wfn.org | Newsline - Church of the Brethren weekly news update

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Feb. 9, 1998
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline                                     Feb. 9, 1998
News
1) The Church of the Brethren General Board's preliminary 1997
     audit shows the Board may close its books $550,000 ahead of
     projections made in October.
2) National Youth Conference '98 registrations are ahead of those
     received in '94.
3) The National Youth Conference office announces its keynote
     speakers for this year's conference.
4) The brochure for the National Older Adult Conference '98 has
     been mailed; two corrections have been made.
5) The inaugural edition of "The Third Day," an environmental
     newsletter published by the Church of the Brethren General
     Board's Brethren Witness office, is mailed. 
6) Brethren Benefit Trust announces two staff changes.
7) Donald Myers is called to serve as a half-time Congregational
     Life Team member.
8) This year's Youth Peace Travel Team members are announced.
9) The General Board's Executive Director Search Committee
     interviews candidates.
10) 1997 was a record year for the Church of the Brethren Global
     Food Crisis Fund.
11) Juniata (Pa.) College trustee Frances Hesselbein receives the
     Presidential Medal of Freedom.
12) Brethren Volunteer Service and a "community" section are now
     on the denomination's official web site, WWW.Brethren.Org.
13) WWW.Brethren.Org is seeking a Brethren Volunteer Service
     worker to serve as its web administrator.

Feature
13) The first older adult Church of the Brethren workcamp trip
     was held Jan. 9-19 in Puerto Rico. Mary Sue Rosenberg
     reports.

1) The Church of the Brethren General Board's preliminary 1997
audit shows that it may close its books about $550,000 ahead of
projections made in October, according to a report given by Board
controller Brenda Reish Wednesday during a meeting of the Board's
salaried staff. October projections had called for a loss of
$237,000, but preliminary figures released Wednesday show the
Board should end the 1997 fiscal year with $320,000 of income
over expense.
 
With the Board's redesign, which reduced its budget by $2,000,000
from 1996 through 1997, finance staff were unable to precisely
project end-of-the-year totals last fall, as nearly one-third of
the Board's employees were released during the year and many
adjustments were made to the budgets of various ministries. Thus,
projections were based on budgeted income and expense parameters.
Though income came in close to budget, expenses were about
$450,000 under budget.

"Expenses were contained through employee vacancies handled
through heroic staff efforts during transition times, deferred
maintenance and purchases, and other one-time savings," said Judy
Keyser, treasurer. 
   
Other factors included good response to an end-of-the-year mail
campaign, solid investments and congregational support and strong
individual donations.

Of the Board's so-called "income producers," SERRV International
appears to have had a great year. Original budget projections
estimated SERRV would end 1997 with $30,000 of income ahead of
expenses -- that number now appears to be $300,000. The New
Windsor Conference Center at the Brethren Service Center,
Material Resources and the physical plant at the Brethren Service
Center collectively are expected to post about $30,000 of income
ahead of expenses. Brethren Press is the one area that appears to
have a worse deficit than projected --$141,000 instead of
$26,000.

Though the final audit figures are expected to be determined
later this month, Keyser said she is pleased by the preliminary
numbers. "These results are uplifting as we end a year of
transition for the General Board," Keyser said. "The Board and
its staff have spent major effort on short- and long-range
financial stability. The 1997 numbers for General Board
ministries give us encouragement as we continue our planning."

2) As of Friday, the Church of the Brethren National Youth
Conference (NYC) office had received 1,327 registrations for the
quadrennial event, scheduled for July 28-Aug. 2 at Colorado State
University in Fort Collins, Colo. This is 400-plus more
registrations than were received by this same time in 1994, said
Joy Struble, assistant coordinator. Registration deadline to
receive a free t-shirt is March 1; all registrations and fees are
due by May 1. The NYC office hopes final registration numbers
will exceed 5,000.

