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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Sept. 26, 1997
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline         Sept. 26, 1997
1) National Youth Conference 1998 registration material is being
       sent to denominational youth advisers; youth workers for
       NYC are also being sought.
2) BVS Orientation Unit 227 begins in Bethel, Pa. 
3) Chris Bowman, chairman of the Church of the Brethren General
       Board, is suffering from a flare-up of his multiple
       sclerosis.
4) The Andrew Center draws an unusually large audience to its
       hospitality seminar. It also makes several announcements
       regarding its future.
5) Juniata College's Baker Peace Institute hosts its Fifth Annual
       International Seminar on Arms Control and Disarmament. 
6) Over $80,000 is allocated in Emergency Disaster Relief and
       Global Food Crisis grants.
7) Bethany Theological Seminary and Earlham School of Religion
       announce their 1997-1998 intensive courses.
8) A national camping conference that will deal with conflict
       resolution is scheduled.
9) Joseph Buss is hired as manager of the Brethren Conference
       Center, New Windsor, Md. 
10) The Brethren Employees Credit Union announces its new
       director.
11) The 21st Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction, sponsored
       by Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania districts,
       will be held today and Saturday.
12) SueZann Bosler is being scheduled to appear on several on
       network television programs because of her strong
       anti-death penalty witness and advocacy.
13) Association of Brethren Caregivers board announces a staff
       change, and news regarding NOAC IV and Caring Ministries 
       2000.
14) Brethren Benefit Trust to consider offering mutual funds to
       Church of the Brethren members.
15) Seven youth and young adult workcamps are scheduled for 1998.
16) Four young adults are being sought to serve on the 1998 Youth 
       Peace Travel Team.
17) A Cooperative Disaster Child Care Training Workshop is
       scheduled in Grizzly Flats, Calif.

1) National Youth Conference (NYC) 1998 registration packets,
including registration forms, informational brochures and other
NYC and Youth/Young Adult Ministry related items, were mailed
this week to all congregational and district youth advisers. NYC
registrations will be accepted Jan. 1 through May 1. Cost for the
conference, scheduled for July 28-Aug. 2 in Fort Collins, Colo.,
will be $315. 

In related news, NYC coordinators are looking for youth workers
who will serve at the quadrennial conference. According to Joy
Struble, NYC assistant coordinator, "'Youth worker' is a term
used to describe the staff members at NYC who do all the
behind-the-scenes work. This is not a job for those who want to
'experience' NYC, but rather for those committed people who are
willing to work as much as is required to get the job done."

Struble added, "The work can at times be strenuous, and youth
workers can have no other responsibilities at NYC. In return for
this hard work, the NYC Office pays for youth workers'
registration and half of their travel costs."

Application deadline is Dec. 1. Qualified people must have been
out of high school for two years or more. Applicants chosen to
serve as youth workers will be notified in early 1998.

For more information regarding materials for participants or
youth workers, write to CoB.Youth.parti@Ecunet.Org or call 800
323-8039.

2) Twenty-nine people entered Brethren Volunteer Service on
Sunday, the first day of three weeks of orientation for Unit 227.
The orientation is based at Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pa.

Thirteen from the unit are members of the Church of the Brethren,
and 25 of the 29 are 25 years old or younger. Four from the unit
are from Germany, with one each from Poland and the United
Kingdom. 

Fifty-seven projects representing 77 positions are actively
seeking volunteers from this unit. The volunteers will complete
their orientation and be sent to their projects on Oct. 10.

"This is the largest unit we've had since 1993," said Dan
McFadden, BVS director, "and I'm excited about that." According
to McFadden, volunteer service organizations in general have been
experiencing a downward trend in the number of applicants they
receive. Thus, he's not sure if this large number is an anomaly
or the start of an upswing. Nevertheless, McFadden said he hopes
to increase the number of volunteers entering BVS each year to
100 by the year 2000, with 75 being Church of the Brethren
members.

"One hundred volunteers coming through here a year would really
push us," McFadden said, "and I would like to be pushed." 

3) Chris Bowman, chairman of the Church of the Brethren General
Board and pastor of Martinsville (Pa.) Memorial Church of the
Brethren, over the past week has been experiencing a major
flare-up of his multiple sclerosis, which now is reported to have
stabilized. He currently is receiving heavy doses of steroids,
and is spending a lot of his time resting. Prayers and
encouraging thoughts are appreciated, said Chris' wife, Sherry.
They can be sent to 210 N. Wall Street, Martinsburg PA 16662 or
to Sherry_Bowman@Juno.Com.

