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

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:     Nov. 5, 1999
Contact:  Walt Wiltschek
V:  410/871-0516   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

NEWS
 1) On Earth Peace Assembly celebrates 25 years of peacemaking. 
 2) The National Council of Churches also prepares to celebrate,
marking 50 years of ecumenical endeavors.
 3) Emergency Response/Service Ministries responds to the Egypt Air
crash.
 4) The Emergency Disaster Fund grants three allocations to meet
requests.
 5) A new Brethren history mural is planned for Camp Mack in
Indiana.
 6) Brethren college news: McPherson College launches an Athletic
Hall of Fame and honors Young Alums, plus items from Bridgewater
and Manchester.
 7) The Annual Conference officers ask for nominations for the 2000
ballot.
 8) The Office of Brethren Witness provides opportunities for
involvement in Guatemala. 
 9) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.

RESOURCES
10) This month's "Source" packet includes information on Ministry
Summer Service.
11) The Association of Brethren Caregivers promotes new resources
at district conferences.
12) The Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office's 2000 Workcamp Video
is available.

COMING EVENTS
13) Ministry of Reconciliation offers a workshop in group processes
Nov. 18-20.
14) A Bethany Theological Seminary travel seminar will explore
France and Taize in May.

PERSONNEL
15) Steven Abe is called as district minister for West Marva.
16) On Earth Peace Assembly is seeking an office manager.
17) Bethany Theological Seminary seeks a director for the new
Institute for Ministry with Young and Young Adults.
 
FEATURES
18) A long-awaited student brings a Nigerian flavor back to Bethany
Theological Seminary.

  1) Happy birthday, On Earth Peace Assembly! The organization,
dedicated to peace awareness and education since its founding by
M.R. Zigler, marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration at
Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministries Center and Hagerstown Church
of the Brethren in Washington County, Md., Oct. 27-31.
  Some of the denomination's leading musicians; speakers and
teachers in peace, justice, and service issues; and experts in
Brethren history gathered for the event, which drew about 120
people for all or part of the activities.
  The first three days featured a series of courses led by Don
Durnbaugh, Phyllis Carter, and Ken Kreider, each focusing on
different aspects of peacemaking. General Board staff members David
Radcliff, Dan McFadden, and Merv Keeney added presentations on
current Brethren involvement in their areas of expertise.
Small-group interaction times allowed more in-depth exploration of
one of these areas of interest, and "coffee house" story-sharing
times gave opportunities for participants to share stories and
memories with each other.
  Saturday morning brought a choice of workshops led by OEPA
director Tom Hurst, OEPA board members Dale Brown and Illana
Naylor, and Ministry of Reconciliation coordinator Bob Gross. In
the afternoon, participants could learn about the people and
programs to be recognized at that evening's banquet or take a tour
of the Dunker Meeting House on nearby Antietam Battlefield. Brown
gave a history of the meeting house and drew in several wandering
tourists during his talk. 
  Recognized by OEPA at the banquet were the peace studies programs
of Manchester and Juniata colleges, praised for providing "another
way of learning and living," along with death penalty aboliton
activist SueZann Bosler, and Baker Peace Institute director Andy
Murray.
  The Brethren folk group Kindling (minus member Lee Krahenbuhl,
who had another engagement) wrapped up the evening with a concert.
The Lee-less three still gave a moving and inspirational
performance; pianist Shawn Kirchner joked that the group wanted "to
pull out as many of our overt peace songs as we could" as he
introduced "Peace Pilgrim's Prayer."
  Following a coffee-house time at Shepherd's Spring Saturday
evening, the celebration concluded back at Hagerstown Sunday moring
with a time of worship. Roger Schrock delivered the morning message
of "Mirroring Peace."
  OEPA program coordinator Barb Leininger Dickason summed up the
spirit of the event as she concluded a historical recitation of the
organization, which has been a General Board program, an
independent organization, and now an Annual Conference agency. "One
senses that the best is yet to come," Dickason said. "It is a
storied history that is part of God's history in the world and the
history of the Church of the Brethren."

