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

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      July 21, 2000
Contact:  Walt Wiltschek
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul." Prov.
16:24a

NEWS
 1) Reports from the 2000 Annual Conference in Kansas City.
     a) A roundup of business from the Conference.
     b) Election results.
     c) A look at worship.
     d) A Congregational Life Team initiative aids children in
worship.
     e) General Board holds meetings, reorganizes.
 2) National Spiritual Life Camp helps youth tune in to God.
 3) West Coast youth wrap up their regional conference. 
 4) Brethren bits: BVS, American Baptists, North Korea, Sudan, and
more.

PERSONNEL
 5) David Wine resigns as president/CEO of Mutual Aid Association.
 6) Roger Golden resigns as coordinator of shared services for ABC;
applicants for the position are sought.
 7) Marilyn Nelson announces her retirement from BBT.

COMING EVENTS
 8) Another "Faith Expedition" to Central America is being planned
for 2001.

FEATURES
 9) The Youth Peace Travel Team finds excitement and challenges
this summer.
10) A New Paris, Ind., group learns much at a Tijuana workcamp.

*******************************************************************
 
 1) Stories abound from the 2000 Church of the Brethren Annual
Conference, which was held in Kansas City, Mo., July 15-19 under
the theme "Love as I have loved you," with nearly 3,500 people
officially registered:

    a) Five Church of the Brethren agencies kicked off business by
presenting their reports in a new format called the Brethren
Ministries LIVE celebration. Several young adults hosted the report
time through a drama production, allowing spaces for individual
agency reports.

Next, Conference delegates began to address the full business
agenda:

In new business, a query on Personal Evangelism from the Virlina
District Board asked the denomination to "consider reaffirmation of
the spirit and intent of the 1981 report on 'Diminishing Membership
in the Church of the Brethren.' " Standing Committee recommended
that the query be returned, and after discussion, the delegates
affirmed the intent of the query but narrowly returned it.

Standing Committee recommended to return the query from the Pacific
Southwest District Board asking for clarification of the "role and
relationship of the district executive minister and the Council of
District Executives in the Church of the Brethren organizational
structure." The delegates agreed and voted to return it, and also
to return a query on guidelines for district employees.

Delegates approved joining the World Council of Churches' Decade to
Overcome Violence, in which each congregation is to use its own
gifts in that task. The motion to form an Annual Conference
Anniversary Committee was also approved by the delegate body.
Selected to serve on the committee were Jeff Bach, Donald
Durnbaugh, Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Richard Kyerematen, Leslie
Lake, and Lorele Dixon Yager. A query to update discipleship and
reconciliation polity was accepted easily and a study committee
elected.

In unfinished business, a query on congregational structure asked
Conference to "evaluate and study our current congregational
structure options." Discussion of amendments and other points was
terminated when the delegate body moved to vote on the paper, later
accepting it with an understanding that individual congregations
will need to adapt it to their needs. 

A review of the process for calling denominational leadership was
also discussed. The delegate body almost unanimously approved the
motion that the report be received as an interim report and that
the study committee be granted another year to continue work on the
paper. The Caring for the Poor paper was accepted with minor
changes.

Many reports were also heard, including Pastoral Compensation and
Benefits Advisory Committee recommending a 3.1 percent increase for
the pastoral salary scale in 2001, which was accepted; the Ministry
Advisory Committee presenting a skit on "Who Wants to Be a
Minister?"; and Annual Conference Program & Arrangements Committee
announcing the 2005 site as Peoria, Ill.

    b) Conference election results -- Moderator-elect: Paul Grout;
Annual Conference Program & Arrangements Committee: Andrew Wright;
General Board, At-large: J.D. Glick; Illinois/Wisconsin: Carol
Flory Kussart; Northern Ohio: Doug Price; Southeastern: Donna
Shumate; District representative: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford. On
Earth Peace board: Kenneth L. Edwards. Association of Brethren
Caregivers board: Eddie Edmonds, James E. Tomlonson. Bethany
Theological Seminary board, Laity: Ted Flory, Ministry: Edward L.
Poling. Brethren Benefit Trust board: Richard Brandhorst (In
addition, BBT Pension Plan members elected Ken Holderread of Elgin,
Ill., to represent churches and districts and David Gerber of
Hanover, Pa., to represent retirement homes.) Pastoral Compensation
and Benefits Advisory Committee, Laity: Sally Brubaker. Committee
on Interchurch Relations: Joe Loomis. Review and Evaluation
Committee, Males: Earle W. Fike Jr., James F. Myer, Phillip C.
Stone; Females: Joan Daggett, Pat Royer.

