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

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      June 17, 1999
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

News
1) The 213th Church of the Brethren Annual Conference will be held
     June 29 - July 4 in Milwaukee, Wis.
2) Thirty-five faculty and administrators from Brethren higher
     education institutions gather for a collaborative conference
     on conflict resolution.
3) A women's mentoring network is being developed within the Church
     of the Brethren.
4) Bethany Theological Seminary is contemplating a new capital
     campaign.
5) John Baker is remembered.
6) ER/SM continues its Hurricane Georges response in the Caribbean,
     United States.
7) The July/August Source resource packet has been mailed to
     Brethren congregations.
8) This year's 5K run/walk at Annual Conference is sponsored by
     Brethren Benefit Trust.
9) Elizabethtown (Pa.) College creates a new Hershey Foods Honors
     Program.
10) Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh to be a keynote presenter
     at a Utopianism conference, June 23-26, in Norwich, U.K. 
11) "Going Global '99" is theme for Blue River Church of the
     Brethren's 1999 missions.
12) Brethren Revival Fellowship will sponsor a workcamp to New York
     City June 20-27.

Upcoming events
13) Two stewardship seminars are planned for this fall by the
     General Board, five districts.
14) Brethren Revival Fellowship's annual meeting is scheduled for
     Sept. 11 in West Marva District.
15) The 16th annual workcamp to Nigeria, which will include youth
     and young adults, is scheduled for Dec. 29 - Jan. 25.

Personnel
16) William Thomas has joined Brethren Benefit Trust as controller.
17) Brethren Benefit Trust is seeking a director of general office
     services.

Feature
18) Thanks to Knight Ridder, a clarification of the Church of the
     Brethren's public education stance is in order, says Brethren
     pastor Jack Lowe.

1) "Let the Servant Church Arise!" based on Luke 10:1-11, will
serve as theme of the 213th Church of the Brethren Annual
Conference, scheduled for June 29 - July 4 in Milwaukee, Wis.

New business will include a query on litigation, which comes from
Western Plains District; a statement on Jubilee 2000, submitted by
the General Board; a comprehensive ministerial leadership
statement, also from the General Board; and a proposal from Annual
Conference Standing Committee that Standing Committee terms be
lengthened.

Unfinished business items will include a statement on unfunded
mandates. This paper was approved in theory by Annual Conference
delegates in 1998, but was returned to Standing Committee for
modification to include all of the official Annual Conference
agencies, not just the General Board. Progress reports on the three
other unfinished business items -- Caring for the Poor,
Congregational Structure, and Review of the Process for Calling
Denominational Leadership -- will be given. 

Subthemes for the six worship services will highlight awakening to
leadership, spiritual centeredness, servant community,
reconciliation, evangelism, and empowerment/mission. The preacher
and worship leader for each service will be --

* Tuesday: Lowell Flory of McPherson, Kan. (Annual Conference
     moderator); Emily Mumma of Duncansville, Pa. (Annual
     Conference moderator-elect).  
* Wednesday: Nancy Faus of Richmond, Ind.; Barb Sayler of 
     Richmond, Ind.
* Thursday: Patrick Mellerson, pastor of Butler Chapel A.M.E.
     church, Orangeburg, S.C.; Tom Hostetler, pastor of 
     Bremen (Ind.) Church of the Brethren.
* Friday: Linetta Alley of Bridgewater, Va., and Cindy Laprade of
     Rocky Mount, Va. (winners of last year's National Youth
     Conference speech contest); David Miller, pastor of 
     Roanoke (Va.) First Church of the Brethren.
* Saturday: Kurt Snyder, pastor of Roann (Ind.) Church of the
     Brethren; Ataloa Woodin, pastor of Community Brethren Church,
     Fresno, Calif. 
* Sunday: Paul Mundey, pastor of Frederick (Md.) Church of the
     Brethren; Manny Diaz, McPherson (Kan.) College campus pastor. 