4) Over 200 people attended last weekend's "Hospitality and the
Vital Church" seminar, sponsored by The Andrew Center, at the
Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Leading the seminar was
Fred Bernhard, pastor of Oakland Church of the Brethren,
Gettysburg, Ohio, and former Annual Conference moderator. The 210
people in attendance represented Church of the Brethren,
Mennonite Church and Brethren in Christ congregations. According
to Bob Kettering, Andrew Center director, similar seminars
normally attract about 50 participants.

This large turnout is encouraging for The Andrew Center,
Kettering said, as the ministry that currently functions as the
General Board's evangelism program will become independent from
the Church of the Brethren General Board at the end of the year.
At that time it will formally become New Life Ministries.
Incorporation for this new ecumenical evangelism ministry is
expected to be finalized by Nov. 1.

Tentative plans for New Life Ministries in 1998 call for a budget
of $100,000, which will include a full-time office manager and a
part-time director. "These positions are dependent upon pledges
and the raising of necessary funds for 1998," Kettering said. 

An undisclosed portion of the needed budget was secured Sept. 13,
when the Commission on Home Ministries of the General Conference
Mennonite Church voted unanimously to become a New Life
Ministries partner denomination. Official presentations by The
Andrew Center to other potential Anabaptist denominational
partners will be occurring throughout the fall, during the board
meetings of the respective denominations.

Even if the director's position is funded, however, it won't be
filled by Kettering. He has accepted the call of the Lititz (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren, his home congregation, to serve as
full-time interim associate pastor, beginning Jan. 1.

5) The 1997 International Seminar on Arms Control and
Disarmament, a yearly two-week seminar sponsored by the Baker
Peace Institute of Juniata (Pa.) College, concluded on Tuesday.
It was held at Juniata's Williamsburg (Pa.) Conference Center, in
Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations.

Representatives from five West African nations participated in
this year's event, along with representatives from the United
Nations, the Geneva International Peace Research Institute and
the Baker Peace Institute.

"The goal of the seminar is to build a lasting peace in regions
of the world where conflicts are currently common," said Michael
Emery, Juniata College's Media Relations coordinator. "Achieving
such a goal takes a prolonged commitment from all parties, and
the idea is to disseminate the practical skills of negotiation
and conflict resolution to those who will educate their nations'
future leaders. By fostering these skills during the formative
years of future leaders, peace and conflict resolutions could
replace the warfare and government crackdowns that have afflicted
certain nations. The seminars begin building a constituency for
arms control and disarmament in government circles and among the
citizenry."

Countries represented at this year's seminar were Burkina Faso,
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana and Mali. 

"This is a region that has potential for a lot of progress," said
Andrew Murray, Baker Peace Institute director. "We hope to
continue taking steps in that direction.

6) Five grants totaling $82,000 have been allocated this month
from the Church of the Brethren General Board's Emergency
Disaster and Global Food Crisis funds.

Two grants totaling $32,000 ($25,000 from the Global Food Crisis
Fund and $7,000 from the Emergency Disaster Fund) have been
approved for aid to North Korea. The Global Food Crisis grant
will be used to purchase 60 metric tons of winter wheat seed.
When harvested, the wheat will provide a daily grain ration of
450 grams for some 10,000 people for one year, said David
Radcliff, director of the Church of the Brethren General Board's
Brethren Witness Office.

Famine is afflicting North Korea as the result of floods that
have occurred over the past two years. "Current reports are that
food rations are in the 100-150 grams-per-day range," said
Radcliff, who administers the Global Food Crisis Fund.
"Assistance from the world community is imperative at this
critical time. The lastest UN assessment is that food available
from this harvest will feed 40 percent of the population."

General Board vice-chair Lori Knepp will join Radcliff on an
assessment visit to North Korea in early October. One goal of
their trip will be to visit the Kumchon cooperative where
Brethren-supplied barley seed and hybrid corn have been planted
over the past nine months. 

"My hope is that we can begin to build an ongoing relationship
with this community of several hundred families," Radcliff said.
As part of this relationship-building initiative, Radcliff is
inviting elementary Sunday School classes to send artwork that he
and Knepp can present to the children of Kumchon. A single
picture drawn cooperatively by a class is suggested. Pictures
should be devoid of sports teams or brand name logos, as these
would be unacceptable in North Korea. Pictures need to be
received by Radcliff by Oct. 3. For more information, contact
Radcliff at 800 323-8039. Pictures should be sent to Radcliff at
the Church of the Brethren General Offices, 1451 Dundee Ave.,
Elgin IL 60120.

