wfn.org | Newsline for Feb. 16, 2001 - section 2

[COBNews@aol.com]

--part1_4c.10dfc138.27beec7a_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Sorry to clutter up your e-mail boxes, but it appears that our server or AOL 
are continuing to have some difficulties. It seems that everyone received at 
least the first 8 items previously. This shorter file will contain just the 
remaining items in the hopes that it can get through. Thanks for your 
patience.    

9) Supporters of nurse Dorothy Granada in Nicaragua received good
news last week when Nicaraguan courts ruled against an order to
have her deported. The government, which recently has been cracking
down on non-governmental organizations, subsequently withdrew that
order.

Granada had been directing the Maria Luisa Ortiz Health Clinic in
the village of Mulukuku until December, when the government charged
her with performing abortions--illegal in Nicaragua--and serving
only rival Sandinistas. Granada, from California, has denied both
charges.

She had spent the weeks since then in hiding as the case worked its
way through the courts. Members of the US government, the National
Council of Churches, and others in the religious community called
for the government to allow Granada to resume her work. Nadine Monn
of the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships office
was among those signing on to a letter.

Several Church of the Brethren delegations, including Faith
Expeditions from the General Board's Brethren Witness office, and
groups from Manchester College (North Manchester, Ind.) have
visited the clinic in the past. It currently remains closed, but
supporters are hopeful that the Nicaraguan government will allow it
to reopen soon. Granada came out of hiding late last week and
attended a victory celebration.

10) Twenty-seven Christian Peacemaker Teams delegates last week
presented a "ban and bar" letter to Roosevelt Roads US Navy base on
Vieques, urging an end to the US Navy presence on the small Puerto
Rican island.

The delegation traveled to Puerto Rico on Jan. 25, listening to a
wide range of groups involved in the conflict around US and NATO
use of Vieques as a practice bombing range since World War II.
Several thousand people live between the bombing zones. 

Upon entering the base to present their request to Rear Admiral
Kevin Green, seven delegates were arrested, detained for several
hours at Roosevelt Roads, issued "ban and bar" letters of their
own, and released the same day. Such letters ban persons from one
or more military installations for a given period.

The killing of Puerto Rican civilian guard David Sanes by a
misplaced bomb in May 1999 sparked new efforts against the practice
bombing. Thousands of Puerto Ricans and others peacefully occupied
the bombing zone on Vieques, stopping the violence for over a year.
Participants were removed in May 2000, but some plan to re-occupy
the impact zone when bombing resumes--perhaps as early as March of
this year. In their last elections, a strong majority of Puerto
Ricans voted for candidates who want to see the Navy out of
Vieques.

Elsewhere, CPT also recently began a three-month Lenten presence in
Colombia, seeking justice in a nation wracked by violence, murders,
and drug trafficking. Cliff Kindy of the Manchester Church of the
Brethren (North Manchester, Ind.) is part of that group.

11) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
*The Anabaptist Evangelism Council begins its annual meeting today
at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The
event, sponsored by New Life Ministries, continues through Sunday. 
A report will appear in the next edition of Newsline. The Committee
on Interchurch Relations is also meeting at the offices, Feb.
17-19, and a committee creating the Hymnal Supplement Series
finished three days of meetings there today.

*On Feb. 6, the Brethren Service Center distribution center in New
Windsor, Md., shipped a 40-foot container to Cape Verde, Africa,
with 40,133 pounds of school and health supplies on behalf of For
Children Inc. It is the first shipment from New Windsor by this
nonprofit organization, which is located in Scotch Plains, N.J.

*Two papers from the General Board's Ministry office expected to
be available in late February will not be available until later in
the year, allowing additional information to be incorporated. The
papers are "Guidelines for Continuing Education" and "Sabbath
Rest." The new  video on calling people to ministry, "How Are They
to Hear?" will be mailed by late February.

*Don Vermilyea, serving as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in
Elkton, Md., will also be volunteering for the General Board's
Brethren Witness office in the area of lifestyle concerns and
discipleship education. Vermilyea will be available to visit
congregations on weekends and lead discussions and activities
related to living as Christians in a consumer society.

*Brethren Colleges Abroad news: Marcel Green, director of the BCA
study center in Dalian, China, has an article published in the
spring issue of "The Black Collegian." Green writes about the
challenges of living and working in China as an African-American.
His article is the fourth one published in a US national magazine
by a BCA staff member during the past 15 months. ... Stephen Pierre
joined BCA as controller in late January. 

