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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Friday, July 2, 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
Friday, July 2, 1999
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
produced by Fred Swartz

1) NYC Speech Contest Winners Present Tonight's Messages

Linetta Alley, a student at Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Va.,
and Cindy Laprade, a high school student from Franklin County, Va.,
are messengers for tonight's Conference worship service.  They
submitted the winning essays in the 1998 National Youth Conference
Speech Contest, but have written new speeches for tonight 
Linetta's message is "Living In Community" and Cindy's is "Staying
Reconciled."

2) Drama Team Tonight From Open Circle Fellowship
     
The Drama Team in tonight's worship service is from the Open Circle
Fellowship Church of the Brethren, Burnsville, Minn.  The two
dramas were written by Patty Facius, and actors are Cindy Kennedy,
Patty Facius, Michael Facius, and Lisa Synder.

3) Phill Carlos Archbold Will Lead 2001 Conference In Baltimore

Delegates Thursday elected Phill Carlos Archbold, associate pastor
of First Church of the Brethren, Brooklyn, N.Y., as
moderator-elect.  A long-time leader in denominational programs,
and especially active in Hispanic and urban ministries, Phill will
lead the 2001 Conference in Baltimore, Md., June 30-July 4.  

Others chosen for denominational offices were:

* Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee - Marla
     Bieber Abe
* General Board At-Large - Roy D. Unruh
* General Board Dist. Reps. - No. Ind. - Jill Bosler Best; Mich. -
     Daniel J. McRoberts; West Marva - Winoma Marguerite         
     Spurgeon
* On Earth Peace Assembly Board - Tom Leard Longenecker
* Association of Brethren Caregivers Bd. - Phil Flory and Heidi
     Loomis
* Brethren Benefit Trust - Raymond M. Donadio, Jr.
* Bethany Theol.  Seminary Electors - Gene Fahs
* Pastoral Compensation & Benefits Advisory Committee - Ronald D.
     Beachley
* Committee on Interchurch Relations - Belita D. Mitchell.
            

4) Delegates Introduced To New Format For Next Year's Annual
     Conference
     
The delegates were shown a video and given a brochure yesterday
that described in clear detail how the revised schedule for Annual
Conference will work, beginning with next year's meeting in Kansas
City. The Program and Arrangements Committee has already lined up
speakers and projected a schedule for the Saturday-Wednesday
Conference, July 15-19. 

The Conference will open in Kansas City with a Saturday evening
worship service, with another worship service planned for Sunday
morning.  Sunday afternoon will feature "Brethren Ministries LIVE,"
a dramatic presentation of the ministry of all of the Annual
Conference program agencies.  The opening business session will be
Sunday evening.  

Speakers/resource leaders for the Kansas City Conference include
David Haas, director of the Emmaus Center for Music, Prayer, and
Ministry; Emmanuel Cleaver, pastor and former mayor of Kansas City;
and Tom Troeger, professor of preaching and communications at Iliff
School of Theology.

The new format is designed to save one day of Conference and
potentially shorten the time some delegates may have to take off
work to attend.  The theme of the 2000 Conference also has been
chosen, "Love As I Have Loved You," from John 15:12.

5) OEPA Observing Silver Anniversary

The report given to delegates from On Earth Peace Assembly (OEPA)
noted that OEPA was founded 25 years ago by M. R. Zigler.  OEPA
plans a celebration of the anniversary October 27-31 at Shepherd's
Spring Outdoor Ministries Center, Sharpsburg, Md.  Further details
are available at the OEPA exhibit in the Midwest Express Center.

6) Trio Of Authors Sign Book Tomorrow

Steve Clapp, Ron Finney, and Angela Zimmerman joined talents to
write Preaching, Planning, and Plumbing, a book on juggling
part-time ministry with full or part-time work outside the church. 
The book is written with part-time pastors in mind.  The trio will
be on hand at the Brethren Press bookstore tomorrow, 1:00-2:00
p.m., to sign their work. 

