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

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Date: Oct. 17, 2003
Contact: Walt Wiltschek
V: 847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

NEWS
 1) On Earth Peace board passes budget, prepares for future growth.
 2) Emergency Disaster Fund sends $8,000 to Texas border ministry.
 3) National Youth Cabinet observes day of prayer, approves new
list server.
 4) ABC board creates endowment fund in honor of outgoing director.
 5) Brethren bits: Board meetings, NYAC, disaster response, more.

PERSONNEL
 6) Fletcher Farrar announces resignation as Messenger editor.
 7) Ron and Harriet Finney to retire as South/Central Indiana
District co-executives.
 8) Steve Mason is called as Manchester's vice president for
college advancement.
 9) General Board/Brethren Press seeks editor of Messenger.
10) BBT seeks Director of Credit Union Operations.

RESOURCES
11) Latest "In Our Midst" resource looks at "Caring for the Poor."

FEATURES
12) Atlantic Northeast hopes for sweet results from new SERRV store
in Hershey.

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

 1) The On Earth Peace board of directors and staff used the theme
"Life-affirming Choices" as it met Sept. 26-27 in New Windsor, Md.,
and took time for silence and prayer in the midst of worship and
business. The board, led by chair Bev Weaver, continued its use of
the Formal Consensus process for discussion and decision-making.

Highlights from the meeting include the following:
*The 2003-2004 Executive Committee was reorganized with Weaver as
chair; Tom Leard Longenecker, vice-chair; Lauree Hersch Meyer,
secretary; Charles Kwon, treasurer; and Ken Frantz and Doris
Abdullah, at-large.

*The financial report, given just days before the end of the fiscal
year, showed a close balance of income and expense. A budget of
$430,000 for fiscal year 2004 was adopted, reflecting anticipated
program expansion in the coming year in response to requests and
rising expectations from the denomination.

*The Executive Committee brought questions and concerns regarding
the distribution of endowment assets and a modification to the
endowment policy, as well as a proposal to create a Finance
Committee to provide assistance to the staff and board in financial
matters such as endowments and investments. The board accepted this
proposal, naming both board and non-board members to the committee.

*Co-director Bob Gross reported the Roots and Branches development
campaign, which will support expansion of programs in conflict
transformation and peace education, has reached 75 percent of its
goal. Visits and contacts will be completed by the end of 2003.

 *Reports were given by each staff member, with celebration that
the current staff has been in place for two years. Highlights
include a new stage for the practitioner network, with five
practitioners in the network, and two more to join soon. The
Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) is working in consultation with
three districts -- as well as several congregations and a few
groups outside the denomination -- and 133 congregations have
signed on to be a part of the Decade to Overcome Violence. 

*The Personnel Committee asked district and denominational leaders
to participate in a performance review of the co-executive
directors, and the evaluation was very positive. These leaders were
also invited to offer an evaluation of the organization, which
resulted in thoughtful responses that the board and staff will
consider further.

*Phil Jones, new director of the General Board's Brethren
Witness/Washington Office, spent a day with the board sharing his
vision and ideas for his work in addition to how On Earth Peace and
the General Board might continue working together on various
projects.
 
*Time was spent reviewing and generating ideas regarding the Call
for a Living Peace Church approved by Annual Conference. The staff
of On Earth Peace and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office will
draw from these ideas as well as others being generated to provide
resources and guidance in answering this call.

*A planning team of board and staff was formed to prepare for On
Earth Peace's 30th anniversary celebration in 2004. This will
include regional events featuring concerts by the original JOYA
(Journey of Young Adults) team and workshops for youth and adults.

 2) A new grant of $8,000 from the General Board's Emergency
Disaster Fund -- the 22nd allocation made from the fund this year
-- will support the immigration services work of Southwest Good
Samaritan Ministries at a detention center along the Texas/Mexico
border. The organization, which also received a General Board grant
in 2002, has assisted more than 120 refugees this year.

The funds will help to provide short-term housing, meals, clothing,
transportation, and medical care to relatives or friends of those
being held in the detention center. The funds additionally aid the
provision of food for refugees at other facilities, and meals for
children at the Casa Betel orphanage.

