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

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Date:      Jan. 19, 2001
Contact:  Walt Wiltschek
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only." James 1:22a

NEWS
 1) The Decade to Overcome Violence nears official launch.
 2) General Board delegation returns to India.
 3) A severe earthquake strikes El Salvador; Brethren respond.
 4) Bethany's Youth/Young Adult Institute has successful debut.
 5) Southern Pennsylvania's Camp Eder more than doubles its size.
 6) A Faith Expedition explores Belize and Guatemala.
 7) BVS Unit 242 prepares to begin orientation in Florida.
 8) The General Board now has "Time" on its side.
 9) Congregational Life Team members shift responsibilities.
10) Committee on Interchurch Relations reviews focus, plans for
2001.
11) Brethren bits: Prayer calendar, fire, Annual Conference, more.

PERSONNEL
12) Elsie Holderread will retire as manager of human resources for
the General Board.
13) BBT names Nancy Miner production coordinator.

COMING EVENTS
14) ABC announces Caring Ministries keynote lineup.
15) A seminar on blended and contemporary worship is planned for
March 3.
16) Four Disaster Child Care volunteer training workshops are
offered this spring.

RESOURCES
17) Christian education receives spotlight in "The Seed Packet."

****************************************************************

 1) More than 1,000 people from around the world will gather in
Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 4 for the official launch of the Decade to
Overcome Violence. The event is occurring during the central
committee meeting of the World Council of Churches, which is
coordinating the effort.

Church of the Brethren Annual Conference delegates last summer
approved a General Board recommendation for the denomination to
join the Decade to Overcome Violence, which is planned as a
worldwide, interdenominational effort. The emphasis is on
denominations using their "particular gifts and insights" to share
with others in "serious and creative attempts to share the gospel
of peace with a violence-prone world," according to the document.

The event in Berlin will include a worship service at the historic
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche church, a public event at the House
of World Cultures, and a candlelight march to the Brandenburg Gate
to commemorate the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall. Speakers,
drama, art, and music will also be part of the celebration.

Several members of the Church of the Brethren, including delegated
observer David Radcliff of the General Board's Brethren Witness
office, will be present for the event. A subsequent US launch of
the Decade is planned for New York in late April, with details to
be announced.

 2) A General Board delegation is returning to India this month.
The group is continuing to explore recognition of "separated"
Brethren in that country who joined the Church of North India in
1970 but later withdrew. 

The delegation includes Global Mission Partnerships director Merv
Keeney, Christy Waltersdorff, Wendell Flory, Ernie Thakor, and
consultants Shantilal Bhagat and Bob Gross, all of whom traveled to
India last year. General Board executive director Judy Mills Reimer
and board chair Mary Jo Flory-Steury are also participating in this
visit, from Jan. 18-31.

Stops for the delegation include New Delhi, where members will meet
with Church of North India representatives at CNI headquarters; and
Mumbai (Bombay), where they will meet with leaders and members of
the Brethren group.

Church of the Brethren mission in India began in the late 1800s,
with many missionaries working there in the following decades. The
Church of the Brethren and several other denominational groups in
India united to form the Church of North India in 1970. 

In addition to the visit to Brethren groups in India, Church of the
Brethren representatives met with CNI officials twice last year, in
January and again in the fall. Numerous contentious issues and
strong feelings remain between the groups, especially related to
ownership of property in India. 

 3) A major earthquake struck the Central American country of El
Salvador on Jan. 13, leaving more than 600 dead, many more missing,
and thousands homeless, according to news reports and the American
Red Cross. Many of the deaths were near the capital of San
Salvador. Several people were also killed in neighboring Guatemala.

"It is hard to believe that 50 seconds could leave such damage,"
writes Yvonne Dilling, a former General Board employee now living
and working in El Salvador. "It's pretty overwhelming, and gives me
a totally different understanding, compared to just seeing it on
TV. 