7) Children To Present Concert Early Tomorrow Evening
     
Conferencegoers will want to be in their seats by 6:45 p.m.
tomorrow evening in order to hear the concert by the Conference
Children's Choir.  Under the direction of Peg Lehman, Elgin, Ill.,
the choir will consist of 140 children who have been in children's
activities this week.  Among the selections they will sing are a
Shaker hymn, Love is Little; a song they will also sign entitled
Deep Blue Sea; and You'll Come Shining Through, a song about Old
Testament heroes and heroines.   Lehman commented about her
experience with the children's choir this week: "This is a very
musical bunch of kids.  They're learning the songs very quickly.
We've just been having a good time!"

8) "Last" General Board LIVE Report Surveys Gamut of Brethren
     Ministries

The General Board (GB) "LIVE Report" has been a highlight of Annual
Conference business sessions for nearly 20 years.  Yesterday that
series came to an end, as next year's Conference will focus on the
ministries of all five Annual Conference-related agencies.  The
setting for the 1999 GB report was a church youth Church School
class studying Brethren service "out of a box."  The group
"learned" about relief efforts in Central America, the Ministry
Summer Service Program, the church in the Dominican Republic,
peacemaking in the Sudan, the witness of a BVSer who had served in
the army of the former Yugoslavia, a youth for peace program at the
Prince of Peace Church in Denver, and a testimony from a youth from
the Brooklyn Haitian Church about the value of the Brethren urban
consultation held in February.  Each of the segments featured real
life participants in the programs, as well as video presentations.

At the conclusion of the "LIVE Report," Howard Royer, General
Board's Director of Interpretation, was cited for his leadership in
creating, directing, and producing the LIVE reports since their
beginning.

9) Development Officers, BBT Retirees Reminded Of Meal Events
     Tomorrow
     
Development officers have their breakfast at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow in
the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee Room.  Business expert Ron Feinman is
speaker.

Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT) retirees and their guests will have
their tenth annual dinner tomorrow in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom C
& D.  Note that the time and place are incorrect on the tickets.  
   

10) Last night's worship attendance:   2,675
     Registered:   3,369, including 868 delegates

11) Organist, Music Coordinator Show Their Love, Enthusiasm For
     Music
     
One thing for certain about this week's Annual Conference organist
and music coordinator, they are not reserved in their enthusiasm
for and love of music.  The fervent song leadership of Michelle
Grimm and the stirring and skillful performance of organist/pianist
Marilyn Sexton Mason have enthralled and inspired the Conference
congregations the past two evenings.

Marilyn Sexton Mason was born and reared in Buckeye, Kan., in the
Buckeye Church of the Brethren. She received her undergraduate
degree in music at  Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan., and she
currently is working on a masters in organ performance with Dr.
David Schrader at Chicago Music College, Roosevelt University.  
She is organist and associate of music ministries at Our Savior's
Lutheran Church in Naperville, Ill.  She also is middle and upper
school vocal music director at Elgin Academy, Elgin, Ill.; directs
the Random Ringers, a bell choir in the Chicago area; and gives
private voice, piano, and organ lessons.  She is married to Steve
Mason, executive director of the Association of Brethren
Caregivers, and the Masons are members of Highland Ave. Church of
the Brethren in Elgin.   Prior to moving to Elgin, Marilyn was
organist for McPherson (Kan.) Church of the Brethren.   Asked what
her favorite music is, Marilyn answered, "Oh, Bach.  I have to say
Bach!"    

Michelle Grimm is married to Tim Binkley, pastor of the Church of
the Brethren in Onekema, Mich.   She says her first vocation is
"president of the pastor's support group," by which she recognizes
the important role of being companion and helpmeet to Tim.  She
also chairs the Michigan District Board and is part-time secretary
for the Onekema Church and "very part-time" organist and choir
director for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Manistee, Mich.  She
also cooks and cleans for a Mennonite camp in Onekema.

She was a music and Christian education major at Messiah College,
Grantham, Pa., which led to her first job as director of music and
education at the Indian Creek Church of the Brethren, Harleysville,
Pa., a position she held for eight years.  Lutheran in background,
she says there was a common pietistic and cultural link between her
Germanic roots and the Brethren.  She was called through the Indian
Creek Church to go to Bethany Theological Seminary where she met
Tim as well as earned a Masters of Divinity degree in 1994    "I
feel so humbled to have this opportunity to share.  I came to know
the gospel through singing...as long as we can keep singing
together there is hope for community.  One of the things that holds
the church together is that we can sing together."