As the first registrations started arriving at the NYC offices in
early January, the NYC staff was challenged to find a way to
visually mark each one received, a long-standing tradition at the
Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. And the
answer for 1998 is -- a marble run. Each workday as 4 p.m. draws
near, the sound of marbles on metal permeates the General
Offices. One marble after another is dropped through a hole at
one end of a 60-foot run of metal conduit, this end residing in
NYC coordinator Brian Yoder's office. One at a time the marbles
are launched nearly straight up about four feet to a point where
the conduit goes above the hanging ceiling, over a wall
partition, and then down again just below the ceiling. The
marbles take a 90 degree left turn and begin their long, slow
descent. After about 30 feet -- past the NYC and Youth and Young
Adult Ministry offices and past the District Ministry and
Congregational Life Ministries offices, there's a 90 degree turn
to the right. Down they roll -- past Brethren Press and the
Annual Conference offices -- until they reappear through a clear
hose and zip into a five-gallon plastic drinking water jug. Each
CLANK signals the end of the run for yet another marble and
signifies that yet another Brethren youth will attend NYC. (A
picture of Brian Yoder launching the marbles is at
http://www.brethren.org/picthis.htm)

3) The National Youth Conference office has announced this year's
keynote speakers --
     * Bernice King, youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and
          Coretta Scott King. King currently serves as assistant
          pastor at an inner-city Atlanta church, coordinating
          youth and women's ministries. A former law             
          clerk, she was ordained in 1990. She holds a B.A.
          degree in psychology from Spelman College. On the
          morning of her ordination, she was awarded a 
          Master's of Divinity degree and a Doctorate of Law
          degree from Emory University. She also has received an
          honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Wesley College.
          She is author of a book of sermons and speeches titled
          "Hard Questions, Heart Answers." 
     * Paul Mundey, senior pastor of Frederick (Md.) Church of
          the Brethren. Prior to joining the Frederick
          congregation in September 1996, Mundey served as Church
          of the Brethren General Board staff for 13 years,
          concluding his Board tenure as director of The Andrew
          Center, the General Board's former evangelism ministry.
     * Paul Grout, pastor of the Genesis Church of the Brethren,
          Putney, Vt., a New Church Development project in the
          1980's. According to Brian Yoder, NYC coordinator,
          Grout "has been called upon by churches throughout the
          country to provide leadership in renewing commitment to
          Jesus Christ and discovering new life in the Spirit."
     * Judy Mills Reimer, founding pastor of Smith Mountain Lake
          Church of the Brethren Fellowship, a new church start
          in Moneta, Va. Reimer, a former moderator of the Church
          of the Brethren Annual Conference, the denomination's
          highest elected position, currently serves as the
          volunteer coordinator of Ministry Summer Service,      
          MSS is a General Board ministry for young adults to
          explore God's call in their lives during 10 weeks of
          summer service through congregational internships. She
          is a 1994 graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary.
     * Debbie Eisenbise, co-pastor of Skyridge Church of the
          Brethren, Kalamazoo, Mich., with her husband, Lee
          Krahenbuhl. She is a former General Board staff, having
          served as orientation director for Brethren Volunteer
          Service. She has performed monologues, spoken and has
          led workshops at the annual Church of the Brethren     
          Young Adult Conferences, and at various regional youth
          conferences. In 1994, Eisenbise served as an NYC
          worship coordinator. 
     * Milton Garcia, currently of Puerto Rico. He attended the
          University of Puerto Rico and McPherson (Kan.) College,
          and earned his Master's of Divinity degree from        
          Bethany Theological Seminary in 1993. 
     * David Radcliff, director of the General Board's Brethren
          Witness office since July 1997. Radcliff, who has
          worked for the General Board since 1989, had served    
          as director of Korean ministries and as director of
          Denominational Peace Witness prior to assuming his new
          responsibilities. Radcliff has served as keynote
          speaker for many conferences and events, including NYC
          '94.

Jim Myer, a free minister of White Oak Church of the Brethren,
Penryn, Pa., will serve as Bible study leader.

"Church of the Brethren youth are blessed to have such excellent
individuals lined up to speak at National Youth Conference '98,"
said Yoder. "Our theme, ". . . with Eyes of Faith," allows many
opportunities for these presenters to focus on how our faith
impacts the way we view the world in which we live. My prayers
are with these individuals as they prepare messages that will
challenge our youth to become leaders in our church." 