*New Call to Peacemaking's new "Every Church a Peace Church"
emphasis is beginning to take shape, with director John Stoner
participating in a panel discussion at a Conference on Peace
Education from Faith Traditions Feb. 19 in New York, and an
introductory meeting in Chicago following on Feb. 23-24, featuring
the Rev. Paul Jakes Jr. as speaker. 

*Manchester College (North Manchester, Ind.) recently received a
$1 million pledge toward its Next Step campaign from Emily Flory,
wife of the late Paul Flory, a 1931 graduate of the college. The
pledge is for a science center renovation and expansion project. In
Maryland, meanwhile, Frostburg State University received $727,000
from the estate of Church of the Brethren member Harold Rowe,
according to the Cumberland (Md.) Times-News.

*Bethany professor and campus minister Scott Holland is serving as
guest lecturer for McPherson (Kan.) College's annual Religious
Heritage Series on Feb. 25. 

*"The State of Church Giving through 1998" report from empty tomb,
inc. shows giving as a portion of income to benevolences hit a
31-year low in 1998, dropping below .40 percent.  

*Vietnam's largest Protestant Church, the Evangelical Church of
Vietnam, will soon enjoy official recognition throughout the
country, according to Agence France Presse. Leaders of ECV
congregations in the south of the country are to meet in Ho Chi
Minh City in late February to adopt a charter and re-elect their
leadership in accordance with Vietnamese law, said foreign ministry
spokewoman Phan Thuy Thanh. The ECV churches, which account for
nearly of half Vietnam's estimated 700,000 Protestants, owe their
origins to proselytizing by the Christian and Missionary Alliance
early in the 20th century.

12) The denomination's Michigan District has re-opened a search
for a district executive. The position is at least half-time and
negotiable to three-fourths time including some evenings and
weekends; travel within the district is required.

Responsibilities include assisting congregations with pastoral
placement, providing pastoral care to pastors and their families,
serving as executive officer of the district board and giving
general oversight to district work, linking with denominational
agencies, and visiting congregations to promote good communication
and provide resources.

Candidates should have a clear commitment to Jesus Christ as
demonstrated in a vibrant spiritual life, a commitment to New
Testament values as understood through Church of the Brethren faith
and heritage, an understanding of small membership churches, strong
interpersonal and communication skills, strong management and
administrative experience, and respect for theological diversity.
Ordination and pastoral experience in the Church of the Brethren is
required; a Master of Divinity degree is preferred.

Interested persons may apply by sending a letter of interest and
resume to: Nancy F. Knepper, Office of District Ministries, 1451
Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Applicants should contact three or
four people and have them provide a letter of reference. Upon
receipt of the resume, candidates will be sent a profile that must
be completed and returned. Application deadline is April 2.

13) The Church of the Brethren Ministers' Association will hold
its post-Annual Conference meeting July 4-5 in Baltimore, with the
theme "WHO DO YOU SAY?: Confessing Jesus as Christ in Our Time."

It will include three main sessions, each led by a duo of Bethany
Theological Seminary professors. Scott Holland, Tim Van Meter, Jeff
Bach, Dena Pence Frantz, Dan Ulrich, and Dawn Wilhelm will each
share from their areas of expertise. Two other Bethany staff
members, Tara Hornbacker and Jon Shively, will lead worship and
drama during the event.

Registration is $25 for pre-registered individual clergy, $30 at
the door; $40 for pre-registered clergy couple, $50 at the door.
Current Bethany, TRIM, and EFSM students, as well as pastors'
spouses who are not clergy, may participate at no charge.
Pre-registration deadline is May 30. Make checks to "Ministers'
Association" and send registration to Dan Barnum-Steggerda, P.O.
Box 85, Daleville, VA 24083-0085.

14) A training seminar and assessment for planters of new churches
will be held May 21-25 at Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary. The
event, sponsored by the General Board's New Church Development
Advisory Committee, follows a similar event held last fall.

The training will be a concentrated week of instruction and
small-group sessions on the biblical, theological, and historical
foundations of church planting and one's personal philosophy and
approach. The General Board will cover tuition, room, and board for
pastors of new church starts, potential church planters, and
representatives of district New Church Development committees who
wish to attend.

The assessment, for current and potential church planters invited
by district executives, will use five tools to identify strengths,
personality factors, areas of growth, and recommendations for this
type of ministry. The General Board is also covering tuition, room,
and board for those attending this program.