"The housing destruction is mind-boggling," she continues. "They
need engineers who know adobe house construction to evaluate every
single crack, to decide what is salvageable. They need shovels to
push all the crumbled adobe and broken tile out of the houses. They
need trucks to pick it up, and they need to get it taken far away,
because the crumbled adobe will cause more damage when the rains
come and it turns into mud or ... clogs water causeways. Only then
can they begin to rebuild. ... The rains begin in May, so they have
three months to get under roofs again."

The area where Dilling lives suffered little damage. She says she
has been helping to translate reports for sending to the United
States. The agency she works with and others have been working to
get food, clean drinking water, first aid, and tarps to those in
need.  

Church World Service quickly responded to the disaster, joining a
global alliance to release $50,000 in funds as a first step in
ecumenical assistance to survivors. The funds will provide shelter
and care for other immediate needs via partner agencies in El
Salvador. The Church of the Brethren General Board's Emergency
Response/Service Ministries office requested a $25,000 grant from
the Emergency Disaster Fund to support Church World Service
efforts, and that grant was approved .

ER/SM also released Church of the Brethren clinic boxes via
Interchurch Medical Assistance for Brethren volunteer groups going
to El Salvador. The boxes will be sent to areas where supplies have
been requested and can be dispensed by community health-care staff.

ER/SM manager Stan Noffsinger says ER/SM will continue to support
Church World Service as needs arise during long-term recovery
efforts. He suggests that congregations wishing to help should
sponsor a clinic box or send donations to the Emergency Disaster
Fund designated to "El Salvador Response" rather than send material
aid directly to El Salvador. 

For more information, call ER/SM at 800-451-4407 regarding disaster
funds or clinic box inventories, or IMA at 410-635-8720 regarding
volunteer groups.

 4) Bethany Theological Seminary (Richmond, Ind.) inaugurated
academic offerings through its new Institute for Ministry with
Youth and Young Adults with a Brethren Academy intensive course
called "Seen and Heard: An Introduction to Ministry with Youth"
Jan. 8-12.

All 19 available slots for the class were filled, and a varied
group attended. Pastors, professional youth ministers, youth
advisors, and other interested lay people presented a variety of
views and experiences.

"I was surprised by the diversity of the group," said Chris Zepp,
interim youth minister at the Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the
Brethren. "To see senior pastors of churches here and hear from
churches that are thinking of starting more intentional work in
ministry with youth was great. A lot of churches are looking that
way, and looking for some guidance."

Institute director Tim Van Meter taught the course, the first of
many to be offered through the program. Van Meter will teach a
seminary-level young adult ministry course on vocation and intimacy
this spring and a full-semester introduction to youth ministry
class in the fall, expanding on this initial intensive. A seminary
intensive on youth, media, and violence is being planned for next
January, and other academy and seminary offerings are being
considered.

"I think the goals that were set were reached well with this first
(course)," Van Meter said. "This class was good for me to try out
some things and see how I want to teach this course. ... It's not
about 'doing' ministry with youth, but how are we going to work
with youth to transform the church?" He called the makeup of the
class "a good mix."

Reaction to the course was positive as participants shared on the
final day of class.

"I haven't had much training in youth ministry," Zepp said. "It was
good to get time to connect with other people working with youth,
and to think about the issues and reflect."

Van Meter said he has been working closely with the General Board's
Youth/Young Adult Ministry office and expects that to continue. "We
want to keep that partnership going," Van Meter said. "It's good
for both of us."

 5) A Church of the Brethren camp will more than double in size
thanks to the gift of a generous benefactor.

Camp Eder, located in Southern Pennsylvania District in Fairfield,
Pa., this week entered into a sales agreement for about 250 acres
of orchard and farmland adjacent to the current camp property. The
camp, which celebrated 40 years of camping this past summer, will
grow from 150 acres to about 400--putting it among some of the
largest camps in the denomination.