  2) Another anniversary will be heralded Nov. 9-12 as the National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA observes 50 years of
ecumenical effort with a celebration in Cleveland.
  More than 1,000 participants are expected, including about two
dozen from the Church of the Brethren. Six of those, including
General Board executive director Judy Mills Reimer, Global Mission
Partnerships director Merv Keeney, and General Board chair Mary Jo
Flory-Steury, will serve as delegates.
  Highlights of the event include addresses by South African
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Ambassador Andrew Young, who will be
installed as the 20th president of the NCC. "The Great
Conversation" will invite all present to share visions and dreams
for ecumenism in the 21st century, and a host of forums will
present closer exploration of a variety of topics. The week even
includes a Jubilee CROP Walk to raise awareness of world hunger.
  The General Assembly of the NCC, its highest legislative
authority, will also meet during the celebration, an is expected
"to approve policies urging priority support for public education,
defining approaches to interfaith relations, and proposing 'pillars
of peace for the 21st century,' including support for the United
Nations," according to a release.
  A new general secretary will also be elected, along with
visioning for the future direction of the NCC, which has 35 member
denominations.
  For additional information on the celebration, visit the NCC's
web site at www.ncccusa.org.

  3) The crash of Egypt Air flight 990 last weekend brought quick
response from the General Board's Emergency Response/Service
Ministries. ER/SM's CAIR team was activated Nov. 1 by the National
Transportation Safety Board and American Red Cross and will be
providing child care in Rhode Island to family and friends of
victims of the disaster.
  ER/SM staff member Lydia Walker is serving as administrator of
the CAIR team, which also includes Church of the Brethren member
Sharon Gilbert of Fullerton, Calif., and several caregivers from
other denominations.
  ER/SM also continues its response to the hurricane devastation in
North Carolina. The Disaster Child Care program at five American
Red Cross Service Centers there had cared for more than 1,700
children through Oct. 21. That project is expected to close Nov. 6
after a month and a half of operation. Articles on the project have
appeared in several local newspapers and TV newscasts. ER/SM is
also involved with clean-up and rebuilding efforts.
  The Virlina District congregations have raised more than $60,000
toward work in the region through a special disaster offering.

  4) The Church of the Brethren General Board made three recent
allocations from the Emergency Disaster Fund.
  A grant of $10,000 will go to support relief efforts in the wake
of severe flooding in central and southeastern Mexico. A recent
earthquake has destabilitzed some hillside villages and may worsen
the situation. News reports said the floods had claimed nearly 400
lives and left thousands homeless. 
  The request, from Emergency Response/Service Ministries manager
Stan Noffsinger, comes in response to a Church World Service appeal
for $100,000 in denominational support.
  A second allocation, of $1,725, will go to meet an ER/SM request
for shipping 50 cartons of beef chunks to El Salvador. The shipment
will be sent to Doctors for the Right to Health in San Salvador,
the capital. Audrey Lenhart, a member of the Manassas (Va.)
congregation who is in El Salvador, will assist the doctors with
the distribution of the beef chunks to needy persons as they travel
from village to village in their moving clinic.
  And finally, an allocation of $25,000 was approved in support of
the Church World Service/ Emergency Response Office appeal for the
recent earthquake in Taiwan.  
  Attention is Taiwan is now being turned to the task of long-term
recovery and rehabilitation, which includes construction of
temporary housing; the support and protection of the rights of the
disaster survivors; counseling for the survivors; and recruiting
and training professional staff volunteers for disaster
preparedness, mitigation and response.

  5) More than 1,500 people are estimated to have attended the
first Alexander Mack Festival at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind., on
Oct. 2. The festival, celebrating the 50th anniversary of 12 large
Church of the Brethren history murals at the camp,  netted nearly
$18,000. More than $10,000 of that came from an auction.
  Some of the funds are earmarked for a new mural being painted by
Margie Petry to bring the Church of the Brethren history up to
date. Remaining funds will go toward building a new cabin that can
sleep 38. More than $12,000 raised from spring and fall golf
tournaments will go toward new beds and mattresses for Sarah Major
Lodge.
  Next year will mark the camp's 75th anniversary. Andrew Young,
former ambassador to the United Nations and mayor of Atlanta, Ga.,
and soon-to-be president of the National Council of Churches, will
speak at a celebration service following a golf tournament on May
20, when the new mural will also be unveiled. 