Deadline to register for the assessment is March 15; for the
training, April 30. Registrations should be sent to Joan Pelletier,
1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Contact district executives or
a New Church Development Advisory Committee member for details.

15) Elizabethtown (Pa.) College will host the Creative Church
Leader Program June 11-15, featuring keynote speaker Pat Carlisle. 

Carlisle has led several events in Church of the Brethren circles
in the past, training some denominational leaders in the Creative
Church model. The program includes discussing key issues for
ministry, assessing leadership strengths and areas for improvement,
examining personality traits, and learning new leadership tools.

Participants will also have the opportunity to collaborate with
faculty and staff from the six Brethren colleges on effective
mentoring and leadership issues.

All fees and travel are being covered by a grant from the Lilly
Foundation. For more details or to register, call David Jensen at
Manchester College, 219-982-5348 or e-mail dhjensen@manchester.edu.

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.

--part1_4c.10dfc138.27beec7a_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=2>Sorry to clutter up your e-mail boxes, but it appears that our server or AOL 
<BR>are continuing to have some difficulties. It seems that everyone received at 
<BR>least the first 8 items previously. This shorter file will contain just the 
<BR>remaining items in the hopes that it can get through. Thanks for your 
<BR>patience. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>9) Supporters of nurse Dorothy Granada in Nicaragua received good
<BR>news last week when Nicaraguan courts ruled against an order to
<BR>have her deported. The government, which recently has been cracking
<BR>down on non-governmental organizations, subsequently withdrew that
<BR>order.
<BR>
<BR>Granada had been directing the Maria Luisa Ortiz Health Clinic in
<BR>the village of Mulukuku until December, when the government charged
<BR>her with performing abortions--illegal in Nicaragua--and serving
<BR>only rival Sandinistas. Granada, from California, has denied both
<BR>charges.
<BR>
<BR>She had spent the weeks since then in hiding as the case worked its
<BR>way through the courts. Members of the US government, the National
<BR>Council of Churches, and others in the religious community called
<BR>for the government to allow Granada to resume her work. Nadine Monn
<BR>of the Church of the Brethren's Global Mission Partnerships office
<BR>was among those signing on to a letter.
<BR>
<BR>Several Church of the Brethren delegations, including Faith
<BR>Expeditions from the General Board's Brethren Witness office, and
<BR>groups from Manchester College (North Manchester, Ind.) have
<BR>visited the clinic in the past. It currently remains closed, but
<BR>supporters are hopeful that the Nicaraguan government will allow it
<BR>to reopen soon. Granada came out of hiding late last week and
<BR>attended a victory celebration.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>10) Twenty-seven Christian Peacemaker Teams delegates last week
<BR>presented a "ban and bar" letter to Roosevelt Roads US Navy base on
<BR>Vieques, urging an end to the US Navy presence on the small Puerto
<BR>Rican island.
<BR>
<BR>The delegation traveled to Puerto Rico on Jan. 25, listening to a
<BR>wide range of groups involved in the conflict around US and NATO
<BR>use of Vieques as a practice bombing range since World War II.
<BR>Several thousand people live between the bombing zones. 
<BR>
<BR>Upon entering the base to present their request to Rear Admiral
<BR>Kevin Green, seven delegates were arrested, detained for several
<BR>hours at Roosevelt Roads, issued "ban and bar" letters of their
<BR>own, and released the same day. Such letters ban persons from one
<BR>or more military installations for a given period.
<BR>
<BR>The killing of Puerto Rican civilian guard David Sanes by a
<BR>misplaced bomb in May 1999 sparked new efforts against the practice
<BR>bombing. Thousands of Puerto Ricans and others peacefully occupied
<BR>the bombing zone on Vieques, stopping the violence for over a year.
<BR>Participants were removed in May 2000, but some plan to re-occupy
<BR>the impact zone when bombing resumes--perhaps as early as March of
<BR>this year. In their last elections, a strong majority of Puerto
<BR>Ricans voted for candidates who want to see the Navy out of
<BR>Vieques.
<BR>
<BR>Elsewhere, CPT also recently began a three-month Lenten presence in
<BR>Colombia, seeking justice in a nation wracked by violence, murders,
<BR>and drug trafficking. Cliff Kindy of the Manchester Church of the
<BR>Brethren (North Manchester, Ind.) is part of that group.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>11) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
