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

[COBNews@aol.com]

Date:     May 18, 2001
Contact:  Walt Wiltschek
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

"And let us not grow weary while doing good . . ." Gal. 6:9a

NEWS
 1) Bethany celebrates its 96th commencement.
 2) A General Board delegation prepares to travel to Cuba.
 3) Congregational Life tour highlights small-membership churches.
 4) BVS Europe coordinator Kristin Flory gets peacemaker award.
 5) Global Food Crisis Fund sends aid to North Korea, Guatemala.
 6) BCA explores starting programs in Australia, Cuba.
 7) Brethren Service Center, SERRV earn honors.
 8) Youth advisors, others meet for "God-Centered Life" retreat.
 9) Brethren among those at major homiletics conference.
10) Brethren bits: Caring Ministries, disaster relief, college
news, more.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to staff travel, Newsline's schedule will be
altered slightly in the coming month. There will be another issue
next Friday, May 25, and none on the usual Friday of June 1. The
regular schedule will resume June 15. Thank you.

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

 1) On May 5, Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Ind.,
celebrated its 96th commencement with two observances: a ceremony
for conferring degrees in Bethany's Nicarry Chapel, and a public
worship celebration on the adjacent Earlham College campus.

Nancey Murphy, professor of Christian philosophy at Fuller
Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif., spoke at the conferring of
degrees ceremony on the topic "The Wisdom of Serpents, the Power of
God," based on a 1 Corinthians 1:25-2:7. Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm,
assistant professor of ministry studies at Bethany, was the speaker
for the afternoon worship service.  Her message, "An Acceptable
Time," also had a Corinthians text, 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2.

Nine students received Master of Divinity degrees, and one was
awarded posthumously to John Harvey, who died Nov. 7, 2000. Harvey
was from Encinitas, Calif. One student received a Master of Arts in
Theology degree and four received a Certificate in Theological
Studies.

Those who received degrees, and their home congregations, are:
Master of Divinity: Dennis Alan Beckner, Columbia City (Ind.)
Church of the Brethren; Melissa Joy Bennett, Prairie City (Iowa)
Church of the ; Katherine Marie Gandy, Modesto (Calif.) Church of
the Brethren; James Edward Lucas, Antioch Church of the Brethren,
Rocky Mount, Va.; Amy Faith Messler, Providence Church of the
Brethren, Royersford, Pa.; Tyowen Robert Pyles, West Charleston
Church of the Brethren, Tipp City, Ohio; Kathryn S. Royer, Cedar
Grove Church of the Brethren, New Paris, Ohio; Matthew J. Smucker,
Skyridge Church of the Brethren, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Todd Allen
Wenger, Living Faith Church of the Brethren, Flora, Ind.

Master of Arts in Theology: Patrick Koji Bugu, Ekklesiar Yan’uwa a
Nigeria, Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Certificate in Theological Studies: Leslie A. Frye, Monitor Church
of the Brethren, Conway, Kan.; Shirley A. Handley, Prince of Peace
Church of the Brethren, Kettering, Ohio; Lisa A. Krieg, Lititz
(Pa.) Church of the Brethren; Todd K. Reish, Richmond (Ind.) Church
of the Brethren.

Three of this year's graduates--Gandy, Lucas, and Wenger--completed
their degrees with a Peace Studies emphasis. Two graduates received
distinction for their academic work in various areas of the
curriculum: Smucker in ministry studies and Wenger in biblical
studies.

Four graduating seniors who distinguished themselves in their
biblical and theological studies and intend to pursue careers in
parish ministry--Bennett, Messler, Smucker, and Wenger--will
receive complimentary one-year subscriptions to the journal
"Interpretation." Graduates' future endeavors include careers in
pastoral and congregational ministry, administration, and further
graduate study.

 
 2) An invitation to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cuban
Council of Churches (CIC) has been extended to the Church of the
Brethren. A three-member delegation will travel to Cuba for a
weeklong series of events including an anniversary service, the
CIC's Study Assembly, and consultations with sister organizations
May 28-June 1.

Delegation members will be Mervin B. Keeney, director of Global
Mission Partnerships for the General Board; Nadine L. Monn,
specialist in the Latin America/Caribbean office, and Guillermo
Encarnacion, coordinator for theological education in the Dominican
Republic.

In October 2000, a three-member CIC delegation visited the General
Board offices in Elgin, Ill., and shared how helpful Brethren aid
to Cuba had been in past years.  

 3) "Small Can Be Beautiful" was the theme for a series of events
on smaller-membership congregations held in the Southeast US. The
General Board's Area 3 Congregational Life Team (CLT) and area
districts hosted Jim Kinsey, Area 2 (Midwest) CLT staff, as guest
leader. Kinsey is a certified trainer through the Texas A&M Rural
Sociology Department, which focuses on rural communities,
smaller-membership churches, and rural families.

Kinsey made presentations at congregations in the Southeastern,
Virlina, and West Marva districts during the late April/early May
tour, leading workshops, preaching, giving keynote addresses, and
facilitating planning. In all, more than 300 people from 55
congregations attended 11 events. Topics addressed included
evangelism and revitalization, spiritual life, and characteristics
of healthy congregations.

Worship was also part of events at the various stops, and the
Virlina events featured additional workshops on a number of areas
led by CLT staff and district leaders.

Earlier this year, Kinsey provided leadership for the Shenandoah
District board retreat as the board focused on supporting and
nurturing smaller membership and rural congregations. He plans to
meet with congregations in Atlantic Southeast District in early
2002.

 4) Kristin Flory, coordinator of Brethren Volunteer Service in
Europe for the Church of the Brethren General Board, was recently
named Peacemaker of the Year by the Brethren Peace Fellowship of
Atlantic Northeast District.

