Newsline: Church gains memo of understanding with Selective Service

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl

Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN GAINS MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING

>WITH SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM

(Aug. 13, 2010) Elgin, IL -- A Memo of Understanding between the federal

government's Selective Service System and the Church of the Brethren has

been signed by Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the denomination, and

Lawrence G. Romo, director of Selective Service.

The memo represents an agreement that goes into effect in the event a

military draft is reinstated in the United States. In that event, the Church

of the Brethren working through Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) will be

able to place conscientious objectors assigned to alternative service work.

"It's good to be prepared," said BVS director Dan McFadden. "Do I think

>there will be a draft? No."

"We need to be prepared and maintain our historical position just in case,"

commented Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of the church's Global

>Mission Partnerships, which oversees BVS.

A similar agreement recently was made between Selective Service and

Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) and the Mennonite Mission Network.

MVS is a program of the Mennonite Mission Network, which is the

>mission agency of Mennonite Church USA.

McFadden noted that both agreements are the fruit of a number of years of

effort by the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonites to maintain a

relationship with the Selective Service System and with each other's

>provisions for conscientious objectors.

He said a key part of the agreement is that "in the event of a draft, the

Church of the Brethren and BVS would be in a position to negotiate the

details of being a site for conscientious objectors."

Among other stipulations in the memo, the church and BVS will meet a legal

obligation to place alternative service workers "in work that benefits the

nation's health, safety, and interests"; a Selective Service officer will be

assigned as a liaison to the church; Selective Service will provide

transportation to and from their residences for alternative service workers

placed with BVS; and the church and BVS will supervise the alternative

service workers assigned to them. The agreement is considered provisional

>and will be reviewed every 36 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 celebrated

its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the

United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in

Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>800-323-8039 ext. 260

>cobnews@brethren.org