wfn.org | American Baptist News Update February 4 1998

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.apc.org>]

American Baptist News Service
Office of Communication / American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail: RICH_SCHRAMM@ECUNET.ORG)

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UPDATE: FEBRUARY 4, 1998
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AMERICAN BAPTIST EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES ANNOUNCES YOUTH MINISTRY
PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE WITH AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES OF THE
NORTHWEST
by Eleanor Lundy, American Baptist Educational Ministries
     Rebecca A. Axmann of Clinton, Utah, has been appointed
Intermountain Area Youth Ministry associate for American Baptist
Churches of the Northwest, effective Jan. 1.  The announcement of the
one-quarter-time position was made by the Rev. Donald Ng, director of
American Baptist Educational Ministries' Department of Education for
Discipleship, and the Rev. Joan C. Friesen, associate executive
minister for mission and education for American Baptist Churches of
the Northwest. 
     Educational Ministries is providing funds for the position as
one of several partnership initiatives to strengthen Christian
education in American Baptist regions.
     In her new position Axmann will work under Friesen's
supervision.  Axmann will provide staff support for the American
Baptist Youth Council of the Intermountain Area (Utah and Idaho) and
will serve as a resource person to Area churches in support of their
youth ministries.  She will offer workshops and training
opportunities to local churches and will represent Educational
Ministries at regional events.
     Axmann has more than 30 years of youth ministry experience. 
Active in Baptist Youth Fellowship, she earned a bachelor of
religious education degree from the Baptist Missionary Training
School, Chicago.  She has served as youth minister for First Baptist
Church, August, Kans., and has worked with youth at Clearfield
Community Church, Clearfield, Utah, where her husband, the Rev.
Richard Axmann, is the pastor. 
     Axmann's appointment is the third in a series of partnerships
between the Board of Educational Ministries and American Baptist
regions. In October 1997 Rebecca M. Crouch was named program
associate for leader development, working as a liaison between the
West Virginia Baptist Convention and Educational Ministries.  Linda
R. Isham, Educational Ministries' director of planning for
congregational education, has been serving both the American Baptist
Churches of Connecticut and the five New England American Baptist
regions since November 1994.
     "We're excited about the services to youth and churches in the
Intermountain Area that Becky Axmann will provide," Friesen said.

PETERSON NAMED VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN BAPTIST CAMPUS
MINISTRY
by Eleanor Lundy, American Baptist Educational Ministries
     Dr. John G. Peterson, an American Baptist campus minister
serving The Baptist Campus Ministry, Northern Illinois University,
DeKalb, Ill., has been named volunteer director of American Baptist
Campus Ministry.  The Rev. Donald Ng, director of the Department of
Education for Discipleship, American Baptist Educational Ministries,
announced the one-year appointment, which was effective Jan. 1. 
     One of Peterson's primary responsibilities will be staffing the
implementation of a Campus Ministry Summit, sponsored by Educational
Ministries and the American Baptist Campus Ministers Association, to
be held June 25-28 at Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich.  In
addition to staff from Educational Ministries, region leaders,
American Baptist campus ministers from across the country, and other
American Baptist staff who interact with campus ministry will be
invited to attend the Summit.
     Peterson and his wife, Dr. Ruth Peterson, received the Newton
C. Fetter Award for distinguished service in American Baptist higher
education ministries at the 1997 Biennial Meeting of American Baptist
Churches USA.  The Petersons have served since 1962 as the first and
only campus ministers for The Baptist Campus Ministry at Northern
Illinois University.  They serve a multiracial, multinational
worshiping community and provide sign language for deaf participants. 
Working with other American Baptist campus ministries, they have been
active in community development and service projects.  These have
included DeKalb's Human Relations Commission, Habitat for Humanity,
the DeKalb County Migrant Ministry, and voter registration.
     "The appointment of Dr. John Peterson, an eminent campus
minister and educator, will strengthen and give increased visibility
to the tremendous ministries happening today on college campuses,"
said Ng.  "We hope to make campus ministry more central to the
church's mission." 

98U24.E

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