A citation from Brethren Peace Fellowship lifted up Flory's
"strong, contagious convictions, energy, and knowledge" along with
her willingness to learn and her deep commitment to the volunteers
and BVS as reasons for selecting her for the award--the 29th year
the recognition has been given. It was presented at the group's
annual meeting.

A former European BVS worker herself, Flory has served in her
present role since 1987. She is based in Geneva, Switzerland, but
travels widely to provide oversight and support volunteers in their
projects. In a recent Sharing BVS newsletter, Flory says, "I know
that our efforts as volunteers, which might resemble drops in the
ocean to some, can and do have profound effects on individual lives
and causes, even if we don't see this today or tomorrow."

The citation also praises the ways that BVS acts as an agent of
peace and reconciliation around the world. It characterizes Flory's
role in the program as "quiet, significant service behind the
scenes as she lives her faith and represents the best of Brethren
Service."

 5) The Global Food Crisis Fund is sending two more grants, one to
famine-ravaged North Korea and one to Guatemala.

The North Korea grant is for $3,200 and will allow for the purchase
and shipment of two heifers to North Korea, joining a dairy goat
shipment that had been approved earlier. The Guatemala grant, for
$2,500, will provide for the continued economic and nutritional
education programs at the Parramos School.

Seven grants have now been made from the fund this year.

 6) Brethren Colleges Abroad says it may be sending students to
Australia--currently the sixth-most popular study abroad location
for college students--as soon as September 2002. BCA staff members
have held talks with the Australian Education Office in Washington,
D.C., to discuss possible international exchanges. It would join
existing BCA international study programs at 11 universities in 10
countries.

BCA is also investigating the possibility of opening a program in
Cuba, making only preliminary contacts thus far.

In other BCA news: About 600 students attended a BCA convocation at
Bridgewater (Va.) College March 20. . . . Roy Robinson has begun as
the new director of the Cochin, India, study site. ... McPherson
(Kan.) College student Matthew Porter, studying at the Xalapa,
Mexico, site this year, has developed a Xalapa website as an
independent study project. It's at www.mcpherson.edu/~kilguso.

 7) Several awards have arrived recently at the Brethren Service
Center in New Windsor, Md.

The center itself, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren General
Board, received a Community Service Award from the Carroll County
(Md.) office of the American Red Cross at the agency's sixth annual
Leadership Breakfast on May 3 in Westminster, Md. Stan Noffsinger,
director of the center, accepted the award on behalf of the
employees and volunteers there.

SERRV International, which has offices at New Windsor, was honored
with the Employer of the Year Award by ARC of Carroll County at a
banquet on May 8 for its work with people with developmental
disabilities. SERRV has been providing off-site and on-site work
opportunities for ARC clients for more than five years. 

 8) Sixty people gathered at Shepherd's Spring Outdoor Ministries
Center in Sharpsburg, Md., April 27-29 for another event in "The
God-Centered Life" spirituality series. Sponsored by Shepherd's
Spring and the General Board's Youth/Young Adult Ministries office,
this latest retreat was for youth advisors, pastors, parents, and
others who work with youth. 

Annual Conference moderator-elect Paul Grout led the group through
worship, prayer, scripture and reflection, calling them to turn
their affections from "idols" in their lives and onto Jesus Christ.
He urged participants to face the truths of an addictive culture,
even within the church, and the fears that those addictions
conceal.
 
"We were comforted and commissioned from the Lord's table to go
forth, healed, delivered, set free to live as 'God-Bearers'
carrying and offering Christ's love to the world," said retreat
participant Linda Lambert, pastor of the Thurmont (Md.) Church of
the Brethren.

Next in the series is a national spiritual growth camp for youth,
planned for July 29-Aug. 4 at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind. Call
800-323-8039 for more details.

 9) Ten Brethren from five states were among the 650 in attendance
at the ninth Festival of Homiletics, held May 7-10 at National City
Christian Church, in Washington, D.C.

Gathering under the theme "Preaching Building Community and
Community Building Preaching" participants heard from some of the
best of American preachers including: Tony Campolo, Marva Dawn,
James Forbes, Tom Long, Ann Weems, and William Willimon.
Participants reported that these and others challenged and inspired
all those in attendance.

Preaching 2002 will be held in Chicago May 21-24, 2002. Information
about the next conference will soon be available at
www.sermonmall.com or www.lectionary.com.

 10) Brethren bits: Other brief news notes from around the
denomination and elsewhere.
 * Joe Leonard will give the opening keynote address for the Caring
Ministries Assembly in place of Robert Edgar, general secretary of
the National Council of Churches of Christ, due to a conflict in
Edgar's schedule. Leonard is executive director of the Office on
Family Ministries and Human Sexuality of the NCC. The conference,
sponsored by the Association of Brethren Caregivers, will be held
Aug. 7-11 in La Verne, Calif.
 
 *A Disaster Child Care team coordinated by Church of the Brethren
Emergency Response/Service Ministries recently completed service in
Hoisington, Kan., following destructive tornadoes in late April. In
cooperation with the American Red Cross, four certified disaster
child care givers spent nine days making 60 child care contacts. 

 *Four Christian Peacemaker Teams members were arrested this month
when they entered the US Navy base on Vieques, Puerto Rico, in
protest of weapons testing at the facility, which shares the small
island with a residential population. Church of the Brethren Matt
Guynn led the delegation but was not among those who were arrested.
The group was scheduled to be in Vieques through May 7.

 

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. Marcia Shetler,
Julie Hostetter, Kathleen Campanella, Linda Lambert, and Michael
Hostetter contributed to this report.

To receive Newsline by e-mail or fax, call 800 323-8039, ext. 263,
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