    c) Love was at the heart of this year's Conference worship
services. Brethren came together to worship the God of love, even
as on various evenings an Al Gore presidential campaign rally took
place just outside, a protest was held, and a "60 Minutes" film
crew taped a evening speaker. The five speakers spoke strongly of
the importance of sharing Christ's love with the world.

Moderator Emily Mumma started the week with a sermon that reminded
everyone how central love is to Christ's message. She led the
congregation in a unison recital of John 3:16-17 and asked if the
descriptive words for love in I Corinthians 13 could be used to
describe us: "patient and kind." At the end of her sermon, the
distribution of fuzzies to all of those present served as a
whimsical reminder that we are all loved by God as they bounced
around the hall.

On Sunday morning, Joel Nogle, pastor of the Gettysburg (Pa.)
Church of the Brethren, preached that "you have never looked into
the eyes of anyone who doesn't matter to God. . . . Not even the
eyes of that person looking back at you in the mirror." Belita
Mitchell elicited applause and "amens" during her powerful message
Monday. "When Jesus walked on this earth," she said, "his whole
message was love. . . . He left no room for barriers." 

United Methodist minister Emanuel Cleaver, former mayor of Kansas
City, used storytelling and fervent delivery to talk about
"Widening the Margins" on Tuesday, and Iliff School of Theology
professor Thomas Troeger spoke at the closing worship Wednesday
morning in a meditative style, particularly emphasizing the image
of a vineyard in a three-part sermon.

Worship on various nights also included a youth skit, a communion
service, prayer, and beautiful choral and instrumental meditations,
plus thousands of voices lifted in praise to God.

    d) The General Board's Congregational Life Teams offered
children's activity packets at this year's Annual Conference, which
could be picked up in baskets on the ushers' table on  the way into
each worship service.

Saturday's packet included materials regarding the stewardship of
God's creation, along with a box of crayons. The Big Creek Church
of the Brethren (Cushing, Okla.) donated 420 boxes of 24-count
crayons for the project. Any extras were to be donated to
child-related Disaster Response projects.

On Sunday, "Peace Papers" were provided by the Parenting for Peace
and Justice Network. (To order these weekly bulletin inserts for
your congregation, call the Institute for Peace and Justice at 800
833-0245.)  Monday's packet focused on love feast and communion,
and Tuesday's packet included a lacing card of the Alexander Mack
seal. "Leftovers" were available for use on Wednesday.

Congregational Life Team Area 3 coordinator Julie Hostetter said
the hope was for the packets to "reinforce themes and ideas
important to the Church of the Brethren and provide an opportunity
for children to grow in their understanding of the church."

 e) The General Board and its executive committee held meetings the
week prior to Annual Conference, focusing on the theme of being
"God's beloved" as it worked through its main business agenda for
the full board on Saturday, July 15.

Board members heard updates on Korea, a by-laws revision process,
J2K, Brethren Press, and other topics. It also received several
reports, including a detailed look at finances from the Centralized
Resources staff, painting a picture of a strong, current financial
picture but warning of challenges for the future as costs increase.
The board approved 2001 budget parameters.

The board also approved signing on to the National Council of
Churches' Eco-Justice Working Group's Clean Air Resolution, with a
call for the Church of the Brethren to take a lead in issues like
these and to continue making available resources from the Brethren
Witness office.

The meetings concluded with citations to departing staff Loyce
Borgmann, Linda McCauliff, and Ron and Harriet Finney, and for six
retiring General Board members. The board later reorganized during
Conference, calling Mary Jo Flory-Steury (chair), Don Parker
(vice-chair), David Miller, Marty Barlow, Christy Waltersdorff, and
Warren Eshbach to the executive committee). 
 

 2) Amidst the dawn chorus of bird songs a bell rings, announcing
an early morning to 13 youth campers. Campers and counselors alike
file out of their cabins and prepare for their daily 6 a.m.
exercise. Throughout the week, they would have opportunities to
run, walk, bike, swim, and stretch their way into a new day.

