wfn.org | On Earth Peace board meets on the theme, `Seeking'

[COBNews@aol.com]

Date: Sept. 29, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V:  847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103
E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com) 
 

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NEWSLINE
Sept. 29, 2005
 
On Earth Peace board meets on the theme, `Seeking'
 
Sept. 29, 2005 (Elgin, IL) --  The On Earth Peace Board of Directors  and 
staff met Sept. 6-7 at Anderson (Ind.) Church of the Brethren, with the  
Advancement, Personnel, Finance, and Executive Committees meeting during the
day  
Sept. 6. On Earth Peace is a peace education and promotion agency of the
Church	
of the Brethren.
 
The devotional theme of the meeting focused on "Seeking." The board, led by  
chair Bev Weaver, continued its use of the Formal Consensus process for  
discussion and decision-making. Members of the Anderson church hosted the
board  
members in their homes and provided meals.
 
Committee reports included the Advancement Committee's new ideas for  donors,

such as day sponsorship and finding ways to include younger donors; the  
Finance Committee's note that contributions from congregations and
individuals  
are above last year; the Personnel Committee sharing of an updated Personnel 

Policy Manual, and welcoming of new staff member Susanna Farahat; and the  
Nominating Committee's highlight of the re-election of Debbie Roberts and Ken
 
Edwards to the board, as well as the election at Annual Conference of Sarah  
Quinter Malone. Nominating Committee also reported an initiative to identify 

additional roles people could play in the organization to make a clear	
contribution although not serving on the board itself, such as educational, 
spiritual, 
fundraising, and other roles.
 
Staff reported upcoming events and program initiatives: an increased number  
of congregations involved in or considering intervention or mediation 
services;  new ideas for projects in the
Peacemaker Formation program; co-sponsorship  with Christian Peacemaker Teams

of a delegation to Israel/Palestine in January;  coordination of a nationwide

network on countering military recruitment in  schools; and the Ministry of 
Reconciliation workshop "Advanced Reconciliation  Skills: The Polarity 
Principles" Nov. 16-18 at Camp Mack in Indiana. The board  and staff also
took time to 
brainstorm ideas for upcoming "Living Peace Church  News and Notes."
 
The staff reported on work with consultant Erika Thorne on becoming an	
anti-racist organization. Goals emerged including building relationships with
 
non-mainstream congregations and leaders in the church; developing a working 

relationship with the Cross-Cultural Ministries Team; providing resources
that  
are accessible and useful for all segments of the church; sharing what the
staff 
 have learned with the larger church; taking a closer look at racial and  
economic
violence in our communities and incorporating that into the peace  witness 
program; and working to make the Youth Peace Travel Team a more 
multicultural 
ministry in both participation and service. The board welcomed	Duane Grady,
a 
member of the General Board's Congregational Life Teams and the  primary
staff 
liaison to the Cross-Cultural Ministries Team, as a guest.
 
A morning was spent reviewing responses from a survey conducted at Annual  
Conference during the On Earth Peace report. Strong themes that emerged were
the 
 importance of making a connection to scripture and Christian faith in the 
work  of peacemaking; the call for peace work to be done in the family, 
community, and	church contexts, with domestic violence, church conflict, and

communities needs  mentioned most often; responses deeming Christianity as
supporting 
and defending  American culture, while others seeing Christianity as 
counter-cultural; a  priority for the church to work at reducing violence
through 
immediate and  close-to-home, practical applications. "When naming visions
for 
peacemaking  within the Church of the Brethren, responses were overwhelming 
hopeful and  positive," a report from the meeting said.
 
The board also heard that for fiscal year 2005, which ends Sept. 30, income  
will be sufficient to cover expenses with both income and expense ahead of  
projections. The board approved a balanced budget of $502,000 for fiscal year
 
2006.
 
Other topics of discussion included financial aid for draft  non-registrants;

Church of the Brethren investments in the Caterpillar  Corporation, whose 
products are being used as military weapons in	Israel/Palestine; and a new
peace 
game designed by board member Verdena Lee,  entitled "C.O.D.E.," which has 
been produced and is available for sale. The game  helps participants think 
about their beliefs and whether they are conscientious	objectors.
 
A reorganization of the board called a new executive committee: Bev Weaver,  
chair; Ken Frantz, vice-chair; Lauree Hersch Meyer, secretary; Doris
Abdullah, 
 treasurer; and Verdena Lee and Robbie Miller, at-large members. The board  
recognized board member Eugene Lichty for his long service, excellent  
leadership, and faithful witness.
 
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to  
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its
faith  in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith  
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates its
 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across the United	
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Brazil, the  
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.
 
# # #
 
For more information contact:
 
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News Services
Church of the  Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100  ext. 260
_cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org_ 
(mailto:cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org) 
 
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