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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      March 12, 1999
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline                                     March 12, 1999
1) The General Board holds its spring meetings in Elgin, Ill.
     a) A ministerial leadership paper is approved, sent to Annual
          Conference.
     b) A Year 2000 denominational celebration of Christ's birthday
          is being planned. 
     c) The U.S. is urged to forgive debt owed to it by
          cash-strapped, developing countries, particularly those
          in Central America and Africa.
     d) A new church development committee is created.
     e) The Board thanks, disbands its denominational headquarters
          site committee.
     f) The 1998 fiscal year ends on a good note; the Board gives
          SERRV a farewell gift of over $1.3 million in assets.
     g) The Board celebrates some key events of 1998-1999.
     h) Reflections -- time is given for storytelling and for
          assessing the new design. 
     j) In brief -- other information gleaned from the meetings.
2) Church of the Brethren Annual Conference packets have a key
     ommission on the housing forms.
3) A $60,000 grant is allocated from Global Food Crisis Fund for
     response work in Nicaragua.
4) Ten Brethren disaster child care coordinators are in Phoenix
     training with the Red Cross to respond with child care
     services in the wake of aviation disasters.

1) A comprehensive paper on ministerial leadership, a spiritual
emphasis for the year 2000, support of The Jubilee 2000 campaign,
and the formation of a new church development advisory committee
were key business items the Church of the Brethren General Board
grappled with Saturday through Tuesday, March 6-9, during its
spring meetings at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in
Elgin, Ill.

The meetings were celebrative, reflective, worshipful, and
deliberate in tone as the nearly 100 Board members and staff,
district executives, and other guests celebrated some of the
Board's successes, reflected on its ministries and new design,
worshiped together at least once daily, and worked its way
methodically through about 30 business items and reports.

1a) The General Board is forwarding a new ministerial leadership
paper on to Annual Conference, the denomination's highest elected
authority. This document, approved this week by the Board, is a
comprehensive update that would replace the 1986 Annual Conference
ministerial leadership paper. It would also supersede sections on
licensing and ordination in related papers from 1975, 1976, 1977,
and 1985.

The movement that led to the drafting of this new paper began in
1990 when Annual Conference appointed a study committee to look at
ministerial leadership. Six years later the committee issued its
report, listing 19 concerns such as questions about defining
ordination in new ways, developing consistent standards of ministry
across all districts, assisting district ministry commissions, and
making the distinction between those who are baptized and those
called into ministerial leadership.

By March 1998, Allen Hansell, the General Board's director of
ministry, had assembled Brethren ministerial leadership experts who
began addressing the concerns by drafting an entirely new document,
which includes new areas on scripture, calling, records and
reports, and interaction between districts.

Having been reviewed at least twice by the Council of District
Executives and the General Board and at least once by many other
individuals and organizations, including those who have read it off
the Ministry office's Web page, this paper has been revised nearly
20 times.

Once revisions are finished, the draft approved by the Board will
be posted at http://www.brethren.org/genbd/ministry/paper.

1b) "A Year of Living Faithfully," a framework of year 2000
initiatives that Brethren will use to celebrate the 2000th birthday
of Christ by responding "in faith, hope, and love," was approved by
the General Board. A task team of Board members and staff, plus
representatives from the Council of District Executives and Bethany
Theological Seminary, will meet over the next few months to draw up
specific plans. Though details will be released at Annual
Conference 1999, some possibilities include --

* disciplined Scripture study.
* prayer connections.
* congregations witnessing Jesus Christ's good news within their
     communities. 
* Brethren being challenged to reach beyond themselves in mission
     and ministry.
* a theological conference.
* the construction of time capsules, which would remain closed for
     the timespan of Jesus' earthly ministry.

"I think it is an appropriate time for people to think about who we
are, what we are, and where we're going as people of faith," said
David Radcliff, director of the Board's Brethren Witness office.
"The Board needs to provide something and I think (Brethren) will
be receptive."

The project's task team includes Radcliff and a General Board staff
member still to be named; Board members Don Booz, Ruth Davidson
Clark, and Marie Willoughby; Joe Detrick, executive of Southern
Pennsylvania District, and a still-to-be-named representative from
Bethany Theological Seminary.