 
Complete conference information is available at
http://www.brethren.org/ac/milwauke/. Throughout conference,
updates of pictures and information will be posted to this site
three times daily. The "Conference Journal," produced onsite by
Fred Swartz for the Annual Conference office, will be sent online
each day. Unlike previous years, a daily Newsline will not be
produced. However, a lengthier electronic edition of Wrap-up will
be sent to Newsline recipients Saturday night and will be posted on
the Web site. It is uncertain at this time whether sermons will
again this year be posted electronically following each service.

2) Thirty-five faculty and administrators from the Church of the
Brethren colleges, university, and Bethany Theological Seminary
gathered at Bethany's Richmond, Ind., campus, June 4-6, for a
Collaborative Conference on Conflict Resolution. 

This event provided an opportunity to explore ways to teach
students how to deal with conflict. Discussions included ways to
integrate conflict training into the general education requirement
and into the first-year experience of college freshmen, as well as
ways to use conflict skills in judicial and residence life
procedures.

The conference grew out of the Church of the Brethren Higher
Education Committee's desire to promote cooperation among its
institutions and build relationships in areas of common interest,
such as peace and justice. The committee includes the presidents of
the colleges, university, and seminary, and the executive director
of the General Board.
 
Presentations included the peace tradition of the Church of the
Brethren by Jeff Bach of Bethany, conflict issues by Ron McAllister
of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, and the roots of commitment to
justice by Ken Brown of Manchester College, North Manchester, Ind.

Small discussion groups, shared meals, and worship allowed for
fellowship, networking among colleagues, and the building of a
collaborative spirit among the institutions. The teams included
faculty members who teach courses related to conflict resolution,
faculty in teacher education, student development personnel, and
academic deans.

Co-directing the conference were Steve Gustafson of McPherson
(Kan.) College and Jo Young Switzer of Manchester College; on-site
coordinator was Rick Gardner.

The group hopes to continue collaboration, perhaps developing an
institute for faculty development and sharing expertise across
campuses.

3) A database of names of women in the Church of the Brethren who
would like to be mentors to other women is now being compiled by
Joy Struble of Okemos, Mich. The establishment of this women's
mentoring network grew out of this year's Church of the Brethren
women's spirituality retreat.

"Many of the younger women felt that they had no specific mentors
or other women to guide them as they went through seminary and
looked to continue their ministry," Struble said. "So I have
started a database of names of women in the Church of the Brethren
who would like to be mentors to other women. What we are looking
for are women who have experience in various aspects of ministry,
including traditional parish ministry, nontraditional parish
ministry, district- and denominational-level leadership,
chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, and a variety of other
ministries."

Struble is collecting names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail
addresses, and a description of the potential mentors' ministry
experiences and interests. This list is available to women seeking
mentors and to each Brethren college, university, and seminary
campus pastor, to the General Board's Youth/Young Adult Ministry
office, and to Womaen's Caucus.

Contact Struble at joystruble@juno.com or at 22 Newman Road, Okemos
MI 48864.

4) Whether to develop a new capital campaign is being studied by
Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Ind. During its spring
meetings, Bethany's trustees approved a feasibility study "to test
the climate for a possible capital campaign." Conducting the study
will be an Iowa-based firm that has worked extensively with
seminaries and other church-related institutions.

More than 25 focus groups will meet over the next few months to
learn about Bethany's current programs and to discuss the church's
needs in ministry leadership. "The meetings will give us an
opportunity to share information, answer questions, and receive
comments from our partners," said Theresa Eshbach, director of
institutional advancement. "With this background, the findings of
the survey should be more accurate."

Bethany's last capital campaign was held 15 years ago and focused
on the seminary's immediate financial needs. Since then, the
seminary has retired its debt, relocated to Richmond, Ind.,
reconfigured its education design in partnership with the church,
and called a new generation of faculty. 

"We are now able to address the future with a confidence that
matches our commitment," said President Eugene Roop.

If implemented, a new Bethany campaign will strive to increase the
school's endowment and undergird program, such as the Brethren
Academy for Ministerial Leadership and the new Youth Ministry
Institute, which also was approved by trustees this spring.

5) John Baker, well-known Church of the Brethren philanthropist,
died June 8 in New Jersey. He was 103.