Miller Davis, who administers the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF),
had a $7,000 request approved to cover the cost of shipping
winter clothing to North Korea. This is part of a shipment of
seven containers of clothing from Church World Service, with a
total shipping cost of $50,000. The shipment will be coordinated
through the Korean Christians Federation.

The other grants recently approved included:
     *$20,000 from EDF to establish a long-term rebuilding 
          project in North Dakota or Minnesota, in response to
          last spring's flooding of the Red River. 
     *$20,000 from EDF to support the Church of the Brethren's
          ongoing rebuilding project in Cynthiana, Ky., in the    
          aftermath of flooding.
     *$10,000 from EDF in response to ongoing needs in the former
          Yugoslavia, where 
          thousands of people are without adequate shelter, food,
          medicine and income.

7) Numerous intensive studies, continuing education courses and
special events will be presented by Bethany Theological Seminary
and Earlham School of Religion during the current school year.

Weekend graduate level intensive courses at the two seminaries'
Richmond, Ind., campus include:
     *Administration, Leadership and Authority by David Frantz,
          Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 17-18.
     *Passages and Rituals by Nancy Faus, Oct. 3-4 and Nov. 7-8.
     *Romans by Dan Ulrich, Oct. 10-11, Oct. 31-Nov.1 and Dec.
          5-6.
     *Introduction to Preaching by Earle Fike, Feb. 6-7, Feb.
          20-21, March 6-7 and March 13-14.
     *Psalms, Rhythms and Blues by Steve Reid, Feb. 27-28, March
          20-21 and April 24-25.
     
Weekend graduate level courses to be offered at Bethany's
Susquehanna Valley Satellite will include:
     *Introduction to Theological Reflection by Dena Pence
          Frantz, Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
     *Administration, Leadership and Authority. Instructor and
          dates to be announced.
     
January intensive courses to be taught in Richmond include:
     *The Church's Ministry with Children by Don Miller and
          Rhonda Pittman Gingrich.
     *Minister as Spiritual Guide by Nancy Faus (a two-day
          retreat on Jan. 12-13).
     *Quaker Spirituality by John Punshon.
     *Group Pastoral Care by Bill Ratliff.
     *Genesis 1-11 by Gene Roop.
     *The Gospel of Peace by Jeff Bach and Dan Ulrich.
     *History of Christianity II by Murray Wagner.
     
Graduate level travel seminars to be offered include:
     *Washington, D.C., March 14-18, Jeff Bach and Lonnie
          Valentine.
     *Israel in May with Gene Roop and Nancy Bowen.
     *Viet Nam in May with Jeff Bach.

Non-graduate level courses to be taught at the Susquehanna Valley
Satellite include:
     *Christian Faith and Ethics by Warren Eshbach and Allen
          Hansell, Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 24 (Southern Pennsylvania
          District) and Nov. 4, 11, 18 and 25 (Atlantic Northeast
          District).
     *Preaching and Worship by Earl Ziegler and Jeffrey Rill,
          Jan. 5, 12, 19 and 26 (Southern Pennsylvania District)
          and Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27 (Atlantic Northeast
          District).
     *Leadership and Administration by Donald Hubbell and Delmas
          Keeney, Feb. 7 and 21.
     *History of the Christian Church, Warren Eshbach, March 2,
          9, 16 and 23 (Southern Pennsylvania District) and March
          3, 10, 17 and 24 (Atlantic Northeast District).

The Spiritual Life Institute, to be held March 15-17 at
Bridgewater (Va.) College, is sponsored by Bridgewater College
and the Bethany Academy.

Other special events scheduled by Bethany and Earlham School of
Religion include:
     *Ministry of Writing Colloquium, featuring Jim Wall, editor
          of The Christian Century, Sept. 27. Contact ESR at 765
          983-1423 for more information.
     *Heritage Singers Concert, 16 singers composed primarily of
          the Lancaster (Pa.) and Chiques (Manheim, Pa.) Churches
          of the Brethren, Oct. 25.
     *"Godspell," performed by Bethany and ESR students, Nov.
          14-16 and 21-22.
     *Duo pianists Jean Hendricks and Judy Chadwick, March 27.
     
For more information, contact Bethany at 800 287-8822.

