Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- May 11, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
BRETHREN GIVE $50,000 TO AGRICULTURE IN NORTH KOREA
(May 11, 2007) Elgin, IL -- Recent grants from two Church of the Brethren funds--the Global Food Crisis Fund and the Emergency Disaster Fund--include $50,000 to support agriculture in North Korea, which continues to experience periodic famine.
"The Church of the Brethren's reaching out to North Koreans goes beyond the matter of food security," said Howard Royer, manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund. "It is a testament to risk-taking, bridge- building, and reconciliation in witness to the compassion and love of Jesus Christ for all peoples, and especially for the impoverished and estranged."
The Global Food Crisis Fund allocation for the Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development Program in North Korea represents the fourth year of supporting Agglobe International with the endeavor. Funds will help purchase seed, plastic sheeting, and fertilizer for farms in the program. The alleviation of periodic famine in North Korea remains a compelling factor, said the grant request.
In other recent grants from the two funds, $24,000 responded to a Church World Service appeal to aid Indonesia following flooding; $5,000 responded to severe storms and tornados in southern states in March; $4,000 responded to the United Farm Worker Foundation following a freeze that destroyed citrus crops and affected some 28,000 farm workers; $2,500 helped support thousands who were displaced by fighting in southern Colombia; and $5,000 has aided the rebuilding of Liberia's food capacity.
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 Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.
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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 800-323-8039 ext. 260 cobnews@brethren.org
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