Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Oct. 25, 2007 Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director 800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org
CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN GRANTS TO AGRICULTURE IN NORTH KOREA REPRESENT NEW PARTNERSHIPS
(Oct. 25, 2007) Elgin, IL -- Grants totaling $60,000 for flood response and rural development in North Korea have been approved by two funds of the Church of the Brethren: the Global Food Crisis Fund, and the Emergency Disaster Fund. The action was prompted by setbacks suffered by North Korean agriculture following torrential rains in late summer.
Giving impetus to the response was a $20,000 gift to the Global Food Crisis Fund from Grace Christian Church, a Church of the Brethren congregation in Hatfield, Pa., and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America. Focused on flood recovery, the effort was initiated by Young Son Min, pastor of Grace Christian Church.
The grants are "a step in the Church of the Brethren's effort to witness to the compassion and love of Jesus for all peoples, especially to the impoverished and the estranged," said Global Food Crisis Fund manager Howard Royer. "This gift is a song of partnership, with Agglobe, across agencies, between the Church of the Brethren and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America, among haves and have-nots. Praise God!"
Agglobe, a long-time partner of the Global Food Crisis Fund, will facilitate the programs of recovery and development, enlisting further support from development and assistance agencies in South Korea.
Four farm communities in North Korea that have received assistance from the Global Food Crisis Fund for a decade were devastated by flooding in August. Drastic damage occurred to crops of cotton, rice, corn, and vegetables. Some of the communities also suffered the loss of roads, bridges, and construction materials. The grants will be used not only for emergency food and flood recovery but also for sustainable agricultural development, namely the purchase of vinyl greenhouses that will extend the growing season into the winter months.
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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