8) A national camping conference dealing with conflict resolution
will be held Nov. 21-23 at Shepherd's Spring, a Church of the
Brethren camp in Sharpsburg, Md. Sessions will give both the
theological foundation of nonviolent action and practical
experience in basic conflict resolution tools. The conference
will be designed for camp counselors, camp deans, directors and
managers, camp management teams, camp board and committee
members, and district and congregational youth advisers.

The conference is sponsored by Outdoor Ministries Association and
On Earth Peace Assembly.

Noelle Dulabaum-Bohrer and Matt Guynn will serve as leaders.
Dulabaum-Bohrer is a social worker for School District U-46 in
Elgin, Ill. She is a graduate of Manchester (Ind.) College and
has a Master's degree in social work. She is a violence
prevention specialist, has lead conflict resolution training for
Brethren Volunteer Service orientation units, and is on the Core
Committee of the Ministry of Reconciliation.

Guynn works with George Lakey and the organization Training for
Change, a grassroots training center in Philadelphia. He is a
graduate of Manchester College and has a Master's degree in peace
studies from the University of Notre Dame. He has served as one
of On Earth Peace Assembly's conflict resolution trainers sent to
Brethren camps during the past two summers.

The conference will also include worship, fellowship, an OMA
business meeting and an OMA auction. Registration is $50, and
lodging will vary depending on accommodations. Registration forms
are available from district offices or camps or by calling OMA at
407 293-3481.

9) Joseph Buss of Westminster, Md., has been named manager of the
Brethren Conference Center, New Windsor, Md., effective last
Monday. He joined the Conference Center staff having most
recently worked at the American Red Cross. He has a bachelor's
degree and a business administration degree from Queens College
of the City University of New York. He previously served in
benefits management for four separate organizations.

10) Kathryn Radcliff of Elgin, Ill., has been named manager of
Brethren Employees' Credit Union, effective last Monday. Radcliff
has served as minister of Stewardship for Highland Avenue Church
of the Brethren; as general manager of Small's Furniture City;
and as assistant youth director for the Channing YMCA, all in
Elgin. Prior to joining the credit union, Radcliff owned A Day to
Remember, a retail bridal salon, also in Elgin. She has an
undergraduate degree from National Louis University. She is
married to David Radcliff, the General Board's director of
Brethren Witness.

The Brethren Employees Credit Union has 1,714 members and assets
of nearly $4.5 million. People eligible to become members include
employees of the Church of the Brethren General Board; Brethren
Benefit Trust; districts; congregations; colleges, university and
seminary; and retirement homes. Spouses and family members of
these employees are also eligible to join.

11) The 21st Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction, sponsored
by Atlantic Northeast and Southern Pennsylvania districts, is
scheduled for today and Saturday, at the Lebanon (Pa.) Area
Fairgrounds. This event, which includes the auctioning of
livestock, quilts and other goods; the sale of baked goods,
produce and other items; the sale of a new house; and a formal
meal to raise money for an auction endowment fund, raised about
$725,000 in 1996. About 10,000 people attend the two-day event. A
majority of the money raised from the auction goes to the General
Board's Emergency Disaster Fund, which is used for disaster
response work both in the United States and abroad.

12) SueZann Bosler, who with her father, Bill, former pastor of
First Miami (Fla.) Church of the Brethren, were brutally attacked
in 1986 and left to die (Bill did die from his wounds), was
scheduled to begin the first of several rounds yesterday on
national television. Bosler, who was featured in the Aug. 18
People magazine, was to have appeared on CBS This Morning
yesterday. Bosler also is scheduled to appear on 48 Hours (Oct.
2), Larry King Live (Oct. 6), and Maury Povich (the week of Oct.
5).

In June, Bosler's decade-long lobbying effort to get James
Campbell -- her attacker and her father's murderer -- at getting
his death sentence commuted to life in prison, finally came to an
end, as a Florida court did commute Campbell's sentence. It was
Bosler's ongoing witness against the death penalty, and her
support as the only person who appeared in court on Campbell's
behalf, that has attracted national media attention. 

A feature on Bosler and an interview with Sister Helen Prejean,
author of "Dead Man Walking," will appear in the November issue
of Messenger, the Church of the Brethren General Board's monthly
magazine for denominational members.

13) Transitions and new beginnings marked the Association of
Brethren Caregivers' (ABC) board meeting, Sept. 12-13 in Elgin,
Ill., as this was the board's first meeting since the General
Board in March voted to formally separate from ABC as of Jan. 1. 