  6) McPherson (Kans.) College launched its Athletic Hall of Fame
on Oct. 23 with nine inductees. The charter group included Dr. Earl
Kinzie (Class of '28), Guy Hayes ('34), Dr. Doris Coppock ('48),
George Keim ('54), Ed Delk ('59), Jeanne Suellentrop Boucek ('77),
Craig Holman ('79), Denise Race ('87), and coach Sid Smith.
  Coppock and Smith taught athletics at the school, and all but
Smith starred in a variety of sports there. 
  McPherson also recently announced its 1999 Young Alum Award
recipients, honoring significant achievements of alumni who have
graduated in the past 25 years. 1999 awards went to Dr. Jeffery
Bach ('79), now a professor at Bethany Theological Seminary; family
therapist Carol White Leland ('74); and McPherson theatre professor
Dr. Rick Tyler ('74).
  In other college news:
  *Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., has been
recognized by the John Templeton Foundation for its commitment to
inspire students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives. It is one
of only 100 colleges and universities to receive the honor. The
foundation highlighted Manchester's reconciliation service,
volunteer services, civic education, faculty who serve as role
models, and first-year Service Scholarship program as some of the
reasons for the award.
  *Dean Egge, a 1950 Bridgewater College alumnus and a member of
the Williamson Road Church of the Brethren (Roanoke, Va.) has an
exhibit titled "Sculptures in Wood" at the college's Kline Campus
Center Art Gallery through Nov. 30. The show consists of wood
sculptures, most of them with abstract religious themes, carved
from hardwood cherry and walnut logs.
  
  7) The Annual Conference officers remind Brethren to submit
nominees as Nominating Committee develops a ballot to be presented
at the 2000 Annual Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
  The "Information Form 2000" is available from the Annual
Conference office and was included in a July "2000 Election
Procedures" mailing to all districts and pastors. Deadline for
receiving the form in the Annual Conference office is Dec. 3, 1999.

  8) Several opportunities are offered for congregations and
individuals  to become involved in peace and justice advocacy in
the Central American nation of Guatemala.
  The Guatemala Accompaniment Project, a group with which the
Church of the Brethren works cooperatively, is seeking candidates
for its January 2000 training. GAP matches trained human rights
accompaniers with U.S. sponsoring communities, which can be
faith-based networks or Central America support coalitions.
  These communities sponsor the accompanier's stay in a returned
refugee village or community of resettled, internally displaced
people in Guatemala.  They also work to build relationships with
communities and to learn more about Guatemala and current
conditions there.
  The General Board's Brethren Witness office cooperates with GAP
in recruiting and supporting accompaniers, and in linking Brethren
congregations with Guatemalan communities. Six congregations
currently provide support for accompaniers.
  Two Church of the Brethren members are among accompaniers now
serving in nearly one dozen Guatemalan villages. Sandy Summers from
the Ephrata (Pa.) congregation and Sarah Stafford from the Oakland
congregation (Ohio) will finish their terms early in 2000.
  A March 1-10 delegation will be visiting Guatemala and Church of
the Brethren partner communities. Trip leadership is being provided
by Tom Benevento, a long-time Brethren Volunteer Service worker in
Guatemala who presently serves as Latin America specialist for the
General Board's Global Mission Partnerships office. Approximate
cost for participants will be $850.
  Contact the Brethren Witness office at 1-800-323-8039 for more
information about the accompaniment program, becoming a sponsoring
community, or to register for the March delegation.

  9) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere:
      *2000 Annual Conference worship speakers, announced by the
Program and Arrangements Committee, will be moderator Emily Mumma
of Hollidaysburg, Pa., for the opening service Saturday evening,
July 15; Joel Nogle of Gettysburg, Pa., Sunday morning; Belita
Mitchell of Los Angeles on Monday evening; Emanuel Cleaver of St.
James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Mo., and past mayor
of the city on Tuesday; and Thomas Troeger, professor of preaching
and communications at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo., on
Wednesday morning. The Conference theme is "Love as I have loved
you."
      *The Church of the Brethren Washington Office is urging
participation in a School of the Americas Vigil at Fort Benning in
Columbus, Ga., Nov. 19-21. For more information, call the
Washington Office at (202) 546-3202.
      *The annual Pastors and Spouses in New Parishes Retreat will
be held Feb. 25-27, 2000, at the Brethren Service Center in New
Windsor, Md. Pastors who have been called to new congregations in
the past year should receive information from their district
offices.
     *Carol and Wayne Spangler of Vienna, Va., have been called to
serve as on-site coordinators for the 2001 Annual Conference in
Baltimore.
     *The 40th annual Christmas Peace Pilgrimage from Nazareth to
Bethlehem, Pa., will be held Dec. 11. The Southern Pennsylvania and
Atlantic Northeast districts help to sponsor the 10-mile walk of
reflection and witness. Call Fran Driesbach (610) 258-7313 for more
information
     *Ann VanPelt, vice president and chief operating officer of
Bridgewater (Va.) Village, Inc., has been installed as chairwoman
of the board of directors for the Virginia Association of Nonprofit
Homes for the Aging.
     *The recent Mid-Atlantic District Conference approved $86,000
in renovations for Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministries Center,
which will winterize cabins and add another conference room.
  *The National Council of Churches has called Barbara Ellen Black
of Roslyn Harbor, N.Y., to be its interim general manager.
 