A large gift from an anonymous donor put the purchase price of
$675,000 within reach.

"It is a real answer to prayer," Camp Eder executive director Curt
Rowland says. "The camp board and I have dreamed about this farm
coming this direction. I find it very exciting, because just think
of the possibilities with the different programs we can offer."

The land includes two ponds, which will permit boating and other
water activities, and also provides a hedge against urban sprawl
encroaching on the quiet retreat atmosphere. The new property is
part of the original farm belonging to A.W. Geigley, who donated
the 150 acres to begin the camp in the late 1950s. At that
dedication service, Geigley said it should "forever be a wondering
place, a listening place, and a seeking place where souls find
God."

"That legacy of 150 acres being set aside as a place for people to
find God and Sabbath is going to continue," Rowland says. He adds
that there are no immediate plans to do any building or significant
expansion onto the new property.

 6) A Faith Expedition to the Central American nations of Belize
and Guatemala departed Jan. 8 for a 10-day journey. Fifteen
Brethren from across the denomination participated in the trip, led
by two former Brethren Volunteer Service workers: Samantha Morris,
who served in Belize, and Robert Stiles, who served in Guatemala.
Brethren Witness director David Radcliff joined the group for the
Guatemala portion of the trip.

This is the second annual trip sponsored by the General Board's
Brethren Witness office to these countries. The focus was on
learning more about environmental issues in the region and ways
that Christians can be involved in better caring for God's Earth. 

The itinerary included the Eden Conservancy in Belize, an area of
rainforest that the Church of the Brethren is helping to protect.
In Guatemala, the group was scheduled to see the ongoing stove and
cisterns projects of the Global Food Crisis Fund and reforestation
efforts being supported by Brethren through the "If a Tree
Falls..." program.

Shock waves from a major Jan. 13 earthquake centered in El Salvador
were felt in Guatemala, a day before the group was scheduled to
arrive there from Belize. No significant damage was reported in
areas where the group was traveling.

Registrations are already coming in for next year's trip, scheduled
for Jan. 7-17, 2002. Contact the Brethren Witness office at
800-323-8039 for more information.

 7) Fourteen volunteers are expected to gather in Florida this
weekend for the beginning of Brethren Volunteer Service Unit 242.
The three-week orientation will be held at Camp Ithiel, near
Orlando, Jan. 21-Feb. 9.

The group includes three volunteers from Germany and one from
Japan. Four volunteers are connected to the Church of the Brethren:
Mike Horner, Wiley (Colo.) Church of the Brethren; Nathan Kinsey,
Wilmington (Del.) Church of the Brethren; Joe Ryan, Middlebury
(Ind.) Church of the Brethren; and Stephanie Schaudel, Lancaster
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

During the orientation, volunteers will attend sessions on social
and spiritual issues including "Who Are the Brethren?," led by
Merle Crouse; farm worker issues, by Tobias Baier; conflict and
resolution, by Noelle Dulabaum Bohrer; nonviolent action by Matt
Guynn; the death penalty, by SueZann Bosler; and globalization, by
Brethren Witness director David Radcliff.

Volunteers will also spend several days on work projects, make an
overnight visit to The Palms retirement community and Sebring
Church of the Brethren, and spend a weekend hosted by the Eglise
des Freres Haitiens congregation (Haitian Church of the Brethren)
in Miami.

The next two BVS orientation units will be held at the Brethren
Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The special Older Adult Unit
will run from April 30-May 11, and the summer unit will be July
22-Aug. 11.

 
 8)  The painting "Time" by Korean artist Young June Lew now has a
permanent home at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in
Elgin, Ill.

The painting was featured in the 2000 Christmas Offering materials
and on the cover of the November "Messenger," illustrating the
theme "You are the light of the world." It was also on temporary
exhibition at the General Offices during the General Board meeting
in October.