One transition began with the board accepting the resignation of
Jay Gibble, executive director, effective Dec. 31. Steve Mason,
currently ABC executive director designate, will become executive
director at that time. Gibble, who had been expected to serve as
executive director through 1998, will remain with ABC in a
half-time, field staff position.

"Steve has the essential experience and training to assume the
executive director's responsibilities at this time," Gibble told
the board.

In other business, Gibble reported that ABC has been authorized
by the Annual Conference Office to sponsor Insight Sessions for
the 1998 Annual Conference. He also noted that ABC will continue
to discuss its relationship with Annual Conference.

The board approved the acceptance of an assignment from the 1997
Annual Conference relating to domestic violence. During this
year's conference, the Annual Conference forwarded a request that
ABC suggest resources to help districts and congregations address
the concerns and prevention of domestic violence.

The board approved hosting another Caring Ministries 2000
conference in 1999, after hearing reports of ABC's first Caring
Ministries 2000 conference held Aug. 11-15 at Manchester (Ind.)
College. The conference attracted more than 450 attendees. Judy
Mills Reimer, ABC Board of Directors chair-elect, was appointed
chair of the planning committee for the next conference.

Planners for the fourth biennial National Older Adult Conference
announced the theme for next year's event -- "For Everything
There is a Season." NOAC IV will be held Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 at
Lake Junaluska, N.C.

14) The offering of mutual funds to individual Church of the
Brethren members is a potential service currently being examined
by Brethren Benefit Trust, as a result of action taken at its
special board meeting in August. Specifically, the BBT board
approved allocating funds and proceeding with the initial
development of offering mutual funds to members. Between that
meeting and BBT's next board meeting, BBT staff will survey a
sampling of members, select a fund administrator and retain legal
counsel in preparation for making further recommendations.

The BBT board also approved:
     *guidelines under which the Brethren Foundation may provide
          services to non-Brethren charitable agencies whose
          missions are compatible with the Church of the
          Brethren.
     *the hiring of a new employee to provide expanded pastoral
          compensation and benefits services.
     *offering a full range of managed care medical options to
          eligible plan members where available.
     *establishing a participation minimum for districts that
          contract for medical insurance for their pastors
          outside the Brethren Medical Plan.
     
The BBT board will next meet Nov. 21-22 in Elgin, Ill.

15) Seven workcamps will be offered to Church of the Brethren
youth and young adults in 1998. This annual ministry of the
General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministries will be greatly
reduced for 1998 -- down from the 20 workcamps offered this year
-- because of National Youth Conference. 

Workcamps to be offered are:
     *Young Adult -- San Salvador, El Salvador, June 5-14.
     *Senior High -- Dominican Republic (co-sponsored by Brethren
          Revival Fellowship), June 14-23; and St. Croix, Virgin
          Islands, June 22-28.
     *Junior High -- Harrisburg, Pa., June 17-21; Orlando, Fla.,
          July 5-9; Indianapolis, Ind., 
          July 8-12; Washington, D.C., Aug. 12-16.

Workcamp fees will range between $160 and $500. Brochures will be
available in late October. For more information, contact Emily
Shonk at 800 323-8039 or at CoB.Youth.parti@Ecunet.Org.

16) Four youth/young adults are being sought to serve on next
year's Youth Peace Travel Team, a ministry in which the team
travels to various Church of the Brethren camps focusing on peace
education. A stipend will be available to team members. The team
is sponsored by the General Board's Youth and Young Adult
Ministries and Brethren Witness Office, and by On Earth Peace
Assembly, currently a General Board program that will become
independent Jan. 1. For more information, contact David Radcliff
at 800 323-8039.

17) A Cooperative Disaster Child Care Training Workshop has been
scheduled for Dec. 4-5 at Leoni Meadows Christian Retreat Center,
Grizzly Flats, Calif. This Church of the Brethren-run volunteer
program, which draws participants from many ecumenical
organizations, trains people ages 18 and older to assist children
and families who are traumatized by a disaster. When a disaster
strikes, CDCC teams set up a temporary child care facility, so
that parents can try to get their family's lives back in order
without having to constantly worry about their children's safety.

This training event is sponsored by the Northern California
Seventh Day Adventist Conference. To attend, registration forms
must be returned by Nov. 13. Cost is $25. For more information,
contact Leslie Anderson at 510 685-4300.

This message can be heard by calling 410 635-8738. To receive
Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 263, or write
CoBNews@AOL.Com.

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