 3) The National Youth Cabinet held its fall meeting in Elgin,
Ill., Sept. 26-28, coinciding with the Sept. 28 Youth Day of Prayer
that the cabinet had called for in their meeting last spring.

More than a dozen youth groups from across the denomination have
e-mailed the cabinet to share how they participated in the day of
prayer, using a variety of creative ideas. "It was exciting to know
prayers were being lifted by youth across the denomination, and
knowing that we were a part of that," one youth minister from
Virginia wrote.

The cabinet led the youth Sunday School class at Highland Avenue
Church of the Brethren in Elgin focusing on prayer, and then spent
the afternoon in various ways of praying together.

Cabinet members also worked on further plans for the 2004 national
youth theme from Psalm 63:1: "Seeking, Thirsting, Longing." They
are developing a packet of resource materials that will be sent to
congregations early in January.

The cabinet received a request from the Illinois/Wisconsin District
youth cabinet for more communication among the district cabinets of
the Church of the Brethren. The national cabinet agreed to write to
all district youth cabinets and invite them to participate in an
e-mail list server for cabinets that would allow an exchange of
information about what is happening in each district. 

 4) The board of the Association of Brethren Caregivers has
established a new endowment fund in honor of Stephen O. Mason,
outgoing executive director for the organization. Mason resigned as
executive director in June and will leave the position at the end
of the year.

"The ABC board felt this was a wonderful way to show our
appreciation to Steve for what we feel has been outstanding
leadership in helping to position ABC for future service to the
church, and for future involvement with the various organizational
development issues facing the denomination," says Bentley Peters,
chair of the ABC board.

Mason was surprised by the creation of the new endowment as part of
a recognition dinner held in his honor during the board's Sept.
27-29 meetings. Interest from this endowed fund, which was
established with gifts from ABC board members, will be used to
support the ongoing mission of ABC through direct support of its
management team. Contributions to the endowment can be made to the
Association of Brethren Caregivers.
 

 5) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 *The Church of the Brethren General Board meets in Elgin, Ill.,
this weekend, with the Executive Committee meeting today and the
full board meeting Saturday through Tuesday, the 21st. Agenda items
include action on the 2004 budget, a forum on challenges facing the
agency, approval of a grant for Liberia relief, discussion of
ecumenical relationships, recognition of employee tenure
milestones, an Iraq update, and a variety of reports. 

 *This week, Oct. 16-24, is designated Peace with Justice Week.
Resources are available at www.ncccusa.org/publicwitness/pwjw.html.
Other upcoming events include the board of trustees meeting for
Bethany Theological Seminary, Oct. 24-26 in Richmond, Ind.; the
Youth Ministry Workshop Nov. 1 in New Windsor, Md.; and national
Junior High Sunday Nov. 2.

 *Plans for the denomination's first large-scale National Young
Adult Conference (NYAC), to be held next June in Colorado, continue
to develop. A list server for updates is available; to join, send
e-mail with name and a request to join the list serv to
nyac2004_gb@brethren.org. Registration will open Jan. 1. All
participants who register and submit deposits during  January will
receive a voucher for a free pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

 *A reminder from the Finance office: Year-end donations to the
Association of Brethren Caregivers, Bethany Theological Seminary,
Church of the Brethren General Board, and On Earth Peace must be
dated and postmarked by Dec. 31 in order to be counted as a 2003
charitable gift for tax purposes.

 *Among the companies and organizations honored by AARP as the best
employers for workers over age 50 in 2003 was Brethren Village of
Lancaster, Pa. Honorees were recognized at an annual awards dinner
in New York on Sept. 24.

 *The General Board's Disaster Child Care program sponsored a Level
I Disaster Child Care training workshop in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.,
Oct. 10-11, with leadership provided by local trainers Anne Price,
Sylvia Trenton, and Lynne Calkins. About 12 people were expected to
participate in the training. Another training will be held Oct.
25-26 in Elizabethtown, Pa. 