<BR>denomination and elsewhere.
<BR>*The Anabaptist Evangelism Council begins its annual meeting today
<BR>at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. The
<BR>event, sponsored by New Life Ministries, continues through Sunday. 
<BR>A report will appear in the next edition of Newsline. The Committee
<BR>on Interchurch Relations is also meeting at the offices, Feb.
<BR>17-19, and a committee creating the Hymnal Supplement Series
<BR>finished three days of meetings there today.
<BR>
<BR>*On Feb. 6, the Brethren Service Center distribution center in New
<BR>Windsor, Md., shipped a 40-foot container to Cape Verde, Africa,
<BR>with 40,133 pounds of school and health supplies on behalf of For
<BR>Children Inc. It is the first shipment from New Windsor by this
<BR>nonprofit organization, which is located in Scotch Plains, N.J.
<BR>
<BR>*Two papers from the General Board's Ministry office expected to
<BR>be available in late February will not be available until later in
<BR>the year, allowing additional information to be incorporated. The
<BR>papers are "Guidelines for Continuing Education" and "Sabbath
<BR>Rest." The new &nbsp;video on calling people to ministry, "How Are They
<BR>to Hear?" will be mailed by late February.
<BR>
<BR>*Don Vermilyea, serving as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in
<BR>Elkton, Md., will also be volunteering for the General Board's
<BR>Brethren Witness office in the area of lifestyle concerns and
<BR>discipleship education. Vermilyea will be available to visit
<BR>congregations on weekends and lead discussions and activities
<BR>related to living as Christians in a consumer society.
<BR>
<BR>*Brethren Colleges Abroad news: Marcel Green, director of the BCA
<BR>study center in Dalian, China, has an article published in the
<BR>spring issue of "The Black Collegian." Green writes about the
<BR>challenges of living and working in China as an African-American.
<BR>His article is the fourth one published in a US national magazine
<BR>by a BCA staff member during the past 15 months. ... Stephen Pierre
<BR>joined BCA as controller in late January. 
<BR>
<BR>*New Call to Peacemaking's new "Every Church a Peace Church"
<BR>emphasis is beginning to take shape, with director John Stoner
<BR>participating in a panel discussion at a Conference on Peace
<BR>Education from Faith Traditions Feb. 19 in New York, and an
<BR>introductory meeting in Chicago following on Feb. 23-24, featuring
<BR>the Rev. Paul Jakes Jr. as speaker. 
<BR>
<BR>*Manchester College (North Manchester, Ind.) recently received a
<BR>$1 million pledge toward its Next Step campaign from Emily Flory,
<BR>wife of the late Paul Flory, a 1931 graduate of the college. The
<BR>pledge is for a science center renovation and expansion project. In
<BR>Maryland, meanwhile, Frostburg State University received $727,000
<BR>from the estate of Church of the Brethren member Harold Rowe,
<BR>according to the Cumberland (Md.) Times-News.
<BR>
<BR>*Bethany professor and campus minister Scott Holland is serving as
<BR>guest lecturer for McPherson (Kan.) College's annual Religious
<BR>Heritage Series on Feb. 25. 
<BR>
<BR>*"The State of Church Giving through 1998" report from empty tomb,
<BR>inc. shows giving as a portion of income to benevolences hit a
<BR>31-year low in 1998, dropping below .40 percent. &nbsp;
<BR>
<BR>*Vietnam's largest Protestant Church, the Evangelical Church of
<BR>Vietnam, will soon enjoy official recognition throughout the
<BR>country, according to Agence France Presse. Leaders of ECV
<BR>congregations in the south of the country are to meet in Ho Chi
<BR>Minh City in late February to adopt a charter and re-elect their
<BR>leadership in accordance with Vietnamese law, said foreign ministry
<BR>spokewoman Phan Thuy Thanh. The ECV churches, which account for
<BR>nearly of half Vietnam's estimated 700,000 Protestants, owe their
<BR>origins to proselytizing by the Christian and Missionary Alliance
<BR>early in the 20th century.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>12) The denomination's Michigan District has re-opened a search
<BR>for a district executive. The position is at least half-time and
<BR>negotiable to three-fourths time including some evenings and
<BR>weekends; travel within the district is required.
<BR>
<BR>Responsibilities include assisting congregations with pastoral
<BR>placement, providing pastoral care to pastors and their families,
<BR>serving as executive officer of the district board and giving
<BR>general oversight to district work, linking with denominational
<BR>agencies, and visiting congregations to promote good communication
<BR>and provide resources.
<BR>
<BR>Candidates should have a clear commitment to Jesus Christ as
<BR>demonstrated in a vibrant spiritual life, a commitment to New
<BR>Testament values as understood through Church of the Brethren faith