4) Brochures with complete program and registration information
for the fourth biennial National Older Adult Conference (NOAC
'98), scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 4 at Lake Junaluska, N.C., were
mailed in late January to past NOAC attendees. Bulk quantities of
the conference brochure were also sent to each Church of the
Brethren congregation, district office and retirement community.
Copies can be obtained from district offices or by contacting
Association of Brethren Caregivers (ABC) at ABC@Brethren.Org or
at 800 323-8039.

Two items in the brochure have changed since its printing --
     *The April 30 date on the Housing/Meal Reservation Form is
          incorrect. Reservation requests must be mailed and
          postmarked March 1, 1998, or thereafter.
     *Single rooms will only be offered at one facility, which
          was listed as the Colonial Inn. ABC has learned that
          the Colonial Inn will not be available for NOAC '98; 
          alternative accommodations are being arranged. People
          registering for single rooms will be informed of the
          new accommodations through the registration process 
          with the conference center.

5) The inaugural edition of "The Third Day," an environmental
newsletter published by the Church of the Brethren General
Board's Brethren Witness office, was mailed in late January. The
six-page publication is a collaborative effort drawing on the
expertise of a small group of Brethren environmentalists who
comprise an ad hoc environmental advisory committee with the
Brethren Witness office. The newsletter's title refers to the
third day of creation -- the day that God first brought living
things into being.

"The goal of this newsletter is to encourage people to work in
concert with God's intentions for creation and to live alongside
the creation in a way that allows it to continue to exude
goodness and specialness," said Karin Davidson of the Brethren
Witness office.

Included in the newsletter are a resource page, ideas for how
people can become environmentally involved and articles
discussing the current state of Earth. These features will also
be included in subsequent issues.

Two thousand copies of "The Third Day" were printed and mailed to
540 people who received "Between Flood and the Rainbow,"  the
General Board's former ecological newsletter by Shantilal Bhagat.
Each Church of the Brethren pastor will be receiving a copy in an
Earth Day mailing later this month. Individuals wishing to
receive this newsletter should contact Davidson at
kdavidson_gb@brethren.org or at 800 323-8039.

6) On Jan. 30, Brethren Benefit Trust announced two staff changes
that went into effect Feb. 1.

Jim Replogle, former director of Planned Giving for the Church of
the Brethren General Board, has joined BBT as director of
Deferred Gifts Services. Mark Pitman, formerly director of the
Brethren Foundation, has assumed the new title of director of
Brethren Foundations Operations.

These changes mean Pitman, based at BBT's offices in Elgin, Ill.,
will provide support for Foundation operations and oversight for
asset management services, which currently administers over $50
million in investments for its client agencies. Replogle, based
in Bridgewater, Va., will support the stewardship and planned
gift efforts of Brethren denominational agencies and will assist
people who wish to make deferred or income-producing gifts. BBT's
Gift Management Services currently administers about $2.3 million
in deferred gifts. Replogle's goals for this year are to assist
donors, support agency programs, develop alliances among agencies
and staff and to develop a database of Brethren constituents.

Both Pitman and Replogle will report to Darryl Deardorff, BBT's
interim chief financial officer.

7) Donald Myers has been called serve as half-time staff for the
Church of the Brethren General Board's Area 1 Congregational Life
Team, effective Feb. 1. He has been serving as interim executive
for Southern Pennsylvania District. An ordained minister, Myers
serves as moderator of East Fairview Church of the Brethren,
Mannheim, Pa. He is a graduate of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College.
Myers also earned his master's from Western Maryland College and
his doctorate from Temple University, Philadelphia.

Myers, who served two decades as principal of Dallastown Area
Middle School, retired last year. However, he continues to be
involved in education, serving as an adjunct professor at York
(Pa.) College.

8) The eighth annual Youth Peace Travel Team members were
announced last week. This team will spend the summer visiting
Church of the Brethren camps, focusing on peace education and
empowerment for junior highs, senior highs and families.