1c) The Board joined other church agencies in endorsing the Jubilee
2000 campaign that seeks the forgiveness of debt that reportedly is
strapping "Heavily Indebted Poor Countries," countries that in most
cases have been affected by natural disasters and civil strife. In
Ethiopia, debt payments are four times greater than public spending
on health; Nicaragua's debt repayment exceeds the nation's spending
on social programs; Honduras' debt service costs more than $1
million each day. 

"As we enter the new millennium and prepare to celebrate the 2000th
birthday of Christ, it is appropriate that this be a time for a
fresh start for those nations -- and millions of people therein --
who suffer under crushing international debt," reads the resolution
the Board approved.

This document, which is endorsing the theory, not specific
legislation, calls on Brethren members and congregations to join
the debt cancellation campaign. Furthermore, the resolution urges
"the United States government to cancel debt owed it by Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries, particularly the countries of Nicaragua
and Honduras, and to use its leadership to encourage the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to implement similar
debt cancellation."

The General Board's Washington Office spearheaded this resolution.
For more information, write washofc@aol.com or call 202 546-3202.

1d) Though not much attention has been given in the area of new
church development since the General Board's redesign in July 1997,
that soon will change as the Board voted to create a new New Church
Development Advisory Council. This council is expected to address
new church development issues and concerns.

Six people from the General Board's five Congregational Life Team
areas are being asked to serve on this committee. In addition, the
Board is also inviting an American Baptist new church development
expert to join the committee. Since 1972 the Church of the Brethren
and American Baptists have maintained an association, sending a
representative to each other's General Board meetings and assisting
each other in other ways when needed.

1e) The General Board thanked and then dismissed its site
committee, which was created to look at the feasibility and
possibility of creating a single, central denominational center for
Brethren agencies. In its report, the committee, which consisted of
representatives from the General Board, Association of Brethren
Caregivers, Brethren Benefit Trust, On Earth Peace Assembly, and
SERRV International, stated that the Board first needs to examine
the long-term future of its New Windsor, Md., operation, including
the New Windsor Conference Center and the Board's Material
Resources ministry. Only then can the Board make its best long-term
site decision, the committee said.

The committee's members, many who represent their agencies on
Annual Conference's InterAgency Forum, believe that the IAF is the
best table for this discussion to continue. They added that Annual
Conference Standing Committee is the appropriate body to approach
if action on a single, central denominational center were to be
officially proposed.

1f) Despite congregational giving declining by about $55,000 in
1998, the Board learned that its general fund books were closed
with income over expense of $622,110, which far exceeded the
projected surplus of $224,000 (See Feb. 5 Newsline, #25, or the
March Messenger for details). Factors that created this condition
included $200,000 in underspending by the Board's ministries, plus
income that exceeded projections in the categories of direct gifts,
bequests, and investment and other income. The anticipated surplus
was built into the Board's budget to help replenish its reserves
used during its redesign, and to help maintain a five-year period
void of addition budget reductions while being able to absorb
rising expenses.

One new financial figure just released was the amount of money and
goods the General Board gave to SERRV International as it became an
independent nonprofit organization on Feb. 1. In addition to the
$1,325,000 balance sheet total the Board "gifted" SERRV, this
figure does not include about $13,000 in legal and professional
fees; cost of SERRV's 1998 audit, which the Board will pay;
depreciated equipment and furnishings estimated at $50,000; and
volunteer Board member and staff time to make the transition
happen.

"This sheet is another means of understanding the kinds of support
and encouragement we gave them as they started up," said Judy
Keyser, General Board treasurer.

1g) Board members were in a celebrative mood over the successful
transition of SERRV, a ministry that was born with the Board and
subsequently nurtured for nearly five decades. The opening session
of business, on Saturday afternoon, was upbeat as the SERRV spinoff
and two other special occasions were honored -- the 1998 fiscal
year and an anniversary of note for the Church of the Brethren
General Offices.

"I don't quite know how to emphasize the historicness of the
moment," said William Eberly, Board member and historian, on the
"coming of age" of SERRV. Much like Heifer Project International of
today, a General Board ministry that became independent in the
1950s, Eberly said years from now Brethren will discuss how it was
for SERRV to be a part of the Board's ministries and then let go.

The Board then sang "Help us to help each other" in honor of the
transfer. The celebration continued as those present wrote short
prayers for SERRV on index cards. One at a time they were read and
then placed in a basket while the group sang a phrase from
"Brethren, We have met to worship." The celebration concluded with
the hymn, "What gift can we bring." These cards are being forwarded
to be shared with SERRV's staff. Pictures from this celebration are
posted at http://www.brethren.org/picthis.