This morning ritual was just one part of the Spiritual Life Camp of
the "God-Centered Life" program, a national camp hosted by
Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministries Center, in Sharpsburg, Md.
Chris Douglas, Paul Grout, and Rex Miller provided leadership for
the week, a joint effort of the Church of the Brethren General
Board and Shepherd's Spring.

The camp, which ran from July 2-8, centered around an effort to
nurture a spirituality that engages the whole person. Mind, body,
and spirit were all incorporated in the week's disciplines. In
addition to a morning workout, BIble study, and worship, each day
included an introduction of a spiritual exercise and opportunity to
put it into practice. Journaling was a daily activity, augmented by
prayer walks, silent observations, "lexio divina," and the
availability of a prayer room. Each exercise provided the youth a
way to experience God intimately and personally. These exercises
are empowering, in that they facilitate an awareness of God that
does not depend on peer groups or mountaintop weekend retreats.

Another aspect unique to the Spiritual Life Camp was the constant
availability of a prayer room. Set up in a vacant cabin, the prayer
room housed five stations, each offering scripture, reflection, and
interactive meditation. Several off-site trips added additional
perspectives.

The culminating event of the week was Friday night worship,
consisting of a footwashing service and the sharing of communion.
Youth participated in the sacraments in groups of four, giving each
the opportunity to observe as well as partake. Each camper was
invited to the table and in turn invited the next to be seated.
Entitled "There is a Place for You at the Table," the service
expressed the unconditional character of Christ's love to all.

The development of a disciplined prayer life provides for an
awareness of God's sustaining power in all moments and walks of
life. In an extremely practical manner, the Spiritual Life Camp
offered to youth the chance to become attentive to God in the
present. Individual prayer time introduced to the group some of the
many ways in which God touches daily life and allowed each to
experience a variety of spiritual disciplines, empowering them to
search continually for God in the present in spite of contrary
cultural influences.

"I continue to be struck by the attitude of the youth throughout
the week," Grout said. "Granted, we made it clear beforehand that
this would be a time of intense encounter with God, but I feel that
we were so continually met with enthusiasm, thankfulness, and
cooperation. Was this just an exceptional group of young people, or
are we experiencing a generation hungering to know God?"

 3) Powerful messages, small groups, multimedia productions, music,
clowning, workshops, service projects, and other events helped the
100-plus youth and advisors at the Western Regional Youth
Conference realize that they can play a role in building a
different world.

The once-every-four-years event, held at the University of La Verne
(Calif.) July 6-10, centered on the theme "Peace Together a Future
with Love," and participants took time examining each element of
that phrase. Aaron Lahman, a youth from Arizona and a member of the
planning committee, spoke at Saturday morning's worship service and
said, "We're meeting people here we may never see again, but they
can help us focus our lives on Jesus Christ."

The worship services, organized by Sara Haldeman-Scarr of
Bakersfield, Calif., contained a variety of creative elements,
including slide shows, drama, puppetry, and a clown that she
portrayed. Shawn Kirchner of La Verne added musical energy,
including an impromptu "theme song" that came to him in bed one
morning during the conference. The full group sang the piece during
worship at the La Verne Church of the Brethren Sunday morning,
where Greg Laszakovits, coordinator of the Washington Office, gave
the message.

Other WRYC speakers included David Radcliff, Cid Pinedo, Andy
Loomis, and Chris Douglas. Jon Shively of the Pomona (Calif.)
congregation led vespers on the beach one evening, and Steve and
Kelby McCan provided well-attended early morning devotions each
day.

The small groups brought together youth from all four Western
states represented to discuss issues and thoughts. Those included
reflections on about a dozen service projects worked at around the
community one afternoon and points brought up by the speakers.
Other events included a talent show, folk/square dancing, and an
evening Christian contemporary concert.