This year's team will be composed of Liz Geisewite of Loganton,
Pa.; Lori Van Order of York, Pa.; Lineta Alley of Bridgewater,
Va.; and Rachel Carroll of Osceola, Ind.

The team is sponsored jointly by the Church of the Brethren
General Board's Brethren Witness and Youth and Young Adult
Ministries offices, and by On Earth Peace Assembly and Outdoor
Ministries Association.

9) The Church of the Brethren General Board's Executive Director
Search Committee met Wednesday through Saturday in the Chicago
area for its first round of interviews.

"The committee was impressed by the candidates depth of faith,
education, experience and commitment to Christ and the Church of
the Brethren," said Mary Jo Flory-Steury, Search Committee chair.
"After a time of prayer and discernment, we narrowed the field of
candidates." 

Flory-Steury said the committee is on schedule in its attempt to
bring one to three candidates before the General Board at the
Board's March meetings.

10) The Church of the Brethren Global Food Crisis Fund received
record contributions in 1997, $266,722.91, which is more than
$60,000 over the fund's previous record year of 1992. Two hundred
twenty congregations contributed to the fund.

"The 1997 response was in large part due to the generous
outpouring of support for hunger relief in North Korea," said
David Radcliff, director of the General Board's Brethren Witness
office and manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund. "As at many
points through our history, Brethren were touched by the
suffering of others -- even our 'enemies' -- and moved to
respond. My hope is to continue building awareness of the fund in
our congregations, with a goal of maintaining or even exceeding
this past year's giving level," Radcliff added.

In related news, Radcliff said the mid-February deadline for
Brethren children to construct child care kits for North Korean
children has been extended. Completed kits should be received by
the Brethren Witness office no later than April 15. For more
information, contact Radcliff at DRadcliff_GB@Brethren.Org or at
800 323-8039.

11) Juniata (Pa.) College trustee Frances Hesselbein on Jan. 15
was scheduled to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
United States highest honor for civilians, from President
Clinton. She was one of 15 people selected to receive the honor.

Hesselbein, who joined the Juniata board in 1988, is an expert on
not-for-profit corporations and management in the work place,
said David Gildea of Juniata College. She currently serves as
president and chief executive officer of the Peter F. Drucker
Foundation for Nonprofit Management. From 1976 until 1990, she
served as chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of America.

In 1989, President George Bush appointed Hesselbein to the the
advisory committee on the Points of Light Initiative Foundation.
In 1991 he appointed her to the board of directors of the
Commission on National and Community Service. Hesselbein has
received numerous awards and holds 12 honorary degrees.

12) Two new additions have been made to WWW.Brethren.Org, the
denomination's official web site. Brethren Volunteer Service,
which was added last week, includes nearly all the information
needed for would-be volunteers to decide if they want to join
and, if so, how. The only information still waiting to be added
to that site is the updated projects listing for 1998.

A section called "Community" has been added to the site's home
page, though the look of the home page itself is temporary as a
permanent page has not been finalized. However, a click on
Community will give browsers the opportunity to look at prayer
requests, news, job openings, other related links, candid
pictures from around the denomination and more.

13) A web administrator is being sought by WWW.Brethren.Org, the
cooperative web venture of five Church of the Brethren
organizations. This is a full-time Brethren Volunteer Service
position, which means the person selected for the assignment will
serve in this capacity through the Church of the Brethren's
volunteer program.

This position is responsible for updating and maintaining
WWW.Brethren.Org, working to creatively provide news,
information, resources and a sense of Christian community on the
site. Knowledge of computers is a must and experience creating
web pages, as well as layout and design, is preferred,.
Photography skills are a plus.

It is hoped this person will enroll in the summer BVS unit, which
begins July 19 in Colorado. All application forms must be turned
in by mid-May. However, this assignment will be pre-placed as
soon as possible. If interested, contact Nevin Dulabaum, manager
of News and Information Services for the Church of the Brethren
General Board, by May 1 at 800 323-8039, ext. 263, or at
NDulabaum_GB@Brethren.Org.