He and his wife, Elizabeth Evans Baker, funded the Baker Institute
for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College, his alma mater,
and the Baker Peace Fund at Bethany Theological Seminary. He grew
up in the Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren. His wife was of
Quaker background.

Baker was an alumnus of Harvard University, where he also served as
associate dean. He was president of Ohio University from 1945 to
1961. During this time he carried various international
responsibilities for the United States. 

A memorial service was held last weekend in the chapel of the
United Nations.

(Baker's accomplishments were detailed in the June 1997 Messenger.
His obituary was printed in the June 12 New York Times, complete
with a photo used on the June 1997 Messenger cover.)

6) Hurricane Georges struck the Caribbean and United States nearly
eight months ago, but its damage continues to be the focus of
several work projects coordinated by the General Board's Emergency
Response/Service Ministries.

In Puerto Rico, 144 people have volunteered in Caimito since a
project opened last October. Sixty-five people have volunteered at
a Castaner project, which opened in January. The Caimito project
will close at the end of June; Castaner at the end of July. ER/SM
will evaluate the need to reopen in Caimito or in another location
in the fall.

In the Dominican Republic, 13 houses were constructed in San Juan
before the recovery operation was moved to Azua, where ER/SM is
overseeing the building of 32 houses.

In Biloxi, Miss., 53 Brethren volunteers have completed 18 repair
jobs during the first six weeks of ER/SM's project. The Mississippi
Coast Interfaith Disaster Response hopes to fulfill at least 150 of
the remaining 300 repair requests, most of which have received FEMA
approval. Other ecumenical disaster response teams are also working
on these projects.

Meanwhile, a tornado recovery project is scheduled to begin in
Haysville, Kan., by mid-July. Western Plains, Southern
Pennsylvania, and West Marva districts are expected to provide work
teams. Much of the work will likely be roofing and repairs of
severely damaged homes.  

7) The July/August 1999 Source resource packet has been mailed to
all Church of the Brethren congregations.

This edition includes --
* the cover jacket to "Ministry at the Margins," a special General
     Board video report.
* a flier for "In Our Midst," a new series of congregational
     resource packets developed by the General Board. A sample copy
     of the first packet is being provided to each               
     congregation by the Board's Congregational Life Ministries.
* a brochure for Church of the Brethren notecards intended for
     church and personal use. The two choices of notecards include
     "Chapel," featuring the chapel at the Church of the Brethren
     General Offices in Elgin, Ill., and Tim Bott's calligraphy of
     the General Board's tagline, "Continuing the Work of Jesus.
     Peacefully. Simply. Together."
* a pamphlet on the Y2K (year 2000) workcamp in Nigeria for youth,
     young adults, and older adults. (see item 15)
* a flier on new global resources on Cuba for congregations,
     produced by the National Council of Churches.
* a flier on the National Council of Churches' 50th anniversary
     celebration, to be held Nov. 9-12 in Cleveland.
* a brochure on "Immigration," the newest title in the "Beyond the
     News" series of videos from Mennonite Media.
* a flier on the revamped Odyssey cable television channel, a
     religious-based network that the Church of the Brethren and 80
     other religious groups relate to through the National  
     Interfaith Cable Coalition.
* a complimentary copy of the spring issue of "Caregiving,"
     Association of Brethren Caregivers' quarterly publication for
     caregivers.

Source is sent free-of-charge to all congregations. Annual
subscriptions for all others cost $3. Contact Howard Royer at
hroyer_gb@brethren.org or at 800 323-8039 ext. 260.

8) This year's annual 5K run/walk at Annual Conference will be held
on Thursday, July 1, at 7 a.m. in Milwaukee's Veterans Park. The
course is on Lake Michigan about 1 1/2 miles from the Milwaukee
Arena. 

This year's event, called the Fitness Challenge by first-time
sponsor Brethren Benefit Trust, is part of BBT's wellness program,
which "encourages walking, running, and other regular exercise as
an essential part of staying physically fit," according to Cinny
Poppen of BBT.

