theological studies and intend to pursue
careers in parish ministry.

Graduates' future endeavors include careers in pastoral and
congregational ministry, mission work, chaplaincy, administration,
and further graduate study.

 5) A request for a major allocation from the Church of the
Brethren General Board's Global Food Crisis Fund and two requests
from the Emergency Disaster Fund were granted in May.

An allocation of $87,582 from the Global Food Crisis Fund will
support ministries in southern Sudan. Funds will be used in the
continuation of several projects and the initiation of new projects
in some communities. New projects include support for women's
development, schools, a mosquito net project, and the purchase of
laundry and bathing soap.

The Emergency Disaster Fund received two requests from the staff of
Emergency Response/Service Ministries (ER/SM). A $5,000 allocation
will support a Church World Service appeal to assist refugees who
are returning in East Timor. The funds will help provide emergency
food, shelter, water, and health and medical provisions.

Another allocation, for $15,000, will support a Church World
Service appeal for humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Jerusalem,
Jenin, and villages in the West Bank. The funds will be used for
emergency food and the distribution of medicine and medical
supplies. 

 6) The Church of the Brethren National Young Adult Conference
headed to the city this year, with three dozen young adults meeting
May 24-26 in Chicago. The conference is typically held in camp
settings, but the General Board's Young Adult Steering Committee
decided to look at urban issues and concerns for 2002.

Sally Shreiner, pastor of the Mennonite-affiliated Living Water
Community Church in Chicago, served as keynote speaker for the
event, sharing personal stories and experiences and facilitating
small-group discussions during three main sessions. She drew on
city imagery from the Scriptures and addressed the need for urban
ministry and church planting.

Acknowledging that Anabaptists are typically not in their element
in dense urban centers, Shreiner said, "It's often at the point
when we're out of our comfort zones . . . is the point where God
meets us." She thanked those attending for "exposing your hearts to
the city as a place that may be part of the journey for you."

Participants spent one afternoon working at service projects in
uptown Chicago, helping with soup kitchens and food pantries and
interacting with people from the community. Further interaction
occurred Sunday morning, when the young adults headed to one of six
city churches of varied cultures and traditions to worship.

The weekend also included three other times of worship as a group,
a variety show, debriefing, and time to explore the city. The 2003
Young Adult Conference has been scheduled for Memorial Day weekend
at Camp Eder in Fairfield, Pa.

 7) After more than two and a half years of operation, the disaster
relief project in Wilson, N.C., is officially closing June 1.
Hundreds of volunteers have served at the project, assisting with
cleanup and rebuilding in the wake of September 1999's Hurricane
Floyd. A small grant will help the Wilson Interfaith Recovery
Committee finish a few remaining jobs.

New work, however, is just as quickly beginning elsewhere. Five
Disaster Child Care volunteers were deployed to Welch, W.Va., on
May 14 to care for children affected by severe flooding in the
region. The project closed on May 22 after 78 child-care contacts
were made. Brethren from several nearby districts were also called
upon to assist with cleanup in McDowell County, and Emergency
Response/Service Ministries staff say that a long-term recovery
effort in one of the affected areas is likely.

A project continues in Siren, Wis., for tornado cleanup and
rebuilding. Jiggs and Violet Miller are serving as project
directors in June. Elsewhere, a home was rebuilt in tornado-
stricken Cordell, Okla., and volunteers are working on a second
house.

 8) Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) Older Adult Unit 248 wrapped
up May 2 in New Windsor, Md. Nine volunteers participated in the
orientation with the following placements: Al & Susanne Chrysler of
Estes Park, Colo., to District IV Human Resources Development
Council in Havre, Mont.; Lois Davidson of Lebanon, Pa., to Westside
Food Bank in Surprise, Ariz. (in September); Janice Miller of
Magnolia, Del., to Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., (in January 2003);
Joan & Phil Taylor of Arlington, Va., to Camp Myrtlewood in Myrtle
Point, Ore.; Betsie & Stephen Weil of Colorado Springs, Colo., to
be determined; and Anna Zombro of Martinsburg, W.Va., to New
Windsor (Md.) Conference Center through August and then to Casa de
Esperanza de los Ninos in Houston.

Following the orientation, a three-day Older Adult Reunion/Retreat
was held, bringing together many of the volunteers who had
participated in the first three older adult units. Seventeen
volunteers attended, including five from the current unit, six
whose term of service has been completed, and six volunteers who
are still serving at BVS sites--including Olive Peters and Sue
Snyder, who participated in the first older adult unit and are
about to begin their fourth year of service with BVS.

The group shared experiences, stories, and pictures of their BVS
experiences; enjoyed reconnecting with unit members and meeting
other older adult volunteers; and attended the Mid-Atlantic
Disaster Relief Auction.

 9) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 *The General Board's Nigeria workcamp has been scheduled for Jan.
18 to Feb. 16, 2003. An annual workcamp to Nigeria has been held
since 1985; Jeff Mummau serves as workcamp coordinator. Anticipated
cost is $2,150. Look for more details at www.brethren.org or
contact Global Mission Partnerships at mission_gb@brethren.org or
800-323-8039.

 *Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind., has partnered with
Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., and Goshen (Ind.) College to
receive a $13.88 million Lilly Endowment "Plowshares" grant to
strengthen peace, justice, and conflict studies on the three
campuses and beyond. The schools will establish a "Peace House" in
Indianapolis, where students will live, take courses in
peace-related issues, and create a base for community outreach and
conflict resolution in collaboration with community groups.

 *Kathleen Campanella, coordinator of public information for the
Brethren Service Center, New Windsor, Md., has been named to the
Heifer International board of directors, serving as the Church of
the Brethren representative.

 *The 25th annual meat canning effort of the Southern Pennsylvania
and Mid-Atlantic districts this spring produced 1,659 cases of
chicken, with each case containing two dozen 28-ounce cans. The
cans are divided between the participating districts and other
projects for distribution to ministries that aid the hungry. The
canning is done at Christian Aid Ministries in Ephrata, Pa. About
260 people from 34 congregations participated.

 *A service this Sunday will honor the 225th anniversary of the
Pricetown Meeting House near Reading, Pa. The structure was built
in 1777, making it the denomination's oldest unaltered church
building. It is no longer used regularly but is cared for by the
Mohrsville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. Brethren minister Don
Fitzkee will lead the service. 

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, with other editions as needed.
Newsline stories may be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited
as the source. Marcia Shetler, Danielle Hart, David Radcliff, Sue
Grubb, Kathleen Campanella, and NCC News contributed to this
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