Title: Association of Brethren Caregivers approves ADA resolution Subject: Church of the Brethren Newsline Date: March 30, 2006 From: Church of the Brethren News Services Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford V: 847/742-5100 F: 847/742-6103 E-MAIL: _CoBNews@AOL.Com_ (mailto:CoBNews@AOL.Com)
ASSOCIATION OF BRETHREN CAREGIVERS BOARD APPROVES ADA RESOLUTION
March 30, 2006 (Elgin, IL) -- The Association of Brethren Caregivers Board has moved forward with plans to present a new resolution regarding the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. The decision took place during board meetings March 24-26 at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The association board approved a statement calling for congregations to recommit themselves to the goals of the ADA.
The resolution, titled âCommitment to Accessibility and Inclusion R esolution, â urges congregations, agencies, and gatherings of the Church of the Brethren to enable all activities to be accessible so that âall may worship, serve, be served, learn, and grow in the presence of God as valued members of the Christian community.â
The resolution encourages these same groups to examine physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participatin g fully; to make a commitment that all existing and future denominational offices be modified or designed to follow the guidelines of the ADA; and to request tha t the association continue to make resources available to assist in fulfilling these commitments.
âEven though our denomination has worked intentionally to allow peop le with disabilities to more readily worship within our buildings, this newest resolution points out that more work is still needed to ensure that people w ith disabilities are incorporated into the fabric of our church,â said K athy Reid, Association of Brethren Caregivers executive director and staff for the Disabilities Ministry, which drafted the resolution.
The association board also heard from three representatives it appointed to the Governing Council of Advocate Bethany, a Chicago hospital that began in conjunction with Bethany Theological Seminary when it was located in Chicago . Bethany Theological Seminary is the Church of the Brethren school of theolog y. Advocate Bethany plans to become a specialty hospital providing longterm acute care, a move that has been scrutinized in Chicago-area newspapers sin ce it was announced in January.
John Cassel and Janine Katonah, both of York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., and Jan Lugibihl, executive director of Bethany Brethren Community Center based at First Church of the Brethren in Chicago, serve on the Governing Council since being appointed by the association as representative s of the Church of the Brethren. Their presentation identified that Advocate Bethany has not been utilized fully by those in the neighborhood and that i ts move toward becoming a specialty hospital for longterm acute care is a need ed by other area hospitals.
In other business, the board also learned of several joint projects involving the Fellowship of Brethren Homes and the Peace Church Initiatives, a nonprofit corporation that is an outgrowth of the collaboration between the Association of Brethren Caregivers, Friends Services for the Aging, and Men nonite Health Services Alliance. The programs include a new venture in offering longterm care insurance for the Church of the Brethren, and anyone associat ed with the Brethren-affiliated homes.
Upcoming events for the association include the National Older Adult Conference Sept. 4-8 at Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Assembly, and the Annual Forum for CEOs and staff of Brethren Retirement Centers on May 4-6 at the Cedars of McPherson, Kan.
For more information about the Association of Brethren Caregivers go to _www.brethren.org/abc_ (http://www.brethren.org/abc) .
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its fa ith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates it s 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.
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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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