The General Board became the owner of the painting as a
Christmas-season gift from Ron and Janice Sink, members of the
Ninth Street Church of the Brethren, Roanoke, Va. General Board
regional financial counselor Ray Glick facilitated the donation. 

The mixed-media canvas is on display in the main conference room of
the offices.

 9) Stan Dueck, a General Board Congregational Life Team member for
Area 1 (Northeast), has been assigned to relate to New Life
Ministries beginning next month. Dueck will work with New Life
Ministries director Joan Hershey and the organization's Evangelism
Management Team.

Beth Sollenberger Morphew, coordinator of the Area 2 (Midwest)
Congregational Life Team, has been serving in this role the past
several years. Dueck will begin his new responsibility after the
Anabaptist Evangelism Council meeting in mid-February.

New Life Ministries is an Anabaptist, ecumenical evangelism agency
supported by the General Board and five other denominations and
parachurch organizations. 

 10) The Church of the Brethren's Committee on Interchurch
Relations held its fall meeting Nov. 9-11 in New Windsor, Md., with
actions including a review of the committee's core responsibility
areas and revision of its mission statement.

Core responsibilities were listed as the following: 1) To promote
and celebrate the shared ministries of Church of the Brethren
congregations/individuals/groups and districts with other
communities of faith; 2) To pursue and promote conversations and
shared relationships with other Brethren bodies and peace churches;
3) To nurture relationships with other believers' churches, in
particular an associated relationship with the American Baptist
Churches (USA); and 4) To participate, promote and celebrate shared
ministries with the National Council of Churches, the World Council
of Churches, and their relationships with other faith traditions. 

CIR also resolved to partner with the General Board's Brethren
Witness office to promote the Decade to Overcome Violence declared
by the World Council of Churches, affirmed the Theological
Conference of Historic Peace Churches to be held in June 2001,
discussed the committee's 2001 Ecumenical Award, and made plans to
add information to the CIR webpage at
www.brethren.org/genbd/exdir/CIR.HTM.

 11) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 *The General Board's Congregational Life Ministries office has
realized that the schedule of scriptures in this year's prayer
calendar, previously sent out via mail and posted on the
www.brethren.org website, does not correspond with this year's
lectionary cycle. While it can still be used for personal devotions
or study, texts do not align with the proper weeks. A corrected
version is being developed by the office and will be soon be sent
by first-class mail and posted at
www.brethren.org/genbd/clm/calendar/

 *Don and Marie Willoughby, co-pastors of the Marilla (Mich.)
congregation, say prayers and support have sustained them since
their home burned to the ground earlier this month. "People have
been so generous giving us donations," says Marie Willoughby, who
is also a member of the General Board. "The response has been
wonderful. The prayers, I'm sure, have helped as much as anything
else." The fire also destroyed the church office, which was kept in
their home, and destroyed many church records. The Willoughbys have
rented a home in nearby Kaleva (9107 Osmo St., 49645) and have kept
their previous phone number.

 *With the addition of new staff, the Interchurch Medical
Assistance office at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor,
Md., is expanding. The agency is moving into additional, adjacent
space in the campus' Blue Ridge Building.

 *A full-time position for a truck driver is available at the
Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. Trips are primarily
local runs with some occasional long-haul trips. Responsibilities
include making deliveries and pick-ups; performing required
maintenance and upkeep; maintaining log books and truck reports;
keeping current on regulations, and assisting with general
warehouse duties. Applicants must be at least 21, have a CDL and a
good driving record. Pre-employment drug test required. Contact
Ellen Hall at 410-635-8781.

 *Brethren Colleges Abroad recently announced several staff
transitions, including the resignation of chief financial officer
Pat Oppor at the end of December in order to pursue a degree in
environmental science. Dr. Ruth Reed of Juniata College begins this
month as director of the BCA program in India.

