wfn.org | Church of the Brethren Annual Conference

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Tuesday, June 29, 1999
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Journal
The daily information sheet of the 
213th Church of the Brethren Annual Conference
Tuesday, June 29, 1999
Milwaukee Wisconsin
produced by Fred Swartz
(daily website updates from Conference are posted at www.brethren.org/ac)

1) Brethren Return To "The Gathering Place By The River"
     
The 213th Recorded Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren
convenes this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the site the
Potawatomi Indians called "the gathering place by the river," and
the Chippewa Indians named man-na-wah-kie, meaning "the good land." 
It is the second time this decade that the Brethren Big Meeting has
been held in Milwaukee.  The city's Arena, previously known as the
Mecca, hosted the 204th Conference in 1990.

Milwaukee is the 17th largest city in the U.S. with a population of
602,000.  The city covers nearly 96 square miles and is positioned
on the western shore of Lake Michigan.  The average temperature in
July is 73.

Milwaukee is within the Brethren District of Illinois and Wisconsin
which has 5,200 members in 49 congregations.  The first Church of
the Brethren in Wisconsin, Ash Ridge, in the southwest area of the
state, was organized in 1894, six years after the state achieved
statehood.  Brethren have not organized a church in Milwaukee.

2) Moderator Opens Conference Tonight With Message
     
This week's Conference Moderator, Lowell A. Flory, shares his
observations about the church and its opportunity for servant
leadership in his keynote address in tonight's opening worship
service.  The college professor and former practicing attorney from
McPherson, Kan., has traveled more than 70,000 miles in visits,
meetings, and speaking engagements since becoming Moderator at last
year's Conference.

The Moderator is married to Barbara Bollinger Flory and the Florys
have four children and one grandson.  Flory has been a member of
the General Board, chairman of the Pension Board,  chairman of the
board of Bethany Theological Seminary, and chairman of the Brethren
Benefit Trust.  He also has been a member of the board of Prairie
View, Inc., a Mennonite mental health center in Kansas.

3) Many Artists Assisting With Tonight's Worship Service
     
Tonight's opening Conference worship service contains many creative
elements made possible by some exceptional artists.  Victoria
Ullery, who is playing the clarinet tonight, is the composer of two
hymns for flute, clarinet, and guitar that will be heard this week. 
A 1999 graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary, Ullery arranged
the hymn, "Obey My Voice," that will be used tonight, and "Come and
See," that will be a part of Saturday evening's worship.  She also
teamed with Andrew Wright to arrange "Will You Let Me Be Your
Servant," that will be sung Thursday night.

The Burning Bush video in tonight's worship was made especially for
the service by students of the Performing Arts Department of the
Milton Hershey School, Hershey, Pa.  The voice of God is spoken by
a young woman, Fevon Teklu; filming and editing is by Christopher
Sanborn; and the sound technician is Lee Whitmer.  Janice Stewart
is the director/instructor.  The video is donated "to the glory of
God and the uplifting of Conference."  Moses is portrayed by David
Ort, bi-vocational pastor from Middle Pennsylvania District.

Tonight's offertory anthem is entitled, "Holy," and is directed by
Gloria Williams.  The soloist is Ernestine Walker; Rich Brode plays
the synthesizer. 

4) Bible Study Of Nehemiah Will Begin Thursday Morning 
     
There will be only three Bible Study opportunities tomorrow
morning, 7:30 a.m.  The study of Nehemiah, led by Eldon Krider,
will not start until Thursday morning.  Krider, pastor of Union
Center Church of the Brethren, Nappanee, Ind., had to delay his
arrival at Conference in order to officiate at a funeral.  All
Conference participants are encouraged to attend one of the Bible
studies.  In addition to the morning offerings, there is a Bible
study scheduled each evening, Tuesday-Friday, at 9:00 p.m. in the
Mitchell Room of the Hilton Hotel.  David Shumate, Virlina District
Executive, is leader.   

5) Delegates To Receive Ballot Tomorrow Morning
     
Standing Committee is ready to present the ballot for
denominational officers to Conference delegates in one of the first
items of business tomorrow morning.  The business session begins at
8:55 a.m. in the arena.