13) The first-ever older adult workcamp trip sponsored by
Association of Brethren Caregivers was held Jan. 9-19 in Puerto
Rico, with the workcamp portion of the trip being held Jan.
11-16. Mary Sue Rosenberger and her husband, Bruce, served as
leaders. Mary Sue served as a volunteer nurse in Castaner in 1965
and is now chaplain at The Brethren's Home, Greenville, Ohio. She
is author of "Light of the Spirit: The Brethren in Puerto Rico
1942-1992." Bruce, pastor of Greenville Church of the Brethren
since 1981, has led two previous workcamps in Puerto Rico.

Upon their return home, Mary Sue filed this report --

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you." 

These parting words of Jesus -- in Spanish -- dominate the
worship area of the Iglesia de los Hermanos Christo Nuestra Paz
(Christ our Peace Church of the Brethren) in Yahuecas, Puerto
Rico. For five days in mid-January, 16 senior adults labored,
laughed and learned together the reality of this promise.

This first-ever senior adult workcamp group came from across the
"Brethren Heartland." Joining Bruce and me were Edith and Homer
Arnold of Berne, Ind.; John and Joleen Bollinger of Goshen, Ind.;
Martha and Norman Cory of North Manchester, Ind.; Bill Jackson of
New Lebanon, Ohio; Ron McAdams of Tipp City, Ohio; Alice and
Larry Petry of Lakemore, Ohio; Bruce and Mary Sue Rosenberger of
Greenville, Ohio; Joann and Robert Sanbloom of Brookston, Ind.;
Beulah Shisler of Lansdale, Pa.; and Marilyn Yohn of Elgin, Ill. 

The majority of the group were retired from regular employment,
but all were eager and enthusiastic for the challenge of helping
the Yahuecas Brethren make some needed improvements to their
church property. Each day from 7:30 a.m. until about 4 p.m.,
group members landscaped the front of the little church building
(including the laying of a gravel walkway); dug a trench and
poured a concrete foundation for the perimeter fence; and laid up
new concrete block walls in preparation for the building of a new
kitchen. 

Pastor Jorge Rivera provided encouragement, assistance in
purchasing needed materials and a daily list of new tasks! Abel
and Che, leaders of the congregation, provided the needed
supervision and help for the construction projects. Norma Rivera,
co-pastor of the church, and other members provided daily
noon-time feasts of Puerto Rican cuisine and abundant quantities
of freshly-picked bananas and oranges for break-time snacks. 

Vegetation (including a bees' nest) was cleared from the
perimeter with a machete; concrete was mixed by hand and by an
ancient mixer; rocky soil was prepared (and the hidden water line
broken!) by shovels, rakes and pick axes; rocks were gathered to
augment the concrete-in-the-fence foundation and block wall;
makeshift tools were used to mortar and finish the new kitchen
walls. Neither tropical sun, an occasional shower and the
accompanying mud, nor unseen biting insects could dampen the
volunteer spirit of this group of exceptional pioneers! However,
as the week progressed, self-selected "rest days" were needed by
some of the group and there was general agreement with comments
such as: "I see why this is called a WORKcamp. . . .
Nobody could pay me enough to make me work this hard!"

The Yahuecas Church of the Brethren congregation was founded in
1990 and its meeting house which it acquired two years later was
formerly an open air restaurant. Members have established a
Spirit-filled and growing congregation and transformed that
restaurant into a joyous and peace-filled house of worship. On
Jan. 18, as the workcampers worshiped together with the
congregation, they expressed their appreciation for the gift of
shared labor in many ways. There were smiles, handshakes,
compliments on the completed projects, certificates of thanks,
and prayer support for each workcamper and their home
congregations. Aching muscles and language barriers did not
dispel the sense of Christ's peace that filled our worship
together that morning.

Newsline is produced by Nevin Dulabaum, manager of the General
Board's News and Information Services. 

To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext.
263, or write CoBNews@AOL.Com. Newsline is archived with an index
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