 *Interchurch Medical Assistance held its annual board meeting last
month at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
Dr. Phyllis Ensor was called as chair, Steve Bruno as vice chair,
Kevin King as treasurer, and Brethren Service Center executive
director Roy Winter as secretary. The board also elected a new
at-large member, former General Board chair Don Parker. Reports
included a note that eight Church of the Brethren clinic boxes will
be sent in a Mennonite Central Committee shipment to rural clinics
in Nicaragua.

 
 6) Fletcher Farrar has announced his resignation as editor of
Messenger magazine, effective at the end of 2003. He has served in
this position since October 1997.

Farrar, a member of Springfield (Ill.) Church of the Brethren,
hopes to devote more time to affordable housing and neighborhood
revitalization through the nonprofit group he founded in
Springfield, Old Neighborhood Rehab Inc. He is also publisher and
owner of Illinois Times, an alternative weekly newspaper. 

"Being editor of Messenger has given me an opportunity to be in
conversation with wonderful people of faith from throughout the
country and around the world," Farrar says. "Now I look forward to
whatever future opportunities may be in store to serve Christ and
the church as a volunteer."

 7) Ron and Harriet Finney have announced their retirement as
district executives of the South/Central Indiana District effective
March 31, 2004. They have shared this position in the district
since 1993.  

The couple also served previously as co-coordinators of the
Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership for the General Board
and Bethany Theological Seminary, and in other General Board staff
positions. Harriet Finney served this past year as Annual
Conference moderator. 
     
The Finneys intend to engage in other areas of ministry and spend
more time with their family, especially their grandchildren.

 8) Steve Mason will take the post of vice president for college
advancement at Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind., on
Jan.1, 2004. He succeeds Timothy A. McElwee, who resigned to teach
peace studies full-time at Manchester.

For the past six years, Mason has served the Church of the Brethren
as executive director of the Association of Brethren Caregivers. He
had in June announced his resignation from the agency, effective at
or near the end of the year. He previously had 19 years of
experience in college administration, as a vice president for
financial services and earlier as director of development at
McPherson (Kan.) College. He also has held top student and
residential services posts at colleges in Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Rhode Island, Alabama, Illinois, and Iowa. 

Mason holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Loyola University in
Chicago, a master's of education degree in counseling education
from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and a
bachelor's degree in psychology from Bridgewater (Va.) College.

"Manchester College's sense of and commitment to its mission are
very appealing to me," Mason says. He and his wife, Marilyn, will
be moving from Elgin, Ill., to North Manchester.

 9) The Church of the Brethren General Board/Brethren Press is
seeking a full-time editor of Messenger magazine. The position will
be based at the General Offices in Elgin, Ill.

Responsibilities include developing and editing the monthly
magazine's content, representing the ministries of the General
Board and the broader Church of the Brethren, and providing a forum
for discussion of important issues within the denomination. 

Candidates should have demonstrated skill in news and feature
writing, editing, communication issues, and computer technology; be
knowledgeable about publishing; and be highly skilled in oral and
written communication, with good listening skills. A bachelor's
degree in a related field is required, with five years of
experience in communications and magazine editing preferred.
Candidates must be an active member of the Church of the Brethren.

Application deadline is Nov. 7. A fuller position description and
application form are available on request. To receive an
application form, submit a resume' and letter of application, and
request three references to send letters of recommendation to:
Office of Human Resources, Church of the Brethren General Board,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694; or call 800-323-8039, ext.
258, or e-mail mgarrison_gb@brethren.org. 

 10) Brethren Benefit Trust is seeking to fill a new position of
Director of Credit Union Operations. The person in the position may
also be involved in the administration of Brethren Foundation Inc.

The candidate should have a financial background, preferably with
a CPA or master's degree, and at least five years of financial
management experience. The position will report to BBT's chief
financial officer.

The position is scheduled to begin by Feb. 2. Candidates should
apply to: Office of Human Resources, Brethren Benefit Trust, 1505
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Call 800-746-1505 for further
details.

 11) The latest installment in the "In Our Midst" series from the
General Board, titled "Caring for the Poor," is now available.