<BR>and heritage, an understanding of small membership churches, strong
<BR>interpersonal and communication skills, strong management and
<BR>administrative experience, and respect for theological diversity.
<BR>Ordination and pastoral experience in the Church of the Brethren is
<BR>required; a Master of Divinity degree is preferred.
<BR>
<BR>Interested persons may apply by sending a letter of interest and
<BR>resume to: Nancy F. Knepper, Office of District Ministries, 1451
<BR>Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Applicants should contact three or
<BR>four people and have them provide a letter of reference. Upon
<BR>receipt of the resume, candidates will be sent a profile that must
<BR>be completed and returned. Application deadline is April 2.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>13) The Church of the Brethren Ministers' Association will hold
<BR>its post-Annual Conference meeting July 4-5 in Baltimore, with the
<BR>theme "WHO DO YOU SAY?: Confessing Jesus as Christ in Our Time."
<BR>
<BR>It will include three main sessions, each led by a duo of Bethany
<BR>Theological Seminary professors. Scott Holland, Tim Van Meter, Jeff
<BR>Bach, Dena Pence Frantz, Dan Ulrich, and Dawn Wilhelm will each
<BR>share from their areas of expertise. Two other Bethany staff
<BR>members, Tara Hornbacker and Jon Shively, will lead worship and
<BR>drama during the event.
<BR>
<BR>Registration is $25 for pre-registered individual clergy, $30 at
<BR>the door; $40 for pre-registered clergy couple, $50 at the door.
<BR>Current Bethany, TRIM, and EFSM students, as well as pastors'
<BR>spouses who are not clergy, may participate at no charge.
<BR>Pre-registration deadline is May 30. Make checks to "Ministers'
<BR>Association" and send registration to Dan Barnum-Steggerda, P.O.
<BR>Box 85, Daleville, VA 24083-0085.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>14) A training seminar and assessment for planters of new churches
<BR>will be held May 21-25 at Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary. The
<BR>event, sponsored by the General Board's New Church Development
<BR>Advisory Committee, follows a similar event held last fall.
<BR>
<BR>The training will be a concentrated week of instruction and
<BR>small-group sessions on the biblical, theological, and historical
<BR>foundations of church planting and one's personal philosophy and
<BR>approach. The General Board will cover tuition, room, and board for
<BR>pastors of new church starts, potential church planters, and
<BR>representatives of district New Church Development committees who
<BR>wish to attend.
<BR>
<BR>The assessment, for current and potential church planters invited
<BR>by district executives, will use five tools to identify strengths,
<BR>personality factors, areas of growth, and recommendations for this
<BR>type of ministry. The General Board is also covering tuition, room,
<BR>and board for those attending this program.
<BR>
<BR>Deadline to register for the assessment is March 15; for the
<BR>training, April 30. Registrations should be sent to Joan Pelletier,
<BR>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. Contact district executives or
<BR>a New Church Development Advisory Committee member for details.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>15) Elizabethtown (Pa.) College will host the Creative Church
<BR>Leader Program June 11-15, featuring keynote speaker Pat Carlisle. 
<BR>
<BR>Carlisle has led several events in Church of the Brethren circles
<BR>in the past, training some denominational leaders in the Creative
<BR>Church model. The program includes discussing key issues for
<BR>ministry, assessing leadership strengths and areas for improvement,
<BR>examining personality traits, and learning new leadership tools.
<BR>
<BR>Participants will also have the opportunity to collaborate with
<BR>faculty and staff from the six Brethren colleges on effective
<BR>mentoring and leadership issues.
<BR>
<BR>All fees and travel are being covered by a grant from the Lilly
<BR>Foundation. For more details or to register, call David Jensen at
<BR>Manchester College, 219-982-5348 or e-mail dhjensen@manchester.edu.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>Newsline is produced by Walt Wiltschek, manager of news services
<BR>for the Church of the Brethren General Board, on the first, third,
<BR>and fifth Friday of each month. Newsline stories may be reprinted
<BR>provided that Newsline is cited as the source.
<BR>
<BR>To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 263,
<BR>or write CoBNews@AOL.Com. Newsline is available at www.brethren.org
<BR>and is archived with an index at http://www.wfn.org. Also see Photo
<BR>Journal at www.brethren.org/pjournal/index.htm for photo coverage
<BR>of recent events.</FONT></HTML>

--part1_4c.10dfc138.27beec7a_boundary--