 10) Congregations can learn more about Ministry Summer Service,
which pairs young adults exploring pastoral ministry with
congregations or other church ministries for a summer, in this
month's "Source" packets from the General Board's Office of
Interpretation. A new brochure explains the program, which invites
congregations to serve as a mentoring site for these young adults.
Applications for summer 2000 are due Feb. 1.
  Also in the packet are a resource catalog on "Dismantling
Racism," a 2000 workcamps brochure, reprints of materials on the
Dominican Republic, Christmas gift ideas from Brethren Press, a
poster highlighting Brethren colleges from the Church of the
Brethren Collaboration on Admission, information on the Brethren
Employees' Credit Union, and a catalog from EcuFilm.

  11) The Association of Brethren Caregivers is promoting five new
resources for deacons and those interested in end-of-life issues at
many of the 23 district conferences this fall.
  All of the new resources were introduced at the 1999 Church of
the Brethren Annual Conference in Milwaukee this past summer. The
new resources include: a large-print version of the deacon manual
for caring ministries, a Spanish translation of the video resource
"A Deacon Ministry of Caring," deacon identification and/or
business cards, deacon and deacon emeritus certificates, and
"Choosing Death: A Study Guide on Euthanasia."
  For more information, call ABC at 1-800-323-8039.

  12) The 2000 Workcamp Video is now available from the Youth and
Young Adult Ministry office of the General Board. The video
provides an overview of each of the 22 junior high, senior high,
and young adult workcamps offered during the summer of 2000 and
explains what the workcamp experience is all about through
interviews with coordinators and past participants.
  Anyone interested in viewing the video should either contact your
district office, which has a copy available to be loaned out, or
call Jacki Hartley or Alan Edwards in the Youth and Young Adult
Ministry office at 1-800-323-8039.

   13) A workshop entitled "Healing Together: Leading Group
Processes for Reconciliation" is being sponsored by Ministry of
Reconciliation (MoR) Nov. 18-20 at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind.
  Participants will have an opportunity to expand their range of
skills in group facilitation. Several group activities will be
discussed and experienced, including proceses for opening up
communication, dealing safely with issues, mending relationships,
and helping a group move
toward reconciliation. Participants will have opportunities to
practice group leadership skills.
  The workshop leader is Bob Gross, MoR coordinator.  The workshop
is designed for Discipleship & Reconciliation Committee members,
district executive ministers, Ministry of Reconciliation
practitioners, pastors, deacons, congregational leaders, and anyone
who works with groups.
  Cost is $75 for registration and $50 for lodging and meals. A $20
deposit should accompany the registration. Send registration forms
to: MoR, 4898 E 1400 N, North Manchester, IN  46692. For more
information call Gross at (219) 982-7751.

  14) Nancy R. Faus, professor emerita at Bethany Theological
Seminary, will lead an academic travel seminar called “Travel
Seminar to France: Paris and the Taize Community - Faith
Explorations in a Cross-Cultural Setting.” This two week trip, May
9-22, 2000, will include visits to the homes of Van Gogh and Monet,
the Eiffel Tower, and other sites around Paris as well as a week of
worship, prayer and Bible study in the Taize Community.  
  This cross-cultural experience will include seminary students
from Bethany and the Earlham School of Religion. The trip is also
open to others who wish to attend. The cost of the trip including
airfare, housing, and other expenses is $1,800 based on the current
value of the French franc.
  Anyone with questions or needing additional information, can
contact Faus, the instructor and tour guide, at (765) 935-1296 or
fausna@infocom.com; or Matt Smucker, trip assistant, at (765)
983-1991 or msmucker@juno.com.  Please note that there are a
limited number of reserved seats. These spaces will be assigned on
a first-come, first-served basis. 