The packet grows out of the 2000 Annual Conference statement of the
same name and contains a study guide, historical perspective,
congregational stories, Bible studies, worship resources,
suggestions on connecting with government and community agencies,
and other pieces. More than 20 writers contributed to the project.

Lester Boleyn, who retired from the General Board staff last year,
edited the packet for the Congregational Life Ministries office.
The office provided a free copy to every congregation via the
"Source" packet, with the goal of helping congregations interact
with the poor in their communities.

The Conference statement recommended "that each congregation
develop at least one direct hands-on ministry with the poor" and
study the underlying faith basis for that ministry. Other goals
include becoming aware of related legislative issues, partnering
with urban/ethnic congregations, analyzing community needs, and the
development of anti-racism training. A progress report on the goals
is due to be given at the 2005 Annual Conference.

"If you have not given a name and a face to 'the poor,' you are
invited to join other Church of the Brethren congregations like
those whose stories are told herein," Congregational Life
Ministries executive director Glenn Timmons says in a cover letter.

The effort echoes a recent message by National Council of Churches
general secretary Bob Edgar, who on Sept. 26 called on the Bush
administration and Congress to pass legislation that will reduce
poverty and lessen the burdens of those who are in need. "How can
we, as a self-proclaimed people of conscience, fail to mobilize our
abundant resources to overcome this problem?" Edgar asked.

Additional copies of the packet may be ordered for $2.50 each from
Brethren Press by calling 800-441-3712. Other issues in the "In Our
Midst" series also remain available.

 12) A couple among the steady stream of customers entering a new
SERRV store in Hershey, Pa., last weekend couldn't wait to check
out the new shopping experience.

"Is this the store you were talking about?" the man asked. "Yes!"
the woman with him replied. "Oh, look at that!" she added
excitedly, pointing to a wall hanging and hurrying to the display.

Before long a member of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren had
joined them, telling them about SERRV's work as a nonprofit
alternative trade organization and about the Church of the
Brethren. SERRV, now independent, was started by the denomination
in the mid-20th century. It sells a variety of crafts and other
items produced by people in developing nations. 

The new Hershey venture is being operated by the denomination's
Atlantic Northeast District. Volunteers from 10 area Church of the
Brethren congregations are staffing the store, which opened Oct. 1
in the Hershey Outlets adjacent to the tourist mecca of
Hersheypark. Organizers are hoping for results as sweet as the
chocolate for which the town is known.

"Business has been good," says store manager Tona Gabbard, a
Lutheran brought in for her retail experience. "We're really
pleased with how it's taking off. Lots of people say, 'We'll be
back for Christmas.' "

Word-of-mouth among the district's churches has helped to generate
interest, and two area TV stations did coverage on the store's
opening day. That's been good news for Atlantic Northeast, which
will use profits from the store to fund district church development
efforts.

"It has gotten off to a real good start," says Aaron Martin, a
retired CPA who is now director of church development for the
district. "The people who have come forward to help are so unique
and special in the gifts they bring. The spirit is really there to
help people in third-world countries and to help ourselves in
church development."

Martin -- who is serving as liaison between the district at the
store -- says his dream is for it to become a "flagship store." "I
hope other districts will come look at it and start one of their
own," he says. SERRV's only other existing permanent stores are at
its offices in New Windsor, Md., and Madison, Wis.

SERRV staff provided advice and helped the group gather its initial
inventory, and Martin says he even received valuable startup tips
from a competitor: 10,000 Villages, a similar Mennonite Central
Committee-run nonprofit organization that has more retail stores.
With that foundation laid, SERRV conference and gift shop manager
Linda Kjeldgaard says the outlook is positive.

"We just think it's super. They have a lot of enthusiasm,"
Kjeldgaard says of the Atlantic Northeast group. "It's a lot of
hard work, but I think they're going to do well."

Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, director 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. Barb Sayler, Chris Douglas, Doris Frysinger, Georgia
Markey, Mark Flory Steury, Jeri Kornegay, and Kathleen Campanella
contributed to this report.

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