 *From the Annual Conference Office: Program and Arrangements
Committee anticipates there may be many chartered bus groups coming
to Annual Conference in Baltimore for the weekend only (parts of
Saturday and Sunday). It suggests that organizers of such groups
check the Annual Conference web pages at www.brethren.org or call
the Annual Conference office soon (800-323-8039) for special
information related to weekend registrations, guest-room
accommodations for one night only, and motorcoach parking
availability.

 *John S. Whiteneck Jr., a McPherson (Kan.) College and Bethany
Seminary graduate who founded "Generations for Peace," died of
pneumonia Dec. 21 in Oregon.

 *The 21st National Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministry is
scheduled for June 22-26 at Ohio Dominican College in Columbus.
Registration deadline is May 1. Call 419-244-6711 or go to
http://come.to/convocation2001 for more details.

 *A survey of 100 growing Disciples of Christ congregations showed
friendliness and sense of community as the top reasons new members
joined, according to "The Disciple" magazine. Items close behind
were worship and preaching.

 *Clarification of an item in the Jan. 5 Newsline: Matthew Messick,
a Brethren Volunteer Service worker serving in Nigeria through
Global Mission Partnerships, has a mailing address in Jos but is
working at the Comprehensive Secondary School near Mubi.

 
 12) Elsie Holderread has announced her retirement as manager of
human resources for the General Board effective Dec. 31, 2001. She
has held the position since July 1997. 

After serving the General Board for nearly four years in Sudan
helping her husband, Ken, establish a training program for pastors,
she was hired as administrative assistant for the General Services
Commission in November 1987. In this position she worked closely
with communications, stewardship, the Brethren Historical Library
and Archives, and Brethren Press.

Retirement plans include moving to McPherson, Kan., to be closer to
family.

 13) Nancy Miner has accepted the position of production
coordinator for Brethren Benefit Trust's communications and
information services department effective Jan. 15. She will oversee
maintenance of departmental databases for marketing, promotions,
and public relations; assist in the creation, printing, and
distribution of press releases, annual reports, manuals, marketing
materials, and other resources; and update BBT's web sites. Miner
has been with BBT since 1993.

 14) The Association of Brethren Caregivers has announced keynote
speakers for its third Caring Ministries Assembly, to be held Aug.
7-11 at the University of La Verne (Calif.). The theme of this
conference for professional and lay caregivers is "The Many Faces
of Healing," which will be the focus of each keynote speaker's
presentation.

The conference will begin with a worship celebration featuring
Robert Edgar, general secretary of the US National Council of
Churches. Edgar, a former chaplain and US congressman, is an
ordained elder of the United Methodist Church.

Fumitaka Matsuoka, vice president for academic affairs and dean and
professor of theology at the Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley,
Calif.), will speak Thursday morning. Matsuoka previously served as
academic dean and associate professor of theology and mission
studies at Bethany Theological Seminary, as a Church of the
Brethren pastor, and as a chaplain in Japan.

Thursday evening's address will be made by Gary R. Gunderson, an
ordained American Baptist minister and director of the Interfaith
Health Program of Emory University's Rollins School of Public
Health in Atlanta. The center is a clearinghouse of ideas and
strategies that can be adapted by faith groups around issues such
as health and community development.

Marty Richards will be Friday morning's presenter. Richards, a
long-time social worker, teacher, and writer, is a case manager,
counselor, and consultant in Seattle. She specializes in the needs
of older adults and their families. Ken Medema, who has performed
at numerous Brethren events in the past, will perform a concert
Friday evening. Medema has been writing and performing his own
songs since 1970 when he began composing original material for his
work as a music therapist in a psychiatric hospital.

Susan Boyer will speak at the assembly's closing worship
celebration Saturday morning. Boyer is senior pastor of the
Manchester Church of the Brethren (North Manchester, Ind.) She has
preached at Annual Conference, National Older Adult Conference, and
National Youth Conference.