  15) Steven Abe has been called as the new district minister for
West Marva District, effective Jan. 1. Abe has been pastor of the
Elkins, W.Va., congregation since 1992. He and his family will be
moving to the district parsonage in Oakland, Md.

  16) On Earth Peace Assembly, located at the Brethren Service
Center in New Windsor, Md., is seeking an office manager to handle
all bookkeeping, accounting, and office management needs, including
work with mailing lists and financial gifts. This is a
30-hour-per-week position, with some flexibility in daytime office
hours.
  Please send cover letter and resume by Nov. 13 to: Tom Hurst,
OEPA, PO Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776 or via e-mail to
tom@oepa.org.

  17) Bethany Theological Seminary announces an opening for the
newly created full-time faculty position of Director, Institute for
Ministry with Young and Young Adults, effective Aug. 1, 2000. The
director will hold a tenure track, teaching faculty appointment.
  Responsibilities include developing and administering the program
of the Institute, travel related to that program, teaching
graduate-level courses in the joint curriculum that Bethany offers
in partnership with the Earlham School of Religion, planning and
teaching in educational events sponsored by the Brethren Academy
for Ministerial Leadership, networking with other agencies and
professional groups related to young and young adult ministry,
participating in the seminary's life and governance, and pursuing
research and professional development appropriate to the position.
  Desired qualities and qualifications in candidates for the
position include: Familiarity with an an understanding of
contemporary culture, eagerness to work within the Church of the
Brethren, and commitment and ability to prepare persons for
leadership within the context of the Church of the Brethren;
theological training at the M.Div., M.A.Th., or comparable level,
doctorate (or candidacy) appropriate to the position; ability to
teach, write, and speak for a variety of audiences, academic and
congregational, prior exerience in congregational ministry, skills
and experience in administration, and commitment to the mission and
values of the seminary. 
  Prospective candidates are invited to submit a letter of
application accompanied by curriculum vitae. At the time of
application, candidates should also request three references of
their choosing to submit letters of recommendation. Materials
should be addressed to Academic Dean, Bethany Theological Seminary,
615 National Rd. West, Richmond, IN 47374-4019. The deadline for
receiving applications is Dec. 31. 