In celebration of the Board's 1998 fiscal year, Funding director
Ken Neher passed out "poppers" to most Board members who, together,
pulled on the little strings that launched small streamers across
the room.

In an equally light note, attendees sang "Happy Anniversary" to the
Church of the Brethren General Offices as a bouquet of balloons
were brought into the room in honor of the building's 40th birthday
that will be observed in April.

1h) In addition to celebrating, the Board also used its meetings to
reflect and to worship together using the theme, "Spirit of God
Moving," taken from Genesis 1:26-31 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2. The
meetings began Saturday morning with a workshop on what it means to
be a Board member. Following lunch, an opening time of worship was
held. Worship was held prior to the start of each business session,
on Sunday morning, and then again Tuesday morning at the close of
the meetings.

Saturday night was a time for reflection, as people met for about
an hour to learn through words, slides, and music some snapshots of
General Board ministries. Reflection time continued Monday
afternoon, first as a handful of staff gave status reports on
particular assignments, and then by all present who took time "to
dream together" in assessing the Board's past, present, and future.

1j) In addition to the main points of business, the Board did
consider other business items and heard many reports. In brief -- 

* the Board approved four recommendations for how it will evaluate
     its new design, which include evaluations with and by staff
     and the group of 100 pastors and 100 lay leaders that were
     contacted during the redesign process. A new design evaluation
     insight session is also scheduled during Annual 
     Conference 1999.
* Bethany Theological Seminary gave a report on a new initiative,
     the "Institute for Ministry with Youth and Young Adults,"
     which is being established with the blessing of the         
     General Board's Youth and Young Adult Ministry office. If
     approved by the Bethany Board later this month, the institute
     would begin its work at education for more             
     effective youth and young adult ministries in Brethren
     congregations and districts.
* the Annual Conference office reported that because of a light
     business schedule, ample time will be spent this year in
     Milwaukee educating Brethren about the changes to the       
     Annual Conference format beginning in 2000 at Kansas City.
* the Board heard a report that the management of its investment
     funds has been transferred to the Brethren Foundation from the
     Mennonite Foundation.
* William Eberly submitted his resignation as General Board liaison
     to the American Baptists.
* it was announced that Wendy McFadden, director/publisher of
     Brethren Press, was designated to serve for the coming year as
     acting executive director on occasions when executive
     director Judy Mills Reimer is unavailable.
* the Board heard that its Mission and Ministries Planning Council
     is assessing whether to become a partner in Shalom Ministries
     in Tijuana, Mexico.

2) 1999 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference packets were
released on Tuesday, and the Annual Conference office reports that
there was an omission on Form #3, the Hotel Reservation Request
Form. The lines for "Arrival Date" and "Departure Date" were
accidentally omitted. People are asked to write in their arrival
and departure dates on the "Special Requests" line or on some other
blank space.

3) A $60,000 grant has been allocated from the General Board's
Global Food Crisis Fund for food relief in Nicaragua in the
aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. The funds will be used to support
food relief efforts of Mision Cristiana, the Church of the
Brethren's partner organization in Nicaragua. 

4) In November 1998, the Church of the Brethren Disaster Child
Care, a unit of the General Board's Emergency Response/Service
Ministries, was designated the official child care service to work
with the American Red Cross after aviation disasters. The first
training session of 10 Brethren disaster child care personnel for
aviation disasters began March 11 and concludes March 13 at the Red
Cross' chapter headquarters. The training curriculum has been
developed jointly with the Red Cross' Disaster Mental Health
Services and is being presented by Lydia Walker, coordinator of
outreach and training for the Church of the Brethren's Emergency
Response/Service Ministries. 

In the event of a large aviation disaster, the on-call CAIR Team
(Child Care in Aviation Incident Response) will work in the Family
Support Center under the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services
and the National Transportation Safety Board.

"This is the call we hope never to get," Walker said. "Fortunately,
the NTSB recently reported that for the first time since they have
been compiling statistics, there were no passenger fatalities on
scheduled U.S. airlines in 1998. However, if we are needed, we'll
be prepared." 

Newsline is produced by Nevin Dulabaum, manager of the Church of
the Brethren General Board's News Services. Newsline stories may be
reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source and the
publication date is included.

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