Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Oct. 1, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
MULTINATIONAL TEAM TRAINS LEADERS OF EMERGING HAITIAN BRETHREN CHURCH
(Oct. 1, 2007) Elgin, IL -- A team of Church of the Brethren leaders from the Dominican Republic and the United States joined to provide training for the emerging Church of the Brethren in Haiti, on Aug. 11-18 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Participants in the training included 61 pastoral and lay leaders who had registered for the event.
The week-long immersion in Church of the Brethren ordinances and practices as well as training for church growth was led by Ludovic St. Fleur, pastor of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, a Haitian Church of the Brethren congregation in Miami, Fla. St. Fleur coordinates the Church of the Brethren mission in Haiti.
Teachers also included Yves Jean, pastor of Eglise des Freres en Haiti (Church of the Brethren in Haiti); Anastasia Buena and Isaias Tena, a clergy couple who co-pastor San Juan Church of the Brethren in the DR; and Merle Crouse of St. Cloud, Fla., a retired pastor and former denominational staff of the Church of the Brethren in the US, and a former mission worker. The sessions were translated into Haitian Creole.
"We were delighted that leaders from the Dominican Republic, who have desired to relate to the emerging church in Haiti, and from the US were able to join together for this time of learning and fellowship. Reports indicated that this combination of leadership was greatly appreciated by the participants," said Merv Keeney, executive director for Global Mission Partnerships of the Church of the Brethren.
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 almost 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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