 4) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 *Brethren Volunteer Service unit 239 members and their projects
are as follows: Monica Ardelean (Casa de Esperanza, Houston, Tex.);
Peter Busch (Tri-City Coalition, Fremont, Calif.); Luke Croushorn
(Youth/Young Adult Ministries Office, Elgin, Ill.); Masashi Imura
(Cafe 458, Atlanta); Sue Markey (Mechanicsburg, Pa., Church of the
Brethren); Marc Rittle (Church of the Brethren Washington, D.C.,
Office); Andrew Sampson (Camp Myrtlewood, Myrtle Point, Ore.);
Brett and Mandy Shull (Elizabeth House/Oakland Catholic Worker
House, Oakland, Calif.); Carrie Weller (Bread & Roses Catholic
Worker House, Olympia, Wash.); Hope Woodard (San Antonio, Tex.,
Catholic Worker House); and Joy Yoder (Asia Pacific Center,
Washington, D.C).

 *Christian Peacemaker Teams surveyed toy stores in the Kansas City
area during Annual Conference to gauge the level of violence in
toys sold. Two stores received the best score possible and were
honored at an afternoon presentation. One store refused to allow a
rating.

 *Rev. Robert H. Roberts, a longtime leader in the American Baptist
Churches USA, has been named interim general secretary of the 1.5
million-member denomination, according to Religion News Service.
Roberts will succeed the Rev. Daniel E. Weiss, who is retiring.

 *The Bethel (Neb.) Church of the Brethren will celebrate its 125th
anniversary July 22-23.

 *Partnership With Women Task Group, part of the Office for
International Justice and Human Rights in the Church World Service
and Witness Unit of the National Council of Churches, will send a
delegation of five North American women to North Korea on Aug. 23
to establish direct relationships with women from the Korean
Christians Federation. The women will discuss peace, reunification
and ecumenism.

 *Roman Catholic Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid diocese in
central Sudan recently addressed a closed-door meeting on US
foreign policy on Sudan sponsored by the Council on Foreign
Relations in Washington, D.C. Participants in the discussion
included Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Sen. Sam Brownback
(R-Kan.) and National Security Senior Director for African Affairs,
Gayle Smith. Gassis condemned attacks by the Sudanese government
and said much violence continues despite "dialogue."

 *An ecumenical environmental gathering called "On Earth as it is
in Heaven" will take place May 2001 in Washington, D.C. It is
sponsored by the Eco-Justice Working Group of the World Council of
Churches.

 
 5) David Wine has resigned as president/chief executive officer of
Mutual Aid Association effective Aug. 31, according to a release
from the agency. Wine has worked with MAA for the past 26 years,
the past 10 as president and CEO. He has also served as Church of
the Brethren General Board chair from 1991-94 and as Annual
Conference moderator in 1997.

Wine will on Sept. 1 begin a new position as chief executive
officer of Mennonite Indemnity Inc., which has offices in Kansas
City and in Lancaster, Pa. It is a reinsurance and property and
casualty insurance company with premium writings in excess of $25
million.

Wine will primarily work out of the Kansas City location and spend
substantial time reforming Mennonite Indemnity into a new
Anabaptist insurance entity that will serve the needs of the Mutual
Aid Association and 11 Mennonite organizations in Canada and the
US, though details are still uncertain. 

Jean Hendricks, chair of the MAA board of directors, wrote that
"MAA is excited about David's role in this new venture and pleased
that his involvement with mutual aid is becoming even more
prominent."

 6) Roger Golden has announced his resignation as coordinator of
shared services for Association of Brethren Caregivers effective
Jan. 1, 2001. Golden has been working with the Fellowship of
Brethren Homes and the Brethren Chaplains Network since joining ABC
in January 1999.

ABC is advertising the vacancy for this full-time position, to
assist the agency's executive director with programming for the
homes and in other areas. Suggested qualifications include
knowledge of services to the aging, experience in retirement
community management, an understanding of Brethren heritage, strong
communication and organizational skills, and a bachelor's degree in
a related field.

Letters of application with resume and three references may be sent
to Steve Mason, executive director, Association of Brethren
Caregivers, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

 7) Marilyn Nelson, director of interpretation and plan resources
for Brethren Benefit Trust, announced her retirement during Annual
Conference. BBT is now accepting applications for the position.
Contact Claudia Sheets at 800 742-1505 for more information.

 8) The January 2001 Faith Expedition to Belize and Guatemala, to
be led by Samantha Morris and focusing on environmental issues,
drew quick attention and filled up by late spring, but the Brethren
Witness office of the General Board is offering another 2001 trip.