Topping the ballot are the nominees for moderator-elect, Phill
Carlos Archbold, associate pastor of Brooklyn, First Church of the
Brethren, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Stephen Paul Petcher, Citronelle,
Ala., a veterinarian and a member of the Cedar Creek Church of the
Brethren.

Earlier this week, the ballot was pared by Standing Committee to
two candidates for each office from an original ballot of four for
each slot.  Other offices and nominees are as follows:

* Ann, Conf. Prog. & Arrang. Comm. --  Marla Bieber Abe and David
A. Steele.  Gen. Bd., At Large -- Rhonda Jane Rich and Roy D.
Unruh,   Gen. Bd., No. Ind. -- Jill Bosler Best and David Wysong,
Gen. Bd., Mich. -- Daniel J. McRoberts, Lori Waas Smith,   Gen.
Bd., West Marva -- Sue A. Overman and Winoma Spurgeon,   Assoc. of
Brethren Caregivers Board -- Phil Flory, Margaret Yoder Fultz,
Heidi Loomis, and Paul Ullom-Minnich,  On Earth Peace Assem. Bd. --
Tom Leard Longenecker and Laurie Miller,   Breth. Benefit Trust Bd.
- Karen Orpurt Crim and Raymond M. Donadio, Jr.,  Bethany Theol.
Sem. Electors -- Sally Jane Conner and Gene Fahs,      Past. Comp.
and Ben. Advisory Comm. -- Ronald D. Beachly and Joe A. Detrick,,
Comm. on Interchurch Relations — Barbara G. Cuffie and Belita D.
Mitchell..
     
In addition, Standing Committee elected three persons to serve as
delegates from the Church of the Brethren to the National Council
of Churches:   L. Gene Bucher, David W. Miller, and Valentina F.
Satvedi.

6) Support Groups Added To Schedule

Several support groups have been added to the Conference schedule
by the Association of Brethren Caregivers.  A support group for
addictions will meet tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, 7:30 a.m., in
the Gilpatrick rooms of the Hyatt Regency.  These meetings are in
addition to the afternoon addiction support groups Thursday and
Saturday.  There also will be a support group for prostate cancer
Thursday morning, 7:30 a.m., in the Gilpatrick rooms.  Kerry Twite,
prostate cancer specialist, will be the speaker,

7) Blood Collection Hours Changed; Milwaukee Has Blood Shortage
     
Continuing what has become a Conference tradition, Conferencegoers
this week will again be asked to donate blood for the local blood
bank.  News reports Monday in Milwaukee indicated that the city has
a serious blood shortage and the critical July 4 weekend is coming. 

The hours for blood collection at this week's Conference have been
changed from those in the Conference Booklet to coincide with
breaks in the schedule.  The new hours are tomorrow and Thursday,
10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., and Friday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  All who are
able are encouraged to participate in this "giving experience."

8) Quilters Sought For Traditional Conference Quilt Making
     
Quilters, both experienced and novice, are invited to joint the
Quilting Bee at the Association for the Arts (AACB) exhibit area. 
Anyone who brought quilt patches to Conference can bring them to
the AACB  exhibit area also.  The quilts will be sold at auction
Saturday to benefit hunger projects.

9) Tour To Holocaust Museum Scheduled

The Association for the Arts is sponsoring a tour to America's
Black Holocaust Museum, Thursday noon.  Lunch will be included at
the African Hut on the way to the museum. The cost for lunch is
$12.50.  Tour tickets ($10.00) are limited to one bus load. 

10) Retiree Dinner Tickets At BBT Exhibit

Those who have made reservations for Saturday's Retiree Dinner
should pick up tickets at the Brethren Benefit Trust exhibit by
noon tomorrow.  The time and location of the dinner is 4:30 p.m. at
the Hyatt Regency Ballrooms C&D.  The information printed on the
tickets is incorrect.

11) Fitness Run/Walk Open Thursday

Runners and walkers are invited to participate in a 5K Fitness
Challenge Thursday morning, 7;00 a.m.  The event is sponsored by
the Brethren Benefit Trust and will follow a trail that winds
around a lagoon and overlooks Lake Michigan.  Registration fee is
$15 and all participants receive a T-shirt and continental
breakfast.  Registration forms and a map to the beginning point,
Veterans Park, are available at the ABC/BBT Whole Person Health
Ministry exhibit.