Cost is $15, which includes a t-shirt and continental breakfast.
Contact Poppen prior to conference at cpoppen_bbt@brethren.org or
at 800 746-1505. During conference contact Poppen at the
BBT/Association of Brethren Caregivers wellness booth. 

In previous years this event was sponsored by the Church of the
Brethren Outdoor Ministries Association.

9) Having received a $200,000 grant from Hershey Foods Corporation,
Elizabethtown (Pa.) College has established a new Hershey Foods
Honors Program that will provide enhanced learning opportunities
for Elizabethtown College students with "excellent academic
records, superior academic abilities, intellectual promise, and
demonstrated initiative." The program will be offered to incoming
students in the fall of 2000 and will be open to 25-30 freshmen
each year who rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating high
school class, score above 1200 on the SAT I exam, and are approved
by an honors committee.

"The idea for the program first came two years ago from a student
during an annual retreat attended by faculty, administrators, and
student leaders," said Elizabethtown College president Theodore
Long. "The feeling was that creating such a program would attract
a higher quality student profile, improve college retention rates,
contribute to a more dynamic curriculum and academic environment,
and enhance faculty development and satisfaction."

10) Brethren historian Donald Durnbaugh will serve as a keynote
presenter at a conference in Norwich, U.K., at the University of
East Anglia. "A Millenium of Utopias: The Theory, History, and
Future of Utopianism," is scheduled for June 23-26. Durnbaugh's
paper is "'How Long the Vision?': William C. Thurman and His
Adventist Following." Durnbaugh is one of three international
scholars to receive a travel subsidy to attend the conference,
which will be attended by scholars from a number of nations.

11) "Going Global '99" is the theme of three youth missions this
summer by Blue River Church of the Brethren, Columbia City, Ind.
Youth missionaries were commissioned and consecrated during morning
worship on Sunday. 

Five Blue River youth and one adviser will be in Costa Rica from
June 20 to July 4 to share the Gospel "through drama and personal
evangelism in schools, orphanages, and markets." This trip is under
the direction of Teen Mania Ministries. The second mission, July
8-14, will be in southeast Kentucky, where Blue River youth and
adults will engage in work projects, youth outreach, and worship
through Flat Creek and Mud Lick Churches of the Brethren. The third
summer mission journey will be to Lisburn, Northern Ireland, from
July 17 to Aug. 7, where six youth and one adviser "will proclaim
the Gospel through various means." Their sponsoring agency is Youth
For Christ.

According to Craig Allen Myers, Blue River pastor, this will be the
church's second consecutive year for coordinating short-term youth
missions. "This emphasis has sparked renewed interest in missions
and evangelism in the congregation," Myers said.

12) A youth workcamp sponsored by Brethren Revival Fellowship will
be held June 20-27 in New York City. Participants will work at and
around Brooklyn First Church of the Brethren. Contact James Myer at
717 626-5555.

13) Two stewardship seminars are planned for this fall by the
Church of the Brethren General Board's Area One Congregational Life
Team and by the Stewards Commissions of 
Atlantic Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Middle Pennsylvania, Southern
Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania districts.

The seminars will be held Oct. 23 at Hagerstown (Md.) Church of the
Brethren and on Oct. 30 at Hollidaysburg (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren, from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. Cost ranges from $12 to $32,
depending on number of registrants from each congregation and
whether they pre-register.

Contact Linda McCauliff of Area One Congregational Life Team at
lmccauliff_gb@brethren.org or at 814 479-7058.

14) Brethren Revival Fellowship's annual meeting is scheduled for
Sept. 11 at Tear Coat Church of the Brethren, near Augusta, W.Va.,
with the theme, "Brethren Attitudes Toward Missions." Contact James
Myer at 717 626-5555.

15) The 16th annual Church of the Brethren workcamp in Nigeria is
scheduled for Dec. 29 - Jan. 25. This year's workcamp will focus on
recruiting youth and young adults from the denomination to
participate alongside older adults. The Basel Mission in
Switzerland, workcamp partners, and Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria
(the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) will also recruit
participants.