Thursday through Saturday, the day will begin with an hour-long
Bible study led by Virginia Wiles, associate professor of New
Testament at New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Brethren Press has
published her writings in two issues of its "Good Ground" series.
A preconference workshop, held Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
and Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon, will be led by Dr.
Harold Koenig, whose research about the connection between health
and religion has been widely publicized in the press.

A poster and other materials are expected to be available in March,
and brochures in April.

 15) A seminar exploring blended and contemporary worship services
will be held March 3 at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond,
Ind., running from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dick Shreckhise, minister for
worship at the Lancaster (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, will be the
featured speaker.

The event will discuss a theology of worship, steps a church can
take to transition from a traditional service into blended and/or
contemporary worship, ways of communicating the gospel to the
unchurched, and methods for dealing with conflicts over music-style
preferences.

Cost for the seminar is $5 to cover a noon meal. It is sponsored by
the General Board's Area 2 (Midwest) Congregational Life Team.
Pre-registrations should be sent to Duane Grady, 3124 E. 5th,
Anderson, IN  46012. Call 765-460-4465 or e-mail
dgrady_gb@brethren.org for more details.

 16) The General Board's Emergency Response/Service Ministries
office has announced the 2001 schedule of Disaster Child Care Level
I volunteer training workshops. The 27-hour intensive training
event is open to anyone with sensitivity and compassion for
children, patience, flexibility, good health, and an adventurous
spirit. Established in 1980 by the Church of the Brethren, Disaster
Child Care is an ecumenical volunteer network of several hundred
certified people from many faith backgrounds. Workshops are as
follows:

*March 30-31 at Northern Colorado Church of the Brethren, Windsor,
Colo. Local coordinator is Byron Frantz, 970-686-2840 or
befrantz@greeleynet.com. Sponsored by Western Plains District and
the Northern Colorado church.

*March 30-31 at Maple Grove Church of the Brethren, Ashland, Ohio.
Local coordinator is Marlene Shoup, 419-869-7136 or
shoupfarms@juno.com. Sponsored by Northern Ohio District Women and
the Maple Grove church.

*March 30-31 at Dallas Center (Iowa) Church of the Brethren, which
is sponsoring the workshop. Local coordinator is Lorna Grow,
515-992-3003 or ljbgrow@juno.com. 

*April 6-7 at Wenatchee (Wash.) Brethren-Baptist Church, which is
sponsoring the workshop. Local coordinator is Freda Holmes,
509-223-3152 or eholmes@nvinet.com.

Each workshop runs from 4 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Cost is
$25, including meals and overnight stay. For more information about
the training and how to register, contact Helen Stonesifer at
800-451-4407 or one of the local coordinators. To schedule a Level
I DCC workshop in a church or district, contact Lydia Walker at
lwalker_gb@brethren.org.

 17) Congregations will soon be receiving the premier issue of "The
Seed Packet." This quarterly newsletter, designed to encourage and
nurture the growth of Christian education in Church of the Brethren
congregations, is being published jointly by the Church of the
Brethren Association of Christian Educators (CoBACE) and the
General Board's Brethren Press and Congregational Life Team units.

The newsletter, which will receive broad distribution, replaces the
CoBACE Newsletter while continuing its practice of providing
resources for educators and a network to connect teachers with
resources, ideas, and training events.

Featured each quarter will be age-group columns providing focused
attention on children, junior high, senior high, and adults from
individuals who are working with those age groups, as well as ideas
for involving families in Christian education from Judith Myers
Walls. Each issue will also highlight aspects of Christian
education, including non-traditional settings. The first issue
provides a look at Vacation Bible School and summer church camp
opportunities.

The newsletter will be sent on a quarterly basis via the "Source"
packet, inserted in quarterly curriculum shipments from Brethren
Press, and sent to members of CoBACE via first-class mail.
Information about becoming a member of CoBACE is also included. The
first issue will be sent by first-class mail to "Source" recipients
in late January.

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.

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. Also see Photo
Journal at www.brethren.org/pjournal/index.htm for photo coverage
of recent events.