  18) It has been a long journey for Patrick Bugu to realize a
dream. Long in distance - he is thousands of miles from home.  Long
in waiting - including four years and many trips to the US Embassy
in Nigeria.
  But thanks to his patience, and the continuing efforts of Bethany
Theological Seminary and the Church of the Brethren General Board,
Patrick's dream of studying at Bethany has finally come true. Patrick,
an ordained pastor in the Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (Church of the
Brethren in Nigeria) arrived in the United States on August 23rd and is
settling in on the Richmond, Ind., campus.
  Patrick was first invited to come for study in 1995, but in spite
of annual attempts he was not granted a study visa from the United
States government until this summer. He has been a pastor, but
recently carried the function of librarian at the Theological
College of Northern Nigeria in Bukuru, Plateau State, an ecumenical
seminary of which the Church of the Brethren is a founding member.
  A second leader who had been invited since 1995, Abraham Wuta
Tizhe, has discontinued his bid to come for study at this time due
to similar difficulty in obtaining the study visa and his election
as general secretary of EYN in early 1999.
  Filibus Gwama had been the most recent Nigerian leader to study
at Bethany. He graduated in 1995 and currently serves the Maiduguri
congregation in northern Nigeria, thought to be the largest Church
of the Brethren congregation in the world.  
  "We are delighted to have a Nigerian church leader among us
again. Patrick is an able leader and a fine scholar," said Merv
Keeney, the General Board's director of Global Mission
Partnerships. "We eagerly look forward to the contributions he will
make to the Bethany community and to our relationship as sister
churches."
  Providing scholarships for Nigerian church leaders to study at
Bethany has been a joint effort of the seminary and the Global
Mission Partnerships office.  
  Patrick says his initial experiences in America do not fit the
Nigerian perception of a nation of individualists each going their
own way. He got lost in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport,
unable to find those who had come to greet him. An American
Airlines employee arranged for Patrick to spend the night in a
motel, though he had not flown on that airline.
  "At that point, all ideas I had about America - I just dropped
them," Patrick said.
  His time at Bethany has been more of the same, and the warm
welcome from students and professors has impressed him.
  "Every professor is concerned that I will do well," he said.
"They ask, 'Are you understanding me?' " 
  David Shetler, Bethany's coordinator of enrollment management,
worked with Patrick through the admissions process and continues,
through his work in student development, as a resource for Patrick
now that he is on campus. This is Shetler's first experience with
an international student, which has been both enjoyable and
challenging.
  "I have found that helping international students adjust to
seminary life takes time, care, and
availability. We deal with all kinds of questions and situations,"
Shetler said.
  He taught Patrick how to maintain a checking account, arranged
for furniture and clothing, and found a computer for him to use.
Shetler also had the pleasure of accompanying Patrick on his first
trip to the grocery store, and taking him to a restaurant where he
had his first taste of pizza and hamburgers.
  Dale and Claire Ulrich from Bridgewater, Va., serving as
short-term volunteers as Brethren House hosts at Bethany, were also
able to help. Dale tutored Patrick on the computer, and they
transported him to the Richmond Church of the Brethren for Sunday
worship.
  "They treat me just like their own son," Patrick said.
  The West Charleston Church of the Brethren near Tipp City, Ohio,
donated clothing, furniture and kitchen items for Patrick. Lucy
Godbey coordinated the effort.
  She comments, "The people at West Charleston like to help when we
see a need. We feel especially called to do what we can for Patrick
as he prepares to help his people and to help the church in Nigeria
'continue the work of Jesus: peacefully, simply, together.' We feel
sure he has been and will be an instrument of God's peace in this
country."
  Patrick shares a house with two students, senior Patrick Starkey
from Roanoke, Va., and first-year student Barbra Davis from Ankeny,
Iowa. The trio has met the challenge of tackling cultural barriers,
and the added muddle of two Patricks living in the same house.
  "Our neighbor decided she is going to make it easier on herself
and call me Pat," Barbra joked.
  Both housemates said they are delighted with the opportunity to
live with and learn from
their new Nigerian friend. Starkey has served on Bethany's
Educational Policies Committee and knew of the recent struggle to
bring a Nigerian student to Bethany.
  "I was thrilled when we were finally able to have a Nigerian
student again," Starkey said. "When I found out he would be living
here, that was a bonus." 
  The two Patricks have developed an informal "I won't do that"
list, referring to occasions that are common in the US that Bugu
has not experienced, such as swimming and going to the movies. He
has already crossed swimming off the list, thanks to a trip to
nearby Hueston Woods State Park in Ohio with professor Dan Ulrich
and family. 
  Davis served in Ireland through Brethren Volunteer Service, and
this experience has helped her understand Bugu's mixture of British
and American English. For example, she knew that when he asked for
a torch for his bicycle, it was not a flaming stick that he wanted,
but a light. She has enjoyed the long, good discussions on issues
and Bugu's descriptions
of the cooperation of 11 denominations to run TCNN library.
  "Patrick says that the Brethren send more visitors, and other
denominations provide more books," Davis commented, "and the people
there would rather have more visitors than books to make a personal
connection with other parts of the world. This opened my eyes to
what we consider mission and the importance of sending people. I
think we should do more, and I would like to visit Nigeria myself."
  It was through visitors that Bugu began to consider coming to
Bethany. A visit by Murray Wagner, professor emeritus, and seminary
students sparked Bugu's interest, in addition to conversations with
other Nigerian Bethany students. 
  For Patrick, his wife Rebecca, and their five children ages 5-18,
the next two years of separation will be long as Patrick studies
for his Master of Arts in Theology degree. He says that this
opportunity for study "brought both a mixture of sadness and joy."
Patrick gave daughters Nuwa,18, and Koni, 16, instructions to give
extra help to their mother.  
  Patrick is especially interested in Christian education and hopes
to apply his new knowledge at home in Nigeria. EYN congregations
are looking for ways to teach parents that Christian education is
not just a concern for churches and schools; parents also have a
role in raising children in the faith.
  In turn, Patrick's presence will enrich the Bethany community.
  "Patrick willingly shares in class about his experiences in
Nigeria and how they differ from ours in the US," Ulrich said.
  Starkey added, "It's one thing to study missions in an academic
way. It's another to hear an actual Nigerian voice speaking about
missions and the relationship of the EYN to the Church of the
Brethren."

Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, interim Newsline editor for
the Church of the Brethren General Board's News Services, on the
first, third and fifth Friday of each month. Newsline stories may
be reprinted provided that Newsline is cited as the source and the
publication date is included. Marcia Shetler contributed to this report.

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