Workers will continue the construction of a secondary school near
EYN headquarters near Mubi. They also will visit EYN congregations
and participate in cultural events. This event is sponsored by the
General Board's Global Mission Partnerships and Youth/Young Adult
Ministries offices. Contact workcamp coordinator Jeff Mummau at
jeffmum@redrose.net or at 717 367-2269. The workcamp's Web site is
www.brethren.org/genbd/global_mission/workcamp.htm

16) William Thomas on June 10 joined Brethren Benefit Trust as
controller. Thomas, who has his Ph.D. in business administration,
has spent much of his career teaching accounting at colleges and
universities. He also served as financial controller for the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea. 

17) A director of general office services is being sought by
Brethren Benefit Trust. This Elgin, Ill.-based position will manage
human resources, office operations, mail management, and
centralized data entry. For more information, contact Sandra Pryde
at spryde_bbt@brethren.org or at 800 746-1505.

18) In early June the Knight Ridder news service published a story
about a Church of the Brethren pastor from Columbia, S.C., who
believes all Christian school students should be pulled from public
schools in a home-based initiative he calls "Exodus 2000."

Newsline was unable to verify that E. Ray Moore, Jr., is a Church
of the Brethren pastor. There are no Church of the Brethren
congregations in Columbia, S.C.; he is not listed in the Church of
the Brethren Yearbook; and he is not known by the East Coast
District executives Newsline contacted. Furthermore, there is no
person of this name listed in the Blythewood, S.C., phone
directory, which according to Knight Ridder, is Moore's town of
residence. 

Regardless of who the man that was cited by Knight Ridder and where
he lives, Moore's views are not reflective of the official Church
of the Brethren public education position. Jack Lowe, pastor of
Peters Creek Church of the Brethren, Roanoke, Va., explains in a
letter the Roanoke Times --

On Monday, June 7, you ran an article entitled "He wants Christian
kids out of public schools." It identified a Rev. E. Ray Moore,
Jr., as a "Church of the Brethren pastor" who heads a movement
called Exodus 2000. The article may leave the mistaken impression
with some readers that the Church of the Brethren endorses this
movement.

As a member of the study committee on a query entitled the
"Education of the Public," whose statement was passed by the Church
of the Brethren Annual Conference in 1989, making it the official
policy of the Church of the Brethren, I can truthfully say that the
Church of the Brethren has been, is, and will continue to be a
strong advocate of public education for all people. 

To quote just one of the many supportive statements in the
document, "One important mission of the church is to support a
strong system of public schools and to work at their continual
improvement." Following soon after these words are twenty-nine
suggestions for action at the denominational level, the
congregational and community level, and by parents and other church
members.

The Church of the Brethren has been active in promoting public
education over its nearly three centuries as a church. An early
school for all children was sponsored by Brethren in the
Germantown, Pa., community in the mid-1700's. Brethren became
teachers and advocates of the common school movement following the
Civil War. And today, many members of the Church of the Brethren
are teachers, administrators, and school aides. Members also serve
on local school boards throughout the United States, in
parent/teacher organizations, and as school volunteers. As stated
in another place in the "Education of the Public" statement, "The
Church of the Brethren continues its long-standing support for
public education, while working for the increased commitment to
excellence."

We of the Church of the Brethren would be denying our past and our
official statement of support for public education were we to
advocate that our members remove their children from public
schools. Further, we would show a lack of support for the many
members of the church who serve the public schools in many
capacities.

I have served as a full-time substitute teacher in the public
schools, in various parent/teacher capacities, on special
committees of public school boards, and have an advanced degree in
religion and education. I still have a daughter in the public
schools (and two sons who were educated in public schools), and
will continue to have her educated in the public schools of Roanoke
County.

I trust that any readers who felt that the Church of the Brethren
supports the Exodus 2000 movement will now understand that the
Church of the Brethren stands for a strong public education system
for all people.

Newsline is produced by Nevin Dulabaum, manager of the Church of
the Brethren General Board's News Services. Wendy McFadden and
Susan Taylor contributed to this report. To receive Newsline by
e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 263, or write
CoBNews@AOL.Com. Newsline is available at www.brethren.org and is
archived with an index at http://www.wfn.org.