A trip offering a simliar itinerary and led by Tom Benevento,
serving as a Latin American specialist for the Global Mission
Partnerships office, will be held in early 2001. Benevento has
significant experience in sustainable development and has worked
extensively in Central America.

Also, a Faith Expedition especially for youth and young adults will
travel to Honduras and Guatemala in mid-June 2001 to help
participants learn about poverty and justice issues. Stops will
include sites in Honduras where the Church of the Brethren and
Christian Commission for Development have worked cooperatively on
housing and livestock projects, and in Guatemala in areas
rebuilding from civil war.

The youth/young adult trip is being underwritten by a grant from
the Gahagen Fund, a Church of the Brethren benevolent fund
established to nurture children and youth, covering all expenses
but a $50 registration fee.

For more information on these trips, call the Brethren Witness
office at 800 323-8039.

 
 9) Peace. War. Domestic violence. What do these things have in
common? Besides the challenges they provide for Christians, these
topics are focus areas for the 2000 Youth Peace Travel Team. Five
young adults sacrificed their summer vacation in order to serve
their fellow Christians through peace education activities. This
summer, the team traveled mostly in the upper East Coast area.

At Camp Bethel (Fincastle, Va.), the Peace Team participated in a
service auction. The proceeds will allow youth from the Dominican
Republic to attend Camp Bethel. To reward campers for raising at
least $1,000, team members bleached their hair blonde.
 
"We got something accomplished and it was amazing to see the
generosity of the campers.  A little over 40 campers raised
$1,008.00 in just about two hours," said member Pete Dobberstein,
Brookville, Ohio.

Dan Royer, Trotwood, Ohio, shared that "the service auction was one
of the most honest expressions of Christian love I saw this summer.
It could be described as a ridiculous experience, but the willing
participation and random positive comments were awesome!"

The Peace Team has also led many sessions about different topics,
like diversity.  

"I liked helping campers realize that within groups with similar
interests, there are differences," said Myra Martin-Adkins,
Washington, D.C.  

The team attended Annual Conference in Kansas City, Mo., where they
led an awareness vigil and various youth activities. The vigil
focused on raising awareness of present issues with Iraq.  

 "The vigil gave us an opportunity to witness to people not
involved with the Church of the Brethren," said member Meghan
Sheller, Eldora, Iowa.

At one Conference session, Marshall Camden, Virginia Beach, Va.,
read "The Butter Battle Book" by Dr. Seuss, which was presented as
an allegory of the Cold War.

The experience of being on the team is so large that it might be
difficult to describe. Royer put it this way: "I feel both
frustration and success as we try to reach every group in their own
way during sessions, but I've found a great joy through a lot of
our everyday experiences."

 10) Stan Godfrey, pastor of the New Paris (Ind.) Church of the
Brethren, said a mission trip by 21 members of his congregation to
Tijuana, Mexico, was a "moving and learning experience" for him.
The group worked with Gilbert Romero, pastor of the Bella Vista
Church of the Brethren (Los Angeles), and the Companeros en
Ministerio program in Tijuana.

Godfrey found that many other members of the group were similarly
moved and asked them to write down some of their reflections. The
thoughts included the following:

*"This week was amazing. I have never seen such poverty in my life.
Through God, it was so easy just to talk with these people, play
with the children, pray together, sing together, and just love each
other. I thank God for allowing me to see this. We are all brothers
and sisters in Christ, and I felt that more than ever this week."

*"One of the most amazing things I continue to think of is the
people's willingness to share with us. In our perspective they had
nothing to share. But from their perspective, they had
much to share -- their smiles, hugs, prayers, and even candy that
had been given for them."

*"I will always remember my experience in Mexico, and in Los
Angeles. . . . they have touched me in a way that I can hardly even
describe. I've been asked many times what I thought about my trip
to Mexico, and I usually give them two replies, 'eye-opening,' and
'Words can't even begin to describe what I've experienced.' "

*"These people have more love than you can imagine, and it has
changed my life forever."

The Church of the Brethren Global Mission Partnerships Office is
exploring the possibilities of a working relationship with
Companeros.

Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, manager of news services
for the Church of the Brethren General Board, 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. Luke Croushorn, Becky Ullom, and Eric Miller
contributed to this report.

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